Send a purchase order through the channel the supplier has agreed to accept, then distinguish successful delivery of the message from acceptance of the order. A sent email, read receipt or technical acknowledgement does not by itself confirm quantity, price and delivery date.
Create a supplier-channel register before automating dispatch. For each supplier, record the authorized contact or account, required format, cutoff, expected confirmation, escalation contact and fallback method.
Four common routes
| Route | Good starting point | Verify before relying on it |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier accepts a structured message or PDF PO | Monitored address, reply route, attachment format and confirmation process | |
| WhatsApp Business | Supplier agrees to this business messaging route | Authorized number, supported integration, platform policy and message restrictions |
| EDI | Trading partner specifies electronic documents | Partner mapping, version, test certification, acknowledgements and change handling |
| Supplier portal | Supplier account requires or supports online checkout | Whether submission, confirmation and changes return to your order record |
A supplier can use more than one route, but identify which one creates the order. Sending the same PO through a portal and email without that agreement can create duplicates.