When a Purchase Order (PO) is sent to a supplier, they have the ability to suggest price updates directly through email. Here's how the workflow works:
How It Works
When a PO is created and sent, the supplier receives an email notification containing the PO details along with a PDF attachment of the purchase order.
If the supplier needs to update the pricing on any of the materials, they can do so by following the steps below.
Steps for Suppliers
Open the PO email you received from Ply.
Download the PDF attachment included in the email.
Edit the PDF to reflect the new pricing for the materials that need to be updated.
Reply to the same email with the edited PDF attached.
The system will automatically capture the updated information and apply it to the PO in Ply.
What Happens Next (For Ply Users)
Once the supplier submits the updated PDF, the PO status in Ply will change to "Contains Updates." Click View Changes to review the proposed modifications.
Changes will appear under two sections:
Updated Items - Materials from the original PO with modified pricing or quantities.
New Items - Materials that were not part of the original PO but were included in the supplier's updated PDF.
⚠️ Important: Match New Items Before Approving
When a supplier returns an updated PDF, the system will display item names exactly as they appear in the supplier's file, and these names will often not match the names already in your catalog. If you approve without addressing this, the system will create duplicate items in your catalog.
Before approving, you must link each new item to its corresponding material in your existing catalog. Here's how:
Click the + icon next to the new item.
2. Use the search bar to find the matching material from your catalog.
3. Click Link to connect them.
4. Repeat this for every new item listed.
🚨Do not click "Approve All" until every new item is linked
Supplier item names almost never match your catalog names exactly. If you approve a "New Item" without linking it first, Ply creates a brand-new catalog entry as a duplicate; even if the material already exists under a different name.
✅ Approve All - Accept all proposed changes and update the PO.
❌ Reject - Decline the changes if they are incorrect or need further discussion.
Action | Description |
✅ Approve All | Accepts all proposed changes — price updates, quantity changes, and newly linked items. The PO updates automatically and the supplier receives a confirmation email. |
❌ Reject | Declines all proposed changes. The PO remains as originally sent. Contact the supplier directly to discuss and request a corrected update. |
⚠️ Important Note | Both Approve All and Reject act on all changes at once. There is currently no option to approve individual line changes while rejecting others — it's all or nothing. |
Alternative Option
If you already have an updated quotation document from the supplier, you can also submit it directly on the PO in Ply using the upload option. This will update the PO details for your review.
Important Notes
The system currently only captures PDF documents - plain text emails with pricing changes will not be processed automatically.
Make sure the supplier replies to the original PO email so the system can link the update to the correct order.
Rule | Description |
PDF attachments only | Plain text email replies are not processed. The supplier must attach an edited PDF — no exceptions. |
Must reply to original PO email thread | If the supplier creates a new email rather than replying, Ply cannot match it to the PO. Ask suppliers to always use Reply — not Forward or a new email. |
Link before approving — always | New items in the supplier's PDF will never match your catalog names exactly. Link every new item before clicking Approve All or duplicates will be created. |
Still need help? Contact Support!
Questions about submitting or reviewing PO price updates? We're happy to help.