Playbooks for the most common PO situations
A lot of things can get between a production buyer and parts arriving on the dock. These are the main situations buyers run into, and the ones where PO-Relay delivers the most value. Every playbook covers what triggers the situation, what's at risk, and how the assistant handles it automatically.
Supplier didn't acknowledge your PO
No acknowledgment means no confirmed date, no confirmed spec, no idea if they have capacity.
Read the playbookLate delivery from a supplier
Due date came and went. Nothing in receiving, nothing from the supplier. The production line is asking questions you can't answer yet.
Read the playbookSupplier not responding to emails
They acknowledged the PO, then went silent on your follow-up. Three business days, no reply. Time to escalate without burning the relationship.
Read the playbookPartial shipment from a supplier
Some parts arrived, but not all of them. The balance stays open, AP needs a heads-up, and the supplier still owes you a firm ship date.
Read the playbookYou need to expedite an order
Production needs parts faster than the original schedule. Make the request, run the freight math, and confirm the new date without spending real-emergency capital on a routine pull-in.
Read the playbookSomeone asked "where's my part?"
Production walked up. Slack pinged. The planner is waiting. Give a real answer in seconds, with the status, date, and confidence layer the line lead actually needs.
Read the playbookSupplier confirmed a different date
They acknowledged the PO but the date they confirmed is not the one you asked for. Reply same day or the new date silently becomes the new agreement.
Read the playbookShipped but not received
Tracking shows delivered. Receiving has nothing. The freight is in three different versions of reality. Find it before production needs the parts.
Read the playbookQuality issue on a shipment
Parts arrived but failed inspection or do not match spec. Contain the lot, get a replacement plan, and protect AP from paying on bad parts.
Read the playbookSupplier notified a delay
At least they told you. Reply same day, lock the new date, and forward the planner. The clean response trains the supplier to keep notifying.
Read the playbookSupplier waiting on info from you
The supplier is blocked on a drawing, a spec, or an approval and the request has been sitting in your inbox. Get the answer out today and stop being the bottleneck.
Read the playbookSupplier requesting a date change
They acknowledged the PO and now want to move the date. Approve, push back, or negotiate without giving away leverage on the next confirmed date.
Read the playbookWaiting on a supplier quote
You sent the RFQ. The quote-by date passed. Push the original, parallel-source the backup, and decide when silence becomes a no-bid.
Read the playbookSupplier sent a price increase
A pricing change just landed. Verify the cost story, push back where it does not reconcile, and surface the customer-pricing conversation before margin slips.
Read the playbookYour follow-up went unanswered
Two follow-ups, no answer. Email is not landing. Switch channels, reframe the ask, and escalate laterally before the silence costs you the date.
Read the playbookHow PO-Relay handles these situations
Every playbook in this library is one the assistant runs for you. When a 48-hour acknowledgment timer expires, PO-Relay flags it and drafts a follow-up. When a supplier email arrives mentioning several POs, it classifies the email, matches each PO, and updates every task independently. When a due date approaches with no shipment notice, it surfaces the risk in your morning report. You deal with the exceptions. The routine tracking, flagging, and drafting gets handled.