Vendors: Maintain Supplier Master Data

Create each supplier once in Master Data — purchase orders and inbound receipts then pick from the same vendor list.

A vendor is a supplier you buy from. Docklify keeps one shared vendor list in Master Data → Vendors (/master-data/vendors): maintain each supplier once here, and both Purchase (purchase orders) and WMS (the vendor on an inbound receipt) pick from this same list — no second copy to keep in sync.

Step 1: Find a vendor in the list#

1. Open Master Data → Vendors. The counter above the filters shows how many vendors you have.
2. Type a code or part of a name into “Search code / name”, then click Search (or press Enter).
3. Tick “Show inactive” if the vendor you need was deactivated before — deactivated vendors are hidden by default. Click Reset to clear the search.

• Each row shows the code (with the name under it), contact name, phone, email and a status pill: Active or Inactive. Deactivated rows are shown dimmed.
• There are no action buttons on the row — click the code to open that vendor’s edit page; editing and deactivating both happen there.

Step 2: Create a vendor#

1. Click “+ New vendor” at the top right of the list (Master Data → Vendors → New, /master-data/vendors/new).
2. Fill in Code and Name — both are required. The code is typed in upper case automatically.
3. Fill in the Contact Info section: contact name, phone, email and the postal address.
4. Click Create. The vendor appears in the list right away and can be selected on purchase orders and inbound receipts.

• Pick the code with care: it cannot be changed after creation (the field is locked on the edit page). Keep codes short and consistent — up to 32 characters.
• Only code and name are required; contact fields can be filled in later from the edit page.

Step 3: Set the auto-bill timing for this vendor#

The vendor form has an “Auto-bill timing” setting with two choices: At PO (a payable bill is generated when the purchase order is placed) or At receipt (when the goods are received — the default). This per-vendor choice only takes effect while the auto-generate switch is on in Accounting → Settings; with that switch off, no bills are generated automatically regardless of what is set here.

Step 4: Edit a vendor#

1. In the list, click the vendor’s code to open the edit page (/master-data/vendors/:id/edit).
2. Change the name, auto-bill timing, contact name, phone, email or address. The code stays locked.
3. Click Save. The change applies everywhere this vendor is picked from now on.

Step 5: Deactivate or reactivate a vendor#

1. Open the vendor’s edit page and click Deactivate at the bottom left, then confirm. Deactivating does not delete anything: existing documents keep their reference to this vendor.
2. A deactivated vendor disappears from the list (unless “Show inactive” is ticked) and can no longer be picked on new documents.
3. To bring it back: tick “Show inactive”, open the vendor, and click Reactivate at the bottom left of the edit page.

Where the vendor record is used#

• Purchase → Purchase Orders: the vendor on a PO comes from this list — set the supplier up here first, then it can be chosen when the order is created.
• WMS inbound receipts: the vendor recorded on a receipt is the same master record, so receiving and purchasing always talk about the same supplier.
• Accounting: when auto-billing applies, the vendor’s auto-bill timing decides whether the payable bill appears at PO or at receipt.

Docklify features used in this article#

• Shared vendor list with code / name search and Show inactive — Master Data → Vendors (/master-data/vendors)
• Vendor form: basic info, contact info and per-vendor auto-bill timing — Master Data → Vendors → New vendor / click a code (/master-data/vendors/new, /master-data/vendors/:id/edit)
• Deactivate / reactivate a vendor without breaking existing documents — vendor edit page → Deactivate / Reactivate
• Vendor pickers on purchase orders and inbound receipts, fed by this one list — Purchase → Purchase Orders; WMS → Inbound Receipts