Suppliers Dictionary: Detailed Guide

The Suppliers Dictionary in Propamp.ai provides a centralized place to store and manage all of your vendor and manufacturing partner information. This guide explains how to use the Suppliers module to organize supplier data, standardize purchase order inputs, and streamline your procurement workflow.

Understanding the Suppliers Interface

The Suppliers Dictionary is presented as a flexible workspace with search, layout controls, and a grid of supplier records:

Key Interface Elements

1. Page Tabs: At the top of the dictionary, you will see a tab for Suppliers. This guide focuses on that Suppliers tab.
2. Search Field: A search box at the top-left for quickly finding suppliers.
3. View Toggle (Card / Table): A control that lets you switch between a card view and a table view. Your last choice is remembered the next time you return.
4. Add Supplier Button: A primary button labeled “Add new supplier” for creating new supplier records.
5. Supplier Onboarding Button: A “Supplier Onboarding” button that opens a modal for downloading and uploading Excel templates.
6. Suppliers Card Grid or Table: The main area that shows your suppliers either as cards or as a table, depending on the selected view.

Supplier Card Information (Card View)

In card view, each supplier appears as a card summarizing key information:

• Supplier Name: The primary name of the supplier, shown in bold at the top of the card.
• Display Name: A shorter or more user-friendly name shown just below the main name.
• Currency (if set): The transaction currency for this supplier (for example, USD, EUR, GBP).
• Payment Type (if set): The standard payment terms used with this supplier.
• Description (if set): A short description of what this supplier does or how you use them.
• Addresses (if any exist): A badge showing how many addresses are stored for this supplier.
• Products Preview (if any are linked): Small product images that show items this supplier can provide, with tooltips on hover or focus.
• Actions Menu: A three-dot menu containing:
  • View: Opens a detailed view of the supplier (including addresses and contacts).
  • Edit: Opens the supplier form in edit mode.
  • Product Prices: Opens a dialog to manage per-product prices for this supplier.
  • Delete: Opens a confirmation dialog to safely remove the supplier.

Supplier Table Information (Table View)

In table view, suppliers are displayed in rows with clearly labeled columns:

• Supplier: The main supplier name.
• Display Name: The human-friendly name shown throughout the app.
• Currency: The supplier’s currency, shown as a badge or a dash when not set.
• Payment Type: The supplier’s payment terms, also shown as a badge.
• Products: A compact preview of linked products (if any), with counts when there are many products.
• Description: A one-line summary of the description.
• Actions: A right-aligned menu with the same options as in card view (View, Edit, Product Prices, Delete).

You can freely switch between card and table views at any time. The system remembers your preference for the Suppliers Dictionary.

Finding Specific Suppliers

As your supplier list grows, the search tool becomes an essential way to locate the right vendor quickly.

Using the Search Field

1. Click into the search box at the top of the Suppliers page.
2. Start typing any part of the supplier’s name or display name.
3. The list of suppliers will filter in real time as you type.
4. The search is case-insensitive and supports partial matches (you do not have to type the full name).

Creating a New Supplier

Use the “Add new supplier” button to add a new vendor to your dictionary.

1. Click “Add new supplier” in the toolbar.
2. A dialog form will open with several sections:
   • Basic Information
   • Lead Time, Currency, Incoterms, Payment Type
   • Description
   • Addresses & Contacts
3. Fill in the fields described below.
4. Click “Add supplier” to save.

Basic Information

Within the Basic Information card:

• Name (required):

  • What to enter: The main name you use for this supplier, for example “Global Tech Supplies LLC”.
  • Format: Free text. Use the full legal name or a clear internal label.
  • If left blank: The form cannot be submitted; you must provide a name.

• Display Name (required):

  • What to enter: A shorter or more recognizable name to show throughout the app, for example “Global Tech”.
  • Format: Free text.
  • If left blank: The form cannot be submitted; you must provide a display name.

Lead Time, Currency, Incoterms, Payment Type

Under the row of dropdowns and inputs:

• Lead Time (days):

  • What to enter: The typical number of days between placing a purchase order and receiving the goods from this supplier.
  • Format: A whole number, such as 30.
  • If left blank or left at 0: Treat this as “no lead time set”; use a meaningful value if you rely on timing in your planning.

• Currency:

  • What to enter: The currency in which you typically receive invoices from this supplier (for example USD, EUR, GBP, CNY).
  • Format: Select from the dropdown list of supported currencies.
  • If left blank: Purchase order totals may not automatically reflect the desired currency; set this to avoid confusion.

• Incoterms:

  • What to enter: The delivery terms you use with this supplier (for example FOB, EXW, CIF), selected from the dropdown.
  • Format: Choose one option or leave blank if you do not yet track this.
  • Additional help: An information icon opens an overview to help you choose the correct term.
  • If left blank: The system will not show an Incoterm for this supplier; you can always add one later.

• Payment Type:

  • What to enter: The standard payment terms used for this supplier, such as:
    • 30/70 Payment Terms
    • 50/50 Payment Terms
    • 40/60 Payment Terms
    • Net 30/60/90 Payment Terms
    • Deposit & Balance
    • Progress Payments
    • Lump Sum
    • Deferred Payment with Interest
    • Installment Payments
    • Revolving Credit
    • Pay Later Plan
    • Pay in Full
  • Format: Select from the dropdown list.
  • If left blank: Payment terms will not be shown for this supplier; choose the most common arrangement for clarity.

Description

• Description:
  • What to enter: Any helpful notes about this supplier, such as:
    • Product categories they specialize in.
    • Regions they serve.
    • Quality or certification notes.
    • Internal instructions for your team.
  • Format: Multi-line free text.
  • If left blank: The card and table may show a dash or be empty; use this field to help your team understand when to use this supplier.

Addresses, Comments, and Contacts

The Addresses section lets you capture one or more locations plus rich contact details for each:

1. Click “Add Address” at the bottom of the form to create an address card.

2. For each address, you can fill in:

   • Country:

     • Select from the country dropdown (default is often United States).
     • This determines available states and improves consistency.

   • Company name (optional):

     • Use this if the address belongs to a specific subsidiary or branch.

   • Full name (optional):

     • A contact person’s name for this location.

   • Street address:

     • The main street line (building and street).

   • Address line 2 (optional):

     • Additional details like apartment, suite, unit, or floor.

   • City:

     • The city for this address.

   • State / Province / Region (for US addresses):

     • Appears when the country is set to US, with a list of states to choose from.

   • Zip / Postal code:

     • The postal or zip code for accurate shipping.

3. Additional Comments section within each address:

   • Click “Add Comment” to store internal notes related to this address (for example, customs instructions or warehouse specifics).
   • Each comment is a free-text note you can edit or remove.

4. Contact Information section within each address:

   • Click “Add Contact” to define one or more contacts for that location.
   • For each contact, you can specify:
     • Phone Number
     • Email
     • WeChat
     • WhatsApp
     • Google Docs Link (for shared documentation like SOPs or agreements)
   • You can remove contacts that are no longer relevant.

You can add multiple addresses per supplier and remove any address card if it is no longer needed.

Saving the Supplier

• Once you are satisfied with the information, click “Add supplier” at the bottom of the dialog.
• If the save is successful, you will see a confirmation message and the dialog will close.
• The new supplier will appear in your card grid or table, depending on the current view.

Editing an Existing Supplier

To modify an existing supplier:

1. Locate the supplier in either card or table view.
2. Open the Actions menu (three dots).
3. Click “Edit”.
4. The same form used for creation opens, pre-filled with the current data.
5. Adjust any fields (name, display name, lead time, currency, Incoterms, payment type, description, addresses, contacts).
6. Click “Update supplier”.
7. The changes are saved, and the list automatically refreshes.

When editing, additional details may be loaded in the background. If details are still loading, you may briefly see a “Loading supplier details…” message.

Viewing and Sharing Supplier Details

Sometimes you want to quickly inspect a supplier’s full profile or share it with a colleague.

Viewing Details

1. Open the Actions menu for a supplier.
2. Click “View”.
3. A panel opens showing:
   • Supplier name and display name.
   • Currency and description.
   • All stored addresses, including:
     • Address lines, country, and postal code.
     • Contact details (phone, email, messaging IDs, documentation links).
     • Any comments associated with each address.

Sharing Details

Inside the same view dialog:

1. Click the “Share” button.
2. The system compiles a clean text summary of the supplier (including addresses and contacts).
3. This summary is copied to your clipboard.
4. You can paste it into an email, chat, or internal documentation to share with your team.

The share button is keyboard-accessible and can also be activated using the Enter or Space keys when focused.

Deleting a Supplier

If a supplier is no longer needed, you can remove it from your dictionary:

1. Find the supplier in the list.
2. Open the Actions menu.
3. Click “Delete”.
4. A confirmation dialog appears asking if you are sure you want to delete the supplier.
5. Click “Confirm” to permanently delete, or “Cancel” to keep it.

Managing Product Prices for a Supplier

The Product Prices feature lets you connect products to a supplier and define the prices that should flow into purchase orders.

Opening the Product Prices Dialog

1. Locate the supplier you want to update.
2. Open the Actions menu.
3. Click “Product Prices”.
4. A dialog opens showing:
   • Existing products already linked to this supplier and their current prices.
   • Tools to add new products and set prices.

Updating Existing Product Prices

In the Existing Products section:

1. Review the list of products, each with:
   • Product image and name.
   • A code such as an ASIN.
   • The current supplier price and currency.
2. To change a price:
   • Click the edit icon next to the price.
   • Enter the new price value.
3. To mark a product for removal from this supplier:
   • Click the remove icon; the product will be visually marked.
4. These changes take effect when you click “Save Prices”.

Adding New Products and Prices

1. Click “Select Products” at the top of the dialog.
2. Use the search input to find products by name or identifier.
3. Click a product to select it.
4. For each selected product:
   • Enter the supplier price (for example, 5.25) in the price field.
   • Ensure that the price is greater than zero.
5. If you change your mind, you can remove a product from the selection before saving.

Saving Product Prices

• When you click “Save Prices”, the system:
  • Adds new products with the prices you entered.
  • Updates prices for any edited products.
  • Removes products you marked for removal.
• A success notification confirms the update.

These supplier-specific product prices are then used to pre-fill purchase orders when you choose this supplier.

Bulk Import and Export via Template

For large updates or onboarding many suppliers at once, use the Supplier Onboarding flow.

Accessing the Supplier Onboarding Modal

1. At the top of the Suppliers page, click “Supplier Onboarding”.
2. A modal opens with options to download a template and upload a completed file.

Downloading the Template

1. In the modal, choose to download the template.
2. An Excel file named similar to suppliers_template.xlsx is downloaded.
3. The template contains the following columns:
   • ID (Internal – Leave Empty for New): Used by the system when updating existing suppliers; leave blank when creating new ones.
   • Name (System Identifier): Required; the supplier’s main name or internal identifier.
   • Display Name: Optional but recommended for a shorter label.
   • Description: Optional description text.
   • Currency (e.g., USD, EUR): A validated list of allowed currencies such as USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CAD, AUD, CHF, CNY, SEK, NZD, TRY.
   • Payment Type: A validated list of allowed payment terms, matching the options in the app.
   • Lead Time: Optional number of days.
   • Address: Street address.
   • Country: Country for the address.
   • Postal Code: Postal or zip code.
   • Phone Number: Main phone for the address.
   • Email: Contact email.
   • WeChat: WeChat ID if used.
   • WhatsApp: WhatsApp number if used.
4. Depending on your data:
   • If you already have suppliers, the template may be pre-populated with them.
   • If you have no suppliers yet, you may see example data in the first row.

Filling Out the Template

1. Open the Excel template in your preferred spreadsheet application.
2. For each new supplier, add a new row and fill in:
   • ID: Leave blank for new suppliers; only populated for existing records exported by the system.
   • Name (required): A clear name or internal code.
   • Display Name: A user-friendly label.
   • Description: Helpful notes about the supplier.
   • Currency: Choose from the dropdown list provided in the sheet.
   • Payment Type: Choose from the dropdown list of allowed payment terms.
   • Lead Time: Number of days (if you want to track it).
   • Address, Country, Postal Code, Phone, Email, WeChat, WhatsApp as needed.
3. Do not modify protected header cells or the internal ID column for existing suppliers unless you are intentionally updating those records.
4. Save the file in .xlsx format.

Uploading the Completed Template

1. Reopen the Supplier Onboarding modal if needed.
2. Drag and drop your completed Excel file into the upload area or click to select it.
3. The system reads and validates each row of the sheet.
4. If the file passes validation:
   • New suppliers are created.
   • Existing suppliers (with matching internal IDs) are updated.
   • You receive a success notification and see how many suppliers were processed.
5. After import, the suppliers list refreshes to show your updated data.

Data Validation During Import

When processing your file, the system performs several checks:

• Required Name Field:

  • If any row is missing the Name value, import stops and an error indicates which row must be corrected.

• Currency Validation:

  • The currency in each row must be one of the allowed codes.
  • If a row uses an unsupported or empty currency, the system displays an error that includes the row number and lists valid options.

• Payment Type Validation:

  • Payment type values must match one of the predefined options used in the app.
  • If a row contains an unsupported payment type or leaves it empty where required, you receive an error pointing to that row.

• Overall File Validation:

  • If the system cannot detect any valid suppliers in the file, it returns an error explaining that no valid suppliers were found.

In all cases, fix the highlighted rows and try the upload again.

Empty State Handling

If you have not added any suppliers yet:

• The main area shows a message such as “No suppliers found”.
• A description explains that you should add your first supplier to get started and that suppliers are essential for creating purchase orders and managing vendor relationships.
• You can:
  • Use the “Add new supplier” button to create the first record manually, or
  • Use the “Supplier Onboarding” flow to import a prepared Excel file.

Using Suppliers in Purchase Orders

Suppliers in your dictionary are closely tied to your purchase order workflow:

1. When creating a new purchase order, you will be asked to choose a supplier from your dictionary.
2. Only suppliers stored in the Suppliers Dictionary are available for selection.
3. The chosen supplier affects:
   • The default currency associated with the order.
   • The payment terms shown for that order.
   • The product prices you configured in the Product Prices dialog, which are automatically pre-filled into the purchase order lines.

Best Practices for Supplier Management

1. Use Clear Names and Display Names
   Make names descriptive enough that team members can easily recognize each supplier at a glance.

2. Maintain Comprehensive Descriptions
   Capture what each supplier is best at, where they operate, and any internal notes that will help team members choose the right vendor.

3. Keep Currency and Payment Terms Accurate
   Ensure that currency and payment type match your real-world agreements to avoid confusion in purchase orders and financial reporting.

4. Record Lead Times
   Enter realistic lead times so that planners and buyers can better understand when goods will arrive.

5. Leverage Addresses and Contacts
   Store multiple addresses and contact people, including phone, email, and messaging IDs, so anyone in your team can quickly reach the right person.

6. Use the Template for Bulk Changes
   When onboarding many suppliers or performing large updates, rely on the Excel template to edit data safely and consistently.

7. Review Suppliers Regularly
   Periodically check that suppliers, payment terms, and product prices reflect your current agreements and usage.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Template Upload Errors

• Problem: You see an “invalid currency” or “invalid payment type” error when uploading a file.
  Cause: One or more rows use a currency or payment type that is not in the allowed list.
  Solution: Open the specified row in your Excel file, correct the value using the dropdown list, save, and upload again.

• Problem: An error message indicates that “Name is required” for a certain row.
  Cause: The Name column is blank in that row.
  Solution: Fill in the missing Name value and re-upload.

• Problem: The system reports that no valid suppliers were found in the file.
  Cause: All rows either failed validation or the data is in the wrong columns or sheet.
  Solution: Confirm that you are editing the first sheet in the downloaded template and that each row has at least a Name, a valid Currency, and a valid Payment Type.

• Problem: You get a generic error about failing to process the file.
  Cause: The file may be corrupted, in an unsupported format, or unreadable.
  Solution: Ensure the file is saved as .xlsx, not locked by another program, and try downloading a fresh template if needed.

Suppliers Not Appearing After Import

• Problem: You completed an import, but new suppliers do not appear.
  Cause: The page is still showing old data or filters are hiding results.
  Solution:
  1. Refresh the page.
  2. Clear any active search text.
  3. Check that the import showed a success message and did not stop on an error.

Search Not Finding Expected Results

• Problem: You cannot find a supplier that you are sure exists.
  Cause: The search text may not match the stored name or display name.
  Solution:
  1. Try typing only part of the name (for example, “Global” instead of the full name).
  2. Clear the search field to return to the full list and browse manually.
  3. Confirm that the supplier was successfully created or imported.

Cannot Access the Suppliers Dictionary

• Problem: The Suppliers page appears blurred, or you see a prompt to upgrade before you can interact with it.
  Cause: Access to supplier management may depend on a feature related to cost-of-goods calculations in your plan.
  Solution:
  1. Check your subscription or plan level.
  2. Contact your system administrator or Propamp.ai support to enable the required feature.

Actions Menu Not Visible

• Problem: You cannot see the three-dot actions menu for a supplier.
  Cause: On smaller screens, the layout may be cramped or scrolled.
  Solution: Scroll horizontally if needed, or switch between card and table view to access the actions more easily.