- Procurement
- The end-to-end process of identifying, sourcing, ordering, receiving, and paying for goods or services from external suppliers.
- Purchase order (PO)
- A buyer-issued document that formally authorizes a specific purchase from a named supplier at an agreed price and quantity.
- Goods received note (GRN)
- A document confirming that a delivery has been received, recording actual quantities and condition against the purchase order.
- Procurement policy
- An organization-wide governance document that defines the rules, approval thresholds, and ethical standards governing all purchasing activity.
- Procurement plan
- A project-specific document that outlines the sourcing strategy, timeline, evaluation criteria, and budget for a defined buying initiative.
- Supply agreement
- A contract between a buyer and supplier that governs price, volume, delivery terms, and remedies for an ongoing supply relationship.
- Incoterms
- Standardized international trade terms (published by the ICC) that define which party bears cost and risk at each point in a shipment's journey.
- Non-conforming goods
- Goods that do not meet the specification, quality standard, or quantity stated in the purchase order or supply agreement.
- Acceptance
- The buyer's formal confirmation that delivered goods meet the agreed specification, triggering the obligation to pay.
- Rejection
- The buyer's formal refusal to accept delivered goods because they do not conform to the agreed specification.
- Lead time
- The elapsed time between placing an order and receiving the goods, used in procurement planning to set order schedules.
- Three-way match
- An accounts payable control that verifies the purchase order, goods received note, and supplier invoice all agree before payment is released.