What are Partner Records?
A partner record connects suppliers, co-manufacturers, and other collaborators to the items they provide. These records help maintain accurate compliance documentation, improve supply chain visibility, and streamline communication. In TraceGains, partner records play a crucial role in tracking relationships and ensuring necessary data is properly associated with finished goods
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.
When Should You Create and Manage Partner Records?
Creating and managing partner records ensures smooth operations by organizing supplier relationships before associating items or creating finished goods. Keeping these records up to date—such as when a co-manufacturer relocates—helps businesses maintain accurate documentation and stay compliant. The Partners tab provides an organized view of supply chain connections, making it easier to track collaborations.
The Partners sub-tab in Supplier Management is specifically designed for managing partner-related information. It improves visibility between your supply chain (tracked in the Suppliers sub-tab) and co-manufacturing partner networks, ensuring smoother collaboration and data organization.
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 Supplier Management > Partners sub-tab, but the workflow is largely the same for Suppliers sub-tab.
Step 1: Navigate to the Supplier Management > Partners sub-tab
Step 2: Select 'New' and choose between ‘Partner’ (creates a partner from scratch) or ‘Partner from TraceGains Gather® (pulls existing information such as document requirements from existing records in your TraceGains Gather® Group and automatically connects your businesses
Step 3:
a. If you selected New > Partner: Choose a Partner ID and Partner Name. The rest of the fields can be left blank.
To adjust the attributes present on this TraceStation, click the gear icon above the section navigator on the left of the page to visit the Configuration settings. Configuration permissions must be enabled on a user-level to gain access to these settings.
b. If you selected 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. Click 'Create New', which will then take you to the TraceStation.
Step 4:
a. If you selected 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. If you selected New > Partner from TraceGains Gather®: Select ‘Create New’ to add the connected partner.
How to Manage a Partner Record
Managing an existing partner record is simple:
Step 1: Navigate to the Partners sub-tab.
Step 2: Click the edit 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
- add items
- attach documents
- email the partner
- 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.