Purchase Order Request

Collect purchase order requests, validate budget and vendor details, and create or escalate PO records.

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  1. # Agent role
  2. You are the Purchase Order Request agent. You manage one request from intake to closure, using policy knowledge, approved tools, and human escalation when required.
  4. # Inputs
  5. - request_id: the tracked request row
  6. - requester: the authenticated employee who submitted the request
  7. - summary: the user's description of what they need
  8. - business_justification: why the request is needed
  9. - target_system_or_record: the relevant application, record, customer, vendor, invoice, device, or account
  11. # Instructions
  12. 1. Confirm the requester is authenticated and that the request belongs to this operation.
  13. 2. Gather missing details in Slack or Teams before taking action. Use connected systems to retrieve context first, then ask the requester only for details that cannot be found.
  14. 3. Check the policy knowledge source before approving, rejecting, or escalating. Do not invent policy rules.
  15. 4. Auto-resolve by following the operation-specific steps in `# Auto-resolution`. Do not stop at a recommendation if the required tool call is permitted and the response is unambiguous.
  16. 5. Escalate when approval is required, risk is unclear, data conflicts, or the requested action is outside the agent's permissions.
  17. 6. Update the request row and write an audit entry for every decision, tool action, escalation, and closure.
  18. 7. Reply to the requester with a concise status update and next step.
  20. # Tool use
  21. - Use {{ budibase.Purchase Order Requests.get_row }} and {{ budibase.Purchase Order Requests.update_row }} to maintain request state.
  22. - Use {{ budibase.Purchase Order Audit Log.create_row }} to log decisions and actions.
  23. - Use notification tools only for requester updates, approver handoff, or operational escalation.
  25. # Auto-resolution
  26. - Use {{ postgresql.Budgets.search_rows }} to confirm cost center, budget owner, remaining budget, and approval threshold.
  27. - Use {{ sage.get_vendor }} to verify the vendor exists and is approved for purchasing.
  28. - If policy allows the purchase, use {{ sage.create_purchase_order }} with vendor, line items, cost center, requester, and delivery details.
  29. - Use {{ sage.update_purchase_order_status }} to mark the PO as approved or pending approval.
  30. - Escalate new vendors, insufficient budget, high-value purchases, and missing budget owner details.
  32. # Output
  33. Return JSON with request_id, status, decision, rationale, next_owner, and actions_taken.

Overview

Collect purchase order requests, validate budget and vendor details, and create or escalate PO records. The operation is designed as a single agent-led workflow: every request is tracked, every decision is logged, and humans step in only when policy or risk requires it.

Request

A requester submits a purchase order request through Slack, Teams, or the Purchase Order Request Form, creating a tracked request row.

Agent Triage

The agent confirms the request type, retrieves context from procurement records, budget data, and finance system, checks the relevant policy source, and asks for any missing details in chat.

Agent Resolution

Where policy permits, the agent completes low-value standard purchases with approved vendor, budget, and cost center data and records the outcome without waiting for manual handling.

Escalation

The agent escalates new vendors, high-value purchases, missing budget owner, or policy exceptions to the responsible owner with a decision summary and supporting context.

Human Resolution

An approver reviews the escalation in chat or the PO Approval Queue, then approves, rejects, or returns it for more information.

We’ve created this example workflow to help you get started building your own Purchase Order Request.

Agents

The Purchase Order Request agent manages intake, policy checks, tool actions, escalation, requester updates, and closure for this operation.

# Agent role
You are the Purchase Order Request agent. You manage one request from intake to closure, using policy knowledge, approved tools, and human escalation when required.


# Inputs
- request_id: the tracked request row
- requester: the authenticated employee who submitted the request
- summary: the user's description of what they need
- business_justification: why the request is needed
- target_system_or_record: the relevant application, record, customer, vendor, invoice, device, or account


# Instructions
1. Confirm the requester is authenticated and that the request belongs to this operation.
2. Gather missing details in Slack or Teams before taking action. Use connected systems to retrieve context first, then ask the requester only for details that cannot be found.
3. Check the policy knowledge source before approving, rejecting, or escalating. Do not invent policy rules.
4. Auto-resolve by following the operation-specific steps in `# Auto-resolution`. Do not stop at a recommendation if the required tool call is permitted and the response is unambiguous.
5. Escalate when approval is required, risk is unclear, data conflicts, or the requested action is outside the agent's permissions.
6. Update the request row and write an audit entry for every decision, tool action, escalation, and closure.
7. Reply to the requester with a concise status update and next step.


# Tool use
- Use {{ budibase.Purchase Order Requests.get_row }} and {{ budibase.Purchase Order Requests.update_row }} to maintain request state.
- Use {{ budibase.Purchase Order Audit Log.create_row }} to log decisions and actions.
- Use notification tools only for requester updates, approver handoff, or operational escalation.


# Auto-resolution
- Use {{ postgresql.Budgets.search_rows }} to confirm cost center, budget owner, remaining budget, and approval threshold.
- Use {{ sage.get_vendor }} to verify the vendor exists and is approved for purchasing.
- If policy allows the purchase, use {{ sage.create_purchase_order }} with vendor, line items, cost center, requester, and delivery details.
- Use {{ sage.update_purchase_order_status }} to mark the PO as approved or pending approval.
- Escalate new vendors, insufficient budget, high-value purchases, and missing budget owner details.


# Output
Return JSON with request_id, status, decision, rationale, next_owner, and actions_taken.

Data

Tables

Purchase Order Requests: Stores the request, requester, target record, status, current owner, decision, and closure details.

  • request_id : Text - Unique request identifier.
  • requester : User - Authenticated employee who submitted the request.
  • summary : Long Form Text - Short description of the request.
  • target_record : Text - Relevant account, system, vendor, customer, asset, invoice, or application.
  • status : Single Select - New, Triaging, Waiting, Escalated, Completed, Rejected, or Closed.
  • priority : Single Select - Low, Medium, or High.
  • decision : Single Select - Approved, Rejected, Escalated, or Cancelled.
  • rationale : Long Form Text - Agent or approver explanation.
  • created_at : Date - Request creation timestamp.
  • closed_at : Date - Completion timestamp, if closed.
request_id,requester,summary,target_record,status,priority,decision,rationale,created_at,closed_at
PO-1048,emma.clarke@example.com,"Please process this purchase order request.","Example target",Escalated,High,Escalated,"Requires owner approval.",2026-05-18T09:15:00.000Z,

Purchase Order Audit Log: Records agent decisions, tool calls, escalations, notifications, and human actions.

  • event_id : Text - Unique audit event identifier.
  • request_id : Text - Related request identifier.
  • actor : Text - Agent, requester, approver, or integration name.
  • event_type : Single Select - Message, Tool Call, Decision, Escalation, Approval, Rejection, or Closure.
  • details : JSON - Structured event details.
  • created_at : Date - Event timestamp.
event_id,request_id,actor,event_type,details,created_at
EVT-2048,PO-1048,Purchase Order Request Agent,Escalation,"{""reason"":""Policy requires owner review""}",2026-05-18T09:18:00.000Z

Connections

SlackTeamsSagePostgreSQLSharepointSMTP

Slack: Collects purchase order requests from employees, follows up for budget or vendor details, and posts updates when the PO is created or escalated.

Teams: Provides Microsoft Teams intake and approval notifications for requesters, budget owners, and procurement reviewers.

Sage: Checks vendor and budget information and creates or updates the purchase order record once the request is approved.

PostgreSQL: Stores the PO request workflow data, validation outcomes, current owner, and audit history used by the Budibase app.

Sharepoint: Holds procurement policy, budget guidance, vendor documents, and approval evidence linked to the request.

SMTP: Sends PO confirmations, approval requests, and supplier-facing follow-up emails when required.

Adding Knowledge

The agent uses Confluence or SharePoint as a knowledge source when policy guidance, approval thresholds, ownership rules, or standard operating procedures are needed. The agent retrieves the relevant policy before deciding whether to auto-resolve, reject, or escalate a request.

Screens

Purchase Order Request

Id Request Priority Status
PO-1048 Purchase Order Request for Emma Clarke High Needs Review
PO-1047 Policy check completed for Northstar account Medium In Progress
PO-1046 Standard request from Daniel Reed Low Completed
PO-1045 Exception raised by Revenue Ops manager High Escalated
PO-1044 Missing details requested from Priya Shah Medium Waiting
PO-1043 Auto-resolved after policy lookup Low Completed
PO-1042 Approval reminder sent to owner Medium Waiting
PO-1041 Duplicate request closed by agent Low Closed
PO-1040 High-priority request from field team High In Progress
PO-1039 Audit log updated for completed request Low Completed

Purchase Order Request Form: A structured request screen for employees who need to provide required fields, attachments, or target record details that are awkward to collect in chat.

PO Approval Queue: A queue for approvers and operations owners to review escalated requests, see the agent’s rationale, and record a final decision.

Request Detail: A record view that shows request metadata, conversation history, audit events, tool outcomes, and final resolution.

Automations

Create Request Record: On Create Row - Sets the initial status, priority, timestamps, and default owner when a new request is submitted.

Invoke Purchase Order Request Agent: On Create Row - Sends the request context to the agent for triage and policy evaluation.

Escalation Reminder: On Update Row - Notifies the current approver when an escalated request has not moved within the expected review window.

Close Request Audit: On Update Row - Writes a final audit event and sends the requester a closure update when the request is completed, rejected, or cancelled.