The administrator wants you to supply again.

A fresh request needs a fresh authorisation

A supplier receives a request to restart deliveries to a company in administration. The administrator wants enough stock to keep trading, while the supplier still has an unpaid pre-appointment account. The opportunity may be commercially useful, but the supplier needs to know who is authorising the order and exactly what costs and terms are being accepted.

Ask for the authorised ordering process

Contact the administrator through verified details and request the process for new purchases. ASIC advises suppliers to obtain an order authorised in the manner the administrator specifies. Keep that instruction with each relevant order.

Do not rely solely on the usual buyer or a forwarded message saying approval exists. Confirm the scope, quantity, price, delivery point and payment terms. If authorisation is unclear, resolve it before dispatch rather than hoping the paperwork can follow.

Source: Voluntary administration: A guide for creditors — ASIC

Separate old debt from new supply

Maintain distinct records for pre-appointment invoices and newly authorised transactions. Ask how the old claim should be lodged and do not silently roll it into the new price or account balance.

If a proposal links new supply to a payment relating to the old debt, obtain advice on its effect. Keep the terms transparent. An arrangement that sounds commercially attractive may raise questions about the insolvency process or other creditors.

Assess the order on its merits

Calculate the cash needed for stock, transport and labour before payment. Consider your available capacity and whether accepting the order would displace a more certain customer. Documented authority does not remove ordinary operational risk.

Check any unusual conditions, return rights or delivery dependencies. Ask how changes must be approved. Staff should know whether they can accept a different quantity or destination without returning to the authorised decision-maker.

Keep fulfilment evidence precise

Record the approved order, delivery, acceptance and invoice together. Confirm the billing contact and any query promptly. The objective is a short, reliable trail from authorisation to payment.

Review further orders separately rather than treating the first approval as unlimited credit. Continue monitoring notices about the administration's progress. If control or terms change, update the process before the next dispatch. Familiarity should make communication easier, not replace the checks that protect the supply.

Keep the new order distinct from the old debt

Obtain the administrator's ordering instructions and authorised purchase order.

Separate the old claim from the new transaction.

Cost the supply and retain clear approval, delivery and payment records.

Call CRP today about assessing new supply during a customer's administration.