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Vendors & Farms Page Documentation

Menu Location: Products > Vendors & Farms

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Vendors & Farms page is your central database for managing supplier relationships. Track contact information, product sourcing, order history, payment terms, and delivery schedules for all vendors who supply products for your business.

Primary Functions:

  • Add and manage vendor contact information
  • Track products supplied by each vendor
  • Record payment terms and order minimums
  • Schedule delivery days and times
  • Store vendor notes and communication history
  • Generate purchase orders
  • Track vendor performance and reliability

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Page Title: "Vendors & Farms"
  • Add Vendor Button: Create new vendor profile
  • Active Vendors Count: Number of active suppliers

Vendor List

Table displaying all vendors:

  • Vendor/Farm Name
  • Contact Person
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • Active Products Count
  • Last Order Date
  • Status (Active/Inactive)
  • Actions (View, Edit, Delete)

Vendor Detail Panel

When viewing/editing a vendor:

  • Basic Information
  • Contact Details
  • Business Terms
  • Delivery Schedule
  • Products Supplied
  • Order History
  • Notes & Communications

Creating a Vendor Profile

Basic Vendor Information

Steps:

  1. Click "Add Vendor" button
  2. Enter vendor/farm name
  3. Add contact person name
  4. Fill in contact information
  5. Set business terms
  6. Configure delivery schedule
  7. Save vendor profile

Required Fields:

  • Vendor/Farm Name
  • Primary Contact Name
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address

Optional But Recommended:

  • Business Address
  • Website
  • Tax ID/Business License
  • Insurance Information

Vendor Name

Best Practices:

  • Use official business name
  • Include "Farm" or location if helpful
  • Be consistent across all records

Examples:

  • "Green Valley Organic Farm"
  • "Smith Family Orchard"
  • "Mountain View Dairy"
  • "Coastal Seafood Distributors"

Contact Information

Primary Contact:

  • Name of main contact person
  • Direct phone number
  • Email address
  • Mobile number (if available)

Secondary Contact:

  • Backup contact person
  • Alternative phone number
  • Use when primary unavailable

Physical Address:

  • Street address
  • City, State, ZIP
  • Delivery address if different from billing
  • Important for pickup coordination

Business Terms

Payment Terms

Net Payment Days:

  • Net 7: Payment due within 7 days
  • Net 14: Payment due within 14 days
  • Net 30: Payment due within 30 days
  • COD: Cash on delivery
  • Prepay: Payment before delivery

Payment Methods Accepted:

  • Check
  • Credit Card
  • ACH/Bank Transfer
  • Cash
  • Account Credit

Early Payment Discounts:

  • Record if vendor offers discount for early payment
  • Example: 2% discount if paid within 10 days

Order Minimums

Minimum Order Amount:

  • Dollar amount minimum per order
  • Example: $250 minimum

Minimum Order Quantity:

  • Quantity minimum for specific products
  • Example: Chicken sold by case of 10 lbs only

Delivery Fee Structure:

  • Free delivery over certain amount
  • Flat delivery fee
  • Per-mile delivery charge

Lead Time

Order Lead Time:

  • How far in advance to place orders
  • Example: "Order by Tuesday for Friday delivery"
  • Important for planning and inventory

Seasonal Availability:

  • Specify which months vendor is active
  • Important for seasonal producers
  • Example: "Strawberries available May-August only"

Delivery Schedule

Delivery Days

Regular Delivery Schedule:

  • Which days vendor delivers
  • Check all that apply: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
  • Multiple days for frequent deliveries

Delivery Time Windows:

  • Morning (before 12pm)
  • Afternoon (12pm-5pm)
  • Evening (after 5pm)
  • Specific time if consistent

Delivery Location:

  • Your receiving address
  • Dock number or entrance
  • Special delivery instructions

Pickup Options

Allow Pickup:

  • You can pick up from vendor instead of delivery
  • Specify pickup location
  • Pickup hours/days

Why Pickup:

  • Reduces delivery fees
  • More flexible timing
  • Quality control at source
  • Relationships with farm

Products Supplied

Assigning Products to Vendor

From Vendor Page:

  1. Click "Add Products" button
  2. Search for products
  3. Select products supplied by this vendor
  4. Set vendor-specific SKU (if different)
  5. Record cost price from vendor
  6. Save product associations

From Product Page:

  1. Edit product
  2. Select vendor from dropdown
  3. Enter vendor SKU
  4. Set cost from this vendor
  5. Save product

Vendor SKU/Product Code

Purpose:

  • How vendor identifies the product
  • Used when placing orders
  • Helps with invoice reconciliation

Recording:

  • Enter vendor's product code
  • May differ from your internal SKU
  • Example: Your SKU "VEG-TOM-ORG" = Vendor SKU "TOMATO-ORG-1LB"

Cost Price Tracking

Per Product Cost:

  • Record what you pay vendor
  • Updates when prices change
  • History maintained for reports

Price Change Notifications:

  • Note when vendor changes pricing
  • Update in system
  • Adjust retail pricing if needed

Order History

Viewing Past Orders

Order List Shows:

  • Order date
  • Products ordered
  • Quantities
  • Total cost
  • Payment status
  • Delivery status

Filtering Options:

  • Date range
  • Product
  • Payment status
  • Delivery status

Creating Purchase Orders

Steps:

  1. Click "Create Purchase Order"
  2. Select products needed
  3. Enter quantities
  4. System calculates total
  5. Review order
  6. Print or email to vendor
  7. Track order status

Purchase Order Includes:

  • PO number
  • Order date
  • Expected delivery date
  • Itemized product list
  • Quantities and costs
  • Total amount
  • Payment terms
  • Your contact information

Vendor Notes & Communication

Adding Notes

Steps:

  1. Click "Add Note" in vendor profile
  2. Enter note text
  3. Select note type
  4. Save note

Note Types:

  • Phone Call
  • Email
  • In-Person Meeting
  • Order Issue
  • Price Change
  • Quality Issue
  • General Note

What to Document:

  • Price negotiations
  • Quality concerns
  • Delivery issues
  • Product availability changes
  • Special requests
  • Contract renewals

Communication Log

Automatic Logging:

  • Emails sent to vendor
  • Purchase orders created
  • Payment records
  • Delivery confirmations

Manual Logging:

  • Phone conversations
  • In-person visits
  • Text messages
  • Important agreements

Vendor Performance Tracking

Key Metrics

On-Time Delivery Rate:

  • Percentage of deliveries on time
  • Tracks reliability

Order Accuracy:

  • Orders received as ordered
  • Tracks errors and substitutions

Product Quality:

  • Rating based on quality issues
  • Tracks consistency

Price Competitiveness:

  • Compare to other vendors
  • Identify best value

Rating System

Overall Vendor Rating:

  • 1-5 stars
  • Based on multiple factors
  • Helps prioritize vendors

Rating Categories:

  • Quality
  • Reliability
  • Communication
  • Pricing
  • Customer Service

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Add New Farm Supplier

Goal: Set up new local farm as vendor

Steps:

  1. Click "Add Vendor"
  2. Name: "Sunrise Organic Farm"
  3. Contact: "John Smith"
  4. Phone: (555) 123-4567
  5. Email: [email protected]
  6. Address: 123 Farm Road, City, State
  7. Payment Terms: Net 14
  8. Delivery Schedule: Tuesdays, 8am-10am
  9. Add note: "Specializes in organic vegetables, seasonal fruits"
  10. Save vendor

Next Steps:

  • Assign products they supply
  • Create first purchase order
  • Build relationship

Use Case 2: Record Price Change

Goal: Update costs after vendor raises prices

Steps:

  1. Find vendor in list
  2. Open vendor profile
  3. Click "Products Supplied" tab
  4. Update cost prices for affected products
  5. Add note: "Price increase effective [date] - 10% across all items"
  6. Review retail pricing for these products
  7. Decide if retail price adjustment needed
  8. Save changes

Use Case 3: Track Quality Issue

Goal: Document problem with delivered products

Steps:

  1. Open vendor profile
  2. Click "Add Note"
  3. Note Type: Quality Issue
  4. Note Text: "Delivered tomatoes 50% spoiled/damaged - see photos in folder. Vendor offered 50% credit on this shipment."
  5. Adjust quality rating if pattern
  6. Set reminder to monitor next delivery
  7. Save note

Use Case 4: Create Weekly Purchase Order

Goal: Order products for next week's deliveries

Steps:

  1. Review inventory needs
  2. Open vendor profile
  3. Click "Create Purchase Order"
  4. Add products:
    • Organic Carrots: 40 lbs
    • Red Potatoes: 30 lbs
    • Mixed Greens: 20 lbs
  5. Set delivery date: Tuesday
  6. Review total: $245.00
  7. Print PO
  8. Email to vendor
  9. Track order

Use Case 5: Compare Vendors for Product

Goal: Find best vendor for specific product

Steps:

  1. Search "Organic Chicken Breast"
  2. View all vendors supplying this product
  3. Compare:
    • Price per lb
    • Minimum order quantity
    • Quality ratings
    • Delivery schedule
    • Payment terms
  4. Select best option based on priorities
  5. Place order with chosen vendor

Troubleshooting

Cannot Find Vendor

Symptoms:

  • Vendor not appearing in list
  • Search returns no results

Check:

  1. Verify spelling of vendor name
  2. Check if vendor marked inactive
  3. Try searching by contact name
  4. Use browse all vendors view
  5. Check if vendor was accidentally deleted

Product Not Showing Vendor Assignment

Symptoms:

  • Product shows no vendor
  • Can't link product to vendor

Solutions:

  1. Edit product and select vendor from dropdown
  2. OR open vendor profile and add product there
  3. Verify product is published and active
  4. Check for typos in product search
  5. Refresh page and try again

Purchase Order Not Generating

Symptoms:

  • PO button doesn't work
  • Error when creating PO

Check:

  1. Verify vendor has products assigned
  2. Ensure vendor contact email is valid
  3. Check that products have cost prices set
  4. Verify your business info is complete in settings
  5. Try different browser if persists
  • Products - Manage products and assign to vendors
  • Inventory - Track stock from vendor deliveries
  • Purchase Orders - View all POs across vendors
  • Accounts Payable - Track vendor payments
  • Reports > Vendor Performance - Analytics on vendor metrics

Typical Workflow:

  1. Set up vendor profiles
  2. Assign products to vendors
  3. Create purchase orders as needed
  4. Receive deliveries
  5. Update inventory
  6. Process payments
  7. Track performance
  8. Review and optimize vendor relationships

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Manager: Add/edit vendors, create POs, view all vendor info, track performance
  • Administrator: All Manager + delete vendors, modify payment terms, access financial details
  • Kiva Admin: All features + technical configuration

Restricted Features:

  • Delete Vendor: Administrator only
  • View Cost Pricing: Manager or higher
  • Modify Payment Terms: Administrator recommended

Best Practices

Vendor Setup

  1. Complete all contact information thoroughly
  2. Record payment terms accurately
  3. Document delivery schedules clearly
  4. Maintain updated product lists
  5. Set up vendors before assigning products

Relationship Management

  1. Log all significant communications
  2. Document price changes with dates
  3. Track quality issues and resolutions
  4. Review performance quarterly
  5. Build personal relationships with key vendors

Ordering Efficiency

  1. Group orders by delivery day
  2. Respect minimum order requirements
  3. Place orders ahead of lead time
  4. Communicate special needs in advance
  5. Confirm large or unusual orders

Financial Tracking

  1. Record accurate cost prices
  2. Update costs when vendor prices change
  3. Track payment due dates
  4. Take advantage of early payment discounts
  5. Reconcile invoices against POs

Quality Control

  1. Inspect deliveries immediately
  2. Document quality issues with photos
  3. Communicate problems promptly
  4. Track vendor response to issues
  5. Adjust ratings based on consistency

Things to Avoid

  • Incomplete contact information
  • Outdated cost pricing
  • Missing payment terms
  • Unrecorded quality issues
  • Forgetting lead times when ordering
  • Over-reliance on single vendor

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Add new vendor Click "Add Vendor" button
Edit vendor info Click "Edit" on vendor row
View vendor details Click vendor name
Add products to vendor Vendor profile > Add Products
Create purchase order Vendor profile > Create PO
Log communication Vendor profile > Add Note
Update cost prices Vendor > Products > Edit cost
Set delivery schedule Edit vendor > Delivery Schedule
Mark vendor inactive Edit vendor > Status > Inactive
View order history Vendor profile > Orders tab
Compare vendors Products > View vendors for product
Rate vendor performance Vendor profile > Rating section

FAQs

How many vendors should I have for each product category?

Ideally 2-3 vendors per category for redundancy. Prevents disruption if one vendor has issues. Balance multiple sources with order minimum requirements.

Should I track every small supplier?

Yes, even small occasional suppliers. Helps with reordering, quality tracking, and payment records. You can mark rarely-used vendors as inactive to declutter.

How do I handle vendor price increases?

Update cost prices in vendor profile, document with note including effective date. Review retail pricing to maintain margins. Communicate to team.

Can I assign the same product to multiple vendors?

Yes, products can have multiple vendors. Useful for comparing prices, ensuring supply, and having backup sources. Designate primary vendor for default ordering.

What if a vendor goes out of business?

Mark vendor as inactive (not deleted) to preserve historical records. Reassign products to new vendor. Keep old records for accounting/historical purposes.

How far in advance should I place orders?

Follow each vendor's specified lead time. Typical is 3-7 days. Seasonal producers may need 2-4 weeks. Build in buffer for busy periods.

Should I consolidate vendors to reduce complexity?

Balance is key. Too many vendors = administrative burden. Too few = supply risk. Consolidate when possible without sacrificing quality or competitive pricing.

How do I track organic certification or other credentials?

Add to vendor notes or create custom fields. Store certification documents in vendor files. Set expiration reminders for annual renewals.

Can customers see my vendor information?

No, vendor info is admin-only. Customers don't see costs, supplier names (unless you choose to market it), or business terms.

What's the best way to negotiate better pricing?

Track your order volume, show loyalty and consistency, commit to larger orders, offer faster payment terms, or agree to longer contracts. Document all negotiations.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.