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Suppliers

The Suppliers module acts as the centralized database for managing all your external vendor relationships. It functions as the foundational layer for your store's procurement strategy, moving beyond a simple address book to become a critical tool for supply chain efficiency. By maintaining accurate and comprehensive supplier profiles including individual contact persons, corporate emails, phone numbers, and physical addresses you establish a "single source of truth" for your inventory sourcing. This ensures that when you generate Purchase Orders in the future, the system can automatically populate accurate vendor data, reducing administrative errors and saving time.

Location: Products → Suppliers

What Are Suppliers?​

Suppliers are the external vendors and manufacturers that provide the products you sell. In Soppiya, the Suppliers module lets you store detailed contact and company information for every vendor you work with.

  • Contact Management - Store names, emails, and phone numbers for each vendor
  • Company Records - Track business names and physical addresses
  • Purchase Order Integration - Supplier data auto-populates when creating purchase orders

Common uses:

  • Sourcing & Procurement - Keep all vendor details organized in one place
  • Communication - Quickly find contact information for re-orders and inquiries
  • Multi-Vendor Management - Compare and manage relationships with multiple suppliers
  • Logistics Planning - Use address data for shipping and receiving coordination
For Store Owners

Start by adding your most important suppliers with complete contact details. Even if you only have one or two vendors now, keeping records organized early saves significant time as your business grows.

Suppliers Overview​

The Suppliers landing screen shows all your registered vendors in one place.

What You'll See​

When you navigate to Products → Suppliers, the dashboard displays a list view with:

  • Name - The primary contact person for the supplier
  • Email - The direct email address for communication
  • Phone - Contact number
  • Company - The business name of the supplier

What You Can Do​

From this page you can:

  • Search Suppliers: Find vendors by name, email, or company name
  • Filter: Narrow results by city, company, email, name, phone, postal code, or country
  • Sort: Organize by ID, Name, Company, Address, City, Postal Code, Email, Phone, Country, Created Date, or Updated Date
  • Create New: Click to register a vendor
  • Custom Views: Save filtered views as tabs for quick access

Quick Start Guide​

If you're managing suppliers for the first time, follow these steps:

  1. Add your primary supplier - Register your most important vendor with full contact details
  2. Complete address information - Include country, city, and postal code for logistics
  3. Create custom views - Save filtered tabs for frequently accessed vendor groups
  4. Link to purchase orders - Use supplier records when creating purchase orders

For detailed instructions, continue reading below.

How to Add a New Supplier in Soppiya​

To register a new vendor:

  1. Navigate to Products → Suppliers
  2. Click in the top-right corner
  3. Complete the Supplier Information form (explained below)
  4. Click

Supplier Information Form​

Fill in the following details. While not all fields are mandatory, providing complete data helps with Purchase Orders later.

  1. Contact Name: The name of your sales representative or point of contact.
  2. Email Address: Essential for sending purchase orders via email.
  3. Phone Number: The primary contact number.
  4. Company: The official business name of the vendor.
  5. Address Details:
    • Country/region: Select from the dropdown.
    • Address: Street address or PO Box.
    • Apartment, suite, etc.: Unit or floor number.
    • City: The city of operation.
    • Postal Code: The ZIP or postal code.

Searching, Filtering, and Sorting​

To efficiently manage a large list of suppliers, use the toolbar located at the top of the dashboard.

Click the icon and type a name, email, or company name to instantly find a specific vendor.

Sorting​

Click the icon in the top right to organize the list.

  • Sortable Fields: ID, Name, Company, Address, City, Postal Code, Email, Phone, Country, Created Date, or Updated Date.
  • Order: Toggle between Ascending (A-Z) or Descending (Z-A).

Advanced Filtering​

To locate specific suppliers within a large database, you can apply granular filters. This is particularly useful when you need to generate lists based on geographic location or specific contact attributes.

Steps to Apply a Filter:

  1. Click the button located in the toolbar above the list.
  2. Select one of the following criteria from the dropdown menu:
    • City: Filter vendors by their city of operation (e.g., display all suppliers located in "Dhaka").
    • Company: Search for a specific business entity name.
    • Email: Locate a supplier using their registered email address.
    • Name: Filter by the specific contact person's name (e.g., "Alim").
    • Phone: Search by a specific phone number (e.g., "01xxxxxxxxx").
    • Postal Code: Filter vendors within a specific ZIP or postal code area.
    • Country: Isolate international or domestic suppliers by selecting a specific country/region.
  3. Once a criterion is selected, a text box will appear. Enter the value you are looking for (e.g., type "Dhaka" for City) to update the list immediately.

Managing Active Filters​

  • Stacking Filters: You can apply multiple filters simultaneously to drill down into your data.
    • Example: You can add a filter for Country: Bangladesh and then add a second filter for City: Chittagong. The list will only show suppliers that meet both criteria.
  • Removing Filters: Active filters appear as grey tags (chips) at the top of the dashboard. Click the X on a specific tag to remove just that filter, or click Clear all on the far right to reset the view completely.

Creating Custom Views​

If you frequently access a specific group of suppliers (e.g., "Dhaka Suppliers" or "International Vendors"), you can save these settings as a Custom View. This creates a clickable tab at the top of the list for quick access.

Step-by-Step Creation:​

  1. Create the Tab: Click the + (plus) icon located next to the existing tabs (e.g., next to "All").
  2. Name the View: A pop-up titled Create new view will appear. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Local Vendors").
note

The name is limited to 40 characters.

  1. Save the View: Click the button. You will now be switched to this new tab.
  2. Apply Filters: Now that you are inside your new tab, click Add filter (+) and select your criteria (e.g., City: Dhaka).
  3. Finalize: The system will apply these filters to the current all data. Whenever you click this tab in the future, these specific filters will automatically apply.

Managing Views​

To edit an existing tab, click on the tab name to reveal the dropdown menu:

  • Rename view: Change the display name.
  • Delete view: Remove the tab permanently
note

This does not delete the suppliers, only deletes the shortcut view.

Editing a Supplier​

To update an existing supplier's details:

  1. Click on the Name of the supplier from the dashboard list.
  2. Modify the necessary fields (e.g., update a phone number or address).
  3. Click in the top header to apply changes.
  4. If you made a mistake and want to revert to the previous data without saving, click .
tip

Review your supplier records periodically to ensure contact details are current, especially before creating new purchase orders.

Deleting a Supplier​

If you no longer do business with a vendor, you can remove them from the system.

  1. Open the supplier's profile by clicking their name.
  2. Scroll to the bottom right corner of the page.
  3. Click .
  4. Confirmation: A modal will appear asking: "Are you sure you want to remove the account for [Supplier Name]?"
  5. Click to permanently delete the data.
Permanent Action

This action cannot be reversed. Ensure that you do not have active Purchase Orders pending with this supplier before deleting their account to maintain data integrity.

Real World Examples​

To help you understand how suppliers work in practice, here are examples of common setups.

Example 1: Single Local Supplier

Goal: Register your primary fabric supplier for a clothing store.

Configuration:

FieldSetting
Contact NameAlim Rahman
Emailalim@fabrictrade.com
Phone+880 1712-345678
CompanyFabric Trade BD
CountryBangladesh
CityDhaka
Address45 Islampur Road

Why this works:

  • Complete contact details enable quick communication for re-orders
  • Address data helps coordinate delivery logistics
  • Company name links this contact to the business entity
Example 2: Managing International Vendors

Goal: Track multiple overseas suppliers and organize them by region.

Setup:

  1. Add each international supplier with full country and address details
  2. Create custom views: "China Suppliers", "India Suppliers", "EU Suppliers"
  3. Apply country filters to each custom view

Benefits:

  • Quick access to region-specific vendor lists
  • Easy comparison of suppliers by location
  • Simplified logistics planning for international procurement
Example 3: Supplier for Purchase Order Integration

Goal: Set up a supplier so purchase orders auto-fill vendor data.

Setup:

  1. Register the supplier with accurate email and company name
  2. Fill in complete address details including postal code
  3. When creating a Purchase Order, select this supplier from the dropdown

Why this works:

  • Eliminates manual data entry on every purchase order
  • Reduces errors from mistyped addresses or emails
  • Email field allows direct PO delivery to the vendor

Troubleshooting​

Common issues and how to fix them:

I can't find a supplier in the list

Possible causes:

  • The supplier name is spelled differently than expected
  • An active filter is hiding the result
  • The supplier was deleted

Solution:

  1. Clear all active filters by clicking Clear all
  2. Try searching by email or company name instead of contact name
  3. Check whether the supplier was recently deleted by another team member
Purchase order isn't showing supplier information

Possible causes:

  • The supplier profile has incomplete fields
  • The email field is empty

Solution:

  1. Go to Products → Suppliers and open the supplier profile
  2. Ensure all required fields (Name, Email, Company, Address) are filled
  3. Save changes, then return to the purchase order
I accidentally deleted a supplier

Possible causes:

  • The delete action was confirmed in the modal

Solution:

  1. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone
  2. Re-create the supplier by clicking New Supplier and entering the details again
  3. To prevent accidental deletions, double-check the supplier name in the confirmation modal before clicking Remove
Custom view is not showing the right suppliers

Possible causes:

  • Filters are not correctly applied to the custom view
  • New suppliers were added after the view was created

Solution:

  1. Click on the custom view tab
  2. Verify the active filters (shown as chips at the top)
  3. Adjust or re-apply filters as needed
  4. New suppliers matching the filter criteria will appear automatically
Need More Help?

If you're still experiencing issues, contact Soppiya support with the supplier name, any error messages, and a screenshot of your dashboard.

Best Practices​

Supplier Management Best Practices

Data Quality

  • Complete all fields: Fill in every supplier field including address and postal code, even if not immediately needed
  • Use official company names: Enter the legal business name to avoid confusion with multiple contacts at the same company
  • Keep emails current: Update email addresses promptly when contacts change roles

Organization

  • Create custom views: Set up filtered tabs for different vendor categories (local, international, by product type)
  • Use consistent naming: Follow a naming convention for contact names (e.g., "First Last" format)
  • Review regularly: Audit supplier records quarterly to remove inactive vendors and update details

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • ❌ Leaving email fields empty — this prevents purchase order delivery
  • ❌ Using personal names in the Company field — always enter the business entity name
  • ❌ Deleting suppliers with active purchase orders — this breaks data references
  • ❌ Creating duplicate entries for the same vendor — search before adding new suppliers

Summary​

The Suppliers module is your centralized vendor database that integrates seamlessly with Soppiya's Purchase Orders system. By maintaining complete and accurate supplier profiles, you reduce procurement errors and save time on every order.

Key takeaways:

  • Every supplier should have complete contact and address information
  • Custom views and filters help you manage large vendor lists efficiently
  • Supplier data auto-populates in Purchase Orders, eliminating manual entry
  • Regularly audit your supplier records to keep information current
  • Deletion is permanent — always verify before removing a supplier

If you're just getting started, add your top 2-3 suppliers with full details, then create a custom view for your most frequently used vendor group. You can expand your supplier database as your sourcing needs grow.