The advanced version of the Contracts Management module supports the ability for Vendors to access an online portal where they can view their contracts, and if permitted, perform certain activities against those contracts (such as raise variations, report against KPIs, and more).
Which vendors can access the system, the contracts they have access to and the functions they can perform, are all determined by your organisation.
Enabling Vendor Access
System Administrators can enable vendor access by completing the following steps:
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Navigate to the Vendor module dashboard, either via the app launcher icon in the menubar or through the navigation tile on your Homepage.
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Click on the Manage Module tab in the top right to open the module settings.
- Under the 'General' tab, select to expand the 'Module Settings' section.
- Check the box next to the 'Creation of vendor accounts enabled'
- Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click the ‘Save’ button.
Determining the Default Vendor Access Settings & Functions
VendorPanel will need to set the default vendor access settings and functions in your system for you. From there, users with the relevant permissions can enable and disable these functions as needed per the contract.
The list of available settings and functions is outlined below along with descriptions:
| Setting | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Default Vendor Access | Enabled by Default – Vendors have access to new contracts by default |
Allows vendor to access all new contracts by default Note: Vendors must have an account created for them before they can access any contracts. |
| Disabled by Default – Vendors must be given explicit access to view any contract |
Requires vendor access to be enabled/managed on a contract-by-contract basis Note: Vendors must have an account created for them before they can access any contracts. |
|
|
Functions Accessible to Vendors All submissions can be subject to approval, with exceptions for Compliances and Requests for Information. |
Contacts | Allows vendor to view, create and update their company’s contacts, and link specific contacts to contracts |
| Extensions | Allows vendor to view and create extensions on a contract | |
| Variations | Allows vendor to view and create variations on a contract | |
| Compliances | Allows vendor to view, create and update their company’s compliance documents, and link specific compliances to contracts | |
| KPI Performance | Allows vendor to view KPIs and submit KPI performance against existing records | |
| Payment Certificate | Allows vendor to create payment certificates on a contract | |
| Request for Information | Allows vendor to view and create requests for information on a contract | |
| Work Order | Allows vendor to view work orders on a contract | |
Managing Vendor Access Per Contract
System Administrators can determine whether users can manage vendor access and functions on a contract-by-contract basis.
If enabled, permitted users will have access to a ‘Vendor Access’ function found under the ‘Settings’ tab on a contract record. In this section, users can enable/disable access to the contract and manage which functions are available to the vendor (within the list of functions enabled by the system administrators).
Note: The ‘Vendor Access’ function is generally located under the ‘Settings’ tab. However, as these tab names can be configured by system administrators, the naming convention could vary. We recommend reaching out to your system administrators for further guidance if you are unsure.
Creating Vendor Accounts
Vendors require an account to access your Contracts Management system.
Any user can create vendor accounts from the vendor’s record. This is accessible either through the 'Vendors' module tile on the Home page and selecting to view a Vendor, or by going through an individual contract and selecting the 'View Vendor Record' button.
Vendor dashboard:
Vendor tab on Contract:
Once on the Vendor Record, under the 'Summary' tab, you can select the ‘System Access’ heading to display the options, where you can create and manage either an ‘Organisation’ or ‘Contact’ account.
Both accounts essentially act in the same way, whereby they have the same access and permissions. However, creating ‘Contact’ accounts supports the ability to provide specific accounts to individual contacts rather than requiring all individuals to go through the same ‘Organisation’ account.
Creating an Organisation Account
Under the ‘Organisation Account’ section of the vendor record, you will see the company email address listed there if it's also been entered in the 'Organisation email address' field above in the 'Contact' section. If not there then you can enter the company email address. Then click on ‘Create account’ which will setup an account for them in your system.
See below for information on how you can send them their login details.
Creating a Contact Account
Before you can create an account for a Vendor Contact, you need to add them under the‘Contacts’ section of the vendor record first.
Adding the Contact to the Vendor Record
Click on the 'Add new' button and then enter a name, position, email and phone number for the contact and then click on the 'Add Contact' button.
Once added, they will listed in the table of Contacts and you can continue to add as many contacts as you need. Vendor contacts can also be assigned to contracts so you can specify who is responsible for a contract at the vendor's end. Not all contacts need to be given system access.
Creating an Account for a Vendor Contact
From there you can create an account for them by clicking on the contact in the table to open up their details under either of the 'Contact' or 'System access' sections.
Then, under the 'System Access' heading at the bottom, click on the 'Manage' button and then select 'Create an account' which will setup an account for them in your system.
See below for information on how you can send them their login details.
Sending the Vendor’s Login Details
Once a vendor's account has been created, their username and password are automatically generated, and they become a ‘Guest’ user in your system.
An autologin URL will appear, which can be used to test the vendor’s access, or can be sent directly to the vendor. Alternatively, there will also be a button to ‘Send Login Details’, which triggers a system-generated email to the vendor with their account information.
Organisation Account:
Contact Account: