Creating a new supplier

Step-by-step guide to add a new supplier, including address and contacts.

Why supplier creation matters

Suppliers are one of the core foundations of Laminar. Almost everything you do—components, bills of materials, orders, projects, cost tracking—ultimately relies on accurate supplier information. Creating a supplier properly ensures clean data, consistent workflows, and smoother ordering experiences across your organisation.

This guide walks you through where to create suppliers, what each field means, and best practices for keeping your supplier registry tidy and reliable.

Where supplier creation begins

The easiest and most consistent way to create a new supplier is from the New menu in the top bar.

You’ll see the New button inside the top bar, on the right side of the global search bar. Clicking it opens a panel with all available creation shortcuts for your organisation.

From this panel:

  1. Click Supplier
  2. Laminar opens the Supplier Creation page at /suppliers/create

This method works from any module—Suppliers, Components, Orders, BOMs—so you never need to navigate all the way back to the Suppliers list just to add someone new.

Tip Make a habit of using the New menu. It keeps your workflow consistent and eliminates the need to hunt for per-module buttons.

Understanding the Supplier Creation page

The supplier creation screen is designed to be simple and focused, with clean input fields and clear spacing to make the process quick.

You’ll typically see sections for:

  1. Basic Information
  2. Address
  3. Contacts
  4. Additional Details (optional depending on future expansions)

Laminar only asks for the essentials, so adding a new supplier takes just a minute or two.

Filling out supplier information

Below is a breakdown of every field you’ll see, why it matters, and how to fill it out.

Name

Required. The official name of the supplier or company.

Use the name your organisation will recognise internally. If two suppliers have similar names, consider adding clarifying text (e.g., “Acme Manufacturing Co. – Beijing”).

Tip Use full names rather than abbreviations where possible. This prevents duplicate entries later.

Address

A supplier’s address helps with documentation, order routing, and internal record-keeping. The address form usually includes:

  • Address Line 1
  • Address Line 2 (optional)
  • City
  • Country
  • PIN / ZIP Code

You can fill as much or as little detail as is relevant to your organisation’s needs. If the supplier operates in multiple countries, add their primary business or correspondence address.

Note You can update addresses anytime after creation—address changes do not break existing orders.

Contacts

Contacts give your team quick access to the people they need when dealing with procurement, clarifications, or follow-ups.

Click Add Contact to open contact fields:

  • Name
  • Designation (optional)
  • Email
  • Phone (optional)

You can add multiple contacts, each appearing below the previous one. Add at least one contact whenever possible—orders and communications almost always depend on having someone reachable.

Tip If the supplier is large, choose one primary contact and label others clearly (e.g., “Technical Lead”, “Accounts Manager”). It helps when revisiting the supplier months later.

Attachments (if available)

Depending on your setup, the supplier screen may support attachments like certificates, compliance documents, or onboarding files. If your Laminar instance includes attachments:

  • Click Upload
  • Select the file(s)
  • The file(s) will appear with name, type, and remove option

Attachments help you keep all supplier-relevant documents in one place. They can be updated or replaced anytime.

Saving your new supplier

Once you’ve filled in the information:

  1. Click Save at the bottom of the page.
  2. If everything looks good, Laminar creates the supplier and redirects you to the Supplier Detail Page.

Here, you’ll see:

  • The supplier’s name
  • Address and contacts
  • A documents section (if applicable)
  • Any linked orders or items (as your system evolves)

This page is your primary workspace for reviewing and editing supplier information.

What happens after creation

After saving:

  • The supplier appears in the Suppliers list
  • It becomes available in global search
  • It can now be selected when creating components, BOMs, and orders
  • You and your team can edit it or attach documents as needed

If you create multiple suppliers at once, use the New menu again to stay efficient.

When to create a supplier

Create a new supplier when:

  • You’re onboarding a new vendor
  • A project introduces a new sourcing partner
  • You need to raise an order to a company not in the system
  • You’re managing alternate sources for a component

If you’re unsure whether a supplier already exists, use global search first to avoid duplicates.

Editing a supplier after creation

If you need to correct or update details:

  1. Open the supplier’s detail page
  2. Click Edit
  3. Adjust any field
  4. Save your changes

Changes update instantly across the system.

Note Editing a supplier does not change existing orders already sent—Laminar always preserves historical records.

Avoiding duplicate suppliers

Keeping the supplier list clean is important for reporting and ordering accuracy.

Before creating a new supplier:

  • Search by partial name (“acm”, “steel”, “tech”)
  • Check for variations (“ACME”, “Acme Ltd”, “Acme Manufacturing”)
  • Ask teammates if the supplier exists under a different spelling

If you find a duplicate after creation, you can update one of the entries to clarify which is primary.

Best practices

Use real, recognisable supplier names

Avoid internal nicknames. Others may not know them.

Add at least one contact

It makes orders and clarifications easier later.

Keep addresses up to date

Especially if your organisation ships samples, prototypes, or requires physical documentation.

Upload important certificates early (if attachments are enabled)

Compliance files, GST documents, and onboarding paperwork are helpful to have in one place.

Use the New menu for speed and consistency

It works identically from any module, reducing navigation overhead.

Common issues and quick fixes

“I can’t find the Supplier option in the New menu.”

Your role may not allow supplier creation. Ask an admin to review your permissions.

“I created a supplier but can’t find it in the list.”

Check that:

  • You’re in the correct organisation
  • The list isn’t filtered
  • You spelled the name correctly

Try searching via the top bar; it’s often faster.

“I need to create a supplier but don’t have full details yet.”

Add only the name and one contact if required—everything else can be updated later.

“Can I delete a supplier?”

Depending on your organisation’s policies, deletion may be restricted to admins. Most teams prefer editing rather than deleting to preserve history.

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