> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.macleather.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Suppliers

> Managing supplier information in Mac Leather Dashboard

# Suppliers

Suppliers are the vendors you purchase materials from. This guide covers how to add, view, and manage supplier information.

***

## Where to Find Suppliers

**Location:** Sidebar → **Suppliers**

Or access when creating a PO: PO Form → Supplier dropdown

***

## Supplier List Page

The Suppliers page shows all registered suppliers.

### Columns Displayed

| Column         | Description               |
| -------------- | ------------------------- |
| Supplier Name  | Company/business name     |
| Contact Person | Primary contact           |
| Phone          | Contact number            |
| Email          | Email address             |
| Category       | Material type they supply |
| Status         | Active / Inactive         |
| Actions        | View, Edit, Delete        |

### Filtering Suppliers

| Filter   | Options                             |
| -------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Category | Leather, Accessories, Lining, Other |
| Status   | Active, Inactive                    |
| Search   | Search by name or contact           |

***

## Adding a New Supplier

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Suppliers">
    Sidebar → Suppliers
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click + Add Supplier">
    Top right of page
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in supplier details">
    Complete the form (see fields below)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Supplier added to system
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Supplier Form Fields

#### Required Fields

| Field         | What to Enter         | Example           |
| ------------- | --------------------- | ----------------- |
| Supplier Name | Business/company name | Leather House Ltd |
| Category      | Primary material type | Leather           |

#### Optional Fields

| Field          | What to Enter          | Example                                           |
| -------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Contact Person | Primary contact name   | Ali Khan                                          |
| Phone          | Contact number         | +92 300 1234567                                   |
| Email          | Email address          | [ali@leatherhouse.pk](mailto:ali@leatherhouse.pk) |
| Address        | Business address       | 123 Main St, Lahore                               |
| City           | City location          | Lahore                                            |
| Country        | Country                | Pakistan                                          |
| Notes          | Additional information | Specialist in goat leather                        |

***

## Supplier Categories

| Category    | Suppliers For                             |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Leather     | Leather materials (cow, goat, lamb, etc.) |
| Accessories | Hardware, zips, buckles, rivets           |
| Lining      | Lining fabrics, cotton, polyester         |
| Other       | Miscellaneous materials                   |

<Info>
  A supplier can supply multiple material types. Select the primary category. Add notes for additional materials they provide.
</Info>

***

## Viewing Supplier Details

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Suppliers">
    Sidebar → Suppliers
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the supplier">
    Search or scroll the list
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click on supplier row">
    Opens supplier detail view
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Supplier Detail Shows

| Section         | Information                   |
| --------------- | ----------------------------- |
| Contact Info    | Name, phone, email, address   |
| Category        | Material type they supply     |
| Status          | Active or Inactive            |
| Notes           | Additional information        |
| Purchase Orders | POs created for this supplier |

***

## Editing a Supplier

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the supplier">
    Suppliers → Search or scroll
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Edit">
    Pencil icon or Edit button
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update fields">
    Modify any information
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Changes saved
  </Step>
</Steps>

### What Can Be Edited

| Field          | Editable |
| -------------- | -------- |
| Supplier Name  | Yes      |
| Contact Person | Yes      |
| Phone          | Yes      |
| Email          | Yes      |
| Address        | Yes      |
| Category       | Yes      |
| Notes          | Yes      |
| Status         | Yes      |

***

## Activating/Deactivating Suppliers

### Making a Supplier Inactive

Use when you no longer work with a supplier but want to keep records.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open supplier">
    Suppliers → Click on supplier
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Edit">
    Edit button
  </Step>

  <Step title="Change Status to Inactive">
    Toggle or select Inactive
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Supplier deactivated
  </Step>
</Steps>

**What happens:**

* Supplier won't appear in PO dropdowns
* Historical POs remain linked
* Can be reactivated later

### Reactivating a Supplier

<Steps>
  <Step title="Filter by Inactive">
    Suppliers → Status filter → Inactive
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the supplier">
    In inactive list
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit and change to Active">
    Status → Active
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Supplier reactivated
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Deleting a Supplier

<Warning>
  Only delete suppliers with no associated POs. If a supplier has POs, deactivate instead.
</Warning>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the supplier">
    Suppliers list
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Delete">
    Trash icon (if available)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm deletion">
    Supplier removed
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  If Delete is not available, the supplier has existing POs. Use Deactivate instead to preserve records.
</Info>

***

## Using Suppliers in POs

When creating a Purchase Order:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open PO form">
    Procurement → + New PO
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Supplier dropdown">
    Field in form
  </Step>

  <Step title="Search or select">
    Only Active suppliers shown
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select supplier">
    Supplier assigned to PO
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Supplier Not in Dropdown?

| Reason               | Solution                |
| -------------------- | ----------------------- |
| Supplier not added   | Add supplier first      |
| Supplier is Inactive | Reactivate the supplier |
| Typo in search       | Check spelling          |

***

## Viewing Supplier's POs

To see all purchase orders for a specific supplier:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open supplier">
    Suppliers → Click on supplier
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to Purchase Orders section">
    Shows all POs for this supplier
  </Step>
</Steps>

Or from Procurement:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Procurement">
    Sidebar → Procurement
  </Step>

  <Step title="Filter by Supplier">
    Supplier filter → Select supplier
  </Step>

  <Step title="View filtered list">
    Shows only POs for that supplier
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Common Scenarios

| Situation                            | Action                                       |
| ------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
| Adding a new vendor                  | Suppliers → + Add Supplier → Fill form       |
| Supplier changed phone number        | Edit supplier → Update phone → Save          |
| Stopped working with supplier        | Edit → Change status to Inactive             |
| Supplier not showing in PO dropdown  | Check if Active, add if not exists           |
| Need supplier's PO history           | Supplier Detail → Purchase Orders section    |
| Supplier supplies multiple materials | Select primary category, add others in Notes |
| Supplier merged with another company | Update name, keep same record                |

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can't find supplier in list">
    **Cause:** Filters hiding the supplier or supplier not added.

    **Solution:**

    1. Clear all filters
    2. Check Status filter includes Active/Inactive as needed
    3. Search by partial name
    4. If not found, add as new supplier
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Supplier not showing in PO dropdown">
    **Cause:** Supplier is Inactive.

    **Solution:**

    1. Go to Suppliers
    2. Filter by Inactive status
    3. Find supplier and Edit
    4. Change Status to Active
    5. Save
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can't delete supplier">
    **Cause:** Supplier has associated POs.

    **Solution:** Deactivate instead of delete. This preserves PO history while hiding supplier from future use.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Duplicate supplier entries">
    **Cause:** Same supplier added twice with different names.

    **Solution:**

    1. Identify which has more POs
    2. Keep that one, deactivate the other
    3. Consider updating name for consistency
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Need to change supplier on existing PO">
    **Cause:** Wrong supplier selected on PO.

    **Solution:**

    * If PO is Draft: Edit PO → Change supplier
    * If PO is Pending/Approved: Cannot change. May need to create new PO.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Supplier category wrong">
    **Cause:** Selected wrong category when adding.

    **Solution:** Edit supplier → Update category → Save.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Related Guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Creating Purchase Orders" icon="plus" href="/procurement/purchase-orders">
    How to create POs
  </Card>

  <Card title="Procurement Overview" icon="file-invoice" href="/procurement/overview">
    Module introduction
  </Card>

  <Card title="Material Workflow" icon="layer-group" href="/samples/material-workflow">
    Managing sample materials
  </Card>
</CardGroup>