Supplier orders: from the weekly order to the invoice

A leisure venue buys far more than it seems: grip socks, drinks and snacks for party food, cleaning supplies, wristbands, birthday decorations and spare parts for maintenance. If every order goes out through a different WhatsApp chat and every delivery note ends up in a drawer, sooner or later something runs out on a Saturday, an invoice gets paid twice or nobody knows who is owed what. The fix is a simple circuit that never changes: a weekly order per venue, review and sending per supplier, receiving with a delivery note and a signature, and clear tracking of invoices and payments.

Where control over purchasing slips

The same problems turn up at almost every venue:

• Orders by scattered messages: each supervisor orders their own way and there is no record of what was ordered or when.
• Blind receiving: the van arrives mid-session, someone signs the delivery note without counting and the gaps show up days later.
• Invoices that do not match: the supplier invoices what was ordered, not what arrived, and nobody has the delivery note to hand.
• Payments in the dark: bills are paid late because the invoice never reached the office, or twice because it arrived by two routes.
• Constant emergencies: with no fixed ordering day, everything is ordered “for tomorrow”.

Step 1: a catalogue per supplier

Before tidying up the orders, tidy up what you buy. For each supplier, list their products in the pack size they deliver, the cost price and, if you resell at the counter, the sale price. Each order is then made by picking from a list, not typing from memory. If you already have the price list in a spreadsheet or the supplier’s PDF, you should be able to import it instead of retyping it.

Step 2: the weekly order, always on the same day

Choose one day a week to order. Each venue checks its stock and prepares its order from the catalogue; if it needs nothing that week, it says so, and nobody waits for an order that is not coming. A fixed day cuts down on emergencies, groups the supplier’s deliveries and lets you compare one week with the next.

For what genuinely cannot wait, keep an urgent order route that follows the same rules: who orders it, from whom and what arrives.

Step 3: central review and sending per supplier

With several venues, one person at head office should review every order before it goes out: they catch mistakes, adjust quantities and group by supplier. Each supplier receives one clear order with what each venue needs and its delivery window, instead of five different messages. Previewing the email before sending avoids surprises.

Step 4: receiving with a delivery note and a signature

Receiving is the key moment. When goods arrive, the person receiving them compares what was ordered with what actually arrived, notes any differences, attaches the delivery note and signs. If the invoice is in the box, it is attached too; if it comes later, it is marked as pending so it is not forgotten.

• Count before signing: two minutes now beats an argument next week.
• Photo or PDF of the delivery note: always attached to the order, never in a drawer.
• Receiver’s signature: with date and time, so you know who checked it.

Step 5: invoices and payments with clear statuses

Every received order goes through three statuses: awaiting invoice, awaiting payment and paid. With that list, the office knows exactly what is owed and to whom, and can match each invoice with its delivery note before paying. At the end of the month, the history per supplier tells you how much you buy, how often and where the differences keep appearing.

Step 6: get the supplier involved too

Plenty of calls disappear when suppliers can see their orders in their own portal, propose a price or pack-size change in writing and message you there. You decide whether to accept the change, and it is all on record instead of buried in a lost email.

How Uelta does it

With Uelta’s supplier orders, each venue places its weekly order from its suppliers’ catalogue and head office reviews it and sends it per supplier, with an email preview. At receiving, quantities are compared, the delivery note and invoice (or “arriving later”) are attached and the receiver signs. Payments move from awaiting invoice to awaiting payment to paid, and each supplier has its own portal. If you run a group, it fits with the multi-venue setup, while stock and maintenance stay in operations.

Frequently asked questions

What if a supplier does not want to use a portal?

No problem: they receive the order by email as usual. The portal is a plus for those who want it, not an obligation.

What do I do if less arrives than ordered?

Record it at receiving, with the real quantity and the delivery note. When the invoice arrives, you know what to query and you do not pay for what you did not receive.

Does it work with a single venue?

Yes. Without a head office, the venue itself manages its catalogue, suppliers and orders with the same circuit.

Can I import my product list?

Yes. The catalogue can be loaded from Excel, CSV or the supplier’s PDF, and each product then keeps its cost and sale price.

Ready to bring order to your venue’s purchasing? Try Uelta free for 7 days and place your first weekly order.