Purchase Requisition
A Purchase Requisition is the internal request that starts a purchase — raised by a department or employee to ask their organisation's procurement or finance function to authorise and buy specified goods or services. It states what is needed, the quantity, the estimated cost and the reason, and is routed for budget and management approval before any commitment is made to a supplier.
The requisition is the first step of the procure-to-pay cycle and an important control: it ensures spending is checked and approved before a purchase order is issued to the supplier, rather than after the fact. Once approved, the requisition is converted into a PO (or consolidated with others). By separating the request from the order, purchase requisitions enforce authorisation, budget discipline and an audit trail, and help prevent unauthorised or maverick spending. In a marine or asset-heavy context the same mechanism drives spare-parts and stores procurement from the ship or site.
The requisition is where spend gets approved before money is committed — the checkpoint that stops unauthorised buying and enforces budget discipline at the front of the procure-to-pay cycle. Separating the internal request from the supplier order is what gives procurement control and an audit trail, making the requisition a small but essential governance step.
What is the purpose of a purchase requisition?
To get internal approval and budget authorisation for a purchase before a purchase order is issued to a supplier.
What happens after a requisition is approved?
It is converted into a purchase order (sometimes consolidated with others) and sent to the supplier.