Linking Client and Vendor Records

If you manage both client and vendor/consultant records, you can either use one info center to maintain both client and vendor information or link client and vendor records together to share data.

Use One Info Center

If you are a Vision Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) Only user, you can merge the Client and Vendor info centers into one. This single info center can track all firms or companies with which you interact. You can name the single info center something like "Firms," enter all client and vendor data in this one location, and eliminate the need to maintain the data in two info centers.

• New CRM users who want to take advantage of this feature can enter firm data in the Client Info Center only and use Security Configuration to disable the Vendor Info Center for all roles.
• Existing CRM users who want to combine data from the two info centers, but who already have records entered in both, must:
  • Use Utilities > Advanced Utilities > Create Client From Vendor to add all vendor records to the Client Info Center, then
  • Use Configuration > Security > Roles to disable the Vendor Info Center for all roles.

Link Info Center Records

If you are using either Vision Accounting, or Vision Accounting and Vision CRM, you must maintain separate records in the Client and Vendor Info Centers. This gives Vision the ability to associate client records with billings and use vendor records to process payments.

However, you can use the Create Client From Vendor feature to link client and vendor records together and maintain similar information.

You can also use the Create Vendor from Client feature to quickly create a new vendor record. Vision populates the vendor record with data from the Client Info Center, thereby reducing the need for you to enter the same information at multiple locations in Vision. For example, you might link client and vendor information in the following scenario:

• Marketing develops a relationship with a prospective consultant as part of a new opportunity team. Marketing creates a client record for the consultant.
• The project is awarded.
• Accounting needs to pay the consultant as a vendor.

Vision Resource Planning Users

If you use Vision Resource Planning, you must set up clients and vendors separately. Vision's Planning application uses Vendor Info Center records for budgeting consultants and expenses.