Supplier communications

Find this screen

Open: Suppliers > Create & Amend Accounts > Create Supplier

Open: Suppliers > Create & Amend Accounts > Amend Supplier Details

• Use the Communications tab to record communications with your suppliers, for example when discussing payments due and disputes.

How to

Add a supplier communication

Record communications with your suppliers, for example when discussing payments due and disputes. You can record the outcomes of your communications, and use the details of promised payments to help manage your payments.

1. Select the Communications tab.

2. Select Add.

3. Enter the Communications Details.

   1. Select the Type of communication, from Telephone, Email/Fax/Letter or Meeting.

   2. Enter the Subject description.

   3. Check the Date and Our contact details, and change these if required.

   4. Choose the Contact type for the communication. The options available depend on the communication, such as Telephone, made, Letter, sent, or Meeting.

   5. You can also select the letter Style, if the Contact type is a letter.

   6. You can also select a Location, if the communication Type is a Meeting.

   Note: The Balance shows the account balance at the time you added this communication.

4. Enter the Contact Details for the person you contacted for this supplier.

   Enter the contact name, and any other details you want to record.

5. Enter the Communication Result.

   • Select the Outcome of this communication.

   • For most outcomes, you can enter a Follow-up date and Follow-up time.

   • If you select Payment promised, you can enter the Promised amount and the Due date.

     These details will be recorded in the Manage payments report.

   Tip: You can check promised payments and follow-up dates for suppliers by using the Manage Payments report, and also in the Supplier List.

6. Enter any Notes about the communication.

Once you have finished this communication, select Mark this communication as complete. This lets people know this communication doesn't need to be followed up, and removes the promised payment and follow-up details from the Manage Payments report and the Supplier List.

Tip: Use Show Columns to display more details in the communications list, for Balance, Promised amount, Our Contact, Telephone, Style (letter), Location (meeting), and Notes.

Mark communications as complete

Communications are initially marked as live and display No in the Complete column, to show that you are still in discussion with the supplier.

When you have finished the discussion with the supplier, you can mark the communication status as Complete. This lets people know this communication doesn't need to be followed up, and removes the promised payment and follow-up details from the Manage Payments report and the Supplier List.

There are two ways to mark a communication as complete:

• Select a communication in the list, then select Mark as Complete.

• When you Edit a communication, select Mark this communication as complete.

Report on communications

Use the Manage Payments report to check live communications with your suppliers. This report displays suppliers with live communications, and shows if you have promised payment and the follow-up date.

Note: The Follow-up date in the report shows the earliest Follow-up date that can be found in all your live communications with this supplier.

Open: Suppliers > Supplier Reports > Payments Control > Manage Payments

View communication details in the Supplier List

You can check promised payments and follow-up dates from the Supplier List.

To display the details in the Supplier List, right-click in the list, then open Columns > Payment and select Follow-up or Promised Payment.

Note: The Follow-up date in the list shows the earliest Follow-up date that can be found in all your live communications with this supplier.

Tip: To see which communications you need to follow-up soon, select the Follow-up column heading to sort by date.