The status badge at the top of a purchase order tells you where it is. Here is what each one means.
Status | Means | Counts toward Expected stock? |
Draft | Saved but not sent. Nothing has happened yet. | No |
Confirmed | Placed with the vendor. Nothing received yet. | Yes — the full quantity |
In process | Some of it has arrived, some has not. | Yes — only what is still owed |
Fulfilled | Everything has been received. | No |
Cancelled | The order was called off. | No |
What moves a purchase order between them
Draft → Confirmed — you click Save & confirm PO
Confirmed → In process — you receive part of it
In process → Fulfilled — you receive the rest
Confirmed → Draft — you use Unconfirm Order from the Action menu
Anything → Cancelled — you use Cancel Order from the Action menu
Why Draft matters more than it looks
A draft does nothing at all. It does not appear in Expected, it does not tell anyone stock is coming, and it will not let you receive against it.
If you are waiting on a delivery that never seems to arrive, check the order is Confirmed and not sitting in Draft. It is the single most common reason an order appears to have been forgotten.