This phase collects internal needs and supports decision-making before a purchase order is created. All documents involved prior to the formal purchase are managed here.

In Factorial, the Intake to Procure phase is managed through purchase requests and their associated workflows. Employees submit requests using predefined purchase types, and each request follows a structured approval process before a purchase order can be created.

Process overview

The Intake to Procure phase typically follows these steps:

1. An employee submits a purchase request
2. The request is reviewed through a workflow
3. Tasks and approvals are completed
4. The request is approved or rejected
5. If approved, a purchase order can be created

Documents handled in this phase

• Purchase Request / Requisition
  The starting point of the process. Internal users specify what they need, in what quantity, and against which cost center among other requirements.
• Supplier Quote / Budget (optional)
  Used to compare options, justify the purchase, and assess the expected cost. Multiple quotes can be uploaded and compared.
• Proforma Invoice (optional)
  A “pre-invoice” used to anticipate the estimated cost. It often triggers internal approvals or administrative steps such as advances or license requests.
• Contract or Framework Agreement (optional)
  A document that defines commercial terms before a purchase order is issued.

Roles involved

Different roles may be involved in this phase:

• Employees: submit purchase requests
• Managers: review and approve requests
• Finance or procurement teams: validate budget, suppliers, and final approval

Purchase request statuses

During this phase, a purchase request can go through different statuses, such as:

• Draft
• Pending approval
• In progress
• Approved
• Rejected

Outcome of the Intake to Procure phase

Once the request is reviewed and approved, the system generates the purchase order, which initiates the next phase.

At this stage, the purchase order does not yet exist—the outcome of intake is precisely the approval that enables its creation.