Buying and receiving
There is more than one way to buy something in BigLedger, and the flexibility is deliberate — each path exists because a real business needed it.
Each answer is two or three sentences and a link. The page behind the link is the one that owns the explanation and the one that gets corrected when the product changes.
What is the difference between a goods received note and a purchase invoice?
The goods received note records the count; the purchase invoice books the stock value and the liability to the supplier. Standard Procurement Workflow shows the full path and Purchase Invoice Processing covers the invoice itself.
How does consignment stock work when I don’t own it until it sells?
There is a dedicated consignment path — the goods sit in your location, and billing happens only on what sold. Consignment Purchasing walks the documents and the billing run.
How do I buy in a foreign currency?
Set the rate source and the document currency; the ledger keeps your base currency and the difference is handled as exchange movement. The Forex applet documents rates and how they reach a document.
Can BigLedger raise purchase orders when stock runs low?
Yes — stock level monitoring watches minimum and maximum levels and a replenishment run turns the shortfall into purchase orders. See the Stock Replenishment applet and the Stock Level Monitoring applet.
The supplier invoiced before delivering. Which document comes first?
The invoice can, and that path is supported end to end. Invoice-First Workflow shows how the receipt is matched afterwards, and Direct Invoice Workflow covers the case with no receipt at all.
Can I receive goods without a purchase order?
Yes — the direct goods received note path exists for exactly that, and it is a deliberate option rather than a workaround. Direct GRN Workflow walks it.