How Vendor Filtering Works (Mfg/Model Rules)

Introduction

Vendor filtering is one of the most powerful automation features in ARMOR's Order Management system. When configured properly, it ensures that orders for specific manufacturers and models are automatically routed to the correct vendor, eliminating manual vendor selection and reducing errors. This article explains how the manufacturer/model filtering system works, how rules are evaluated, and how to design an effective vendor filtering strategy for your organization.

The filtering system operates on a tag-based matching logic that evaluates asset tags against vendor rules. Understanding this system is critical for administrators who want to automate vendor selection across hundreds or thousands of assets with different manufacturers, models, and configurations.

The Tag-Based Filtering Architecture

How Asset Tags Drive Vendor Selection

Every asset in ARMOR has associated tags that describe its characteristics. Common tags include:

• Manufacturer: CAT, Cummins, Kohler, Generac, HVAC-Brand-A
• Model: C15, QSK60, 20REOZJC, RG200
• Equipment Type: Generator, Compressor, Chiller, UPS
• Fuel Type: Diesel, Natural Gas, Propane
• Location: Region-Northeast, Site-Boston, Building-A
• Custom Tags: Critical, Warranty-Active, Tier-1

When a user creates an order for an asset, the Order Management system examines these tags and compares them against the filtering rules configured for all active vendors. The system then selects the vendor whose rules provide the best match.

Required Tags vs. Optional Tags

Vendor filtering rules support two types of tag matching:

Tag Type	Matching Logic	Purpose	Example Use Case
Required Tags	ALL tags must match (AND logic)	Strict filtering for specific combinations	Vendor must service "CAT" AND "Diesel" AND "Generator"
Optional Tags	ANY tag can match (OR logic)	Flexible matching for broader categories	Vendor services "Boston" OR "New York" OR "Philadelphia"

AND Logic for Required Tags: If a vendor has required tags [CAT, Diesel, Generator], the asset must have ALL three tags to match. An asset with only [CAT, Diesel] will not match.

OR Logic for Optional Tags: If a vendor has optional tags [Boston, New York, Philadelphia], an asset with ANY of these location tags will match. This allows geographic flexibility.

The Vendor Resolution Process

When an order is created, ARMOR executes the following vendor resolution algorithm:

1. Extract Asset Tags: The system retrieves all tags associated with the asset for which the order is being placed.
2. Evaluate All Vendors: For each active vendor in the account, the system checks whether the asset's tags match the vendor's filtering rules.
3. Required Tag Check: If the vendor has required tags, the asset must have ALL required tags. If any required tag is missing, the vendor is excluded.
4. Optional Tag Check: If the vendor has optional tags, the asset must have AT LEAST ONE optional tag. If no optional tags match, the vendor is excluded.
5. Priority Selection: If multiple vendors match, the system selects the vendor with the highest priority value. Higher priority values take precedence.
6. Contact Validation: The selected vendor must have valid contact information (email or phone) to receive the order.
7. Final Selection: The vendor that passes all checks and has the highest priority is automatically selected for the order.

This resolution process happens instantly when the order form is loaded, providing immediate vendor recommendations to the user.

Configuring Manufacturer and Model Filters

Setting Up Basic Manufacturer Filtering

The most common filtering scenario is manufacturer-based routing. For example, you might want all Caterpillar generator orders to go to your CAT-certified vendor.

Configuration Example:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
CAT Authorized Service	CAT	(none)	10

This configuration ensures that any asset with the "CAT" tag will automatically route orders to "CAT Authorized Service." The simplicity makes this approach ideal for single-manufacturer fleets.

Adding Model-Specific Rules

For more granular control, you can combine manufacturer and model tags in the required tags field:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
CAT C15 Specialist	CAT, C15	(none)	15
CAT General Service	CAT	(none)	10

With this setup:

• Assets with tags [CAT, C15] match both vendors, but "CAT C15 Specialist" is selected due to higher priority (15 vs. 10).
• Assets with tags [CAT, QSK60] match only "CAT General Service" because they don't have the C15 model tag.
• Assets without the CAT tag match neither vendor.

This priority-based system allows you to define specialized vendors for specific models while maintaining a general fallback vendor for the broader manufacturer category.

Geographic Filtering with Optional Tags

Optional tags are particularly useful for geographic routing. Consider a scenario where you have regional service providers:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
Northeast Generator Service	Generator	Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Connecticut	12
Southeast Generator Service	Generator	Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Nashville	12
National Generator Service	Generator	(none)	8

How this works:

• A generator in Boston matches "Northeast Generator Service" (required: Generator, optional: Boston).
• A generator in Miami matches "Southeast Generator Service" (required: Generator, optional: Miami).
• A generator in Denver matches "National Generator Service" because no regional vendor has Denver as an optional tag. The national vendor has no optional tags, so it matches all generators.

This pattern allows you to create a regional hierarchy with a national fallback.

Multi-Dimensional Filtering

Complex environments often require filtering on multiple dimensions simultaneously:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
Cummins Diesel Northeast	Cummins, Diesel	Boston, New York, Philadelphia	18
Cummins Natural Gas Northeast	Cummins, Natural Gas	Boston, New York, Philadelphia	18
Cummins General Northeast	Cummins	Boston, New York, Philadelphia	15
National Cummins Service	Cummins	(none)	10

Matching scenarios:

• Asset: [Cummins, Diesel, Boston] → Matches "Cummins Diesel Northeast" (all required tags + optional location).
• Asset: [Cummins, Natural Gas, New York] → Matches "Cummins Natural Gas Northeast" (all required tags + optional location).
• Asset: [Cummins, Propane, Philadelphia] → Matches "Cummins General Northeast" (required Cummins + optional Philadelphia, but not fuel-specific).
• Asset: [Cummins, Diesel, Chicago] → Matches "National Cummins Service" (required Cummins, no optional tags needed).

This multi-dimensional approach provides precise routing for common scenarios while maintaining fallback options.

Priority-Based Vendor Selection

Understanding Priority Values

Priority is a numeric value assigned to each vendor. When multiple vendors match an asset's tags, ARMOR selects the vendor with the highest priority value. Priority values can range from 1 to 100, though most organizations use values between 5 and 25 for easier management.

Priority Strategy Guidelines:

Priority Range	Recommended Use	Example
20-25	Highly specialized vendors (model-specific, critical assets)	CAT C15 Certified Specialist
15-19	Manufacturer-specific vendors with regional focus	Cummins Northeast Service
10-14	General manufacturer vendors or regional multi-brand	CAT General Service, Northeast Multi-Brand
5-9	Fallback vendors, national coverage	National Generator Service
1-4	Last-resort vendors, emergency only	Emergency Service Backup

Designing a Priority Hierarchy

Effective priority design creates a waterfall system where ARMOR tries the most specialized vendor first, then falls back to more general options:

Example: Caterpillar Service Hierarchy

1. Priority 25: CAT C15 Boston Specialist (required: CAT, C15; optional: Boston)
2. Priority 20: CAT C15 Northeast Specialist (required: CAT, C15; optional: Northeast region tags)
3. Priority 18: CAT C15 National (required: CAT, C15)
4. Priority 15: CAT Boston General (required: CAT; optional: Boston)
5. Priority 12: CAT Northeast General (required: CAT; optional: Northeast region tags)
6. Priority 10: CAT National Service (required: CAT)
7. Priority 5: National Multi-Brand (no required tags)

With this hierarchy:

• A CAT C15 in Boston gets the most specialized vendor (Priority 25).
• A CAT C15 in Philadelphia gets the regional specialist (Priority 20).
• A CAT QSK60 in Boston gets the local CAT general vendor (Priority 15).
• A CAT QSK60 in Denver gets the national CAT vendor (Priority 10).
• A Cummins QSK60 in Denver gets the national multi-brand fallback (Priority 5).

Avoiding Priority Conflicts

Priority conflicts occur when two vendors have identical priority values and both match an asset's tags. In this scenario, ARMOR's selection behavior is non-deterministic—the system may select either vendor unpredictably.

How to Prevent Priority Conflicts:

• Use Unique Priority Values: Assign different priority values to vendors that might match the same assets.
• Differentiate by Tags: Ensure that vendors with the same priority have mutually exclusive tag requirements.
• Review Periodically: When adding new vendors, check existing priorities to avoid collisions.

Conflict Example:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Priority	Issue
CAT Northeast Service	CAT	15	Both match a CAT asset in Boston
Boston Multi-Brand Service	(none—matches all)	15

Resolution: Change "Boston Multi-Brand Service" to priority 12 to ensure "CAT Northeast Service" (priority 15) is always preferred for CAT assets.

Practical Filtering Scenarios

Scenario 1: Single-Manufacturer Fleet

Situation: Your organization operates 150 Caterpillar generators across 20 sites. You have a single CAT-certified vendor.

Solution:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
CAT Authorized Service	CAT	(none)	10

This simple setup automatically routes all CAT generator orders to your certified vendor. No manual selection required.

Scenario 2: Multi-Manufacturer Fleet with Regional Vendors

Situation: You operate CAT, Cummins, and Kohler generators across three regions (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest). Each region has local vendors who service all three manufacturers.

Solution:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
Northeast Power Solutions	Generator	Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Connecticut	15
Southeast Power Solutions	Generator	Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Nashville	15
Midwest Power Solutions	Generator	Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee	15
National Generator Service	Generator	(none)	10

This configuration routes orders based on location rather than manufacturer, which is appropriate when regional vendors have multi-brand capabilities.

Scenario 3: Manufacturer-Specific Vendors with Geographic Fallback

Situation: You have CAT-certified vendors in the Northeast and Southeast, but not in the Midwest. Midwest CAT assets should use a national vendor.

Solution:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
CAT Northeast Authorized	CAT	Boston, New York, Philadelphia	18
CAT Southeast Authorized	CAT	Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte	18
CAT National Service	CAT	(none)	12

Midwest CAT assets (e.g., in Chicago) don't match any optional location tags, so they fall back to "CAT National Service" (priority 12).

Scenario 4: Model-Specific Specialists with Manufacturer Fallback

Situation: You have critical C15 and QSK60 generators that require specialized service. Other models can use general manufacturer vendors.

Solution:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
CAT C15 Specialist	CAT, C15	(none)	20
Cummins QSK60 Specialist	Cummins, QSK60	(none)	20
CAT General Service	CAT	(none)	12
Cummins General Service	Cummins	(none)	12

This ensures that high-value, specialized models get expert attention while other models use cost-effective general vendors.

Advanced Filtering Techniques

Fuel-Type Differentiation

Some vendors specialize in specific fuel types. You can incorporate fuel tags into your filtering rules:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
Diesel Generator Experts	Generator, Diesel	(none)	15
Natural Gas Generator Experts	Generator, Natural Gas	(none)	15
General Generator Service	Generator	(none)	10

Propane generators (which don't match diesel or natural gas) fall back to "General Generator Service."

Critical Asset Prioritization

You can use custom tags like "Critical" or "Tier-1" to route high-priority assets to premium vendors:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
Premium Critical Asset Service	Critical	(none)	25
CAT General Service	CAT	(none)	12

Assets tagged "Critical" and "CAT" match both vendors, but the premium vendor (priority 25) is selected. This ensures critical assets receive the highest level of service regardless of manufacturer.

Warranty-Based Routing

Assets under warranty might need to go to authorized dealers:

Vendor Name	Required Tags	Optional Tags	Priority
CAT Authorized Dealer (Warranty)	CAT, Warranty-Active	(none)	22
CAT Independent Service	CAT	(none)	12

Assets with both "CAT" and "Warranty-Active" tags go to the authorized dealer. Once the warranty expires and the "Warranty-Active" tag is removed, orders automatically route to the independent service provider.

Testing and Validating Filtering Rules

How to Test Vendor Matching

After configuring filtering rules, test them by creating draft orders:

1. Navigate to Order Management > Create Order.
2. Select an asset with known tags (e.g., CAT generator in Boston).
3. Observe which vendor is automatically selected in the "Vendor" dropdown.
4. Verify that the selected vendor matches your expectations based on the filtering rules.
5. Cancel the order (do not submit) and repeat for different asset types and locations.

Common Testing Scenarios:

• Asset with single manufacturer tag (e.g., "CAT")
• Asset with manufacturer + model tags (e.g., "CAT", "C15")
• Asset with manufacturer + location tags (e.g., "Cummins", "Boston")
• Asset with manufacturer + fuel + location tags (e.g., "Cummins", "Diesel", "Philadelphia")
• Asset with no matching tags (should select lowest-priority fallback vendor or no vendor)

Reviewing Vendor Match Logic

You can review which vendors matched an asset by examining the order creation logs (if logging is enabled) or by temporarily creating orders and documenting the auto-selected vendor for each asset type.

Documentation Template:

Asset Tags	Expected Vendor	Actual Vendor	Priority	Pass/Fail
CAT, C15, Boston	CAT C15 Boston Specialist	CAT C15 Boston Specialist	25	Pass
Cummins, QSK60, Chicago	Cummins National Service	Cummins National Service	12	Pass
Kohler, 20REOZJC, Miami	Southeast Multi-Brand	National Multi-Brand	10	Fail

In the example above, the Kohler asset in Miami should have matched "Southeast Multi-Brand," but instead matched "National Multi-Brand." This indicates a misconfiguration in the optional location tags or priority values.

Troubleshooting Filtering Issues

Issue: Wrong Vendor Selected

Symptoms:

• Orders are routing to unexpected vendors.
• The auto-selected vendor is not the most specialized or appropriate option.

Diagnosis:

1. Check the asset's tags: Navigate to Asset Management > [Asset Name] > Tags and verify all tags are correct.
2. Review vendor filtering rules: Go to Order Management > Vendors > [Vendor Name] > Edit and check the required/optional tags and priority.
3. Look for priority conflicts: Ensure that multiple vendors matching the same asset have different priorities.
4. Verify tag spelling: Tag matching is case-sensitive. "CAT" and "cat" are different tags.

Resolution:

• Correct asset tags or vendor filtering rules as needed.
• Adjust priority values to ensure the desired vendor has the highest priority.
• Standardize tag naming conventions across all assets and vendors.

Issue: No Vendor Automatically Selected

Symptoms:

• When creating an order, the "Vendor" field is empty or shows "No vendor available."

Diagnosis:

1. Check if any vendors have filtering rules that match the asset's tags.
2. Verify that at least one vendor has no required tags (acts as a universal fallback).
3. Confirm that the asset has tags assigned.

Resolution:

• Create a fallback vendor with no required tags and low priority (e.g., priority 5) that matches all assets.
• Add appropriate tags to the asset so it matches existing vendor rules.
• Review and broaden vendor filtering rules to cover more asset types.

Issue: Fallback Vendor Always Selected Instead of Specialized Vendor

Symptoms:

• A general or fallback vendor is selected even when a specialized vendor exists.

Diagnosis:

1. Compare the priority values of the fallback and specialized vendors.
2. Check that the specialized vendor's required tags are present on the asset.
3. Ensure the specialized vendor has a higher priority value than the fallback.

Resolution:

• Increase the priority of the specialized vendor (e.g., from 10 to 18).
• Verify that all required tags for the specialized vendor are assigned to the asset.
• Decrease the fallback vendor's priority to ensure it only activates when no better match exists.

Best Practices for Vendor Filtering

Tag Standardization

• Consistent Naming: Use standardized tag names across all assets (e.g., "CAT" not "Caterpillar" or "cat").
• Hierarchical Tags: Use parent-child relationships where applicable (e.g., "Generator" as a parent, "Diesel-Generator" as a child).
• Avoid Redundancy: Don't create multiple tags for the same concept (e.g., "Boston" and "Boston-MA").

Priority Planning

• Leave Gaps: Use priority values like 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 instead of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. This allows you to insert new vendors between existing ones without renumbering everything.
• Document Priority Ranges: Maintain a document that defines what each priority range means (e.g., 20-25 = model specialists).
• Avoid Conflicts: Never assign the same priority to two vendors that might match the same asset.

Rule Simplicity

• Start Simple: Begin with manufacturer-based rules, then add complexity (models, locations, fuel types) as needed.
• Minimize Required Tags: Use 1-3 required tags maximum. More than that increases the risk of no matches.
• Use Optional Tags for Flexibility: Optional tags provide matching flexibility without strict requirements.

Fallback Strategy

• Always Have a Fallback: Create at least one vendor with no required tags and low priority (e.g., 5) to catch assets that don't match any specialized vendors.
• Test Edge Cases: Verify that uncommon asset types (e.g., assets with minimal tags) still match a vendor.

Regular Audits

• Quarterly Reviews: Every quarter, review all vendor filtering rules and priority values.
• Update for New Assets: When new asset types are added, update vendor rules to accommodate them.
• Remove Obsolete Rules: Delete or disable vendors and rules that are no longer relevant.

Vendor Filtering and Automation Rules

Vendor filtering works in conjunction with automation rules. When an automation rule is triggered:

1. The rule identifies the asset requiring service.
2. The vendor resolution process evaluates the asset's tags against all vendor filtering rules.
3. The highest-priority matching vendor is automatically selected.
4. The order is created and sent to the selected vendor.

This means that properly configured vendor filtering ensures that automated orders always go to the correct vendor without manual intervention.

For detailed information on automation rules, see the article What Are Order Automation Rules?

Interaction with Asset-Level Vendor Assignments

In some scenarios, you might want to override the tag-based filtering system and manually assign a vendor to a specific asset. This is called an "asset-level vendor assignment."

When an asset has an explicitly assigned vendor:

• The vendor filtering system is bypassed.
• All orders for that asset automatically use the assigned vendor, regardless of tags, priority, or filtering rules.
• This assignment takes precedence over all automation rules.

Asset-level assignments are useful for:

• Assets under long-term service contracts with a specific vendor.
• High-value assets that require dedicated vendor relationships.
• Temporary overrides during vendor transitions or testing.

For more information, see the article Assigning Vendors to Assets.

Related Topics

• How to Create a Vendor - Learn how to add vendors to your ARMOR account
• Assigning Vendors to Assets - Override filtering rules with asset-level assignments
• What Are Order Automation Rules? - Understand how automation rules use vendor filtering
• Editing or Removing a Vendor - Modify existing vendor configurations
• Understanding Parts, Service, and Capital Orders - Learn about different order types and their vendor requirements

Summary

Vendor filtering is a tag-based system that automatically routes orders to the correct vendor based on asset characteristics. The system uses required tags (AND logic) and optional tags (OR logic) to match assets to vendors, then selects the highest-priority vendor among matches. Effective filtering strategies combine manufacturer, model, location, fuel type, and custom tags with carefully planned priority values to create a waterfall hierarchy. Always maintain a fallback vendor with no required tags to catch edge cases, and regularly audit your filtering rules to ensure they align with your current vendor relationships and asset inventory.

For assistance with vendor filtering configuration, contact the ARMOR Support Team.

Tags: orders, vendors, filtering, rules, tags, priority, manufacturer, model, automation