By: Amanda Georgescu, Founder & CEO of Glazier Software
For both residential and commercial glass contractors, managing purchase orders (POs) is one of the most frustrating and error-prone parts of the job. Whether you’re ordering custom shower panels or glazing packages for a large commercial storefront, poor PO tracking can lead to delays, cost overruns, and a lot of finger-pointing.
Most shops are piecing together their purchasing process with:
- Excel trackers
- Paper printouts
- Shared drives
- And a lot of trips to the shop to see “what came in”
It kind of works—until it doesn’t.
The Real Problems Glass Contractors Face
If you’re like most shops, you’ve dealt with:
- No centralized system to know what’s been ordered or received
- Install delays because materials weren’t ordered on time
- Wrong sizes ordered due to manual entry errors
- No easy way to verify materials when they arrive
- Inability to track actual material costs vs estimates
Eating the cost of scratches, wrong tints, or miscuts—because there’s no documentation trail
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How PO Tracking Works in Glazier
Glazier gives you a structured, integrated way to manage POs—whether you're doing service calls, shower installs, or large commercial jobs.
Here’s how the workflow differs depending on job type:
🏡 For Residential & Service Work
- Field team collects exact measurements during site visit
- Materials are pulled directly from your estimate (which uses those verified dimensions)
- POs are generated with no double entry and tied directly to the job
- Supplier confirms the order → you log delivery expectations, cost, and PO #
- Material is received via mobile workflow, including notes on location, damage, or issues
🏢 For Commercial Projects
- Import material list from GDS or PartnerPak
- Submit quote requests to suppliers directly through Glazier
- Once the field team collects rough opening dimensions via Glazier, you finalize material specs
- Generate POs based on the quote + field data—ensuring what’s ordered matches the job
- Supplier sends confirmation—Glazier captures quote number, pricing, PO #, and expected delivery
- Material is received with Glazier’s mobile-friendly workflow for documentation, photos, and location notes
Key Features That Make This Work
✅ Built-In Supplier Confirmation Workflow
When your supplier replies with their PO confirmation, you log:
- Confirmation number
- Final price
- Expected delivery date
- Supplier PO number
This gives your team a formal checkpoint to verify everything—no buried email threads or guesswork.
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📲 Mobile-Friendly Receiving
When materials arrive at the shop or job site, your team can:
- Mark what was received
- Jot down where it was stored
- Flag incorrect sizes, missing items, or damage
- Attach photos
- Automatically trigger reorder workflows if needed
No more miscommunication between the field and the office—and no more walking around asking “did that glass come in?”
🔄 Visibility Into Actual vs. Estimated Costs
Every PO in Glazier is tied to a job and tracked in real time. That means:
- You can see committed costs before install
- Compare actual PO cost vs estimated cost
- Improve future estimates using real data—not guesswork
And if you're using QuickBooks, PO invoices can be synced directly—so reconciliation is fast and clean.
Why It Matters
If you're managing POs with disconnected tools and inconsistent processes, it’s easy for things to fall through the cracks. One missed order or wrong spec can delay an install or kill your margins.
Glazier gives you:
- A structured PO process tied directly to your fieldwork
- Confirmation and receiving workflows that prevent costly mistakes
- Full visibility from estimate to install
Real-World Impact: What Glass Companies Are Saying
Glass companies using Glazier's purchase order system report dramatic improvements in both efficiency and accuracy, eliminating the frustration that comes with manual PO management.
Lore L Ltd has seen substantial time savings in their purchase order process. The team reports cutting PO processing time nearly in half, from 30-45 minutes down to 15-30 minutes per order. The ability to easily attach documents has streamlined their workflow, with team members able to quickly scan and attach confirmations directly to each purchase order.
A.M. Richards Glass Co. experienced a complete transformation from their old paper-based system. Previously using carbon copy purchase order books that only worked when staff were physically in the office, they now have a centralized system accessible to everyone. The company has seen significant improvements in ensuring purchase orders actually get submitted, eliminating the guesswork of whether orders were properly sent to suppliers. As one team member noted, the time savings range anywhere from minutes to an hour per order, depending on the complexity.
Brad's Glass Company appreciates the strategic advantages of better PO management, particularly the potential for freight cost savings. The company recognizes that being able to efficiently combine multiple jobs into single purchase orders can significantly reduce shipping costs, especially important when dealing with smaller orders where freight can cost more than the materials themselves.
These companies have moved beyond the daily frustrations of lost paperwork, missed orders, and unclear delivery tracking. Instead, they're focused on growing their business with the confidence that their purchasing process won't be the bottleneck that delays installations or hurts profitability.
The structured approach to purchase order management has eliminated the common pain points: no more wondering if orders were actually sent, no more scrambling to find confirmation emails, and no more delays because materials weren't tracked properly from order to delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What are the biggest problems glass contractors face with purchase order tracking?
A: Common issues include generally not understanding what was ordered, when it's arriving, or whether it has come in, install delays due to missed orders, manual entry errors leading to wrong sizes, difficulty verifying received materials, inability to track actual vs. estimated costs, and no documentation trail for issues like scratches or incorrect sizes.
Q: How does Glazier improve the purchase order process for residential and service work?
A: Glazier enables field teams to collect exact measurements, automatically generates POs from estimates, ties POs directly to jobs, logs supplier confirmations, and streamlines material receiving with mobile workflows, including notes and photos.
Q: What makes Glazier’s PO tracking different for commercial projects?
A: Glazier streamlines commercial PO tracking by importing material lists directly from third-party systems like GDS, WinBidPro, and PartnerPak. You can submit quote requests, collect rough opening sizes and add them to your PO, and track confirmations and deliveries, all through mobile-friendly tools that work in the field and office.
Q: How does the supplier confirmation workflow in Glazier work?
A: When a supplier confirms a PO, users log the confirmation number, final price, expected delivery date, and supplier PO number, creating a formal checkpoint and eliminating confusion from email threads.
Q: What are the benefits of mobile-friendly receiving in Glazier?
A: Teams can mark received materials, note storage locations, flag issues, attach photos, and trigger reorders if needed—all from a mobile device, reducing miscommunication and manual tracking.
Q: How does Glazier help track actual vs. estimated costs?
A: Every PO is tied to a job and tracked in real time, allowing users to see committed costs before installation and compare actual PO costs to estimates. QuickBooks integration enables fast, clean reconciliation.
Q: What real-world results have glass companies seen with Glazier?
A: Companies report cutting PO processing time in half, streamlining document attachment, and centralizing PO access.
Q: Why is a structured PO process important for glass contractors?
A: A structured process prevents lost orders, missed confirmations, and delivery delays, ensuring smoother installations and protecting profit margins.
Q: How can I get started with Glazier’s PO tracking system?
A: You can book a free demo with a product expert to see how Glazier can simplify your purchase order tracking and improve your business efficiency.
Want to see how Glazier simplifies PO tracking? Book a free demo today with a product expert today.
