Suppliers and replenishment

Set up the supplier

A supplier record stores who to contact and how to order. Built-in fields include Contact, Contact Email, Phone number, How to Order, Website, Lead Time, Payment, Invoices/Receipts, Account Notes, Status, and Notes.

How to Order includes Website, Email vendor, Email order form, Amazon, Text, Call vendor, Standing donation, and Other. The selected method determines whether the order preparation screen offers an email, a website link, or instructions for an offline order.

Supplier rows also show stock context, including Stock status, Low Stock Items, and Out of Stock Items. Their Order button is available as Place Order or a stronger Reorder Needed prompt when there is a current need. These prompts are derived from linked inventory rather than a separately maintained supplier checklist.

Tell Matte when and how to replenish

Targets are shared by all batches for an item at a location. A new lot does not need a separate reorder point. Purchase suggestions use the relevant unit conversions and ordering multiples. The purchase-or-transfer source records your intended process; it currently does not generate an automatic transfer task or keep that stock requirement out of supplier suggestions.

1. Link each purchased item to its supplier.
2. Open the item's stock targets and choose the location to monitor.
3. Set Reorder at and Par level in a known unit. The reorder point triggers attention; par is the target to replenish toward.
4. Choose Ask to purchase more if this location buys from the supplier.
5. For a room supplied internally, choose Ask to transfer in and select its source location instead.
6. Review the low-stock view and supplier prompts after recording stock changes.

Prepare and review a supplier order

The preparation screen can show how far an item is below target and approximate days of stock remaining, based on distributions in the previous 28 days. This is context for the review, separate from the 84-day Demand forecast report.

Use Copy items or Use email app if you want to finish through another channel. Opening your email app does not mark the order placed. Record the placement after the external action is complete.

When sending through Matte, the result distinguishes Order email queued, Order sent, and delivery failures or uncertainty. Follow queued delivery in Agent work, and check with the recipient before retrying a delivery marked uncertain.

1. Choose Place Order or Reorder Needed on the supplier. If Matte offers a choice involving an existing order, review that order before starting another.
2. Check the purchase-order draft and Deliver to location.
3. Review the suggested item quantities and units. Add other items from that supplier or remove draft lines you do not intend to order.
4. For email ordering, check To, Cc, Subject, and Message. Quantity edits in the composer are saved to the purchase order so the email and document stay aligned.
5. Use the available send action for email, or open the supplier's site or copy the order information for another ordering method.
6. After placing an order outside Matte, use Mark placed. Return to the purchase order when the delivery arrives.

Set ordering defaults and email templates

Purchase Orders settings has a Procurement section. Ordering defaults includes the delivery address, a Daily order-email limit, and Reorder reminders. The reminder choices are Off, Daily, and Weekly.

An Order email template supplies the workspace default subject and body. Click a variable to insert it, review the live sample preview, and fix any unknown variables before choosing Save template. A per-item repeat block supports a custom layout for the order lines. Reset to default restores the built-in template.

The prepared message is a draft until it is sent. Check its recipient and destination information as part of the order review. A website or phone ordering workflow still requires someone to place the order with the supplier; opening the supplier page alone does not complete checkout.

Supplier-specific template overrides are supported through the API and agent actions. The current supplier record does not provide a dedicated template editor. The Procurement settings screen edits the workspace default.

Link a supplier product and open a filled cart

This integration supports public Shopify product catalogs and cart links. Linked quantities are rounded up to whole supplier packs. Sign in to the supplier store so its account-specific prices apply, then check the actual price and contents before checkout. Matte does not complete payment or place the website order for you.

1. Open the item, choose its supplier, and open Supplier product in the item setup controls.
2. Search the supplier's saved store or paste a product link and choose Look up. Select the correct product variant.
3. Confirm how many base units one supplier pack contains, then save the listing. Use Unlink if the product mapping is no longer correct.
4. Prepare the supplier order. Apply quantity changes with Update totals before opening its cart.
5. Choose Open cart at the supplier, review the store cart, add any lines marked Add by hand, and complete checkout on the supplier's site.

Use reminders and optional auto-send

Replenishment alerts follow stock status. They open when an eligible stock requirement needs attention and resolve when the condition recovers. In supplier order preparation, Remind me next week snoozes the current prompt. The supplier can show a Snoozed order label while that need is deferred.

Reorder reminder emails collect unresolved needs by supplier on the configured daily or weekly schedule. They are reminders to review work, not receipts or supplier confirmations.

A supplier has an Auto-send orders when low option. When deliberately enabled, the background workflow can prepare and queue an order email for a supplier with an open need. It applies to eligible email-ordering suppliers with a recipient and valid order details; it does not automate website checkout or phone calls.

Review supplier details, stock targets, delivery destination, and the order email template before enabling auto-send. The daily email limit still applies, and outgoing order-email history remains attached to the purchase order.

Know the current boundaries

Procurement settings, templates, order preparation, and sending require purchase-order management access and the applicable plan. Viewing a supplier record alone does not authorize sending an order.

Replenishment uses stock thresholds, par levels, and purchase-unit rules. The Demand forecast report does not currently change those targets or automatically create forecast-driven orders.

Lead Time and payment instructions help staff understand the supplier. The Shopify product and cart integration supports a specific store workflow, not a general integration with every vendor website. Listing prices are snapshots, and checkout remains on the supplier site.

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