Vendor Management

AcaTrove maintains a centralized vendor directory so your team can quickly find approved suppliers, reference past orders, and ensure consistent purchasing. The vendor management page lets you add new vendors, update contact information, and review order history.

Viewing the Vendor List

Navigate to /purchasing/vendors to see all vendors in your workspace. The list displays each vendor's name, primary contact, category (e.g., Lab Supplies, Equipment, Software), and the number of orders placed. Use the search bar to filter vendors by name or category.

Vendor list with search and category filters

Adding a New Vendor

1. Click + Add Vendor on the vendor list page.
2. Fill in the vendor details:
   • Vendor Name -- The company or supplier name.
   • Category -- Classify the vendor (Lab Supplies, Equipment, Chemicals, Software, Services, Other).
   • Primary Contact -- Name, email, and phone number of your main point of contact.
   • Website -- The vendor's website URL.
   • Account Number -- Your institutional account or customer number with this vendor.
   • Payment Terms -- Standard payment terms (Net 30, Net 60, Prepaid, etc.).
   • Notes -- Any additional information such as discount agreements or preferred ordering methods.
3. Click Save. The vendor is now available for selection when creating requisitions.

Editing Vendor Information

Click on any vendor in the list to open its detail page. Click Edit to update contact information, payment terms, or notes. Changes are saved immediately and apply to all future requisitions that reference this vendor.

Vendor detail page showing contact info and order history

Vendor Order History

Each vendor's detail page includes a complete order history showing all requisitions placed with that vendor. For each order, you can see the requisition title, date, amount, and status. This history helps you:

• Verify pricing consistency across orders.
• Track delivery reliability.
• Reference previous orders when placing reorders.

Preferred Vendors

Workspace administrators can mark vendors as Preferred. Preferred vendors appear at the top of the vendor selection dropdown when creating requisitions. This encourages teams to consolidate purchasing with vendors that offer institutional pricing or superior service.

Deactivating a Vendor

If you stop working with a vendor, click Deactivate on their detail page rather than deleting them. Deactivated vendors are hidden from the requisition form but their order history is preserved. You can reactivate a vendor at any time.

Importing Vendors

For workspaces with many existing suppliers, use the Import feature to upload vendors in bulk from a CSV file. The CSV should include columns for vendor name, category, contact name, email, phone, and website. AcaTrove validates the data and shows a preview before importing.

Tips

• Keep vendor contact information up to date -- outdated contacts cause ordering delays.
• Review the order history before placing a new order to check whether pricing has changed.
• Use the Notes field to record negotiated discount rates or special ordering instructions so anyone on your team can reference them.