How to Create a Vendor

Vendors are organizations or service providers that fulfill orders for parts, services, or capital equipment. Creating a vendor in the Order Management System establishes contact information, defines when orders should route to that vendor, and specifies whether approval is required before sending.

This article provides step-by-step instructions for creating vendors, explains each configuration option, and offers guidance on common vendor setup scenarios.

Prerequisites

Before creating vendors:

• Admin Access Required: You must have admin permissions to create or edit vendors
• Vendor Information: Gather contact emails for parts, service, and capital order types
• Understand Tag Strategy: Review your asset tagging approach (manufacturer, model, location, type)
• Approval Policy: Determine whether this vendor requires approval before orders are sent

Accessing Vendor Management

From the ARMOR web portal:

1. Navigate to Order Management in the main menu
2. Select Vendors from the submenu
3. Click Create Vendor button (top-right corner)

This opens the vendor creation form.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Vendor

Step 1: Enter Basic Information

Vendor Name: Enter a descriptive name that clearly identifies the vendor.

• Best Practice: Use the vendor's official business name
• Example: "ABC Industrial Supply" instead of "ABC" or "Industrial Supply"
• Purpose: This name appears in order lists, dashboards, and notifications

Account ID: This field auto-populates with your account ID—do not modify it unless configuring multi-tenant scope tags (covered below).

Step 2: Configure Contact Emails

Vendors receive orders via email. You specify different contact emails for each order type:

Field	Purpose	Example
Parts Contact Email	Receives all part orders	parts@abcindustrial.com
Service Contact Email	Receives all service orders	service@abcindustrial.com
Capital Contact Email	Receives all capital orders	sales@abcindustrial.com

Important Notes:

• You can leave any field blank if the vendor doesn't handle that order type
• Example: A parts-only vendor would have only the Parts Contact Email filled in
• Use distribution lists if multiple people should receive orders (e.g., purchasing@vendor.com)
• Multiple individual emails are not supported—use a distribution list on the vendor's side

Step 3: Define Conditions (Tag-Based Routing)

Conditions determine when this vendor should be automatically selected for orders. Conditions use asset tags to match vendors to assets.

How Conditions Work:

• When a user creates an order for an asset, the system compares the asset's tags to vendor conditions
• If conditions match, this vendor is automatically selected
• Multiple vendors may match—priority settings (configured separately) determine which vendor is used

Condition Configuration

Conditions are structured as tag requirements:

Condition Type	Logic	Example
Required Tags	Asset MUST have ALL listed tags	If required tags are "CAT" and "Engine", asset must have both
Optional Tags	Asset must have AT LEAST ONE listed tag	If optional tags are "Model-3406" or "Model-3408", asset must have one

Creating a Condition:

1. Click Add Condition button
2. Enter Required Tags (comma-separated): Tags the asset must have
3. Enter Optional Tags (comma-separated): Tags where at least one must match
4. Add multiple conditions if vendor supports multiple scenarios

Example: CAT Engine Vendor

• Required Tags: CAT, Engine
• Optional Tags: Model-3406, Model-3408, Model-C15
• Meaning: This vendor handles CAT engines (required), specifically models 3406, 3408, or C15 (optional—at least one must match)

Example: HVAC Vendor

• Condition 1:
  • Required Tags: HVAC, Chiller
  • Optional Tags: (leave blank)
• Condition 2:
  • Required Tags: HVAC, Boiler
  • Optional Tags: (leave blank)
• Meaning: This vendor handles HVAC chillers OR HVAC boilers

When to Leave Conditions Blank

If you leave conditions completely blank:

• The vendor will NOT be automatically selected
• Users can manually select this vendor during order creation (if enabled)
• Useful for "catch-all" vendors or rarely-used vendors that require explicit selection

Step 4: Configure Approval Settings

Specify whether orders to this vendor require approval before being sent.

Field	Purpose	Example Value
Requires Approval	Checkbox: If checked, orders must be approved before sending	✓ Checked
Approver User IDs	Comma-separated list of user IDs who can approve orders	5e7a1c2b3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e, 6f8b2d3e4f5a6b7c8d9e0f1a

How Approval Works:

1. User creates order → Order enters "Pending" status
2. Approvers receive email notification with order details
3. Approver logs in and approves or rejects
4. If approved, order transitions to "Approved" status
5. Admin manually triggers send (or system auto-sends, depending on configuration)

Best Practices for Approval:

• High-Cost Vendors: Require approval to control spending
• Strategic Vendors: Require approval to maintain relationship oversight
• Low-Cost/Routine Vendors: Do NOT require approval—let orders send automatically
• Multiple Approvers: Specify 2-3 approvers for coverage (vacation, sick days)

Step 5: Set Scope Tags (Optional, Multi-Tenant Only)

If your organization uses multi-tenant account structures (parent account with child accounts), you can scope vendors to specific child accounts.

Scope Tag Setting	Visibility	Use Case
No scope tags	Organization-wide (all users see this vendor)	National vendors, shared service providers
Specific scope tag (e.g., "Site-A")	Only users at Site A see this vendor	Location-specific vendors
Multiple scope tags (e.g., "Site-A, Site-B")	Users at Site A or Site B see this vendor	Regional vendors serving multiple locations

How to Set Scope Tags:

1. In the Scope Tags field, enter tags matching child account identifiers
2. Use comma-separated values for multiple scopes
3. Leave blank for organization-wide visibility

Example: A plumbing vendor serving only your Texas locations would have scope tags: Site-TX-Dallas, Site-TX-Houston

Step 6: Review and Save

Before saving:

• Verify Contact Emails: Ensure email addresses are correct—incorrect addresses result in failed notifications
• Test Conditions: Mentally verify that conditions will match the intended assets
• Check Approval Settings: Confirm approver user IDs are accurate

Click Save Vendor to create the vendor.

What Happens After Creating a Vendor

Once you save the vendor:

1. Automation Rules Are Created: If you defined conditions, the system automatically generates Order Automation Rules based on those conditions. These rules link the vendor to assets matching the conditions.
2. Rule Assignments Are Created: The system creates Rule Assignments for each order type (part, service, capital) where you provided a contact email. These assignments specify which rules apply to which order types.
3. Vendor Appears in Order Creation: Users creating orders for matching assets will see this vendor auto-selected (or available for manual selection, depending on configuration).

Common Vendor Setup Scenarios

Scenario 1: Parts-Only Vendor for Specific Manufacturer

Example: "CAT Parts Distributor" handles parts for all CAT equipment.

Configuration:

Field	Value
Vendor Name	CAT Parts Distributor
Parts Contact Email	orders@catparts.com
Service Contact Email	(leave blank)
Capital Contact Email	(leave blank)
Condition: Required Tags	CAT
Condition: Optional Tags	(leave blank)
Requires Approval	✗ Unchecked

Result: Any part order for a CAT asset automatically goes to CAT Parts Distributor. Service and capital orders for CAT assets are not affected.

Scenario 2: Full-Service Vendor for Multiple Equipment Types

Example: "Industrial Service Group" provides parts and service for engines and generators.

Configuration:

Field	Value
Vendor Name	Industrial Service Group
Parts Contact Email	parts@isg.com
Service Contact Email	service@isg.com
Capital Contact Email	(leave blank)
Condition 1: Required Tags	Engine
Condition 1: Optional Tags	(leave blank)
Condition 2: Required Tags	Generator
Condition 2: Optional Tags	(leave blank)
Requires Approval	✓ Checked (for service orders only—managed via rule assignment)
Approver User IDs	5e7a1c2b3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e

Result: Part and service orders for engines or generators go to Industrial Service Group. Service orders require approval, parts do not (approval behavior configurable per rule assignment).

Scenario 3: Regional Vendor with Multi-Tenant Scoping

Example: "Southwest HVAC" services only Arizona and New Mexico locations.

Configuration:

Field	Value
Vendor Name	Southwest HVAC
Parts Contact Email	(leave blank)
Service Contact Email	dispatch@southwesthvac.com
Capital Contact Email	(leave blank)
Condition: Required Tags	HVAC
Condition: Optional Tags	(leave blank)
Scope Tags	Site-AZ-Phoenix, Site-NM-Albuquerque
Requires Approval	✗ Unchecked

Result: Only users at Phoenix and Albuquerque sites see this vendor. Service orders for HVAC equipment at those sites automatically route to Southwest HVAC.

Scenario 4: Manual-Selection-Only Vendor (No Automation)

Example: "Specialty Equipment Broker" handles rare or custom equipment orders that users must explicitly choose.

Configuration:

Field	Value
Vendor Name	Specialty Equipment Broker
Parts Contact Email	quotes@specialtybroker.com
Service Contact Email	quotes@specialtybroker.com
Capital Contact Email	quotes@specialtybroker.com
Conditions	(leave completely blank—no conditions)
Requires Approval	✓ Checked
Approver User IDs	5e7a1c2b3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e, 6f8b2d3e4f5a6b7c8d9e0f1a

Result: This vendor never auto-selects. Users must manually choose it during order creation. All orders require approval due to specialty nature.

Advanced Configuration Tips

Using Multiple Conditions for Complex Routing

Add multiple conditions when a vendor serves different equipment categories:

Example: Fleet Maintenance Vendor

• Condition 1: Required: Fleet, Truck / Optional: (blank) → Handles all fleet trucks
• Condition 2: Required: Fleet, Trailer / Optional: (blank) → Handles all fleet trailers
• Condition 3: Required: Fleet, Forklift / Optional: (blank) → Handles forklifts

This creates three separate rules, all linked to the same vendor.

Combining Required and Optional Tags

Use both required and optional tags for precise matching:

Example: Cummins Authorized Service Center

• Required Tags: Cummins, Engine (must be a Cummins engine)
• Optional Tags: Model-QSK19, Model-QSK23, Model-QSK50 (must be one of these models)

This ensures the vendor only receives orders for Cummins engines of specific models, not all Cummins equipment.

Approval Strategy: Vendor-Level vs. Rule-Level

You configure approval at the vendor level, but approval behavior can differ by order type through rule assignments:

• Vendor Level: "Requires Approval" checkbox and Approver User IDs
• Rule Assignment Level: Each rule assignment (part, service, capital) can have its own approval requirement

Example: A vendor requires approval for service orders (expensive) but not part orders (routine).

• Set "Requires Approval" to checked with appropriate approvers
• After vendor creation, edit the rule assignments to disable approval for the "part" assignment only

Verifying Vendor Configuration

After creating a vendor, verify it works correctly:

1. Check Generated Rules: Navigate to Order Management → Rules and confirm new rules appear matching your conditions
2. Check Rule Assignments: View rule assignments to verify correct order types are linked
3. Test Order Creation: Create a test order for an asset matching your conditions
   • Does the vendor auto-select?
   • If approval required, does it enter Pending status?
   • Can you send a test order to confirm email delivery?
4. Review Audit Log: Check that vendor creation and rule generation logged correctly

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Vendor Not Auto-Selecting for Orders

Possible Causes:

• Asset tags don't match vendor conditions
• Another vendor has higher priority for matching rules
• Contact email is missing for the order type being created

Solution: Verify asset tags, review rule priorities, ensure appropriate contact email is configured.

Orders Not Sending to Vendor

Possible Causes:

• Contact email address is incorrect or bouncing
• Email notification service failure
• Vendor marked as disabled

Solution: Verify contact email accuracy, check notification logs, ensure vendor is active.

Wrong Approvers Receiving Notifications

Possible Causes:

• Approver User IDs field contains incorrect user IDs
• User IDs include typos or spaces

Solution: Edit vendor, verify exact user IDs (copy from user management page), ensure comma-separated with no extra spaces.

Editing Vendors

To edit an existing vendor:

1. Navigate to Order Management → Vendors
2. Find the vendor in the list
3. Click Edit (pencil icon)
4. Modify fields as needed
5. Click Save Vendor

Important: Changing conditions does NOT automatically update existing rules. Rules generated from the vendor's original conditions remain unchanged. To update routing logic, manually edit the associated rules or delete and recreate the vendor.

Next Steps

Now that you've created a vendor, explore these related articles:

• Assigning Vendors to Assets - How rule-based assignment and manual overrides work
• How Vendor Filtering Works (Mfg/Model Rules) - Deep dive into tag matching logic
• What Are Order Automation Rules? - Understanding the rules generated from vendor conditions
• Editing or Removing a Vendor - How to modify or delete vendors safely

Properly configured vendors ensure orders route to the right providers automatically, reducing manual effort and improving fulfillment speed.