Most organizations spend a lot of time and money on supplies, ranging from ordering goods, receiving them and making payments. However, to save on that, a company can choose to use supplier collaboration systems that make the process of ordering and payment of goods much easier. For the system to be efficient, the vendors need to be on board using the system.
A company needs to perform supplier onboarding to bring their vendors onboard. This means that the organization needs to assist its vendors to adopt the electronic data interchange or the e-invoicing system for smooth trading. This requires the suppliers to submit documents and certificates to the company. However, before doing that, there are some things or a checklist the company should consider to make the process a success.
A supplier onboarding checklist consists of questions an organization should answer before starting the process of onboarding suppliers.
What should be in a supplier onboarding checklist?
For the supplier onboarding to be a success, the company needs to have a checklist. Some of the included items are:
Know the supplier?s contact persons. When communicating about onboarding, contacting the right person can mean the difference between a successful onboarding and a failed one. Ensure that you are talking with the decision makers on the matter.
Clear communication. When onboarding suppliers, you need to give a clear message of why you need the providers on board and what is expected of them. Vendors will need to know what you expect them to do. Also, make sure they know the contact person for effective communication.
Convey the benefits to the suppliers of why they should come on board to your system. Although some of the suppliers may already be using e-invoicing and EDI, those not yet in may need to know the benefits on their side. At this point, the company should provide information about the system they are using, just in case the vendor is already using it.
Clear timeline. Vendors need to know by when they are required to be onboard. Communicating the schedule ensures that the set objectives are met, in submitting the necessary documents and in registering. To ensure compliance, consequences for vendors who do not comply can be stipulated, such as late payment of invoices. Simplify the registration process. To make the process easier to accomplish, easy to use methods can be applied. For instance, invitation links with login information can be sent to suppliers so that they can submit certificates and documents online for easy tracking. The suppliers can also manage the platform settings on their side such as including other users other than the admin and their permission.