Customers, vendors & manufacturers

These three lookups cover the outside parties your assets are connected to. A Customer is someone you issue assets to, a Vendor is a supplier you buy and order from, and a Manufacturer is the company that makes an asset. Each is a simple list you can add to and edit from the Lookups menu.

Before you begin

• These lookups live under the Lookups menu and are usually maintained by an administrator; view, add, and edit access are each granted separately, so you may be able to look but not add or edit.
• Set up a vendor before you create a purchase order for it — the PO’s Supplier field only lists vendors that already exist.
• Each record is shared across the app, so it’s worth entering complete contact details once rather than partial ones you fix later.

Note

If your organization has turned on automatic numbering, the Customer Number or Vendor Number field is filled in and locked for you (it shows as “automatically assigned”) — you don’t need to type one.

Customers

Customers are the people or organizations you issue assets to — useful when you loan, rent, or assign equipment to parties outside your own staff.

Add or edit a customer

1. Open Customer from the Lookups menu.
2. Click Add, or click an existing customer to edit it.
3. Fill in the details, which include the Customer Number, First and Last Name, Company Name, Department, contact details (Business Phone, Email, Fax, Website), and Notes. You can also record a separate contact person with their own phone, cell, fax, and email.
4. Click Save.

Once a customer is saved, its record picks up two more tabs: Assigned Assets — a list of what’s currently checked out to that customer, with a Check In button so you can bring items back without leaving the page — and History, a log of past transactions for that customer.

Vendors

Vendors are the suppliers you buy assets from. When you create a purchase order, you choose the vendor you’re ordering from — so your vendor list feeds directly into purchasing. A vendor can also be who an asset is checked out to, alongside employees and customers.

Add or edit a vendor

1. Open Vendor from the Lookups menu.
2. Click Add, or click an existing vendor to edit it.
3. Fill in the details, which include the Vendor Number, Vendor Name, contact details (Phone, Email, Fax, Website), and Notes. You can also record a contact person with their own phone, extension, cell, fax, and email.
4. Click Save.

Once a vendor is saved, its record picks up two more tabs: Assigned Assets — assets currently checked out to that vendor, with a Check In button — and History, a log of past transactions for that vendor.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers are the companies that make your assets. Recording the manufacturer helps with warranty, support, and reporting on the equipment you own.

Add or edit a manufacturer

1. Open Manufacturer from the Lookups menu.
2. Click Add, or click an existing manufacturer to edit it.
3. Fill in the details, which include the Manufacturer Name, contact details (Phone, Email, Fax, Website), and a contact person with their own phone, extension, cell, fax, and email.
4. Click Save.

Tip

Not sure which record to use? A vendor is who you buy from (it feeds purchase orders), a manufacturer is who makes the equipment (used for warranty and reporting), and a customer is who you issue assets to. The same company can be more than one — for example, a supplier who is also the manufacturer — so create it in each list where you need it.

Note

Customers, vendors, and manufacturers are all shared records. Once created, they appear in the relevant pick lists throughout the app, and you generally can’t remove one that’s still attached to assets or orders.

Troubleshooting

• My vendor isn’t in the purchase order Supplier list. Only vendors set up here appear on a PO. Add the vendor first, then start (or reopen) the order.
• I can’t delete a customer, vendor, or manufacturer. If the record is attached to an asset or order, it’s protected so history stays intact. Detach or reassign what’s using it first.
• A vendor and manufacturer are the same company — do I enter it twice? Yes. The lists are separate, so add the company to each list where you need to reference it.

Related

• Purchase orders — where you choose a vendor as the supplier.
• Checking out an asset — assign an asset to an employee, customer, or vendor.
• Creating an asset — where you record an asset’s manufacturer.
• Lookups overview — how the reference lists fit together.