Partners, terms, and what each supplier actually sells.
Business partners with roles, contacts, locations, qualification, bank and payment terms — plus vendor-item mappings so buyers invite and order against reality, not a CRM note.
VND-0412 · VENDOR
Harbor Steel Supply
Net 30
VND-0288 · VENDOR
Coastal MEP Co.
Net 45
VND-0191 · SERVICE PROVIDER
LiftCo Hire
Net 15
VND-0077 · VENDOR
Delta Fasteners
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Suppliers should be operational records.
Procurement fails when partner identity, terms, and offerings are tribal knowledge. Vendors belong on the same spine as the buy chain.
Vendor as a CRM note
Contacts, bank details, and payment terms live in three places. The PO gets a name; AP gets a different account number.
RFQs by inbox
Buyers invite whoever is in the last email thread. No catalog of what each supplier sells — comparison starts from free text.
Qualification after the award
Insurance lapses and blocked suppliers show up when the bill arrives — not when the RFQ was invited.
Know who to invite and who signs.
Partners carry roles — vendor, manufacturer, contractor, service provider — plus contacts and locations so RFQ invites and PO routing are not hallway knowledge.
Harbor Steel Supply · contacts
A. Mehta
Sales · RFQ invite
Mumbai plant
J. Ortega
Accounts · PO / bill
Billing HQ
Terms AP and procurement both read.
Payment terms and bank accounts sit on the partner — where the purchase decision and the bill need them — not buried in an email signature.
Finance terms
- Payment terms
- Net 30
- Currency
- USD
- Tax ID
- On file
Bank accounts
Primary · USD
•••• 4821 · ACH
Secondary · INR
•••• 9012 · NEFT
Vet before the award.
Qualification status always exists on the partner. Your org’s dial decides whether pending blocks invites — blocked partners stay barred either way. Expiry dates catch lapsed insurance before the next RFQ.
Approved
Cleared for use — RFQs and orders can proceed.
Pending
Awaiting vetting. Orgs that require qualification can block invite until cleared.
Rejected
Failed vetting — reason on the record, not a hallway story.
Blocked
Deliberately barred — bites regardless of the org’s qualification dial.
Map what each supplier can fulfill.
Vendor-item mappings link governed catalogue SKUs to supplier part numbers, UoMs, and lead times — so RFQs and quick purchases start from offerings that exist.
Harbor Steel · vendor items
48 mapped| Item | Vendor SKU | UoM | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTR-Culvert bolt M16 | HS-M16-GAL | EA | 5 days |
| CNV-Sealant 5L | HS-SEAL-5 | CAN | 3 days |
| SPA-Filter pack A | HS-FLT-A | SET | 12 days |
The winning vendor rides the whole path.
From RFQ invite through award, order, receipt, and bill — the partner record stays attached. AP still sees who won the quote, not a retyped name.
RFQ invite
Qualified vendors only
Award
Winning partner locked
PO
Terms from partner
Bill
AP sees who won
Keep suppliers on the operational record
Roles, contacts, terms, qualification, and vendor-item mappings — so awards, orders, and bills share one partner identity.