How to Turn MRP Purchase Suggestions into an Approved PO in Epicor Kinetic
When MRP runs in Epicor Kinetic it suggests purchases for the bought-out parts a job needs. Turning those suggestions into a purchase order means more than accepting them: the buyer checks that the part is really short, that the supplier is approved and the price is valid, that the supplier can deliver before the job needs it, and that the PO is approved by someone other than the person who wrote it.
The job is what matters, not the PO. A PO line that arrives a week after the job starts does not cover the job, and pretending it does hides the shortage until the shop floor finds it. This guide follows a conceptual walkthrough for one job: three suggestions, an expired price, a price change over the buyer's threshold and a motor that cannot make the date.
- Who does itBuyer or buyer/planner, with a senior buyer approving POs
- How oftenDaily, after each MRP run
- Steps12 steps · 9 systems
Watch the full workflow
a conceptual walkthrough of the agent's run, with sample data.
In this conceptual walkthrough, an AI agent picks up planner02's request to cover the bought-out parts for job J-24117 (HPU-30 rev D, qty 4, material need-by 11/18/2026) and the overnight MRP notice. In Epicor Kinetic-style screens it confirms the job's three Buy lines, filters the PO suggestions S-9031 to S-9033 (due 11/16, two days before need-by) and checks supply: existing stock and open POs are pegged to other jobs, so all three are truly short 4 EA. Supplier V-1180 is approved, but the pump's 389.00 price expired 10/31, so under PUR-02 the agent asks the supplier for a current price and delivery. Quote BW-Q-3391 prices the pump at 412.00 (+5.91%), over the PUR-07 3.00% limit, so buyer01 approves it. The agent enters PO lines for the pump and reservoir from their sources, raises a planner exception because the motor's confirmed 11/25 misses 11/18, saves PO 5127 (2,506.00) for buyer01's approval, verifies it by reopening, and reports the open motor shortage to buyer01 and planner02.
Conceptual walkthrough: the screens are generic stand-ins modeled on how Epicor Kinetic lays out this work, not the product's own interface, and every company, vendor and value is sample data. Workflow and screens vary by ERP version and configuration. No vendor partnership is implied.
- 0:25Read the planner's request and MRP notice
- 0:46Confirm the job's bought-out materials
- 1:06Pull the MRP purchase suggestions
- 1:30Is the part really short for this job?
- 1:55Approved supplier and a price valid today?
- 2:29Ask the supplier for a current price and delivery
- 2:57Check the supplier's quote
- 3:37Buyer approves the price change
- 3:57Enter the PO with every field from a source
- 4:56Will the part arrive by the need-by date?
- 5:27Save, route for approval and verify
- 6:22Check job coverage and report
Systems involved
You need access to each of these before you start. In the walkthrough the agent works in all of them from one desktop, signed in as the user.
- Epicor Kinetic – job entryJob J-24117 header, material need-by and material lines sourced as Buy, Make or Stock; coverage per line
- Epicor Kinetic – PO suggestions and part supply/demandMRP purchase suggestions S-9031 to S-9033; on hand, allocated, on order and pegging
- Epicor Kinetic – supplier price listApproved supplier status, quote contact, unit prices and expiry dates
- Epicor Kinetic – PO entry and PO trackerPO 5127 lines, approval status and history
- Microsoft Outlook (web)Planner request, MRP notice, supplier quote request and reply, report to buyer and planner
- PDF viewerSupplier quotation BW-Q-3391
- ExcelJ-24117-buy-evidence.xlsx: price source, change, rule, promise and result per part
- Microsoft TeamsPurchasing approvals and Planning exceptions channels
- LaunchAI agent run panelRun plan, policies PUR-02 v5 and PUR-07 v2, approver and closing summary
What you start with
- Planner's request for job J-24117 and the MRP regeneration notice
- Job material lines and material need-by date
- MRP PO suggestions for the job
- Part supply and demand: on hand, allocations, open POs and pegging
- Supplier price list and approved supplier list
- Policies PUR-02 (approved supplier, price valid today) and PUR-07 (change over 3.00% needs buyer01)
What you end with
- PO 5127 to supplier V-1180 for PMP-2210 and RSV-30, total 2,506.00, approved by buyer01
- Recorded buyer approval of the 412.00 pump price
- Planner exception for MTR-0750, with suggestion S-9032 left open
- Evidence log and report to buyer01 and planner02
The workflow at a glance
Action Decision Human review Select a step to jump to how it's done.
- 01 Action · Microsoft Outlook (web) Read the planner's request and MRP notice
- 02 Action · Epicor Kinetic – job entry Confirm the job's bought-out materials
- 03 Action · Epicor Kinetic – PO suggestions Pull the MRP purchase suggestions
- 04 Decision · Epicor Kinetic – part supply/demand Is the part really short for this job? Yes Buy the shortage. No Use the free supply; do not buy.
- 05 Decision · Epicor Kinetic – supplier price list Approved supplier and a price valid today? Yes Use the price list price. No Hold the part and ask the supplier for a current price.
- 06 Action · Microsoft Outlook (web) Ask the supplier for a current price and delivery
- 07 Action · PDF viewer + Excel Check the supplier's quote
- 08 · Human review · Microsoft Teams Buyer approves the price change
- 09 Action · Epicor Kinetic – PO entry Enter the PO with every field from a source
- 10 Decision · Microsoft Teams Will the part arrive by the need-by date? Yes Add the line to the PO. No No PO line; raise a planner exception and leave the shortage open.
- 11 · Human review · Epicor Kinetic – PO tracker Save, route for approval and verify
- 12 Action · Epicor Kinetic – job entry + Microsoft Outlook (web) Check job coverage and report
Step-by-step: how to do it
-
Action · Microsoft Outlook (web) · 0:25 in the video
Read the planner's request and MRP notice
Read the planner's request for the job and the notice from the MRP run. Note the job, part and quantity, the job start and the date material must be on the dock, and how many PO suggestions MRP created.
In the video- From
- planner02, 7:48 AM
- Subject
- J-24117 HPU-30 ×4 — please cover bought-out parts by 11/18
- Job
- J-24117 · HPU-30 rev D · qty 4 · starts 11/19
- Material need-by
- 11/18/2026
- MRP notice
- 5:12 AM · 3 new PO suggestions · no purchase orders created
-
Action · Epicor Kinetic – job entry · 0:46 in the video
Confirm the job's bought-out materials
Open the job and confirm the site and material need-by date match the request. List the material lines sourced as Buy; make and stock lines are not purchasing's to cover.
In the video- Job
- J-24117 · Firm · released
- Site
- MAIN · Plant 1
- Need-by
- 11/18/2026
- Seq 10 · PMP-2210 rev C Gear pump 22 cc
- Qty
- 4
- Source
- Buy
- Seq 20 · MTR-0750 rev B Motor 7.5 HP TEFC
- Qty
- 4
- Source
- Buy
- Seq 30 · RSV-30 rev A Reservoir 30 gal, steel
- Qty
- 4
- Source
- Buy
-
Action · Epicor Kinetic – PO suggestions · 1:06 in the video
Pull the MRP purchase suggestions
Open the PO suggestions screen your buyers use and filter by site and job. For each suggestion check part, revision, quantity, due date and suggested supplier. The due date should be the need-by date less the site's receiving time, not a guess.
In the video- S-9031 · PMP-2210 rev C
- Demand
- 4 EA
- Due
- 11/16/2026
- Supplier
- V-1180
- S-9032 · MTR-0750 rev B
- Demand
- 4 EA
- Due
- 11/16/2026
- Supplier
- V-1180
- S-9033 · RSV-30 rev A
- Demand
- 4 EA
- Due
- 11/16/2026
- Supplier
- V-1180
- Due date = need-by 11/18 minus 2 days receiving time (site MAIN setting)
-
-
Decision · Epicor Kinetic – part supply/demand · 1:30 in the video
Is the part really short for this job?
Check on hand, allocations, open POs, open requisitions and other suggestions for each part. Stock or supply already pegged to another job is not free for this one. Buy only what is truly short and make sure no existing PO or requisition already covers the job.
- If yes Buy the shortage.
- If no Use the free supply; do not buy.
In the video- PMP-2210 Short 4 EA
- On hand
- 0
- On order
- 0
- MTR-0750 Short 4 EA
- On hand
- 1
- Allocated
- 1 → J-24102
- RSV-30 Short 4 EA
- On order
- 2 · PO 5098/1
- Pegged to
- J-24098 (firm)
- No other open suggestions, requisitions or POs cover J-24117
-
Decision · Epicor Kinetic – supplier price list · 1:55 in the video
Approved supplier and a price valid today?
Open the supplier's record and price list. Confirm the supplier is on the approved supplier list and that each part's price is in effect on today's date. Record the price and its expiry in the evidence log before any PO exists.
- If yes Use the price list price.
- If no Hold the part and ask the supplier for a current price.
In the videoV-1180 Brightwater Industrial Components · Approved · ASL 2026.
- PMP-2210 rev C Expired · today is 11/03
- Price
- 389.00
- Expires
- 10/31/2026
- MTR-0750 rev B Valid
- Price
- 618.00
- Expires
- 12/31/2026
- RSV-30 rev A Valid
- Price
- 214.50
- Expires
- 12/31/2026
-
Action · Microsoft Outlook (web) · 2:29 in the video
Ask the supplier for a current price and delivery
Email the quote contact on the supplier record. Ask for a current price for the expired item and confirmed delivery to the right site by the due date for every part you plan to buy. Do not start the PO while you wait.
In the video- To
- sales@brightwater-ic.test
- Subject
- Quote request — PMP-2210 rev C price + delivery for 3 parts (need 11/16)
- Asks
- Current price for 4 EA PMP-2210; delivery to Plant 1 on or before 11/16/2026 for all three parts
- Sent
- 8:21 AM
-
Action · PDF viewer + Excel · 2:57 in the video
Check the supplier's quote
When the quote arrives, confirm it comes from the supplier's quote contact and shows your supplier number, ship-to site, and the right part and revision on each line. Check the validity dates, work out the price change against the old price, and compare each confirmed delivery date with the need-by date.
In the videoBW-Q-3391, dated 11/03/2026, valid through 01/31/2027.
- PMP-2210 rev C PUR-07 > 3.00% → buyer
- Price
- 412.00 (+23.00 · +5.91%)
- Delivery
- 11/12/2026
- RSV-30 rev A OK to order
- Price
- 214.50
- Delivery
- 11/13/2026
- MTR-0750 rev B LATE · +7 days
- Price
- 618.00
- Delivery
- 11/25/2026
-
-
Human review · Microsoft Teams · 3:37 in the video
Buyer approves the price change
Send the approver the part, quantity and job, the old and new price, the per-unit, percentage and extended change, the rule that requires approval and the confirmed delivery. Do not use the new price until the decision is recorded.
In the video- Channel
- Purchasing approvals
- Change
- 389.00 → 412.00 · +23.00/EA · +5.91% · +92.00 ext.
- Rule
- PUR-07 · > 3.00% needs buyer
- Decision
- buyer01, 9:06: approve 412.00 for 4 EA from V-1180 on quote BW-Q-3391
-
Action · Epicor Kinetic – PO entry · 3:57 in the video
Enter the PO with every field from a source
Create a new PO for the approved supplier and set the ship-to from the suggestion. For each line enter part, revision, site, quantity, net price, requested due date, supplier promise date and the job material link, and check each against its source (suggestion, approval or quote) before adding the line. Do not rely on defaults.
In the video- Supplier / ship to
- V-1180 · MAIN · Plant 1
- Line 1 · PMP-2210 rev C (from S-9031)
- Qty
- 4 @ 412.00
- Due / promise
- 11/16/2026 / 11/12/2026
- Job
- J-24117/10
- Line 2 · RSV-30 rev A (from S-9033)
- Qty
- 4 @ 214.50
- Due / promise
- 11/16/2026 / 11/13/2026
- Job
- J-24117/30
- 2 lines · Total 2,506.00
-
Decision · Microsoft Teams · 4:56 in the video
Will the part arrive by the need-by date?
A line that arrives after the job needs it does not cover the job. If the best confirmed date misses the need-by date, do not add it as if it did: leave the suggestion open and raise a planner exception with the gap, the stock position and the options.
- If yes Add the line to the PO.
- If no No PO line; raise a planner exception and leave the shortage open.
In the video'J-24117 seq 20 is NOT covered — motor can't make 11/18.'
- Part
- MTR-0750 rev B · S-9032
- Best confirmed delivery
- 11/25/2026 · V-1180 · BW-Q-3391
- Gap
- 7 days late
- Free stock
- 0 (1 EA allocated to J-24102)
- Options
- Reschedule job · expedite · alternate source
- Owner
- planner02
-
Human review · Epicor Kinetic – PO tracker · 5:27 in the video
Save, route for approval and verify
Save the PO and let it route for approval; the person who wrote a PO should not approve it. Close it, find it again and check every line field persisted and nothing was received. After the approver signs off in the ERP under their own login, reopen once more and confirm the approval status and that the history shows who created and who approved.
In the video- PO
- 5127 · 2 lines · 2,506.00
- On save
- Pending · routed to buyer01 (approval limit for agent-buyer: 0.00)
- Reopened
- No MTR-0750 line · Received 0
- Approval
- Approved · buyer01 · 09:21
- History
- agent-buyer created and submitted; buyer01 approved
-
Action · Epicor Kinetic – job entry + Microsoft Outlook (web) · 6:22 in the video
Check job coverage and report
Go back to the job and check which material lines are now covered and which are not. Send one report to the buyer and planner with what was bought, what was approved and the shortage still open, with the evidence log and quote attached.
In the video- To
- buyer01; planner02
- Subject
- J-24117 — PO 5127 approved for 2 of 3 parts; MTR-0750 NOT covered
- Attachments
- J-24117-buy-evidence.xlsx, BW-Q-3391.pdf
- Sent
- 9:25 AM
- Seq 10 PMP-2210 Covered · PO 5127/1 · promise 11/12
- Seq 30 RSV-30 Covered · PO 5127/2 · promise 11/13
- Seq 20 MTR-0750 NOT COVERED · short 4 · planner02
Rules, exceptions and controls
Rules to follow
- Buy only from an approved supplier at a price valid on the PO date (PUR-02).
- A price change over 3.00% needs buyer01's recorded approval (PUR-07).
- Stock and open POs pegged to other jobs are not free for this job.
- The requested due date is the material need-by date less the site's receiving time (2 days at MAIN).
- A line whose confirmed delivery is after the need-by date does not cover the job and is not put on the PO as if it did.
- The person who creates a PO does not approve it; approval is recorded in the ERP by the approver.
When something doesn't match
- Expired price: PMP-2210 389.00 expired 10/31/2026 — current price requested from the supplier.
- Price change over threshold: PMP-2210 now 412.00 (+5.91%, +92.00 extended) — approved by buyer01 at 9:06.
- Late delivery: MTR-0750 confirmed 11/25 vs need-by 11/18 — planner exception to planner02, suggestion S-9032 left open.
- Supply pegged elsewhere: 1 MTR-0750 on hand allocated to J-24102; 2 RSV-30 on PO 5098 pegged to J-24098.
Controls and audit trail
- Evidence log of price source, validity, change, rule and promise date for every part before the PO exists.
- Supplier quote checked for sender, supplier number, ship-to, part and revision.
- Separation of duties: agent-buyer creates and submits, buyer01 approves.
- Reopen-and-verify after save and again after approval.
- Uncovered shortages stay visible on the job and in MRP until the planner acts.
Practitioner tips
- Read the job's material need-by date, not the job start; receiving time eats into the gap.
- Look at pegging before buying. Free-looking stock or an open PO may already belong to another job.
- Ask for delivery confirmation on every line when you ask for a new price; it is one email instead of two.
- Keep the late part's suggestion open so MRP keeps reporting the shortage until the planner decides.
- Put the options in the planner exception (reschedule, expedite, alternate source) so the planner can decide quickly.
About this walkthrough
In the walkthrough, the agent checks three MRP suggestions for job J-24117, gets a current price for the expired pump price, has buyer01 approve the +5.91% change, creates PO 5127 for the pump and reservoir, routes it to buyer01 for approval and verifies it, and raises the late motor as a planner exception instead of ordering it.
Documented the way you'd train a new hire — and the same way an agent learns it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you convert MRP purchase suggestions to a PO in Epicor Kinetic?
Filter the PO suggestions by site and job, confirm each part is truly short and the supplier and price are valid, then create the PO with lines entered from the suggestion, the approved price and the supplier's promise. Save it, route it for approval and reopen it to verify.
What should you check before buying an MRP suggestion?
On hand, allocations, open POs and requisitions, and pegging to other jobs; whether the supplier is approved; whether the price is valid today; and whether the supplier can deliver before the job's material need-by date.
What if a supplier can't deliver by the job's need-by date?
Do not put the line on the PO as if it covers the job. Raise an exception to the planner with the gap, the free stock and the options, and leave the suggestion open so the shortage stays visible.
Who should approve the purchase order?
Someone other than the person who wrote it. In the walkthrough the PO routes to buyer01, who approves it in the ERP under their own login, and the history shows both roles.
How do you handle an expired supplier price?
Do not reuse it. Ask the supplier's quote contact for a current price, then compare the change against your approval threshold before using it.
Can an AI agent buy MRP suggestions in Epicor Kinetic?
This video is a conceptual walkthrough with generic stand-in screens and sample data, not a recording. It shows how an agent could prepare the PO from MRP suggestions while a buyer approves price changes and the PO, and a planner owns any shortage.