Assigning Vendors to Assets

Modified on Tue, 18 Nov at 1:40 PM

Assigning Vendors to Assets

Vendor assignment determines which vendor fulfills orders for a specific asset. The Order Management System offers two assignment methods: automated rule-based assignment (where vendors are selected based on asset tags and priorities) and manual assignment (where admins explicitly override the automated selection).

This article explains how both methods work, when to use each approach, and how to troubleshoot vendor assignment issues.

Overview: How Vendor Assignment Works

When a user creates an order for an asset, the system follows this process to determine which vendor receives the order:

Collect Asset Tags: The system retrieves all tags assigned to the asset (manufacturer, model, location, type, etc.)
Match Tags to Rules: Compare asset tags against all active automation rules to find matches
Evaluate Required and Optional Tags: Rules with required tags ALL matching AND at least one optional tag matching (if specified) are considered matches
Select Highest Priority: If multiple rule assignments match for the order type (part/service/capital), the assignment with the lowest priority number (highest priority) is selected
Validate Vendor Contact: Ensure the selected vendor has the appropriate contact email for the order type
Return Vendor: The system auto-populates the vendor in the order form, or allows manual override if configured

If no rules match, the system may allow the user to manually select a vendor or present an error indicating no vendor is available.

Automated Rule-Based Assignment

Automated assignment uses Order Automation Rules and Rule Assignments to determine vendors based on asset characteristics.

How Rules Link Vendors to Assets

When you create a vendor with conditions (tag requirements), the system automatically generates:

Order Automation Rules: Logical conditions specifying which assets match (based on required and optional tags)
Rule Assignments: Links between rules and vendors for specific order types (part, service, capital), including priority settings

Example: You create a vendor "CAT Parts Supply" with condition: Required Tags = CAT, Engine, Optional Tags = (blank).

The system generates:

Rule: "Match assets with tags CAT AND Engine"
Rule Assignment: "For part orders matching this rule, use CAT Parts Supply with priority 1"

Now, when a user creates a part order for any asset tagged CAT and Engine, the system auto-selects CAT Parts Supply.

Priority-Based Selection

Multiple vendors may match the same asset. Priority determines which vendor is selected.

Priority Number	Selection Order	Use Case
1	First choice (highest priority)	Preferred vendor, best pricing, primary partner
2	Second choice (fallback)	Backup vendor if primary unavailable
3+	Additional fallbacks	Tertiary options, specialty vendors

Example: Engine Service Orders

Two vendors provide engine service:

Vendor A: "Preferred Engine Service" - Priority 1
Vendor B: "Backup Engine Service" - Priority 2

An asset tagged Engine matches both vendors. The system selects Vendor A (priority 1).

If you disable Vendor A or remove its contact email, the system falls back to Vendor B (priority 2) for future orders.

Order Type Specificity

Rule assignments are order-type-specific. A vendor may handle parts but not service, or service but not capital.

Scenario	Part Orders	Service Orders	Capital Orders
Parts-Only Vendor	Vendor A	(no match - prompt user)	(no match - prompt user)
Service-Only Vendor	(no match)	Vendor B	(no match)
Full-Service Vendor	Vendor C	Vendor C	Vendor C

When creating an order, the system only considers vendors with rule assignments for that specific order type.

Tag Matching Logic

Rules use two types of tags for matching:

Tag Type	Logic	Example
Required Tags	Asset MUST have ALL required tags	Required: `CAT, Engine` - Asset needs both tags to match
Optional Tags	Asset must have AT LEAST ONE optional tag (if optional tags exist)	Optional: `Model-3406, Model-3408` - Asset needs one of these models

Example 1: Simple Manufacturer Match

Rule: Required = CAT, Optional = (blank)
Asset Tags: CAT, Engine, Model-3406
Result: ✅ Match (has CAT, no optional tags to check)

Example 2: Manufacturer + Model Match

Rule: Required = CAT, Engine, Optional = Model-3406, Model-C15
Asset Tags: CAT, Engine, Model-3406, Location-Site1
Result: ✅ Match (has CAT and Engine, has Model-3406 from optional list)

Example 3: Missing Required Tag

Rule: Required = CAT, Engine, Optional = (blank)
Asset Tags: CAT, Generator (missing "Engine")
Result: ❌ No Match (doesn't have all required tags)

Example 4: Missing Optional Tag

Rule: Required = CAT, Engine, Optional = Model-3406, Model-3408
Asset Tags: CAT, Engine, Model-C15 (has required, but optional doesn't match)
Result: ❌ No Match (none of the optional tags present)

Manual Vendor Override

Admins can manually override the automated vendor selection during order creation or by editing existing orders.

When to Use Manual Override

Vendor Temporarily Unavailable: Primary vendor can't fulfill order, manually select backup
Special Pricing Agreement: Specific order qualifies for discount with alternate vendor
Warranty Coverage: Equipment under warranty requires OEM vendor, not default parts supplier
Geographic Proximity: Asset location change makes alternate vendor more efficient
Vendor Relationship Management: Distribute orders to maintain multiple vendor relationships

How to Manually Override Vendor Selection

During order creation:

Navigate to Order Management → Create Order
Select asset (system auto-populates vendor based on rules)
Click Change Vendor or vendor dropdown
Select alternate vendor from list (shows all vendors with contact email for this order type)
Complete order details and submit

The manually selected vendor overrides rule-based assignment for this order only—it does not change future order routing.

Editing Vendor After Order Creation

Admins can change the vendor for existing orders (before sending):

Navigate to Order Management → Orders
Find the order and click Edit
Change the vendor field to alternate vendor
Save changes

Note: Once an order status changes to "Sent", you cannot edit the vendor (order already notified to original vendor).

Testing Vendor Assignment

Before deploying vendor configurations to production, test assignments to ensure correct routing.

Method 1: Preview Vendor for Asset

Some configurations allow you to view which vendor would be selected for an asset without creating an actual order:

Navigate to asset detail page
View "Vendor Assignment" section (if available)
See which vendor is linked for each order type

This shows you the result of rule matching for that specific asset.

Method 2: Create Test Order

Create an order for the test asset
Verify the correct vendor auto-populates
Do NOT send the order—cancel or delete it after verification

Method 3: Review Rule Assignments

Directly inspect rule assignments to understand routing logic:

Navigate to Order Management → Rules
Select a rule to view linked vendors
Check Rule Assignments to see order types and priorities
Verify priority numbers are correct for intended fallback order

Managing Assignment Priorities

You control vendor priority by editing rule assignments.

How to Change Vendor Priority

Navigate to Order Management → Rule Assignments
Find assignments for the relevant rule and order type
Edit the Priority field:
- Lower numbers = higher priority (1 is highest)
- Increment by 1 for each fallback level
Save changes

Example: Swapping Primary and Backup Vendors

Current state:

Vendor A: Priority 1 (primary)
Vendor B: Priority 2 (backup)

To swap:

Change Vendor A to Priority 2
Change Vendor B to Priority 1

Result: Vendor B becomes primary, Vendor A becomes backup.

Best Practices for Priority Management

Use Sequential Numbers: Priority 1, 2, 3 (not 1, 5, 10)—makes fallback order clear
Document Reasoning: Note why specific vendors have priority (pricing, service level, location)
Review Quarterly: Vendor performance or contracts change—update priorities accordingly
Avoid Ties: Don't assign multiple vendors the same priority (system behavior unpredictable)

Common Vendor Assignment Scenarios

Scenario 1: Single Vendor Per Manufacturer

Setup:

Vendor A handles all CAT equipment (parts, service, capital)
Vendor B handles all Cummins equipment (parts, service, capital)

Rules:

Rule 1: Required = CAT → Vendor A (priority 1 for part, service, capital)
Rule 2: Required = Cummins → Vendor B (priority 1 for part, service, capital)

Result: CAT assets always go to Vendor A, Cummins assets always go to Vendor B. No fallback configured.

Scenario 2: Preferred and Backup Vendors

Setup:

Vendor A is preferred for all engine parts (best pricing)
Vendor B is backup for engine parts (use when Vendor A unavailable)

Rules:

Rule 1: Required = Engine → Vendor A (priority 1 for part)
Rule 1: Required = Engine → Vendor B (priority 2 for part)

Result: Engine part orders default to Vendor A. If Vendor A is disabled or manually overridden, system can fall back to Vendor B.

Scenario 3: Order Type Separation

Setup:

Vendor A provides parts only
Vendor B provides service only
Both vendors support HVAC equipment

Rules:

Rule 1: Required = HVAC → Vendor A (priority 1 for part only)
Rule 1: Required = HVAC → Vendor B (priority 1 for service only)

Result: HVAC part orders go to Vendor A, HVAC service orders go to Vendor B.

Scenario 4: Geographic Assignment with Scope Tags

Setup (Multi-Tenant):

Vendor A services Texas locations only
Vendor B services California locations only
Both vendors handle plumbing work

Rules:

Rule 1: Required = Plumbing, Scope Tags = Site-TX-Dallas, Site-TX-Houston → Vendor A
Rule 2: Required = Plumbing, Scope Tags = Site-CA-LA, Site-CA-SD → Vendor B

Result: Texas users see Vendor A for plumbing orders, California users see Vendor B. Geographic separation maintained automatically.

Troubleshooting Assignment Issues

Issue: No Vendor Auto-Selects for Asset

Symptoms: User creates order, vendor field is empty or shows "No vendor available."

Possible Causes:

Asset Tags Don't Match Any Rules: Asset lacks tags required by existing rules
Vendor Missing Contact Email: Vendor matched, but no contact email for this order type
All Matching Vendors Disabled: Rules match, but all linked vendors are inactive
Scope Tag Mismatch: User's scope doesn't match vendor's scope tags

Solutions:

Verify Asset Tags: Check asset detail page—does asset have tags that match vendor conditions?
Check Vendor Contact Emails: Ensure vendor has appropriate contact email (parts/service/capital)
Review Rule Assignments: Confirm rule assignments exist for the order type
Verify Vendor Status: Ensure vendor is not disabled
Check Scope Tags: For multi-tenant setups, verify user and vendor scope alignment

Issue: Wrong Vendor Auto-Selects

Symptoms: System selects Vendor B, but you expected Vendor A.

Possible Causes:

Priority Configuration Incorrect: Vendor B has higher priority (lower number) than Vendor A
Vendor A Missing Contact Email: Vendor A matched but lacks contact email for order type, system falls back to Vendor B
Rule Matching Error: Asset tags don't match Vendor A's rules as expected

Solutions:

Review Priorities: Check rule assignment priorities—adjust to make Vendor A priority 1
Verify Contact Emails: Ensure Vendor A has contact email for the order type
Test Tag Matching: Manually verify asset tags match Vendor A's required and optional tags

Issue: Manual Override Not Available

Symptoms: User cannot manually select alternate vendor during order creation.

Possible Causes:

User Lacks Permission: Regular users may not have manual vendor override capability (admin-only feature)
Configuration Restriction: System configured to enforce rule-based assignment only

Solutions:

Elevate User Permission: Grant admin access if user needs manual override capability
Admin Override: Admin can edit the order after creation to change vendor

Best Practices for Vendor Assignment

Tag Strategy Consistency

Use consistent tagging across assets to ensure reliable vendor matching:

Standardize Manufacturer Tags: Always use CAT (not Caterpillar or Cat)
Model Tag Format: Use Model-3406 format consistently
Type Tags: Apply Engine, Generator, HVAC to categorize assets
Location Tags: Tag with Site-Location for geographic routing

Maintain Clear Priority Hierarchy

Establish and document priority reasoning:

Priority 1: Preferred vendor (best pricing, service level, strategic partner)
Priority 2: Backup vendor (if primary unavailable or specific circumstances)
Priority 3+: Specialty or emergency vendors

Test Before Full Deployment

Before rolling out vendor assignments organization-wide:

Create test assets with representative tags
Create test orders to verify correct vendor selection
Test fallback scenarios (disable priority 1 vendor, verify priority 2 engages)
Confirm email notifications reach correct vendor contacts

Regular Audits

Periodically review vendor assignments (quarterly recommended):

Verify Active Vendors: Remove or disable vendors no longer used
Update Priorities: Adjust based on vendor performance or contract changes
Check Rule Coverage: Ensure all asset types have appropriate vendor coverage
Validate Contact Emails: Confirm vendor contact emails are current

Next Steps

Now that you understand vendor assignment, explore these related articles:

How Vendor Filtering Works (Mfg/Model Rules) - Deep dive into tag matching algorithms
What Are Order Automation Rules? - Detailed explanation of rules and assignments
How to Create a Vendor - Step-by-step vendor setup process
Editing or Removing a Vendor - Modifying vendor configurations safely

Effective vendor assignment ensures orders route to the right providers automatically, improving fulfillment speed and reducing manual intervention.