documentation/Fannie/end-user/vendors.html
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<title>Vendors</title>
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<h1>Vendors</h1>
<a href="#change_log">Revised: 14Apr2015</a>
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The latest documentation can be found on the <a href="https://github.com/CORE-POS/IS4C/wiki/Products-and-Vendors">Project Wiki</a>.
The information below may be out of date.
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<p>
In Fannie, <i>Vendors</i> are sources from which
the co-op purchases items. <i>Products</i> are the
items that the co-op sells to customers. Products
are typically a subset of of all items available via
the various vendor catalogs. Vendor information is
optional as it is not required to sell products, but
entering vendor information can streamline processes
related to adding new products and updating
product prices.
</p>
<p>
<ul>
<li><b>Entering vendor information</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="vendorImports.html">Upload Spreadsheet</a> - upload a spreadsheet
containing vendor item information and update the catalog or add new items
as appropriate.</li>
<li><i>Map SKUs to PLUs</i> - sometimes items are purchased from a vendor
under one UPC and sold via a different UPC - e.g., under a bulk PLU. Associating
vendor item SKUs with product UPCs allows costs and prices to be compared
correctly. Use Item Maintenance => Manage Vendors to upload a mapping
for a particular vendor.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Using vendor information</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="vendorPricing.html">Update Prices</a> - compare vendor costs to product
prices and update en masse.</li>
<li><i>Add new Products</i> Use Item Maintenance => Manage Vendors to browse
a vendor catalog. Items can be added to products simply by specifiying a
department. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</p>
<h2>Ordering items from Vendors</h2>
<p>
Fannie is not currently the mechanism for generating or placing purchase orders
at any co-op. Most stores use the Scan Genius service provided by Living Naturally
for large vendors, such as UNFI, and place orders with smaller vendors via
phone or fax. In this scenario the vendor information is used pricipally to change
prices quickly and easily when the vendor costs change.
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<p>
Fannie does have <a href="../../../fannie/purchasing/">an interface</a>
for creating purchase orders using vendor catalog
information and exporting them as spreadsheets or PDFs. This system could
be further refined if anyone is more interested and willing to give feedback.
</p>
<pre>
<a name="change_log">Change Log:</a>
3Dec13 AT First draft
</pre>
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