Supplier Management
Summary
Section titled “Summary”The Suppliers page is where you manage your parts and service suppliers. Each supplier record stores contact details, a default nominal code for accounting, and default payment terms. These defaults auto-populate when you create purchase invoices, saving time and reducing errors. Suppliers can be activated or deactivated without deleting them.
Prerequisites
Section titled “Prerequisites”- You are signed in to Torqueflow.
- You have the
finance.purchases.viewpermission to see the suppliers list. - You have the
finance.purchases.createpermission to add, edit, or deactivate suppliers.
Viewing the supplier list
Section titled “Viewing the supplier list”- Click Finance in the main navigation.
- Click Suppliers (or navigate to
/finance/suppliers). - The page title reads Suppliers with the subtitle “Manage supplier information and default settings for purchase invoices”.
The table columns are:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Supplier business name. Sortable. |
| Contact | Primary contact person’s name. Sortable. Shows a dash if not set. |
| Phone | Phone number. Sortable. Shows a dash if not set. |
| Email address. Sortable. Shows a dash if not set. | |
| Default Code | Default nominal code (code number and name). Sortable. Shows a dash if not set. |
| Status | Badge showing Active or Inactive. |
| Actions | Three-dot menu with Edit and Deactivate/Activate options (if you have edit permission). |
Searching and filtering suppliers
Section titled “Searching and filtering suppliers”- Use the Search box above the table to filter by supplier name, contact name, or account reference. Results update as you type.
- Toggle the Show inactive switch to include deactivated suppliers in the list. Inactive suppliers appear with reduced opacity.
Adding a new supplier
Section titled “Adding a new supplier”- Click the Add Supplier button in the page header.
- The Add Supplier dialog opens.
- Fill in the fields:
- Name - Supplier business name (required).
- Contact Name - Primary contact person (optional).
- Email - Supplier email address (optional).
- Phone - Supplier phone number (optional).
- Address - Full postal address, multiline (optional).
- Account Reference - Your account number with this supplier (optional).
- Default Nominal Code - Select from the searchable dropdown, grouped by category (Cost of Sales, Overheads). Select “None” to leave unset (optional).
- Payment Terms (days) - Number of days until payment is due. Defaults to 30 (optional).
- Notes - Internal notes about this supplier (optional).
- Click Create Supplier to save.
Editing a supplier
Section titled “Editing a supplier”- Click a supplier row in the table, or use the three-dot menu and select Edit.
- The Edit Supplier dialog opens pre-filled with the current values.
- Update the fields you need to change.
- Click Save Changes to update.
Deactivating or reactivating a supplier
Section titled “Deactivating or reactivating a supplier”- Click the three-dot menu on the supplier row.
- Select Deactivate (for active suppliers) or Activate (for inactive suppliers).
- The status badge updates immediately.
Deactivated suppliers:
- Do not appear in the purchase invoice supplier dropdown.
- Are hidden from the supplier list by default (toggle “Show inactive” to see them).
- Are not deleted. They can be reactivated at any time.
How suppliers link to purchase invoices
Section titled “How suppliers link to purchase invoices”When you create a purchase invoice and select a supplier:
- The supplier’s Default Nominal Code is auto-populated in the nominal code field (if set).
- The Due Date is auto-calculated by adding the supplier’s Payment Terms to the invoice date.
These defaults save time but can be overridden on each invoice.
Expected Outcome
Section titled “Expected Outcome”- Suppliers are listed alphabetically by default.
- New suppliers appear in the list immediately after creation.
- Supplier defaults auto-populate when selected on purchase invoices.
- Deactivated suppliers are hidden from the purchase invoice dropdown and the default supplier list view.
- Reactivated suppliers become available again in all dropdowns.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ”Add Supplier” button is missing | You do not have the finance.purchases.create permission. | Ask an admin to assign the correct role. |
| Cannot see a supplier you know exists | The supplier may be deactivated. | Toggle the Show inactive switch above the table. |
| No nominal codes in the dropdown | Nominal codes have not been configured. | Set up nominal codes in Settings > Finance. |
| Supplier not appearing in purchase invoice dropdown | The supplier is inactive. | Reactivate the supplier from the Suppliers page. |
| Search returns no results | The search term does not match any supplier name, contact name, or account reference. | Try a different search term or clear the search box. |
- Only the Name field is required when creating a supplier. All other fields are optional.
- Default payment terms of 30 days are used if not specified.
- Nominal codes available for suppliers are filtered to Cost of Sales and Overheads categories.
- Deactivating a supplier does not affect existing purchase invoices linked to that supplier.
- Supplier data is used on sales invoice line items too. When viewing a sales invoice, you can toggle supplier info visibility using the eye icon on the Line Items card.
Permissions
Section titled “Permissions”| Action | Required capability |
|---|---|
| View suppliers | finance.purchases.view |
| Add, edit, or deactivate suppliers | finance.purchases.create |