Create Vendors

Vendors, also called suppliers, are the businesses that build or supply the products your store sells. In OrderPilot, vendors connect to your product templates, your order lines, and your purchase orders. Every purchase order goes to a vendor, so setting up your vendor list early makes the rest of your operation run smoothly.

If your store calls them something else, such as “Supplier”, you can rename the label. OrderPilot then uses your word on menus, forms, and purchase orders in the web app (see Rename “Vendor” to Your Own Term below). This article uses “vendor” throughout.

This article explains how to add a vendor, how to import vendors from Shopify, how order minimums work, and how to make a vendor required on every order line.

Before You Start

Consider the following questions before getting started:

Are your vendors already in Shopify?

If your Shopify products already have vendors filled in, you don't need to type them again. OrderPilot imports those vendor names when you install the app, and you can import new ones at any time with “Sync from Shopify”.

Do you have the vendor's details ready?

You'll need the vendor's name and address. An email address, phone number, and contact person are optional but useful, especially the email address, which is where purchase orders are sent.

Does the vendor have an order minimum?

Some vendors won't accept an order below a set quantity or value. If you know their minimums, add them now so your team sees them when preparing purchase orders.

How to Create a Vendor?

Step 1: From the OrderPilot dashboard, go to “Settings”, then select “Vendors” in the Purchasing group.

Step 2: Click “Add Vendor” to open the vendor form.

Step 3: Enter the vendor's details:

• Name: Required. The vendor's name as it appears on your Shopify products. OrderPilot uses it to match the vendor to Shopify, so two vendors can't share the same name (capital letters and extra spaces are ignored).
• Display Name: Optional. The name your team sees in OrderPilot and on purchase orders. If you leave it empty, OrderPilot uses the Name.
• Email Address: Where purchase orders are emailed. Leave it empty if you place orders another way.
• Phone Number: The vendor's main contact number.
• Contact Person: The main point of contact at the vendor.

Pro Tip: Use the vendor's order desk or procurement email, not a general “info@” address. Purchase orders need to reach the right person quickly.

Step 4: Enter the vendor's Address. This field is required for vendors you add by hand. It appears on purchase order documents.

Step 5: Add any Notes about this vendor (optional). Notes are internal only and never appear on purchase orders. They're a good place for details like “Confirm by phone before orders over $5,000”.

Step 6: Set any Order minimums (optional). See Order Minimums below.

Step 7: Choose an option under Products allowed for this vendor: “Allow all products”, “Allow specific categories”, or “Allow specific product templates”. If you pick categories or templates, search for and select them.

Note: This setting is saved with the vendor as a reference for your team. OrderPilot does not use it to hide the vendor from any picker or purchase order.

Step 8: Leave Active Vendor switched on to make the vendor available on new orders and templates. Switch it off to keep the vendor's details without offering them.

Step 9: Click “Save Vendor”. The vendor appears in your vendor list right away.

Note: If the save button is greyed out, a note at the top of the form names what's missing, for example “Add a name and an address to save this vendor.”

How to Import Vendors From Shopify?

OrderPilot reads the vendor names on your Shopify products and adds any it doesn't have yet.

Step 1: Go to “Settings”, then select “Vendors” in the Purchasing group.

Step 2: Click “Sync from Shopify”. The button reads Syncing... while it works.

Step 3: When the sync finishes, a message confirms that vendors were synced from Shopify, and the list refreshes. A large catalog can take a little longer; if the message says the sync is still running, refresh the page in a moment.

Keep these points in mind:

• The import runs once automatically when you install OrderPilot. After that, run “Sync from Shopify” whenever you add new vendors to Shopify products.
• If a vendor with the same name already exists in OrderPilot, the sync reuses it instead of creating a duplicate.
• Shopify doesn't track vendor renames. If you rename a vendor in Shopify, the next sync adds it as a new vendor.
• Vendors imported from Shopify don't need an address to be saved, and any order minimums you set on them are kept when you sync again.

Use the All, Manual, and Shopify tabs above the list to see every vendor, only the ones you added by hand, or only the ones imported from Shopify. Click any row to edit that vendor.

Order Minimums

Order minimums tell your team when a purchase order is too small for a vendor to accept. You can set either one, or both:

Field	What it checks
Minimum quantity	The number of units on the purchase order, including separately purchased components. Option rows are not counted.
Minimum order value	The vendor goods subtotal after vendor discounts, in your store currency. Shipping, tax, and landed-cost charges are not included.

Each minimum has its own switch: Enforce minimum quantity and Enforce minimum value.

• Switched on: A purchase order below the minimum can be saved as a draft but can't be sent. The send button is greyed out, and the purchase order shows how far short it is, for example “Minimum quantity: 12 · Currently 9 · Add 3 units”.
• Switched off: The minimum is shown as a hint only. Your team can still send the purchase order.

The Order minimums column in the vendor list shows each vendor's minimums and whether they block sending.

Note: When the value minimum is enforced, a purchase order with an unknown vendor cost can't be sent, because OrderPilot can't tell whether the minimum is met. Add the missing costs first.

Require a Vendor on Every Order Line

By default, staff can leave a line's vendor for later. If every line must have a vendor before an order is saved, turn this on:

Step 1: Go to “Settings”, then select “Order defaults” in the Orders and quotes group.

Step 2: In the Vendor settings card, check Require vendor selection, then save.

With this setting on:

• In the web app, staff can no longer skip the vendor when adding a product, and a final save needs a real vendor on every line.
• On Shopify POS, the Decide later choice is hidden from the vendor picker, and the order can't be saved with a line that has no vendor.
• Saving as a draft is still allowed, so staff can finish the vendor choice later.

Rename “Vendor” to Your Own Term

Step 1: Go to “Settings”, then select “PO defaults” in the Purchasing group.

Step 2: In the Vendor Label Terminology card, choose Custom and type your term, for example “Supplier”. OrderPilot adds an “s” for the plural and shows a preview.

Step 3: Save your changes.

The new term is used across the web app, including the Settings menu, product templates, order screens, and purchase orders. Shopify POS keeps the word “vendor”.

Example: Adding Vendors for Harlow & Finch Interiors

Harlow & Finch Interiors works with four vendors. Three were imported from Shopify at install, and the team added Tessile Fabrics by hand. Here's how they set up their upholstery maker:

Field	Value
Name	Atelier Homeworks
Display Name	Atelier Homeworks
Email Address	orders@atelierhomeworks.example
Contact Person	Sales desk
Address	Their workshop address
Notes	Lead time is 6 to 8 weeks. Fabric (COM) must arrive before production starts.
Minimum quantity	4, with Enforce minimum quantity off (a hint only)
Minimum order value	2500, with Enforce minimum value on
Active Vendor	On

With this setup, a purchase order to Atelier Homeworks worth less than $2,500 can be saved as a draft, but it can't be sent until more items are added. The minimum quantity of 4 shows as a reminder only.

Next Steps After Creating a Vendor

1. Assign the vendor to your product templates, so it's offered when the template is added to an order. See Create Product Templates.
2. Raise purchase orders for the vendor from your orders. See Create Purchase Orders.

Important Notes & Tips

Active Status Matters

Inactive vendors are not offered on new orders or when adding vendors to a template. A template that still lists an inactive vendor shows it as “(inactive)” on the Products page and in the template editor. If a template's only vendors are inactive, it can still be added to an order, and the line shows that it has no vendor until one is chosen.

Update Contact Info Promptly

If a vendor changes their contact person or email, update the record right away so future purchase orders reach the right person. Click the vendor's row in the list to edit it, then click “Update Vendor”.

Display Names Help With Messy Shopify Data

Shopify vendor names are sometimes abbreviations or codes. Keep the Name exactly as it is in Shopify so syncing keeps matching, and put the friendly name in Display Name.

Need Help?

Having trouble importing vendors, setting order minimums, or not seeing a vendor on an order? Reach out to us at support@bevycommerce.com, and we'll help you review your vendor setup.