How do I merge vendors?

Vendors 

Combine two vendor records into a single vendor record. Use Merge Vendors to copy information from a vendor and transfer it to a different vendor record. When you're finished, the Merge From vendor will be deleted.

Important! Make sure to back up the Accounts Payable database. There is no undo to restore the deleted vendor record.

 

What's new?

  • Merge vendor notes was fixed in 2023.05. When you merge vendor records, the vendor notes from the merge from vendor will be copied to the merge to vendor. 

 

Step 1: Back up the database

Merging vendors will combine the information from two vendor records into a single vendor record. If you need to restore the original vendor records, you will need to use the backup file that you just created. It's the only way to undo a merged vendor record. Use Send Databases (System Management > System Tools) to back up the AP0 database. See the help topic titled How do I back up the database? 

 

Step 2: Run Checkout to search for errors in vendor records

Run Connect Accounts Payable > Vendors  > Checkout. Then, set up the options to search vendor records for errors in the current year. Look for errors in vendor records that you wish to merge into a single record. If you know the vendor numbers that you want to merge, you can change the Vendor.Vendor number value to run Checkout only for those vendor numbers. You should fix the errors listed on the error report before you merge the vendor records together.  

Checkout

Step 3: Print the Vendor report

Run Connect Accounts Payable > Reports > Vendor History Report. Set up the report options to print the report for the vendor records that you will merge. Change the value that is assigned to the Vendor.Vendor Number to include the vendors that you will merge. Use the report as a record of the vendor files as they were before the merge. 

Vendor History Report for vendors 100 and 101

 

Step 4: Merge vendors

Now, you're ready to merge the vendor records. 

Do this...

1. Open Connect Accounts Payable > Vendors > Checkout.

2. Set up the merge from vendor.

The Merge From is the vendor number that will be copied into the Merge To record.This is the record that will be deleted after the two records merge.

Merge from vendor

 

3. Set up the merge to vendor.

The Merge To is the vendor record that you wish to keep. Everything from the merge from vendor will be copied to the merge to vendor. This is the vendor record that will be saved in the vendor table.   

Merge to vendor

 

4. Set up the checkbox titled Merge As New Remittance.

Use this option to create a new remittance record for the Merge To vendor. Creating a new remittance record will move the invoices, checks, and so on from the Merge From vendor to the new Merge To vendor and associate the items to the new remittance record. When this option is not selected, a new remittance record is not created but the invoices, checks, and so on will move from the Merge From vendor to the Merge To vendor.

Merge as new remittance

Do you want to transfer remittances from the merge from vendor to the merge to vendor?

  • Yes, transfer remittances to the merge to vendor. Click to select Merge as New Remittance. Each remittance record that's associated with the merge from vendor will be transferred to the merge to vendor. The remittance numbers will be renumbered if the merge to vendor already has remittance records and the remittance description will include the merge from vendor number. 

  • No, delete remittances from the merge from vendor. Click to deselect Merge as New Remittance. This option will delete remittance records from the merge from vendor. It will move transaction records to the merge to vendor and replace the merge from vendor's address with the merge to vendor's address.

 

 

5. Click GO (CTRL+G).

 

6. Click Yes to merge

The merge from vendor record is copied to the merge to vendor and the the merge from vendor record is deleted. 

Transaction Type

Merging will

Remittances

Use the last remittance sequence number for the merge to vendor as the starting sequence number to assign to merged remittances. If the merge from vendor address matches the  merge to vendor address, the remittance sequence number will not change. 

If the option to merge as new remittance is not selected, keep the merge to vendor's address as the vendor address on the remittance. 

Checks

Change the merge from vendor ID to the merge to vendor ID. 

If the option to merge as a new remittance is not selected, set the check remittance ID to the merge to vendor remittance ID. 

Attachments

Add the attachments to the merge to vendor and update the sequence number. 

Received on date

Change the vendor ID to the merged to vendor ID.

Requisitions

Change the merge from vendor ID to the merge to vendor ID.

Purchase orders

Change the merge from vendor ID to the merge to vendor ID.

Payment selections

Change the merge from vendor ID to the merge to vendor ID.

Recurring invoices

Change the merge from vendor ID to the merge to vendor ID.

If the option to merge as a new remittance is not selected, do not change the recurring invoice ID to the merge to vendor remittance address. 

Invoices

Change the merge from vendor ID to the merge to vendor ID.

If the option to merge as a new remittance is not selected, do not change the merge to invoice remittance ID to the merge to vendor invoice remittance ID.

Merchant invoice details

Change the vendor ID on the merge from vendor invoice detail to the merge to vendor ID. 

Vendor summary

If the year on the merge from vendor summary does not match the year on the merge to vendor, change the vendor ID on the vendor summary to the merge to vendor ID.

If the year on the merge from vendor summary does match the year on the merge to vendor, update the merge to vendor summary dates and change the merge from vendor summary dates and increment values to the merge to vendor summary dates and increment values. 

Beginning balance

If the merge from vendor and merge to vendor have a beginning balance, set the merge to vendor beginning balance to the beginning balance with the most recent date. For example, if the beginning balance on the merge from vendor is dated after the date on the beginning balance on the merge to vendor, then merging vendors will use the beginning balance on the merge from vendor. 

Notes

Use the date and timestamp on the merge from vendor notes to add the notes to the merge to vendor. The merged notes will include the date, user ID, and merge from vendor number in the description. Example: MM/DD/YYYY - UserID - From vendor ### 

 

 

 

Step 5: Look up the merged vendor record in Vendor Inquiry

The last step is to verify the information and transactions in the merged vendor record. Use Vendor Inquiry to look up the merge to vendor number. Use the vendor history report for the merged from vendor and the merged to vendor to carefully review the merged vendor information. 

If the merge to vendor record is missing information from the merge from vendor, you can

  • add the missing information to the merge to vendor reocrd. Use the vendor history report that you printed in step 3 for the merge from vendor to update the vendor record, or  

  • use the backup file to restore both vendor records and start over.  

 

 

2023.05, 2023Feb14

 

 

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