Add first client
Create the company record a work order is raised against, and understand client, supplier, and partner types.
Every work order belongs to a company. Until one exists you cannot create a job, because the work order form asks you to choose a client and will not take an empty answer.
The same screen holds your suppliers and partners, so this is the address book for everyone you do business with.
Adding the company
Open Companies and start a new one
The form is split into basic information, contact information, and address.
Enter the name and choose a type
The name is what prints on documents, so use the trading name your client expects to see. Type is Client, Supplier, or Partner.
Add the tax and registration numbers
Both print on invoices and offers. If you are only quoting for now you can come back and fill them in before the first invoice goes out.
Fill in the contact person
Name, phone, and email of whoever you deal with there. This is who the paperwork is addressed to.
Fill in the address
Street, city, county or state, postal code, and country. This is the address printed on every document raised against this company, so it should be their registered address.
Save
The company appears in your list straight away and can be picked on a work order immediately. A client number is assigned for you, carrying on from the last one.
The three types
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Client | Companies you make parts for. These are what work orders are raised against. |
| Supplier | Companies you buy raw material from. Material orders are addressed to them. |
| Partner | Companies you work alongside, such as subcontractors and outside services. |
Type does not filter the work order client list
When you create a work order, the client picker shows every company you have entered, whatever its type. The only place type actually narrows a list is the supplier picker on a material order. Naming your records clearly is more reliable than depending on the type to sort them.
Before you add a long list
Your plan caps how many clients, suppliers, and partners you can hold, and the three are counted separately. The Usage page shows where you are against those limits.
There is no import here, so a large existing address book has to be entered by hand. If you are migrating, start with the clients you have live work for and add the rest as jobs come in.