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Understanding Vendor Management

This guide explains how to manage vendors (suppliers) in the system. Whether you're setting up a new supplier, updating their banking info, or checking purchase history, we've got you covered.

What is a Vendor?

Think of a Vendor as any person or company you buy goods or services from. In our system, they are unique "Partners" marked specifically as suppliers.

Why does this matter?

  1. Streamlined Purchasing: Pre-fill purchase orders with vendor details and prices.
  2. Accurate Accounting: Automatically link bills to the correct payable accounts.
  3. Better Relationships: Keep track of all interactions, emails, and transaction history in one place.

Where to Find It

Navigate to: Accounting → Partners (or Purchase → Vendors if available)

You can filter the list to show only Vendors by using the Type filter.

💡 Tip: Look for the Help button in the top-right corner—it opens this guide!

Creating a Vendor

Let's walk through creating a new vendor profile step by step.

Step 1: Start Fresh

Navigate to the Partners list and click Create Partner.

You'll see a form with these sections:

1. Basic Information

Field What to Enter Example
Name The legal name of the company or person "Acme Supplies Ltd"
Type Choose Vendor (or Both if they also buy from you) Vendor
Tax Their default tax rate for purchases "Purchase Tax 15%"
Status Keep active to use them in transactions Active

2. Contact & Address

Fill in the details to ensure orders reach the right place:

  • Contact Person: Who do you talk to?
  • Email/Phone: For sending POs and reminders.
  • Address: Where do they ship from?

3. Accounting Configuration

This is crucial for your financial books:

Field Description
Receivable Account (If they are also a customer) Where money owed by them goes.
Payable Account Where money you owe to them tracks. Default is usually "Accounts Payable".
Fiscal Position Used for automatic tax mapping (e.g., International Vendors).
Withholding Tax If you need to withhold tax from payments to this vendor.

Vendor Price Lists

You can set up specific prices for products when buying from this vendor. This happens on the Product page usually, or within the Purchase module settings, linked to the vendor.

Note: Detailed price list management is covered in the Product documentation.

Vendor 360 View

Once a vendor is created, their profile becomes a central hub. Click on a vendor name to view their Partner Ledger and history.

You can see:

  • Vendor Bills: All bills received from them.
  • Payments: Money you've sent them.
  • Purchase Orders: Active and past orders.
  • Balance: How much you currently owe them (Vendor Outstanding).

Best Practices

✅ Accuracy

  • Keep Tax IDs Updated: Essential for tax reporting compliance.
  • Set Payment Terms: defined on bills/invoices to avoid overdue alerts.

🔒 Security

  • Verify Bank Details: Always double-check banking info before large payments (store in custom fields or notes if applicable).

🧹 Hygiene

  • Don't Duplicate: Search before creating a new vendor to avoid split history.
  • Archive Inactive Vendors: If you stop doing business, set them to Inactive instead of deleting.

Troubleshooting

Common Questions

Q: Why can't I see this partner in the vendor list? A: Check the Type field. Ensure it is set to Vendor or Both. If it's set to "Customer", it won't appear in vendor-specific filters.

Q: Can a partner be both a customer and a vendor? A: Yes! Select Both in the Type field. This is common for inter-company setups or trading partners.

Q: I created a vendor but they don't have a Payable Account. A: The system usually assigns a default. If it's missing, you can create one directly from the dropdown or ask your accountant.

💡 Still stuck? Contact support with your specific issue!