What are Partner Records?
Establishing partners in your site is a critical step in ensuring that finished good document packets contain accurate data. Partners include co-manufacturers and other colleagues you may rely on to create finished goods. Associating partners with the items they provide enables the exchange of compliance documentation to the appropriate parties.
This article will walk you through the process of adding a partner record to your site, enabling you to establish valuable collaborations within the ecosystem. Whether you're working with brands, co-manufacturers, or co-packers, this will help you seamlessly associate partners within your network.
When Should You Create and/or Manage Partner Records?
Adding partner records is a crucial step, so we recommend creating partner records prior to creating a finished good or associating item components to the finished good. Partner records can be managed at any time to keep information up-to-date, for example, if a co-manufacturer moves locations.
A benefit of the Partners tab is that it was specifically designed for inputting partner-related information. Users can enjoy clearer visibility between their supply chain (in the Suppliers tab) and co-manufacturing partners supply chains (in the Partners tab).
How to Create a Partner Record
The following steps will guide you through creating a partner record for the first time. The example steps below refer to the Partners tab, but the workflow is largely the same for both the Suppliers tab and the Partners tab. See the images following the steps for a visual aid.
Step 1: Navigate to the Partners tab.
Step 2: Select ‘New.’
Step 3: Choose between ‘Partner,’ (creates a partner from scratch), or ‘Partner from TraceGains Gather®, (pulls information (such as document requirements from existing records in your TraceGains Gather® Group and automatically connects your businesses).
Step 4:
a. New > Partner: Complete the Partner Information, Plant/Co-Man Information, and Inspections fields in the resulting TraceStation, as needed.
To adjust the attributes present on this TraceStation, click the gear icon above the section navigator to visit the Configuration settings. Configuration permissions must be enabled on a user-level to gain access to these settings.
b. New > Partner from TraceGains Gather®: Select a connected partner from the resulting list. Then, Select the appropriate Location, Access Role, and check the boxes ‘Activate Account’ and ‘Enable Notifications’ if desired.
Step 5:
a. New > Partner: Select ‘Save’ when finished adding the partner information. You can select the dropdown next to ‘Save’ to determine whether to trigger eNotifications upon this initial save.
b. New > Partner from TraceGains Gather®: Select ‘Create New’ to add the connected partner.
Option A: Create from new
Option 2: Create a Connected Partner from TraceGains Gather®
How to Manage a Partner Record
Managing an existing partner record is simple:
Step 1: Navigate to the Partners tab.
Step 2:Click the gear icon in the associated partner’s row to edit the record.
Step 3: Edit the information in the desired fields.
Any field that is white is editable as necessary. Some common data you may update are Supplier ID, Supplier Name, Group, and contact information. If the field is gray, that means you cannot edit its contents. If you have concerns regarding grayed-out fields, contact your CSM or TraceGains Support.
Step 4: Use the hamburger menu dropdown to delete or deactivate the partner, view workflows, attach documents, add items, email the partner, or print the TraceStation.
Step 5: Select ‘Save’ when finished with editing the partner information. You can select the dropdown next to ‘Save’ to determine whether to trigger eNotifications upon this initial save.
Next Steps:
Now that your partners are created, it’s time to create item component records for the items they supply/manufacture that make up your company’s distributed finished goods. Read this article for instructions.