Bill date identifies the supplier transaction date and is required on direct receiving. Expected on is optional delivery-planning data shown for Ordered purchases; Created records when Posnic wrote the document and should not be confused with either.
Menu path
Purchase -> Purchases -> New Purchase -> Bill date / Expected on
Verified from
Posnic demo and current POS source reviewed on 2026-09-08
Technical source evidence
frontend/modules/receivings_write.html Expected on visibility and required Bill date, frontend/static/script/js/modules/js/receiving_add.js create edit payload date validation status visibility and list columns, api/src/models/receiving.model.js receivingDate created_date date expected_date and updated_date, frontend/modules/purchaseOrders.html po_expected_date, api/src/repositories/purchase-order.repository.js order_date expected_date created_date updated_date
Set transaction and planning datesBill date belongs to the supplier transaction; Expected on is for an Ordered delivery.Plan a supplier deliveryPurchase orders store an optional expected delivery date while Posnic records order and creation time separately.Read dates in the purchase listDate, Created and Expected answer different questions and should be checked together during follow-up.
Understand the Four Dates
Date
Meaning
Who controls it
Bill date / Date
Date of the supplier bill or purchase transaction.
Operator enters it; required for a direct purchase.
Expected on
Date the supplier is expected to deliver an Ordered purchase.
Operator enters it when known; optional.
Created
Timestamp when Posnic created the receiving or purchase-order record.
Server/application at first save.
Updated
Timestamp of the latest saved change.
Server/application on update.
Order date
Timestamp when a purchase-order record is created or placed.
Server/application; placing a draft refreshes order date.
Set Dates for Direct Receiving
Open New Purchase and select the supplier.
Set Status to Received only when goods are physically present, or Ordered when they are still due.
Enter Bill date from the supplier invoice or approved receiving evidence.
When status is Ordered, enter Expected on from the supplier's confirmed delivery promise when available.
Add and verify purchase lines, payment, tax and invoice evidence.
Save, reopen the purchase and compare Date, Created, Expected and status.
Set Expected Date on a Purchase Order
Open Purchase -> Purchases -> New Purchase -> Purchase Order.
Select the supplier and enter Expected on when a delivery commitment exists.
Add item quantities and costs.
Save as Draft when timing is provisional, or Create when the order is placed.
Use the Purchases list Expected filter or Expected soonest sort for follow-up.
Edit the same draft/ordered document when the supplier changes the promise; do not create a duplicate order merely to change the date.
How Status Controls Expected on
Status
Expected on behavior
Operator action
Ordered
Expected field is shown because delivery remains outstanding.
Enter or update the supplier promise and follow it from the list.
Received
Expected planning is no longer the main operational field.
Use Bill date and receiving evidence to document the completed purchase.
Partial
Expected status is controlled by the receive workflow and edit can lock status.
Receive or close remaining quantities from the purchase document.
Draft purchase order
Expected date can be stored while the order is still being prepared.
Confirm it before placing the order.
Cancelled/closed short
Expected delivery no longer drives open work.
Retain the historical date as context; record cancellation evidence.
Backdating and Audit Meaning
Entering an earlier Bill date is appropriate only when it matches real supplier evidence.
On a newly created receiving, the model uses the supplied Bill date for both transaction `date` and initial `created_date`.
Current `updated_date` still records when the save or later edit occurred.
Do not use Bill date to imitate an Expected delivery date.
Do not change dates merely to move a purchase into a preferred report period.
Keep the invoice attachment and purchase number available for any backdated entry review.
Editing Existing Dates
Change
What changes
What remains
Edit Bill date
Transaction date used on the purchase is updated.
Purchase number and original identity remain.
Edit Expected on
Stored expected date changes; blank clears it when the receiving edit sends the field.
Received quantities and purchase identity remain.
Edit purchase order
Expected date and order details update while Draft/Ordered editing is allowed.
Original created timestamp and PO number remain.
Place draft order
Status becomes Ordered and server order date is refreshed.
The same purchase-order record is retained.
Receive goods
Receiving evidence and quantities are added through the Receive workflow.
Expected date remains planning/history context rather than proof of arrival.
Use Dates in Review and Reports
Use Bill date filters for supplier invoice chronology and purchase reporting.
Use Created to distinguish records entered at different times with the same Bill date.
Use Expected for late-delivery follow-up, not tax-period proof.
Sort Expected soonest only after checking records with blank expected dates.
Reconcile report periods with the accountant's approved basis and the supplier invoice.
Troubleshooting
Problem
Likely reason
Controlled response
Bill date is rejected
Field is blank, invalid or not accepted by the configured date parser.
Choose a valid date through the date control and retry.
Expected on disappeared
Status changed from Ordered or the workflow hides planning fields.
Confirm status; use purchase-order/ordered workflow for pending delivery.
Expected filter misses a purchase
Date is blank, differs from the assumed date, or record is outside the loaded scope.
Open the document and verify the stored date and status.
Created date matches an old invoice date
New receiving creation uses the supplied Bill date as initial created_date.
Use updated/audit context and retained invoice evidence when reviewing entry timing.
Order date changed
A draft was placed or order state was updated.
Check status history and the same PO identity before assuming duplication.
Report month looks wrong
Bill date, Created date and report date basis were confused.
Confirm which field the report filters and reconcile with accounting policy.
Expected date is past but status is still Ordered
Delivery is late or staff have not received/closed the order.
Contact supplier, then receive, revise expectation or close short with approval.
Date Control Checklist
Bill date matches supplier evidence.
Status matches whether goods are physically present.
Expected on reflects a real delivery promise or remains blank.
Created and Updated are not mistaken for supplier dates.
Backdated entries retain invoice evidence and manager approval.
Late Ordered and Partial purchases are followed up.
Date-based reports use the intended period and field.