Vendors: Searching & Navigation

Searching for Vendors

You can launch a search for a vendor using the top menu bar: Acquisitions >> Acquisitions Infrastructure >> Vendors.

You can also use the persistent search bar:

1. Choose the Search type Vendors
2. Chose your search criteria, which will be limited to only vendor-related fields
   
   1. The simplest way is to search All and use keywords such as vendor name or vendor code
3. Enter the search term and click the magnifying glass
4. The results will default to Active vendors. To see inactive vendors, choose All or Inactive from the Vendor Status filter at the top of the results list.
   
   

Example Search: China Classics Inc. 

If uncertain how the name is listed in Alma, use a subset of the name (such as “China”) and search for any vendors with that subset. 

To view the vendor’s information, click on the Vendor Code.

• Staff who have Vendor Management authority will also options to Edit or Delete a vendor.

Vendor Account Record

Summary Tab

• The Summary tab of the Vendor details page lists such information as the Vendor name, code, currency, and whether the vendor is active or inactive.
• The bottom of the Summary tab lists the Vendor Accounts.  These are the individual library accounts that staff will use when ordering. 
  • each vendor must have a Default vendor account.
  • individual libraries/units can also create a Vendor account which are individual library accounts with the vendor and where expected receipt timeframes for orders can be set to differ from the values on the Default vendor account. 
  • some Aleph local vendor records migrated into Vendor accounts
  • The Vendor account Description field (similar to the vendor account name) appears on orders sent to vendors
  • See Vendors (TtT) for more information

Invoices Tab

• Clicking on the Invoices tab provides you a list of all invoices entered into ALMA for that vendor.
  • You can narrow down your search for any particular invoice by clicking on the drop down in the search field and select what you want to search by. 
  • Then hit the magnifying glass to narrow down the search.
    
    
• If you click on the invoice # that you want to view you will be taken to the “Invoice Details Summary Page”. 
  • Further details on searching invoices here: Invoicing: Searching & Navigating (draft--jmg) -- awaiting JK edits
    
    

PO Lines Tab

Click on the PO Lines tab to see all PO Lines associated with that vendor.

• You can narrow down the list of PO Lines by using the Facets on the left bar.
• You can also narrow down the list by using the Search Bar at the top. Click on the drop down for options. 
  • Enter details in the search bar to narrow the PO line results and click on the scroll bar for additional search options

Communications Tab

On the Communications tab, you can review all the communications created on POLs with the vendor and send general communication to the vendor. Use the search box at the top to find a specific communication if there's a long list, and click on the row action item list icon to either View or Edit a communication.

Click on Start Communication to begin a new communication:

1. Select the Type of communication: General, Claim or Incident
2. Add a Subject
3. Type your email message in the Body field
4. Attach Files (including images) or a URL to more information, and any Notes about the attached files
5. Click Send

Vendor Reports & Analytics Tab

On the Analytics tab, you will see the Vendor’s performance for orders created in the last year. Click on Open in a new window to open the report in Analytics; for more info about Analytics, see the Analytics documentation .

Usage Data Tab (eResources)

For eResources vendors with SUSHI accounts, you will also see an Usage Data tab.  

Attachments Tab

Attachments for a vendor might include PDFs of invoices or images of materials received.

EDI Information Tab

A vendor such as AMALIVRE-EDI will have EDI information on the EDI Information tab: