In CushionsERP, all Customers, Vendors (Suppliers), and Contacts are managed under a unified module called Third Parties. This approach, inherited from Dolibarr ERP/CRM, simplifies contact management and reflects how many real-world businesses operate.

🧩 What is a Third Party?

A *Third Party* represents any external entity you deal with — typically:

• 🛒 Customers — Who buy your products or services
• 🏭 Vendors / Suppliers — Who supply raw materials or services to your company
• 👤 Contacts — Individuals linked to a customer or vendor (e.g., purchasing officer, sales rep)

These are all managed from one central place to avoid duplicate data and support cases where one company is both customer *and* supplier.

📂 Creating a New Third Party

To add a new Third Party:

1. Go to the **Third Parties** menu (👥).
2. Click **New Third Party**.
3. Fill in:
   * 🏢 **Company Name**
   * 📧 **Email / Phone / Address**
   * 📦 Select **Customer**, **Supplier**, or both
   * 🧾 Set financial details if needed (payment terms, VAT ID, etc.)

📝 You can always add or remove the “Customer” or “Supplier” status later.

🔗 Contacts & Addresses

Once a Third Party is created, you can:

• Add multiple contacts (e.g., technical, billing, sales)
• Define specific billing/shipping addresses
• Set default contact roles (💬)

This structure ensures flexibility while keeping data centralized.

💡 Why This Matters

• Reduces duplication — one company = one record
• Handles real-world overlaps (e.g., partner who is both vendor & client)
• Simplifies permissions, reporting, and workflows

🔍 Quick Tips

• Use the Search Bar to quickly find Third Parties by name, email, or reference.
• Keep company info up to date — it’s reused across Orders, Invoices, and Shipments.
• Assign categories or tags to group customers/vendors logically (e.g., 🏢 “Retailers”, ⚙️ “OEM Suppliers”).

📎 Related Topics

• Customer vs Vendor Roles
• Creating Sales Orders
• Creating Purchase Orders