A purchase requisition (PR) is an internal request to buy goods or services. It's how someone in the company — a site engineer, a supervisor, a storekeeper — says "we need this", before any commitment is made to a supplier.
The PR is the first step in the procurement process. Once it's approved, it becomes a purchase order sent to a vendor.
PR vs PO: The Difference
| Purchase requisition (PR) | Purchase order (PO) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | Internal only | Sent to the vendor |
| Purpose | Ask for approval to buy | Commit to a purchase |
| Created by | The person who needs the item | Procurement or purchasing |
| Binding? | No — it's a request | Yes, once the vendor accepts it |
| Comes | First | After the PR is approved |
In short: the PR asks, the PO commits.
What a Purchase Requisition Should Include
- What is needed — item description, specification or grade.
- Quantity and unit.
- Where and when — delivery location (which site) and the date it's needed.
- Project or cost code — so it can be checked against the right budget.
- Reason — why it's needed, especially for anything unusual.
- Quotation — if one has been obtained, attached to the request.
Why It Matters on Construction Sites
On many Malaysian sites, requisitions still live in ring-bound requisition books or WhatsApp messages. That works until someone needs to know who asked for a purchase, and whether it was approved before the PO went out.
A recorded PR is the start of the audit trail. If the PR is missing, every later step — the approval, the PO, the delivery — has nothing to link back to. That's why a purchase order system should start at the requisition, not at the PO.
In Bilaro, site engineers and supervisors raise requisitions from the field with the quotation attached, and each request is routed to the right approver automatically — the first link in an unbroken audit trail.
What is the difference between a purchase requisition and a purchase order?
A purchase requisition is an internal request asking for approval to buy something. A purchase order is the document sent to a vendor once that request has been approved, committing the company to the purchase.
Who raises a purchase requisition?
Usually the person who needs the goods or services — for example a site engineer, supervisor or storekeeper. It then goes to an approver according to the company's approval rules.
Is a purchase requisition legally binding?
No. A purchase requisition is an internal document. The commitment to a supplier is made by the purchase order.