> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.adorabl.info/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Suppliers

> Create and manage supplier records.

Supplier records are the foundation of accounts payable. Every bill, outgoing payment, and 1099 determination ties back to a supplier record with contacts, addresses, payment terms, tax profile, and compliance status.

## Prerequisites

Before you add suppliers, confirm:

* You are signed in and have selected the correct **organization** in the sidebar switcher.
* [Finance setup](https://www.adorabl.info/books/setup/finance-setup.md) and [System accounts](https://www.adorabl.info/books/setup/system-accounts.md) are complete so AP posting has the right expense and payables accounts.
* **Terms codes** exist if you assign payment terms by code. See [Finance setup](https://www.adorabl.info/books/setup/finance-setup.md).
* Optional but recommended: finish the [Payables setup](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/setup/payables-setup.md) checklist so bill capture, approval, and payment defaults are in place.

| Prerequisite | Where to check |
| - | - |
| Organization selected | Sidebar organization switcher |
| AP control accounts | Finance setup → Default GL Accounts |
| Terms codes | Finance setup → Terms codes |
| Document numbering | [Next numbers](https://www.adorabl.info/admin-and-settings/next-numbers.md) (supplier # sequence) |

## Supplier record anatomy

| Field / area | Purpose |
| - | - |
| **Supplier #** | Unique identifier; used in URLs and cross-references |
| **Name & status** | Active suppliers can receive bills; **On hold** blocks new payments; **Inactive** retires without deleting history |
| **Group** | Supplier group that supplies inherited defaults (expense account, payment method, terms). **New group** at the bottom of the list creates one without leaving the supplier. See [Payables setup](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/setup/payables-setup.md) |
| **Payment terms** | Default due-date offset for new bills (Net 15, Net 30, and so on). **New terms** creates a terms code without leaving the supplier |
| **Lead time** | Median days from posted receipts, with **View receipts** for the history. See [Lead time](#lead-time) |
| **Financial tab** | GL role mappings (expense account, payment method) inherited from the group and overridable per supplier |
| **1099 tab** | W-9 status, TIN, tax classification, and the 1099 reporting box |
| **Delivery tab** | Shipping and receipt preferences |
| **Contacts tab** | AP clerks, buyers, and remittance contacts |
| **Addresses tab** | Remit-to and ship-from locations |
| **Transaction History tab** | Single drill-through to bills, memos, and payments for this supplier |
| **Supplier actions tab** | Every material change to the supplier with the reason your team chose and a before-and-after snapshot |
| **Activity tab** | Field-level change log — who changed what, and when |

## Create a supplier

**1. Open the supplier list**

1. In the sidebar, open **Accounts Payable**.
2. Click **Suppliers**.

The list shows supplier #, name, category, terms, open balance, YTD spend, compliance badges, and status. **Terms** is the terms code in uppercase, such as `NET30`, including older suppliers that were saved as "Net 30". Stat tiles at the top summarize active suppliers, on-hold count, open AP, and spend YTD.

**2. Start a new record**

Click **New supplier** on the Suppliers list.

adorabl opens a blank supplier record on the **Details** tab using the master-record layout: summary strip at the top, tabbed related data below.

**3. Enter core details**

Fill in the fields on the Details tab:

| Field | Guidance |
| - | - |
| **Name** | Legal or trade name as it should appear on bills and 1099s |
| **Group** | Pick a supplier group — the supplier inherits its expense account, payment method, and terms defaults. **New group** adds one from this field |
| **Payment terms** | Default offset from bill date (for example, Net 30). **New terms** adds a code from this field |
| **Status** | **Active** for billable accounts; **On hold** to block payments; **Inactive** to retire |

Click **Save** in the header. adorabl creates the supplier and stays on the record. The header links **Back to Suppliers**. Contacts and addresses entered before that first save are stored with the new supplier.

**4. Set 1099 status**

Open the **1099** tab to record year-end compliance:

* Mark **1099 required** when the supplier is an eligible payee.
* Pick the **1099 reporting box** — the list combines the standard IRS boxes with any organization-specific boxes you added under [Payables setup](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/setup/payables-setup.md) → **1099 Management**.
* Enter or request a **W-9** (DocuSign request or manual upload) and set the **tax classification** and masked TIN.

Suppliers marked as reportable show a **1099** badge on the list and detail views.

**5. Add contacts and addresses**

Switch to the **Contacts** tab and add at least one remittance or AP contact.

On the **Addresses** tab:

1. Add a **Remit-to** address for check and ACH payments.
2. Add **Ship-from** addresses when the supplier ships inventory directly.
3. Mark defaults where applicable.

Changes save inline — no separate modal workflow.

**6. Confirm the supplier is ready for bills**

After save, the summary strip shows open AP balance, YTD spend, average days to pay, and overdue/at-risk counts.

From here you can:

* Enter a bill from the **Bills** tab or [Bills and adjustments](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/bills-and-adjustments.md)
* Return to [Payables setup](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/setup/payables-setup.md) and mark **Suppliers** complete
* Review year-end readiness on [Form 1099 report](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/form-1099-report.md)

## Example: Trail Ridge Outfitters

Trail Ridge buys inventory and services from several recurring suppliers:

| Supplier | Category | Terms | 1099 | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| **V-1048 · Apex Supply Co.** | Goods | Net 30 | Yes | Primary hard-goods supplier; remit-to in Dallas |
| **V-2201 · Acme Logistics** | Logistics | Net 15 | Yes | Freight and inbound handling |
| **V-0092 · Mountain Power Co.** | Utilities | Due on receipt | No | Exempt utility — not 1099-reportable |

Before the first Apex bill, Trail Ridge confirms a current W-9, marks **1099 required**, and adds `ap@apexsupply.example` as the billing contact. When automation captures a bill from an unknown supplier name, they create the supplier from the bill's **Add supplier** action rather than pre-creating every possible supplier.

## Manage existing suppliers

| Task | How |
| - | - |
| **Find a supplier** | Search by name or supplier # on the list; click the row to open the record |
| **Edit details** | Open the supplier → Details tab → change fields → pick a reason in the bar next to **Save changes** (for example, **Terms change**, **Contact correction**, **On hold**) → **Save changes**. The change is recorded on **Supplier actions**. See [Audit log and record history](https://www.adorabl.info/admin-and-settings/audit-log.md). |
| **Review open AP** | The **Transaction History** tab lists bills, memos, and payments scoped to this supplier with row click-through |
| **Import suppliers** | Use **Import** on the Suppliers list to load a CSV; adorabl maps the group, expense account, and payment method, and validates references against your organization |
| **Request W-9** | On the **1099** tab, click **Request W-9** to send a DocuSign envelope |
| **Put on hold** | Set status to **On hold** — blocks scheduling new outgoing payments |
| **Deactivate** | Set status to **Inactive** — history remains, but new bills should use a different account |
| **Delete** | Remove a supplier that has no posted activity; suppliers with history should be set **Inactive** instead |

> [!NOTE]
>
> The **Open** and **YTD Spend** columns on the Suppliers list are calculated from live AP data — open bills minus applied payments and credits, and payments applied in the current calendar year. They refresh automatically as bills and payments change.

> [!TIP]
>
> Resolve duplicate supplier names in [Master data](https://www.adorabl.info/admin-and-settings/master-data.md) before year-end 1099 preparation — merged records roll up YTD spend to the surviving supplier.

## Lead time

The supplier summary shows **Lead time** and **View receipts**. That page lists qualifying receipt lines: **Item**, **Purchase order**, **Opened**, **Completed**, **Lead time (days)**, and **Receipts**. The subtitle is the median across those receipts, or **Not enough data yet** when there are none.

The same history for one item is on that item's **Purchasing** panel. See [Items](https://www.adorabl.info/products/items.md#supplier-lead-time).

## Related guides

> **[Bills and adjustments](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/bills-and-adjustments.md)**
>
> Enter and post bills against supplier records.

> **[Outgoing payments](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/outgoing-payments.md)**
>
> Schedule and record payments to suppliers.

> **[Form 1099 report](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/form-1099-report.md)**
>
> Review payment totals and filing readiness by tax year.

> **[Payables setup](https://www.adorabl.info/accounts-payable/setup/payables-setup.md)**
>
> Complete the AP checklist before your first bill.

## Troubleshooting

> **Supplier list is empty**
>
> Confirm the correct organization is selected. New organizations start with no suppliers until you create them or import master data via [Master data](https://www.adorabl.info/admin-and-settings/master-data.md).

> **Cannot save — missing required fields**
>
> **Name** is required. If tax profile validation fails, confirm TIN format and tax classification when **1099 required** is checked.

> **W-9 shows missing or expired**
>
> Use **Request W-9** on the tax profile section, or upload a signed PDF manually. Expired W-9s show a warning badge on the supplier list **Compliance** column.

> **Payment blocked for this supplier**
>
> Check supplier **Status**. **On hold** and **Inactive** suppliers should not receive new outgoing payments until status returns to **Active**.

> **Open balance on the summary strip looks wrong**
>
> Open balance sums posted open and partially paid bills minus unapplied credits. Drill into the **Bills** tab to reconcile individual documents.

> **Coming soon: supplier onboarding portal**
>
> Self-service onboarding for new suppliers is on the roadmap. Until the Payables setup checklist shows it as configured, create suppliers manually or from bill capture.


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