The quick answer
Open a saved sales order and go to Items. On a line eligible for special ordering, select Spec. Ord. in the Create PO column. The new purchase order should carry the sales order, item and quantity. Choose the vendor, check the purchasing values, and save. Back on the sales order, the same line should show a link to the new PO number.
The screenshots use sample data. Person and operating-company names are fictional. Your item, vendor, form and PO number will differ.
Before you start
This example starts with saved sales order SO4126 for Northstar Recreation. It has one performance-shirt line for three units. The line offers Spec. Ord. because it is eligible for a special-order purchase. Your account needs the Drop Shipments & Special Orders feature and a role that can create POs. Item type and purchasing setup, vendor, subsidiary, location, order status, approvals and custom forms can affect whether the action appears.
The source demonstration used a customized form from an older NetSuite release. This walkthrough shows the same line-to-PO path in a current-style interface. The saved link is the result; receiving the goods and fulfilling the customer order are later steps.
01. Open the special-order PO
Open the saved sales order and select Items. Find the line you intend to purchase. Check its item, quantity and location, then select Spec. Ord. in Create PO. In this example the line is PERF-TEE Performance Shirt, quantity 3, at Seattle Warehouse.
If the cell is empty, it does not tell you why the action is unavailable. Check the order's status and approval state, the item's purchasing data, your role and the active form before trying to create a separate PO.
02. Check the sourced line
The purchase-order form opens with Created From: Sales Order #SO4126. Its PO number says To Be Generated until you save. This source field is the first check that you started from the right order.
On Items, check the shirt, quantity 3, and purchase rate 26.00. The sales-order line's 42.00 is a customer sales rate; it is not the vendor purchase rate. Review vendor, subsidiary, currency, location, unit and any required fields on your form before saving. The quantity and rate are this example's values, not defaults for every special order.
03. Choose the vendor and save
Select Threadline Supply in Vendor. Your account may prefill a preferred vendor; check that selection rather than assuming it is right. Complete any remaining required fields, then select Save. The purchase-order entry form closes and the sales order returns. A separate PO approval may still be required.
04. Verify the PO link
On the returned sales order, go to Items and inspect the same shirt line. Create PO now shows PO4127 instead of Spec. Ord. Open that link if you need to confirm the saved PO's vendor, item, quantity and source.
If the link does not appear, check whether the PO saved and whether it was created from this specific sales-order line before creating another one.
Common questions
Why is Spec. Ord. missing from my line?
Check the Drop Shipments & Special Orders feature, item type and purchasing setup, vendor and purchase price, order status and approval state, subsidiary and location rules, your role, and the active form or customizations. An empty Create PO cell does not identify which condition is missing.
Is this the same as Drop Ship?
No. This example uses Spec. Ord. to create a PO tied to the sales-order line. A special order normally brings goods to the company before customer fulfillment. Drop Ship normally sends goods from the vendor directly to the customer.
Does saving the PO receive or fulfill the item?
No. The saved result here is the linked PO. Item receipt, vendor billing and customer fulfillment require separate transactions. Depending on account setup, saving can still change sourcing, approval or related order status.