🚨 Don’t Let Your Order Get Stuck: Understand the Difference Between Replacement and After-the-Fact POs
VCU Procurement continues to see confusion around Replacement Purchase Orders and After-the-Fact POs—especially when it comes to why a vendor hasn’t received an order. Let’s clear that up!
🔍 Why Your Vendor May Not Have Received the Order
We’ve noticed a recurring issue: a Replacement or After-the-Fact PO is created after goods or services are ordered, and then there’s confusion when the vendor hasn’t received anything. This is because neither of these PO types gets automatically sent to vendors. If the vendor hasn’t already received the order directly from the department, they don’t know to fulfill it.
Let’s break it down:
đź› What Is a Replacement PO?
A Replacement Purchase Order is used when a valid, existing PO has been closed or canceled in error—this could be due to invoicing issues or the wrong account index being used.
- ✅ Created to fix or “reopen” the original PO by replacing it with a new PO
- ❌ Not sent to the vendor again
- ⚠️ You must communicate with the vendor separately if needed
đź•’ What Is an After-the-Fact PO?
An After-the-Fact PO is created when something has already been purchased without an approved PO in place.
- âś… Created after goods or services have been received
- ❌ Also not sent to the vendor
- ⚠️ These are for internal tracking and compliance—not for ordering
- đź’ˇ Remember: After-the-Fact POs are generally issued when procurement procedures have not been properly followed. These should be generally be avoided and may require justification or additional approvals.
đź’ˇ What You Should Do
If you’re creating or approving a Replacement or After-the-Fact PO:
- 🧾 Make sure the vendor has already received the order directly.
- 📬 If they haven’t, you’ll need to send them the order or follow up yourself.
- 🧠Understand that the PO alone won’t trigger fulfillment in these cases.
📣 Let’s Get the Word Out
This is a pattern we’re seeing more often—and it’s causing delays. Consider this your friendly reminder: Just because a PO is in RealSource doesn’t mean the vendor has seen it.
If you’re not sure what type of PO is needed—or if you’re seeing payment or fulfillment delays—reach out to Procurement Services. We’re happy to help!
📨 Need help? Submit a Procurement Help Ticket
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