Composite Items & Purchase Orders

Composite Items & Purchase Orders

The Composite Item is great way to bundle different products and services into a single line and sell it as a single line item in Estimates, Sales Orders and Invoices.

However, on the other side - i,e,. Purchasing - this item creates quite a bit of a mess and is completely useless (unless I really don't understand how to use it 😉).

ISSUE #1
The composite item, could potentially, include items from different vendors. This would require creating a purchase order for each vendor with the relevant items. However, this is not possible because when placing the composite item in a purchase order - It shows the name and SKU number of the composite number which is meaningless to the vendor. 
There is a workaround to copy the description of the items - when editing the composite item -  into the composite item's description. This will list the items and their SKU numbers which you can then cut and paste into the purchase description. However, as I mentioned before, if the composite item includes items from different vendors then this method gets messy and confusing to the vendors as they will see unrelated SKU numbers next to their SKU numbers.

Let's continue to the next issue.....

ISSUE #2
Let's ignore for a second the 1st issue....
Assuming we have a composite item, containing 2 items from the same vendor. 
We place the item in a purchase order and send it to the vendor. The purchase order contains a single line item, showing the composite part number and SKU number that we created.
Now, we received 1 out of the 2 items in the composite item. When trying to process "Received Items" there is no way to update the PO because the item we received doesn't match the PO which contains only 1 composite item. 
Furthermore, imagine you sent multiple purchase orders with multiple composite items. When you start to receive the actual items - there is no way to know to which PO they belong or to in which composite item they belong.
and, since the system would not allow exceeding the ordered quantities - there is no way to receive these items.

Obviously, this issue needs to be rectified as the composite item cannot be used for Sales and Purchasing.

SUGGESTION
One way to resolve both issues is by allowing to break the composite item back into individual items when creating a purchase order. With this way, the user can delete the irrelevant items and create multiple purchase orders for multiple vendors.
When receiving items from the vendors, the user can then update the PO so it can be closed when all items have been received.

CONCLUSION
While the composite item is great for selling, it is almost useless for purchasing. 
Not sure how Zoho missed this one but it should be fixed sooner rather than later. 

Any thoughts?

    • Recent Topics

    • Zoho Mail Android app update: Manage folders

      Hello everyone! In the latest version(v2.9) of the Zoho Mail Android app update, we have brought in support for an option to manage folders. You can now create, edit, and delete folders from within the mobile app. You can also manage folders for the POP

    • validation rules doesn't work in Blueprint when it is validated using function?

      I have tried to create a validation rule in the deal module. it works if I try to create a deal manually or if I try to update the empty field inside a deal. but when I try to update the field via the blueprint mandatory field, it seems the validation

    • Get Zoho Mail API working (including DRE Connector, Oauth Token, ZUID, ZOID & ACCOUNT_ID)

      Disclaimer: I’m not a professional coder! Do you need to use Zoho Mail API? Me too. It lets you do all sorts of things — like reading the complete header of an email, or forwarding an email with its attachments — which is what I wanted to do. But setting

    • Revenue Deferrals

      Does ZOHO books and subscriptions handle Revenue Deferrals?   

    • Can I make a website open inside Zoho whenever I log in?

      Hi Zoho Team, Every day, I check a few websites for updates, for example, Rojgar--result, where I see the latest government job results and notifications. I was wondering if there’s any option in Zoho to make a website like that open inside Zoho whenever

    • Kaizen #214 - Workflow APIs - Part 2

      Welcome back to another week of Kaizen! Last week, we discussed how Zylker Cloud Services used the Workflow APIs to discover and audit all the automations in their CRM, listing every workflow, checking triggers, and understanding their automation limits.

    • Zoho CRM Community Digest - September P1 | 2025

      Hello Everyone! September's Here! Before we jump into product updates, and community highlights, here's a quick spotlight! Zoho has launched a Professional Sales Rep Certification course on Coursera, tailored for sales professionals to strengthen their

    • Upload my theme.

      Hello. I would like to upload my own theme, this one: https://themeforest.net/item/panagea-travel-and-tours-listings-template/21957086 Is it compatible and where I upload it? If not I will hire a developer, what do I have to ask when I search for one?

    • Product Updates in Zoho Workplace applications | September 2025

      Hello Workplace Community, Let’s take a look at the new features and enhancements that went live across all Workplace applications this September. Zoho Mail Attach email as EML file in Compose Effortlessly attach emails as EML file in Compose by simply

    • Vehicle Tracking

      we have GPS devices that installed on our vehicles, and we would like to know if it's possible to  get vehicle live location data from the GPS device To Zoho Creator App.   Thank You

    • 🤝 Rencontres, partage et inspiration au Zoho Community Meetup de novembre

      Chers utilisateurs, Bonne nouvelle 🎉 : notre Meetup Zoho Community approche, et nous serions ravis de vous y voir ! 📍 Toulouse : le 25 novembre 📍 Lyon : le 27 novembre (🎯 Il ne reste que quelques places !) Que vous soyez débutant ou utilisateur avancé,

    • Need Help Mapping GST Registration Number Field Between Zoho Books & Zoho CRM + Slow Sync Issues

      am facing an issue with field mapping between Zoho Books and Zoho CRM. I want to map the GST Registration Number field from the Customer module in Zoho Books to a custom GST field inside the Accounts module in Zoho CRM. However, I am getting a warning

    • Notification received when self-assigning tickets

      When I assign tickets in Zoho Desk the relevant agent gets a notification email. When assigning myself a ticket in Zoho Desk, I get a notification email. Now, as I am the person who assigned the ticket to myself, getting a notification in this regard

    • Nouveauté dans Zoho Writer - Création de documents et de modèles assistée par l'IA

      Zia, l’assistant IA de Zoho Writer, soutient les utilisateurs dans l’amélioration de leur écriture et la création de contenus : correction orthographique et grammaticale en temps réel, suggestions adaptées au contexte, détection du plagiat, révisions

    • Session Expired

      I constantly get "Session Expired" and need to relogin or close and open the application again. This gets really frustrating during the day. Is this something that can be solved? This really makes me want to leave the app as it is no go to need to reopen

    • Integrate your Outlook/ Office 365 inbox with Zoho CRM via Graph API

      Hello folks, In addition to the existing IMAP and POP options, you can now integrate your Outlook/Office 365 inbox with Zoho CRM via Graph API. Why did we add this option? Microsoft Graph API offers a single endpoint to access data from across Microsoft’s

    • Disable Buttons for Users with Profiles without permission

      Hey, I've noticed that users without permission of setting up things in the marketplace, can still see the icon: On a click, you see this: It would be way better, if they couldn't see this menu icon at all. (Aside from the fact that it completely misplaced

    • Mapping a new Ticket in Zoho Desk to an Account or Deal in Zoho CRM manually

      Is there any way for me to map an existing ticket in Zoho desk to an account or Deal within Zoho CRM? Sometimes people use different email to put in a ticket than the one that we have in the CRM, but it's still the same person. We would like to be able

    • Zoho Analytics - Make text clickable in underlying data

      Hi Community, I have a simple sales report based on a Invoice query table. I have included a link on to each invoice on the table and sent the Invoice number URL to the link. This works find in the query table, but when I click underlying data on the

    • Credit Management: #5 Advanced Refund Policy

      You're subscribed to a well-known SaaS design tool. You've used it to manage your team's projects, create marketing visuals, brochures, and so on. But your needs change over time. Your company may switch to another tool or hire an in-house designer who

    • Exported Slide Image Lacks Portion of the Background Image

      This does not always happen, but when I export (or "download") the rendered image of a slide, it sometimes lacks a portion of the background image. I created a sample slide deck to demonstrate it and shared it with the admins. It is also publicly available

    • How to create a Zoho Mail extension similar to Outlook's OnSend add-in?

      Hi, I want to create a Zoho Mail extension similar to Outlook’s OnSend add-in. The extension should: Let the user select headers and footers from a taskpane while composing an email. When the user clicks Send, the extension should: Automatically insert

    • Effective Inbox Organization: Folders vs Tags in Zoho Mail?

      I'm exploring the best ways to organize a busy inbox, especially when managing multiple clients or project using Zoho Mail. I’d love to know what works best for others: 1. Do you prefer **folders** (possibly with sub-folders) for each client or project?

    • Piss poor service in Support in Domains and email

      Srijith Narayanan B contacted me today. Very pleasant fellow. Just didn't want to tell him how bad your support service is. You help the person, but you leave before we can finish the next stage. Which causes a lot of frustration. It's been 8 days now

    • Zoho Mail android app update: Block & reject future emails, Report phishing, Spam alerts, Suspicious URL detection

      Hello everyone! In the most recent Zoho Mail Android app update, we have brought in support for the following features: Block & reject future emails Report Phishing Spam alerts in the mail details screen. Suspicious URL detection. Block & reject future

    • Zohomail does not support additional fields in mailto links

      Hello, I set up Zohomail as default composer in Firefox according to manual here: https://www.zoho.com/mail/help/defaultcomposer.html#alink2 Later, I wanted to use this functionality to answer in a Linux mailing list thread using mailto link: mailto:xxxxx@kernel.org?In-Reply-To=%3C727o0521-q24p-s0qq-66n0-sn436rpqqr1p@example.com%3E&Cc=xxxxx%example.org&Subject=Re%3A%20%5BPATCH%20v2%28%29

    • Email address for forwarding is not saving and there's no confirmation ema

      Steps to reproduce: 1. Enter my forward email in the email forward section of the account 2. Click save 3. See a notification stating saved successfully 4. Refresh the page, no forward email is saved 5. No email confirmation received at the forwarding

    • This domain is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

      This is the error i keep getting when trying to use my Zoho Domain Mail. This domain is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details Find attached. I hope this can be resolved very quickly so i can go on and make

    • Auto CC - Moving Departments

      We have Auto CC e-mail replies to your support mailbox enabled. We have two departments: Helpdesk (helpdesk@domain.com) Delivery (delivery@domain.com) If we create a Helpdesk ticket, and reply, replies are CC'd to helpdesk@domain.com (OK) We then move

    • Unable to see free plan option

      Hello Zoho Support Team, I hope you are doing well. I am trying to sign up for Zoho Mail, but I am unable to see the option for the free plan. Could you please guide me on how I can access or activate the free plan? Thank you for your assistance.

    • Sorten the domain of zoho mail ids

      I recently created zoho mail id and am quite excited with the features. But one issue ig nobody wanna type this big zohoaccounts.com I mean silly bold Suggestion zmail.com (sound gmail) (attraction) or some genz words looks cool

    • Weekly Tips : Customize your Zoho Mail Notifications

      In a professional context, email communication remains one of the most crucial channels for staying connected and managing workflows. Keeping track of your emails, task updates, or important announcements can be overwhelming—especially if you are juggling

    • The attendees will now be redirected to the landing webpage when they exit the webinar, set by the organizer.

      Hello All, In the latest version of the Zoho Meeting iOS mobile app (v1.3.16), we have brought in the below enhancements:   Post Webinar Re-direction Revamped exit UI for Webinar Post Webinar Re-direction:  The attendees will now be redirected to the

    • Download API file contents from browser

      Hi Team - is there something being planned to be able to trigger file downloads from the browser via a deluge script? i.e. retrieve a file via API, trigger the file download directly from the browser. Or... using the convertToPdf function (https://www.zoho.com/deluge/help/functions/file/convert-to-pdf.html)

    • When using "locations" in zoho books, can you keep the two locations totally separate from each other?

      I am looking to add a location but I don't want to intermingle the banking or other accounts. I want that to be like two separate independent branches that use different banking accounts, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. The people who are in

    • Adding a Channel to SalesIQ

      I have a client that currently uses Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk. They would like a live chat to place on their website that has a mobile app and chat bots (something like SalesIQ). However, they would also like to have all this work over SMS as well. Does the SalesIQ API allow this? Can I add visitors without them being a visitor on a website? Thanks! Bryan Redeagle

    • How Do I Refund a Customer Directly to Their Credit Card?

      Hi, I use books to auto-charge my customers credit card. But when I create a credit note there doesn't seem to be a way to directly refund the amount back to their credit card. Is the only way to refund a credit note by doing it "offline" - or manually-

    • Zoho Flow Needs to Embrace AI Agent Protocols to Stay Competitive

      Zoho Flow has long been a reliable platform for automating workflows and integrating various applications. However, in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-driven automation, it risks falling behind competitors like n8n, which are pioneering advancements

    • Important Features Missing

      Hey all I love linkthread, but i am missing some important features. I want to be able to include my Google Tag Manager. I have all the important stuff in my GTM Container: Facebook Pixel, LinkIn Pixel, Zoho Pagesense and so on. So i am able to do retargeting

    • Zoho SignForms: Prefill parameters with spaces render as “+” in the document (even when using %20)

      Hello Zoho Sign team, we are using SignForms with prefill parameters passed via URL. Spaces in parameter values are being rendered as “+” in the finalized document—even when we URL-encode spaces as %20. This is critical for us because we prefill addresses

    • Next Page