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Invisible wrote:
> Personally, I have no idea what a "PO number" is.
This is actually useful to know if you're ever going to work for
yourself. A PO# is an authorization the buyer files with his own
accounting department to pay the seller for the stuff.
So, Fred needs a computer. He gets it approved with his management and
all, and takes the approval to the accounting department, who gives him
a PO#. He then fills out a Purchase Order, including the PO# on it, to
purchase his computer. When the computer arrives, the mail department
takes him the computer and delivers the included copy of the PO/invoice
to the accounting department. The accounting department looks up the
PO#, sees that it should be paid, and pays the bill.
It's a good thing to know, because if there's one thing I've learned
working as a small consultant to big companies is this: If you don't
have a PO# before you go to work, it will take you six months to get
paid, if ever. If you *do* have a PO#, you mail the bill to the
accounting department, and they pay it. If you *don't*, you mail the
bill to the guy who hired you, who sits on it because paying you isn't
his job, until you send it again, and again, and finally start tacking
on finance charges and CC'ing the accounting department, at which point
the accounting department goes "Finance charges??" and things start
moving again.
--
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
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