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The suppliers module helps you maintain relationships with vendors and suppliers who provide products and services to your business. Track supplier contact information, purchase history, and manage supplier accounts effectively.

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Supplier entity

Suppliers are stored in the Proveedore model with the following fields:
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Codprovee
string
required
Unique supplier code identifier (primary key)
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Nombre
string
required
Full name or business name of the supplier
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Telefono
string
Phone number for supplier contact (max 15 characters)
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Email
string
Email address for supplier communications (max 200 characters)
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Direccion
string
Physical address or business location (max 300 characters)
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Estado
int
Supplier status flag (1 = active, 0 = inactive). Defaults to 1
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CreatedDate
DateTime
Timestamp when the supplier record was created. Automatically set to current date/time

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Database schema

CREATE TABLE proveedores(
    codprovee VARCHAR(50) PRIMARY KEY,
    nombre VARCHAR(200) NOT NULL,
    telefono VARCHAR(15),
    email VARCHAR(200),
    direccion VARCHAR(300),
    estado INT DEFAULT 1,
    created_date DATETIME DEFAULT GETDATE()
)

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Indexes

The suppliers table includes the following indexes for optimized query performance:
  • IDX_proveedores_nombre - Index on supplier name for fast name-based searches
  • IDX_proveedores_estado - Index on status for filtering active/inactive suppliers

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Relationships

Suppliers have a one-to-many relationship with purchase orders:
  • Compras (Purchases): A supplier can have multiple purchase orders. The relationship is established through the codprov foreign key in the compras table.

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User workflows

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Adding a new supplier

1

Create supplier code

Assign a unique identifier in the Codprovee field. This code will be used to reference the supplier across all purchase transactions.
2

Enter supplier name

Provide the supplier’s business name or full name in the Nombre field. This is a required field.
3

Add contact information

Include the supplier’s phone number, email address, and physical address to facilitate communication and order processing.
4

Save supplier record

Save the supplier. The system automatically sets the creation timestamp and activates the supplier account by default.

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Managing supplier status

The Estado field controls supplier availability in the system:
Deactivate suppliers rather than deleting them to preserve historical purchase data and maintain audit trails.
  • Active suppliers (Estado = 1) appear in dropdown lists when creating purchase orders
  • Inactive suppliers (Estado = 0) are excluded from active supplier lists but their purchase history remains available

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Viewing supplier purchase history

Each supplier record maintains a collection of all associated purchase orders through the Compras navigation property. This enables you to:
  • Review all purchases made from a specific supplier
  • Analyze supplier pricing trends over time
  • Track delivery performance and reliability
  • Calculate total spending per supplier
  • Identify preferred suppliers based on purchase volume

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Searching for suppliers

The database indexes support efficient searching:
  • Supplier name: Search by full or partial business name
  • Status filter: Display only active or inactive suppliers
  • Supplier code: Direct lookup using the unique identifier
The supplier code (Codprovee) is immutable once created because it serves as the primary key referenced by purchase orders.

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Supplier evaluation

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Key metrics to track

Use the supplier purchase history to evaluate vendor performance:

Purchase volume

Total value and quantity of purchases from each supplier

Purchase frequency

How often you order from specific suppliers

Product range

Variety of products supplied by each vendor

Historical data

Complete purchase history with dates and amounts

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Best practices

Use a consistent naming system for supplier codes:
  • Company initials: ACME for ACME Corporation
  • Sequential numbers: SUP001, SUP002
  • Category prefix: TECH-001 for technology suppliers, OFF-001 for office supplies
  • Verify all contact details when onboarding new suppliers
  • Request multiple contact persons for critical suppliers
  • Keep emergency contact numbers for essential vendors
  • Update contact information promptly when suppliers notify changes
  • Document payment terms and conditions for each supplier
  • Maintain notes about supplier specialties and limitations
  • Track supplier lead times for better inventory planning
  • Review inactive suppliers periodically for potential reactivation
  • Consolidate duplicate supplier records
  • Archive historical supplier data according to retention policies
  • Perform regular audits of supplier information accuracy
  • Document reasons for supplier deactivation

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Integration with purchasing

Suppliers are integral to the purchasing workflow:
  1. Purchase order creation: Select active suppliers when creating new purchase orders
  2. Inventory replenishment: Reference supplier purchase history to identify reliable sources
  3. Cost tracking: Monitor purchase costs across different suppliers for the same products
  4. Vendor comparison: Analyze supplier performance to optimize procurement decisions

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