using company PO number instead of ServiceNow assigned PO number - how?

[billdozer]

We want to use the procurement plugin tool, and are learning how to use it to enter in PO # and associated assets prior to delivery.  When I create a new PO, it auto creates its own PO number.  I want to use the internal to my company PO number for the order.  Can this be done and if so, how?

[Daniel Slocum]

Hi billdozer,

If you are integrating ServiceNow with your procurement system and have bidirectional data flow, the recommendation is that you create a new attribute for the purchasing system's PO number.  Label it something like SAP PO, or Coupa PO.  You get the picture, name it to identify the system and that it is a PO number.  Have the integration feed the SN PO to the procurement system so it can clearly identify the SN record for the reverse feed, and write that integration also update the procurement sytem PO number to the SN PO record.

If you are working in a swivel chair environment where the procurement PO is completed manually after the SN PO record is generated, the SN PO Number isn't as important.  In this situation, you can overwrite the SN PO number with the PO Number created in the procurement system.  However, while possible, this is prone to user entry error. Thus I still recommend to our customers that you capture the procurement system PO number in a new attribute within ServiceNow, and similarly write the SN PO number to the PO record in the procurement system. 

[billdozer]

Thank you Daniel.  Can you share how to overwrite the SN PO number?  It is auto assigned and a greyed out field that cannot be changed.

[Daniel Slocum · Accepted solution]

You will need to secure help from a ServiceNow System Admin if you do not have those credentials yourself.  To make changes, to the PO Number attribute you need to navigate to the Dictionary entry.  The table name is "proc_po", the column name is "number' and the label name is "Number".  

Within a System Update Set and once on the Dictionary entry, to make the PO Number writeable, uncheck the "Read only" checkbox.  If you also wish to preclude autonumbering, uncheck the "Use dynamic default" on the "Default" tab. A screenshot is below.

[billdozer]

Thank you, that solved it!