Got a PDF from a supplier, a quote, or an invoice? Upload it and SureStock’s AI reads it for you. With File Upload Review Flow on, you review everything before the PO exists, including swapping any line for a material you already carry.
💡 Need a PO number before you know what you’re buying? Use Quick PO. Already have a Quick PO and want to add items from a packing slip? Use Packing Slip Upload.
🚨 Ordering from Ferguson? Make sure the PO uses “Ferguson Integrated”, not plain “Ferguson.” Only the integrated option routes the PO through the Ferguson integration and notifies your sales associate. The plain option sends it as a regular email, and a PO sent that way can’t be rerouted later: you’d need to create it again.
➡️ Before you start: turn on File Upload Review Flow
Go to Settings > Procurement.
Find File Upload Review Flow and turn it on.
| What happens when you upload a file |
On (recommended) | The upload lands in Purchasing > PO Review as a draft. You fix what the AI read and link materials to your catalog. Nothing is created until it’s approved, either by you or automatically if it meets your auto-approval rules (see below). |
Off | The file creates the purchase order right away, without a review step. Misread lines and duplicate materials go straight into the PO. |
➡️ Auto-approve clean drafts (optional)
When File Upload Review Flow is on, you can let SureStock approve drafts that don’t need a human check. A draft that meets every condition you turn on is approved on upload: the purchase order is created and emailed to the supplier without anyone opening it.
Go to Settings > Procurement > File Upload Review Flow and set:
Setting | What it does |
Skip review when the draft looks clean | Turns auto-approval on or off. Turn it off if you want every upload reviewed by a person. |
Every line fully parsed | Each line needs a name, a quantity above zero, and a unit cost. |
Every line matched to the catalog | Each line must be linked to an existing material and variation, so auto-approval never creates a new material. |
Total below a limit | Only auto-approves POs under the amount you enter in Auto-approval limit. Enter an amount first to turn this on. |
Changed something and want to go back? Click Reset to defaults.
⚠️ Heads up: auto-approved POs go straight to your supplier. If any line could be wrong, it’s safer to leave auto-approval off or set a low limit.
➡️ Step 1: Upload your PDF
Go to Purchasing > Purchase Orders.
Click the arrow next to Create New and select File Upload.
Select the PDF you want to upload and click Upload.
The AI starts processing your PDF. You’ll see a message when it’s done, and you’ll also get an email notification.
Good to know: You can upload a PDF from a supplier, a quote, or an invoice.
➡️ Step 2: Review it in PO Review
Drafts that met your auto-approval rules won’t be here: they were already created and sent to your supplier. Everything else waits in PO Review.
1. Go to Purchasing > PO Review. The counter at the top shows how many uploads are waiting.
2. Find your upload and click Review.
3. Check the Order Details:
Order number
Required by (required)
Expected delivery and Expected time (optional)
4. Check the Supplier section and make sure a Supplier contact is selected. If you’re ordering from Ferguson, confirm it says Ferguson Integrated.
5. Check the Delivery Location and add a Note if you need one.
6. Go through each line. You’ll see:
The catalog material it’s linked to (name, SKU, and variation).
Parsed as: exactly what the AI read on the supplier’s document.
A New Material tag if there’s no catalog match yet.
If any line has no catalog match, a banner at the top of the list tells you how many. Approving creates a new material for each of those lines.
⚠️ Important: the AI imports everything it finds in the PDF. If the file has prices, they come in too. If it only has names and quantities, add prices before approving.
7. Wrong material?
Click the gear icon (⚙️) on that line and select Change material (on a Linked line) or Link existing material (on a New Material line).
Both open Link an existing material: search your catalog, pick the right material and variation, and click Link material.
8. Wrong quantity or cost?
Click the pencil icon (✏️) to open Edit line item. Update Quantity or Unit cost, then click Save item. Changes save right away.
💡 Use the pencil for quantity and cost only. The item name, variation, unit, and description come from the linked catalog material, so to change the product itself, use Change material.
9. Lines that shouldn’t be there?
Click the gear icon (⚙️) on a line and select Remove line. To remove several at once, check the box next to each line (or the box at the top to select all) and click Delete.
10. Missing something?
Click Add line, fill in Item name, Quantity, and Unit cost, and click Add line. The line is added with a New Material tag.
Then, from the gear icon (⚙️):
Link existing material if you already carry it.
Create material now if it’s genuinely new.
11. Add Tax and Shipping if needed, then check the Totals.
12. Click the check icon (✅) at the top right: Approve & create purchase order.
💡 Not done yet? Click the save icon (💾), Save review, to keep your changes and come back later. Not sure about a line? Click Open under Source Document to see the original PDF.
➡️ Step 3: Send the PO to your supplier
Approving doesn’t send anything yet. Your PO shows up on the Purchase Orders board as a Draft.
Open the PO from the board.
Click Actions at the top right.
Under Next step, click Send to email.
Need to change something first? In the same Actions panel, use Edit or Add new items.
When the materials arrive, receive and reconcile the PO as usual. See Managing PO Status & Reconciliation.
➡️ Best practices
✅ Double-check “Ferguson Integrated” before you approve.
It’s the most common mistake on POs. The plain “Ferguson” option skips the integration, and the PO can’t be rerouted afterward.
✅ Keep File Upload Review Flow on.
It’s the easiest way to stop misread lines and duplicate materials before they reach your supplier.
✅ Compare “Parsed as” with the linked material on every line.
A Linked tag means the line is connected to a catalog item, not that it’s the right one. If the two names don’t describe the same part, use Change material.
✅ Clear every New Material tag you don’t need.
Each line tagged New Material becomes a new item in your catalog when you approve. If you already carry that part, use Link existing material first.
✅ Always pick the variation, not just the material.
The wrong variation puts stock and cost on the wrong item when you reconcile.
✅ Check PO Review often.
Uploads wait there until someone approves them.
✅ Start with auto-approval limited.
Keep “Every line matched to the catalog” on and set an auto-approval limit you’re comfortable with. Raise it once you trust the results.
✅ Use clean, readable PDFs.
One item per row, with clear columns for name, quantity, and price.
➡️ Common issues & fixes
“I uploaded a file but the PO isn’t on my board.”
It’s waiting in Purchasing > PO Review, even if you already started reviewing it and clicked Save review. It only moves to your board once you approve it.
“I approved the draft but my supplier didn’t get the PO.”
That’s expected. Approving creates the PO as a Draft. Open it and click Actions > Send to email.
“My Ferguson PO went out as a regular email instead of through the integration.”
The supplier was set to “Ferguson” instead of “Ferguson Integrated.” There’s no way to reroute it: create the PO again and select Ferguson Integrated.
“A PO was sent to my supplier and nobody reviewed it.”
It met your auto-approval rules. Go to Settings > Procurement > File Upload Review Flow and turn off Skip review when the draft looks clean, or turn on Total below a limit with a lower amount.
“I set an auto-approval limit but POs over it still went out.”
Make sure Total below a limit is turned on. Entering the amount alone doesn’t apply it.
“Required by shows ‘Required By cannot be before the upload date.’”
The AI took the date from the supplier’s document, which is often older than today. Pick a new Required by date, then approve.
“I can’t approve the PO.”
Check for fields in red. Required by and Supplier contact are required, and every line needs a quantity and unit cost.
“A line shows $0.00 as the unit cost.”
The price wasn’t on the supplier’s document, or the AI couldn’t read it. Click the pencil icon (✏️) and enter the cost before approving. Drafts with a $0.00 line won’t be auto-approved while Every line fully parsed is on.
“Approving created new materials I already had in my catalog.”
Those lines were tagged New Material when you approved. Next time, use Link existing material (⚙️) before approving. Already have the duplicates? Combine them with Merge Materials.
“The uploaded file could not be processed. Please try again.”
Try these, in order:
Make sure the file extension is lowercase
.pdf(not.PDF).Check for very long item descriptions. These can be rejected when SureStock creates the material in your connected FSM. Shorten that line in the file, or create the PO manually.
Re-upload the same PDF.
Still stuck? Reach out to support.
“Only some of the items from my PDF were added.”
Check that each item has its own row with name, quantity, and price, then re-upload. You can also add missing items with Add line in PO Review.
“I get ‘Something went wrong. Please try again or contact support.’ when I save or send the PO.”
Make sure the supplier contact has an email saved. Go to the supplier’s profile, open the contact, and add one. If your vendor doesn’t take orders by email, a placeholder like [email protected] works.
➡️ FAQs
What kind of files can I upload?
Supplier PDFs, quotes, and invoices that list materials and quantities. PDF works best.
Does approving a draft send the PO to my supplier?
No. Approving creates the PO as a Draft, and you send it from Actions > Send to email. Only drafts that are auto-approved are sent right away.
What does the New Material tag mean?
The line isn’t linked to anything in your catalog. From the gear icon (⚙️), you can Link existing material if you already carry it, or Create material now if it’s new. If you approve without doing either, SureStock creates a new material for it.
What’s the difference between Change material and editing a line?
Change material (or Link existing material on a New Material line) swaps the line for a different item from your catalog. Edit line item (pencil) is for fixing the quantity or unit cost on the line you already have.
Can I save my review and finish it later?
Yes. Click Save review (💾) at the top right. The upload stays in PO Review until you approve or reject it.
Do all conditions have to be met for auto-approval?
Yes. A draft is only approved automatically if it meets every condition you have turned on.
Can auto-approval create new materials in my catalog?
Not while Every line matched to the catalog is on. Turning it off lets drafts with new materials be auto-approved.
What’s the difference between File Upload and Packing Slip Upload?
File Upload creates a new PO from a document. With File Upload Review Flow on, you can swap lines for catalog materials before it’s created. Packing Slip Upload adds items to a Quick PO you already have.
Can I include materials from more than one supplier?
No, a PO is tied to a single supplier. Create a separate PO for each one.
Still Need Help?