Partial Delivery, Multiple Invoices: How to Process One PO in Business Central. One of the most common questions I get from finance teams moving onto Business Central is: "What happens when a vendor can't deliver the full PO in one go, and sends us a separate invoice for each shipment?" Here's the clean way to handle it — no manual quantity edits, no reconciliation headaches.
The Scenario
You raise a Purchase Order for 1,200 cases. The vendor can only ship 200 cases at a time, and invoices you separately for each shipment. Today, you've received 400 cases across two deliveries, with 800 still outstanding — and two vendor invoices already in hand.
| Metric | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Total PO Quantity | 1,200 cases |
| Goods Received | 400 cases |
| Remaining Quantity | 800 cases |
| Supplier Invoice | Quantity | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice A | 200 cases | First delivery |
| Invoice B | 200 cases | Second delivery |
The PO stays open as long as any quantity remains undelivered — that's expected behaviour, not an error.
The Process Flow
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Step-by-Step in Business Central
Step 1 — Open the Existing Purchase Order
Go to Purchasing > Purchase Orders and locate PO000123 (Ordered Quantity: 1,200 cases).
Step 2 — Record the First Delivery
On the PO line, set Qty. to Receive to 200. Leave Qty. to Invoice blank if you'll invoice separately. Choose Post > Receive. This posts a Purchase Receipt and keeps the PO open.
Step 3 — Create the First Purchase Invoice
When Invoice A arrives, create a new Purchase Invoice for the same vendor, then use Get Receipt Lines (or Get Posted Receipt Lines to Invoice, depending on version) and select the 200-case receipt. Enter the supplier invoice number, date, and amount, verify quantities, then post.
Step 4 — Record the Second Delivery
Reopen the PO, set Qty. to Receive to 200 again, then Post > Receive.
Step 5 — Create the Second Purchase Invoice
Repeat Step 3 for Invoice B. Get Receipt Lines will only pull the uninvoiced receipt — you can't accidentally double-invoice the first shipment.
Step 6 — Repeat Until Fully Completed
For every remaining shipment: receive → post the receipt → wait for the vendor invoice → get receipt lines → post the invoice. Once all 1,200 cases are received and invoiced, Business Central closes the PO automatically.
Example Timeline
| Activity | Received | Invoiced | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| PO Created | 0 | 0 | 1,200 |
| 1st Delivery Received | 200 | 0 | 1,000 |
| 1st Invoice Posted | 200 | 200 | 1,000 |
| 2nd Delivery Received | 400 | 200 | 800 |
| 2nd Invoice Posted | 400 | 400 | 800 |
| Remaining Deliveries Done | 1,200 | 1,200 | 0 |
Key Rules to Remember
- ✔ Always receive before you invoice.
- ✔ Use Get Receipt Lines so only received quantities get invoiced.
- ✔ Avoid manually editing invoice quantities unless there's a genuine discrepancy.
- ✔ Multiple invoices can post against one PO as long as goods are received in stages.
- ✔ A PO stays open until every unit is both received and invoiced.
- ✔ Give each vendor invoice its own invoice number — it's what keeps the audit trail and vendor reconciliation clean.
When to Use This
Reach for this workflow anytime a single PO is fulfilled across multiple deliveries and the vendor bills you per shipment rather than in one lump sum. Done this way, inventory updates as goods physically arrive, vendor balances match each invoice exactly, and your financials stay synchronized with what's actually on the shelf — no end-of-month scramble to figure out what's been paid for versus what's still owed.
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