Qvian Suite
App →

Supplier Management

Manage supplier relationships, track vendor information, and streamline your procurement process.

Overview

The Supplier Management system helps you organize and maintain relationships with vendors and suppliers. Track contact information, payment terms, product catalogs, and order history to streamline your procurement and inventory management.

Common Tasks

How to Add a New Supplier (Create Supplier Record)

Create a supplier record to track vendor information and manage purchase orders.

Steps:

  1. Go to Trading Partners → Suppliers
  2. Click the Add Supplier button (plus icon)
  3. Fill in the supplier wizard:
    • Basic Information: Supplier name, legal name, tax ID
    • Contact Details: Primary contact name, email, phone, website
    • Address: Physical address and mailing address
    • Supplier Type: External supplier or internal business unit
    • Preferences: Mark as preferred supplier, payment terms
  4. Click Create Supplier to save

Preferred Suppliers

Mark frequently used suppliers as "Preferred" to make them appear first in supplier selection dropdowns and for automatic reorder suggestions.

How to Edit Supplier Information

Update supplier details, contact information, or preferences.

Steps:

  1. Go to Trading Partners → Suppliers
  2. Find the supplier using search or browse the list
  3. Click the ⋮ menu icon on the supplier row
  4. Select Edit Supplier
  5. Update any fields in the supplier form
  6. Click Update Supplier to save changes

Supplier History

All changes to supplier records are tracked. You can see purchase order history, delivery performance, and relationship metrics in the supplier details view.

How to Search for a Supplier

Quickly find suppliers by name, contact information, or other criteria.

Steps:

  1. Go to Trading Partners → Suppliers
  2. Type in the search bar at the top:
    • Supplier name or legal name
    • Contact email or phone
    • Tax ID number
  3. Results filter in real-time as you type
  4. Use the filter dropdowns for:
    • Supplier type (External, Internal)
    • Preferred status (Preferred, All)
    • Active status (Active, Inactive, All)

How to Link Supplier to Business Unit

Suppliers can be shared across business units or linked to specific units. Link a supplier to make them available for purchase orders in that business unit.

Steps:

  1. Go to Trading Partners → Suppliers
  2. Find the supplier and click the ⋮ menu
  3. Select Link to Business Unit
  4. Choose the business unit from the dropdown
  5. Click Link to confirm

Organization vs Business Unit

Suppliers are created at the organization level but can be linked to specific business units. This allows sharing suppliers across units while maintaining unit-specific relationships.

How to View Supplier Purchase Order History

See all purchase orders placed with a supplier and track order performance.

Steps:

  1. Go to Trading Partners → Suppliers
  2. Click on the supplier name in the list
  3. View the supplier details page showing:
    • All purchase orders (draft, sent, received, closed)
    • Total order value
    • Number of orders
    • Average order size
    • Delivery performance metrics
    • Recent order activity

Supplier Performance

Use supplier history to evaluate performance - on-time delivery rates, order accuracy, and pricing consistency. This helps identify reliable suppliers for preferred status.

How to Deactivate a Supplier

Mark a supplier as inactive if you are no longer working with them, without losing order history.

Steps:

  1. Go to Trading Partners → Suppliers
  2. Find the supplier and click the ⋮ menu
  3. Select Edit Supplier
  4. Change the status to Inactive
  5. Click Update Supplier

Purchase Order History Preserved

Deactivating a supplier does not delete purchase order history or related data. Inactive suppliers won't appear in supplier selection lists, but all historical orders remain accessible.

Key Concepts

Supplier Types

Suppliers can be external vendors or internal business units within your organization.

  • External: Third-party vendors outside your organization
  • Internal: Other business units within your organization (for inter-unit transfers)
  • Type affects how purchase orders are processed and tracked

Preferred Suppliers

Mark reliable, frequently-used suppliers as preferred for easier access and automatic suggestions.

  • Preferred suppliers appear first in selection lists
  • Used for AI-powered reorder suggestions
  • Can be filtered in supplier lists

Supplier-Business Unit Linking

Suppliers exist at the organization level but must be linked to business units to be used in purchase orders.

  • Link suppliers to make them available for a business unit
  • Same supplier can be linked to multiple business units
  • Purchase orders are created per business unit

Troubleshooting

Supplier Not Appearing in Purchase Order Supplier List

Cause: Supplier not linked to current business unit, or supplier is inactive.

Fix: Link the supplier to your current business unit from the supplier menu. Check that supplier status is Active. Ensure you are in the correct business unit context.

Cannot Create Supplier - Name Already Exists

Cause: Another supplier with the same name already exists in your organization.

Fix: Search for existing supplier first. If it exists, link it to your business unit instead of creating duplicate. If creating a different supplier, use a slightly different name or add distinguishing information.

Supplier Purchase Order History Not Showing

Cause: No purchase orders created yet, or viewing wrong supplier record.

Fix: Purchase order history appears only after orders are created with this supplier. Ensure you are viewing the correct supplier record. Check that purchase orders are linked to the supplier correctly.

Cannot Edit Supplier Information

Cause: Missing permissions or read-only access.

Fix: Contact administrator to grant Supplier Management permissions. Ensure you are not in read-only mode. Some fields may be restricted based on your role.