Inventory how-to

How to cancel or change a purchase order

You can edit or cancel a purchase order as long as it has not been sent to the supplier yet.

Short answer: You can edit or cancel a purchase order as long as it has not been sent to the supplier yet. Once it is approved and emailed, treat changes as a conversation with your supplier, then update the record in SteadyShelf to match what was actually agreed.

Before the PO is sent

While a purchase order is still in draft, you can change quantities, remove or add SKUs, swap the supplier, or delete the draft entirely. This is the easiest stage to fix mistakes, since nothing has gone out yet and no supplier is expecting anything.

After the PO is sent to the supplier

Once a PO has been emailed, cancelling it inside the app does not cancel it with the supplier. You need to contact the supplier directly, by phone or email, and confirm the cancellation or change with them first. After they confirm, go back into the PO and update it so your records are accurate.

Partial changes and receiving

If the supplier agrees to ship less than ordered, or substitutes a SKU, record what actually arrives when you receive stock. SteadyShelf supports partial receiving, so you can mark a PO as partially fulfilled rather than forcing it to match the original quantities. If a supplier confirms they will send more later, keep the PO open until that second shipment lands.

Closing out a dead order

If a supplier cannot fulfill a PO at all, cancel it in the app after confirming with them, so it stops counting as "on order" in your reorder point math. Leaving a dead PO open will understate how much you actually need to order next time, since the system still thinks stock is incoming.

Step by step

  1. Open the purchase order and check its status first.
  2. If it is still a draft, edit quantities or SKUs directly, or delete it.
  3. If it has been sent, contact the supplier before changing anything in the app.
  4. Confirm in writing what the supplier will actually ship and when.
  5. Update the PO quantities or notes to match the confirmed change.
  6. Receive stock against the PO as it arrives, including partial shipments.
  7. Cancel the PO in the app only after the supplier confirms it will not be fulfilled.

Worked example

A store orders 200 units of a candle SKU from a supplier with a 14-day lead time. Two days after sending the PO, the supplier emails to say they can only send 120 units this round. The store owner contacts the supplier to confirm 120 now and 80 in three weeks, then receives 120 units against the original PO when it arrives, leaving the PO open for the remaining 80. When the second batch ships, the owner receives the rest and the PO closes automatically.

How SteadyShelf helps

SteadyShelf lets you edit or delete draft POs freely, and supports partial receiving so a part-shipped order does not throw off your records. It cannot contact the supplier for you or auto-cancel an order on their end, so any change after sending still requires a direct conversation with the supplier.

$29/month flat, unlimited products and suppliers, 30-day free trial. Run the numbers now with the free reorder point calculator.

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FAQ

Can I edit a purchase order after it has already been emailed to the supplier?

You can still edit the record in SteadyShelf, but the supplier will not see that change automatically. You need to tell them directly, then update the PO to reflect what was agreed, so your inventory numbers stay accurate.

What happens to my reorder point if I leave a cancelled PO open by mistake?

An open PO counts as stock on order, which lowers the suggested order quantity on future reorders. If the order was actually cancelled, your system will under-order until you close it out, so it is worth cancelling dead POs promptly.

Let SteadyShelf do this math for every SKU

Order-by dates per supplier, seasonal forecasts and draft POs for your Shopify store. $29/month after a 30-day free trial.

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