Track Items from Multiple Vendors

Inventory Overview | Vendors Overview

Pro

The multi-vendor feature allows you to track and purchase an item from one primary vendor and up to four alternate vendors. Unique UPCs, Alternate Lookups, and order costs can be defined for each vendor from whom you purchase the item. This allows you to purchase the same item from any of several vendors as availability or costs change.

All purchases of the item, regardless of vendor, are pooled in inventory once received, and are tracked with a single on-hand quantity, averaged cost, price, etc. However, the unique UPC, order costs, and alternate lookups allow you to list the item on documents using the information for any of the vendors. This feature also allows purchasing and receiving reports to be filtered by actual vendor used.

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Define alternate vendors for an item in inventory

Add each vendor from whom you will purchase the item to your vendor list. Add or edit the item in inventory in the normal manner, entering the first (primary) vendors name, UPC, and Alternate Lookup on the item form. In the More Info section, click Alt Vend. The Vendors window is opened. Enter information for up to four alternate vendors and then close the window. If the alternate vendors do not have a unique UPC or Alternate Lookup, leave these fields blank. Select S ave. Notes: If you want to print tags for an item with specific vendor information (alternate lookup value or UPC), print the tags from the purchase order or receiving voucher. When printing tags from inventory, the primary vendor's information is used. To print tags with UPC codes requires that you first customize your tag template using Print Designer. If tracking multiple units of measure for an item, enter alternate vendor information (UPC, alternate lookup, and order cost) for your default order-by unit. If no order-by unit is specified, enter information for the base unit.

Make a PO or receiving voucher for multi-vendor items

Enter the vendor from whom you are making the purchase at the top of the PO or voucher form. List the item(s) to be purchased or received: If you list an item by entering or scanning UPC or Alternate Lookups (ALU), be sure to enter or scan the correct value for the vendor from whom you are making the purchase. If you track multiple units of measure for an item being purchased, be sure to use the UPC or ALU for the default order-by unit. The correct order cost for the vendor used is suggested for the item. Edit this order cost as necessary. Complete and save the PO or voucher in the normal manner. If creating a voucher by referencing a PO, the specific vendor and order costs listed on the PO will be carried to the voucher automatically. Purchase and receiving history is maintained for each vendor separately.

List multi-vendor items on other documents

No special procedure need be followed when listing multi-vendor items on documents other than a PO or receiving voucher. Scanning or entering the Item #, or any of the primary or alternate UPCs or Alternate Lookups for the item will list the item on the document with the correct inventory cost or price. Sales of a multi-vendor item are not tracked separately for each alternate vendor. All sales are reported using the primary vendor you identified in inventory for the item.

Multi-vendor items on reports

Merchandise Reports Merchandise reports, which draw their information from inventory, will show all of the item's quantities under your primary vendor's name. Quantities purchased from alternate vendors are not broken out separately. Purchasing Reports Purchasing, receiving, and on-order reports, which draw their information directly from purchase orders and receiving vouchers, will break out ordered quantities by alternate vendors.

Print tags for alternate vendors

Item tags printed from inventory always include the information for your primary vendor. To print tags that include alternate vendor information, such as the alternate lookup or UPC values, print the tags from the purchase order or receiving voucher used to purchase the items from the alternate vendor.