> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.assetinfinity.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Purchase requests

> Raising a requisition, routing it for approval, and what happens once it is signed off.

The ask, before it becomes a commitment. A purchase request says what is needed and why; it becomes
spend only once somebody with authority agrees.

## Where a request comes from

Two paths, same form underneath:

| Source                     | How                                                                                                                 |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Reorder recommendation** | Raised straight from [Reorder](/inventory/reorder) for the suggested part and quantity, with the reasoning attached |
| **Ad hoc**                 | Raised by anyone holding the permission, from the global **+ Create → Purchase request** menu                       |

An ad hoc request carries no reorder reasoning, so it asks for one — what it is for, and why now.

## Request states

| Status        | Meaning                                                                                                         |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft**     | Being built. Not yet visible to approvers                                                                       |
| **Submitted** | In the approval chain                                                                                           |
| **Approved**  | Cleared to proceed to an [RFQ](/commercial/rfqs) or directly to a [purchase order](/commercial/purchase-orders) |
| **Rejected**  | Stopped. The reason travels with it                                                                             |
| **Cancelled** | Withdrawn by the requester before a decision                                                                    |

```text theme={null}
Draft ──Submit──→ Submitted ─┬─Approve──→ Approved
                              └─Reject────→ Rejected

Draft, Submitted ──Cancel──→ Cancelled
```

<Note>
  Approved does not mean bought. It means somebody with authority agreed the spend may be pursued.
  The buying decision — which vendor, at what price — is what the RFQ and purchase order record next.
</Note>

## The approval chain

Every request routes through an approval chain — see [Approvals](/work/approvals) for how chains are
configured. Chains are set per organisation, typically by amount, category or site, so a request for
a filter and a request for a compressor need not travel the same path.

The request's detail view shows the chain itself, not just the current step:

* Every approver in order, and whether their step is **pending**, **approved** or **rejected**.
* Who actually signed off, and when — not just who was assigned to.
* Any comment an approver left, particularly on a rejection or a return for information.

A request stalled at step two of four is visibly stalled at step two of four, not just "pending".

## Columns

| Column             | Notes                             |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------- |
| **Request number** | Click to open                     |
| **Description**    | What is being asked for           |
| **Requester**      | Who raised it                     |
| **Source**         | Reorder recommendation, or ad hoc |
| **Status**         | As above                          |
| **Approval step**  | Where it sits in the chain        |
| **Value**          | Estimated cost of the request     |
| **Raised**         | When it was submitted             |

## Raising a request

**New** on this screen, or **+ Create → Purchase request** from anywhere. The minimum is what is
wanted, a quantity, and why. Reorder-sourced requests arrive with the part, quantity and reasoning
already filled in.

<Card title="Reorder recommendations" icon="chart-line" href="/inventory/reorder">
  What is running low, and why the system thinks so.
</Card>

<Card title="Requests for quotation" icon="file-invoice-dollar" href="/commercial/rfqs">
  What happens once a request is approved.
</Card>


## Related topics

- [Requests for quotation](/commercial/rfqs.md)
- [Purchase orders](/commercial/purchase-orders.md)
- [Reorder recommendations](/inventory/reorder.md)
- [Approvals](/work/approvals.md)
- [Finding your way around](/get-started/navigating.md)