Editing or Removing a Vendor

Introduction

Vendor management is an ongoing process. Contact information changes, service capabilities evolve, vendor relationships end, and filtering rules require adjustment based on your operational experience. This article provides comprehensive guidance on editing vendor records, updating filtering configurations, temporarily disabling vendors, and permanently removing vendors from your ARMOR Order Management system.

Proper vendor maintenance ensures that orders continue to route correctly, contact information remains current, and your automation rules function as intended. Understanding the implications of vendor changes—especially deletions—is critical for administrators managing active ordering workflows.

Accessing the Vendor Management Interface

Navigation Steps

1. Log in to the ARMOR web portal with administrator credentials.
2. Navigate to Order Management in the main navigation menu.
3. Click Vendors in the sub-navigation.
4. The Vendor List page displays all vendors in your account.

Vendor List Overview

The Vendor List displays the following information for each vendor:

Column	Description	Use
Vendor Name	The display name of the vendor	Click to view/edit vendor details
Contact Email	Primary email address for orders	Quick reference for contact info
Contact Phone	Primary phone number	Quick reference for contact info
Required Tags	Tags that assets MUST have to match	Understand filtering logic
Optional Tags	Tags that assets CAN have to match	Understand filtering logic
Priority	Numeric priority value (higher = preferred)	Identify vendor selection order
Status	Active, Inactive, or Disabled	Determine if vendor receives orders
Actions	Edit, Disable, Delete buttons	Modify or remove vendor

You can sort the list by any column by clicking the column header. Use the search box to filter vendors by name, email, or tags.

Editing Vendor Information

Basic Contact Information

The most common vendor edits involve updating contact information when vendor personnel change or when you discover more accurate contact details.

To Edit Vendor Contact Information:

1. From the Vendor List, click the vendor name or click the Edit button in the Actions column.
2. The Vendor Edit form opens with all current information pre-populated.
3. Update the following fields as needed:
   • Vendor Name: The display name shown throughout the system
   • Contact Email: Primary email address where orders are sent (required)
   • Secondary Email: Additional recipient for order notifications (optional)
   • Contact Phone: Primary phone number for vendor communication (recommended)
   • Secondary Phone: Backup phone number (optional)
   • Address: Physical address for vendor location (optional but helpful for records)
   • Notes: Internal notes about the vendor (optional, not visible to vendor)
4. Click Save Changes to commit the updates.

Important Considerations:

• Email Validation: ARMOR validates email addresses. Invalid formats (e.g., missing "@" symbol) will be rejected.
• Immediate Effect: Contact information changes take effect immediately. New orders will use the updated email addresses.
• No Historical Update: Previously sent orders retain the old contact information. Only new orders use the updated details.
• Email Testing: After updating email addresses, create a test order to verify that the vendor receives notifications correctly.

Vendor Name Changes

You can change a vendor's display name at any time. This is useful when:

• The vendor company rebrands or changes its name.
• You want to add more descriptive information (e.g., "CAT Service" → "CAT Authorized Service - Northeast").
• You initially created a vendor with a generic name and want to make it more specific.

Impact of Name Changes:

• Historical orders retain the old vendor name in their records for audit purposes.
• Automation rules continue to function normally (rules reference the vendor by internal ID, not name).
• Reports and analytics will show the new name for the vendor going forward.
• Users will see the new name when creating orders manually.

Modifying Filtering Rules

Changing Required Tags

Required tags determine which assets can match this vendor. When you modify required tags, you change the scope of assets that this vendor will service.

To Update Required Tags:

1. From the Vendor Edit form, locate the Required Tags field.
2. The field displays all currently required tags as removable chips or pills.
3. To Remove a Tag: Click the "X" icon on the tag chip.
4. To Add a Tag: Begin typing in the field. ARMOR will suggest existing tags from your account. Select a suggested tag or press Enter to create a new tag.
5. Click Save Changes when finished.

Common Required Tag Modifications:

Scenario	Original Required Tags	Updated Required Tags	Result
Vendor expands service to new manufacturer	CAT	CAT, Cummins	Now matches assets with BOTH tags (narrower match)
Vendor broadens service capabilities	CAT, Diesel	CAT	Now matches all CAT assets, not just diesel (broader match)
Vendor specializes in specific model	CAT	CAT, C15	Only matches CAT C15 assets (narrower match)
Create universal fallback vendor	Generator	(none—delete all tags)	Matches all assets regardless of tags

Important Notes:

• AND Logic: Remember that required tags use AND logic. Adding more required tags makes the match criteria stricter (fewer assets will match).
• Testing: After modifying required tags, test the vendor matching by creating draft orders for various asset types.
• Automation Impact: If automation rules rely on this vendor, ensure that the modified tags don't prevent automated orders from matching.

Changing Optional Tags

Optional tags provide flexibility in vendor matching, typically used for geographic routing or secondary characteristics.

To Update Optional Tags:

1. From the Vendor Edit form, locate the Optional Tags field.
2. Use the same add/remove process as required tags.
3. Click Save Changes when finished.

Common Optional Tag Modifications:

Scenario	Original Optional Tags	Updated Optional Tags	Result
Vendor expands service area	Boston, New York	Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Connecticut	Now matches assets in additional cities
Vendor exits a market	Boston, New York, Miami	Boston, New York	No longer matches Miami assets
Make vendor location-agnostic	Boston, New York, Philadelphia	(none—delete all tags)	Matches assets in any location (if required tags match)
Add fuel-type flexibility	(none)	Diesel, Natural Gas	Prefers diesel and natural gas assets, but matches others if required tags align

Important Notes:

• OR Logic: Optional tags use OR logic. An asset only needs to match ONE optional tag (plus all required tags) to be eligible for this vendor.
• No Optional Tags: If a vendor has no optional tags, it matches any asset that meets the required tag criteria, regardless of location or other optional characteristics.
• Geographic Strategy: Optional tags are ideal for multi-site organizations where vendors have regional coverage.

Adjusting Priority Values

Priority determines which vendor is selected when multiple vendors match the same asset. Higher priority values take precedence.

To Update Priority:

1. From the Vendor Edit form, locate the Priority field (numeric input).
2. Enter a new priority value between 1 and 100.
3. Click Save Changes.

When to Adjust Priority:

• Promote a Vendor: If a vendor's service quality improves or they become preferred, increase their priority above competing vendors.
• Demote a Vendor: If a vendor's performance declines or you prefer a competitor, decrease their priority below other matching vendors.
• Resolve Conflicts: If two vendors have the same priority and both match certain assets, adjust one vendor's priority to establish a clear preference.
• Rebalance Hierarchy: As you add new vendors, you may need to adjust existing priorities to maintain a logical hierarchy (e.g., specialists at 20+, generalists at 10-15, fallbacks at 5-9).

Priority Adjustment Examples:

Scenario	Original Priority	Updated Priority	Reason
CAT Specialist becomes preferred	15	20	Improved service times and quality
Regional vendor performance declines	18	12	Recent service issues; prefer national vendor
Resolve priority conflict	15 (Vendor A and Vendor B)	15 (Vendor A), 14 (Vendor B)	Ensure Vendor A is consistently preferred
New specialist vendor added	18 (existing specialist)	18 (existing), 22 (new specialist)	New vendor is even more specialized

Best Practices:

• Use priority increments of 3-5 to allow for easy insertion of new vendors.
• Document your priority strategy so other administrators understand the hierarchy.
• After priority changes, test orders for affected asset types to confirm expected behavior.

Temporarily Disabling a Vendor

When to Disable vs. Delete

Disabling a vendor is a temporary action that removes the vendor from active order processing without permanently deleting their record. This is appropriate when:

• The vendor is temporarily unavailable (e.g., on vacation, temporarily closed, undergoing ownership change).
• You're testing a new vendor and want to pause the old vendor without losing their configuration.
• The vendor relationship is on hold pending contract negotiations or performance review.
• You want to preserve historical vendor records and their association with past orders.

Effects of Disabling a Vendor:

• The vendor will NOT appear in manual order creation vendor dropdowns.
• The vendor will NOT be considered during automatic vendor resolution.
• Automation rules that would have selected this vendor will select the next-best matching vendor instead.
• Historical orders associated with this vendor remain intact and viewable.
• The vendor record remains in the database and can be re-enabled at any time.

How to Disable a Vendor

Method 1: From the Vendor List

1. Navigate to Order Management > Vendors.
2. Locate the vendor in the list.
3. Click the Disable button in the Actions column.
4. A confirmation dialog appears: "Are you sure you want to disable [Vendor Name]? This vendor will no longer receive orders."
5. Click Confirm to disable the vendor.
6. The vendor's status changes to "Disabled" in the list.

Method 2: From the Vendor Edit Form

1. Navigate to Order Management > Vendors.
2. Click the vendor name to open the edit form.
3. Locate the Status field near the top of the form.
4. Change the status from "Active" to "Disabled."
5. Click Save Changes.

Re-Enabling a Disabled Vendor

To re-activate a disabled vendor:

1. Navigate to Order Management > Vendors.
2. Use the Status Filter dropdown to show "Disabled" vendors (by default, only active vendors are shown).
3. Locate the disabled vendor in the list.
4. Click the vendor name to open the edit form.
5. Change the Status field from "Disabled" to "Active."
6. Click Save Changes.

The vendor immediately becomes available for new orders and will be considered during vendor resolution.

Permanently Removing a Vendor

When Deletion Is Appropriate

Permanent vendor deletion should only be used when:

• The vendor relationship has ended permanently (e.g., the vendor went out of business).
• The vendor was created in error or for testing purposes.
• You're consolidating duplicate vendor records.
• The vendor has never been used for any orders and has no historical significance.

Warning: Vendor deletion is irreversible in most ARMOR configurations. Once deleted, the vendor record, filtering rules, and associations are permanently removed. Historical orders will show "[Deleted Vendor]" or the vendor's ID instead of the name.

Pre-Deletion Checklist

Before deleting a vendor, administrators should verify the following:

Check	How to Verify	Action If Found
Active Orders	Go to Order Management > Orders, filter by vendor	Complete or cancel active orders before deletion
Automation Rules	Go to Order Management > Automation Rules, search for vendor name	Delete or reassign automation rules to another vendor
Asset-Level Assignments	Go to Asset Management, filter assets by assigned vendor	Remove asset-level vendor assignments or reassign to a different vendor
Historical Orders	Review past order history for this vendor	Consider disabling instead of deleting to preserve history
Pending Approvals	Check for orders awaiting approval that involve this vendor	Approve, reject, or reassign before deletion

How to Delete a Vendor

Method 1: From the Vendor List

1. Navigate to Order Management > Vendors.
2. Locate the vendor in the list.
3. Click the Delete button in the Actions column (usually represented by a trash can icon).
4. A confirmation dialog appears: "Are you sure you want to permanently delete [Vendor Name]? This action cannot be undone. Historical orders will be affected."
5. Type the vendor name in the confirmation field (if required by your ARMOR configuration).
6. Click Delete Permanently to complete the deletion.

Method 2: From the Vendor Edit Form

1. Navigate to Order Management > Vendors.
2. Click the vendor name to open the edit form.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the form.
4. Click the Delete Vendor button (usually red).
5. Confirm the deletion as described above.

Impact of Vendor Deletion

When a vendor is permanently deleted:

• Vendor Record: The vendor record is removed from the database (in some configurations, it may be soft-deleted and retained for historical queries).
• Historical Orders: Past orders associated with this vendor will show "[Deleted Vendor]" or the vendor's internal ID. Order details and history remain intact.
• Automation Rules: Any automation rules referencing this vendor will fail or fall back to alternative vendors. Orphaned rules should be manually deleted.
• Asset Assignments: Assets with this vendor explicitly assigned will lose the assignment and revert to tag-based vendor resolution.
• Reports and Analytics: Historical reports may show gaps or "[Deleted Vendor]" labels where the vendor appeared.

Handling Vendor Transitions

Replacing One Vendor with Another

When you switch from one vendor to another (e.g., due to contract changes or performance issues), follow this process to ensure a smooth transition:

1. Add the New Vendor:
   • Create the new vendor with appropriate contact information.
   • Configure filtering rules (required tags, optional tags) to match the same asset types as the old vendor.
   • Set the priority slightly higher than the old vendor to make the new vendor preferred.
2. Test the New Vendor:
   • Create test orders for representative asset types to verify that the new vendor is auto-selected.
   • Verify that order emails reach the new vendor correctly.
   • Confirm that the new vendor can fulfill orders as expected.
3. Disable the Old Vendor:
   • Change the old vendor's status to "Disabled."
   • This prevents new orders from going to the old vendor while preserving the historical record.
4. Update Automation Rules:
   • Review all automation rules that might reference the old vendor.
   • If automation rules are vendor-specific (less common), update them to reference the new vendor.
   • If automation rules use tag-based resolution (more common), no changes are needed—the system will automatically prefer the new vendor based on priority.
5. Update Asset-Level Assignments:
   • If any assets had the old vendor explicitly assigned, remove the assignment or reassign to the new vendor.
   • Go to Asset Management, filter assets by the old vendor, and update each asset individually.
6. Monitor the Transition:
   • For the first week, review all orders to ensure they're routing to the new vendor.
   • Address any issues or edge cases that arise.
7. Delete the Old Vendor (Optional):
   • After 30-90 days, once you're confident the transition is complete and historical records are no longer needed for active troubleshooting, you may choose to delete the old vendor.
   • Alternatively, leave the old vendor disabled indefinitely to preserve historical context.

Merging Duplicate Vendors

If you discover duplicate vendor records (e.g., "CAT Service" and "CAT Authorized Service" that represent the same company), consolidate them:

1. Determine which vendor record to keep (typically the one with more complete information or more historical orders).
2. Update the retained vendor's information to include any details from the duplicate record (e.g., secondary email, additional tags).
3. Adjust the retained vendor's priority and filtering rules to cover the scope of both duplicates.
4. Reassign any asset-level vendor assignments from the duplicate to the retained vendor.
5. Disable or delete the duplicate vendor record.

Vendor Edit Best Practices

Communication with Vendors

• Notify Before Changes: If you're changing a vendor's contact email or phone, inform them in advance so they're expecting orders at the new address.
• Test After Updates: Always send a test order after updating contact information to verify receipt.
• Document Changes: Use the vendor's "Notes" field to record the date and reason for major changes (e.g., "Priority reduced from 18 to 12 on 2025-11-01 due to service delays").

Filtering Rule Updates

• Incremental Changes: Make one filtering change at a time (e.g., add one required tag, test, then add another) rather than overhauling all tags at once.
• Impact Analysis: Before modifying tags or priority, estimate how many assets will be affected. Use the Asset Management interface to count assets with specific tag combinations.
• Fallback Verification: After modifying specialized vendors, verify that edge-case assets still match a fallback vendor.

Audit Trail

• Document Major Changes: Maintain a change log (internal document or in the vendor's "Notes" field) that records significant modifications, especially deletions or major filtering rule changes.
• Review Regularly: Conduct quarterly vendor reviews to ensure contact information is current, filtering rules remain relevant, and priorities reflect actual vendor performance.

Troubleshooting Vendor Edits

Issue: Vendor Not Appearing in Order Dropdown

Symptoms:

• After editing a vendor, they no longer appear when creating orders manually.

Diagnosis:

1. Check if the vendor status is "Disabled." Only active vendors appear in dropdowns.
2. Verify that the vendor has valid contact information (email or phone).
3. Confirm that the vendor's filtering rules match the asset for which you're creating an order.

Resolution:

• Change the vendor status from "Disabled" to "Active."
• Add a valid contact email to the vendor record.
• Adjust filtering rules or asset tags to ensure a match.

Issue: Wrong Vendor Selected After Editing Priority

Symptoms:

• After adjusting a vendor's priority, orders are still going to a different vendor.

Diagnosis:

1. Check the priorities of all vendors that match the affected asset types.
2. Verify that the vendor you want to prioritize has the highest priority value among matching vendors.
3. Confirm that the preferred vendor's filtering rules actually match the assets in question.

Resolution:

• Increase the preferred vendor's priority above competing vendors (e.g., from 15 to 20).
• Alternatively, decrease competing vendors' priorities.
• Ensure the preferred vendor's required and optional tags align with the asset's tags.

Issue: Vendor Deletion Failed

Symptoms:

• When attempting to delete a vendor, you receive an error message such as "Cannot delete vendor with active orders" or "Vendor is referenced by automation rules."

Diagnosis:

1. Check for active or pending orders associated with this vendor.
2. Search for automation rules that reference the vendor.
3. Look for assets with this vendor explicitly assigned.

Resolution:

• Complete, cancel, or reassign all active orders.
• Delete or modify automation rules to remove the vendor reference.
• Remove asset-level vendor assignments.
• Retry the deletion.
• If deletion is still blocked, contact ARMOR support—there may be a system constraint preventing deletion for data integrity reasons.

Issue: Historical Orders Show Wrong Vendor After Edit

Symptoms:

• After changing a vendor's name, historical orders show the new name instead of the old name.

Explanation:

This is expected behavior in most ARMOR configurations. Vendor names are dynamically displayed based on the current vendor record. When you change the vendor's name, it updates everywhere the vendor appears, including historical records.

Resolution:

• If preserving the original vendor name in historical records is critical, consider creating a new vendor with the new name and disabling the old vendor instead of renaming it.
• Use the vendor's "Notes" field to document the name change for future reference.

Vendor Removal and Automation Rules

Automation rules can create orders automatically based on triggers like maintenance schedules or sensor readings. When a vendor that's referenced by automation rules is disabled or deleted:

• Tag-Based Automation Rules: If the automation rule uses tag-based vendor resolution (most common), the rule will automatically select the next-best matching vendor based on priority. No manual intervention is required.
• Vendor-Specific Automation Rules: If the automation rule explicitly specifies a vendor by ID or name (less common), disabling or deleting that vendor will cause the rule to fail or skip vendor assignment. These rules must be manually updated or deleted.

Before disabling or deleting a vendor, review all automation rules and determine which type they are. For vendor-specific rules, update them to reference a replacement vendor or modify them to use tag-based resolution.

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

Vendor Edits and Asset-Level Assignments

Some assets may have a vendor explicitly assigned at the asset level, bypassing the tag-based filtering system. When you edit or delete such a vendor:

• Contact Information Changes: Assets with the vendor assigned will continue to use that vendor, but new orders will use the updated contact information.
• Disabling the Vendor: Assets with the vendor assigned will continue to show the vendor, but orders will fail because the vendor is disabled. You must manually remove the asset-level assignment or reassign to an active vendor.
• Deleting the Vendor: Assets with the vendor assigned will lose the assignment and revert to tag-based vendor resolution.

Before disabling or deleting a vendor, check for asset-level assignments and update them as needed.

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

Related Topics

• How to Create a Vendor - Learn how to add new vendors to your ARMOR account
• How Vendor Filtering Works (Mfg/Model Rules) - Understand the tag-based filtering system
• Assigning Vendors to Assets - Override filtering rules with asset-level assignments
• What Are Order Automation Rules? - Learn how automation rules use vendors
• Vendor Performance Analytics - Monitor vendor performance metrics

Summary

Vendor editing involves updating contact information, modifying filtering rules (required tags, optional tags, priority), and managing vendor status (active, disabled, deleted). Contact changes take effect immediately for new orders. Filtering rule modifications affect which assets match the vendor and require testing. Disabling vendors is a temporary action that removes them from active use while preserving historical records. Vendor deletion is permanent and should be used cautiously after verifying that no active orders, automation rules, or asset assignments depend on the vendor. When transitioning between vendors, add the new vendor first, test thoroughly, then disable the old vendor to ensure continuity. Regular vendor audits help maintain accurate configurations and optimal order routing.

For assistance with vendor management, contact the ARMOR Support Team.

Tags: orders, vendors, edit, remove, delete, disable, priority, filtering, contact information, maintenance