Separate required units from the supplier’s offer
The supplied shortage is fourteen units. The fictional supplier offers six per carton and a minimum of three cartons. The buyer can approve that offer, seek a different offer or defer purchase; no automatic ordering permission exists. The quantities are test terms, not actual supplier prices or capabilities.
| Option | Quantity | Against supplied terms | Buyer decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cartons | 12 | Below minimum; also short 2 | Not valid under this offer |
| 3 cartons | 18 | Meets minimum; 4 beyond shortage | Approve PO-P / 3 cartons |
| Alternative offer | Not supplied | No terms to compare yet | Request only if buyer chooses |
Approve the excess as part of the purchase decision
- Record verified shortage input
- Check offered pack and minimum
- Calculate valid whole-pack option
- Buyer considers excess and alternatives
- Record approved order quantity
An ambiguous minimum such as “three packs” without a defined pack size stays unorderable until the offer is clarified.
The buyer in this worksheet explicitly chooses eighteen, including four beyond the shortage. Preserve that rationale for later purchasing review. This does not set a reorder threshold or forecast demand, and does not claim the excess will sell or save money.
Can staff order fourteen by writing 2.333 cartons under the supplied offer?
Show the worked answer
No. Only whole six-unit cartons are offered, with a three-carton minimum. The approved valid option is three cartons, eighteen units, four beyond the shortage.