Setting up suppliers in iTrade

Adding your suppliers correctly in iTrade is essential for accurate invoicing, pricing, and job cost tracking. This guide walks you through how to set up suppliers, import their details, manage invoices, and connect your accounting system for smooth, automated workflows.

Import or Add Your Suppliers

Before using the Suppliers tab, start by loading your existing supplier details into iTrade.

• Go to the Integrations tab and select Accounting System.

• Once your accounting software is connected, you can import all your suppliers with one click.

  
  

This step automatically brings every supplier into the Supplier List, saving you from manual data entry.

If you’d prefer to add a supplier manually:

1. Click Add Supplier.

2. Enter the supplier name, and iTrade will automatically create a materials prefix to link imported parts and materials to that supplier.

3. Complete the fields for address, contact info, purchase account code, bank details, tax rates, and note

Each supplier record stores seven years of linked invoices and can be updated or archived anytime.

Create and Manage Purchase Orders

From the Suppliers tab, you can generate purchase orders directly in iTrade.

• Click New Purchase Order and enter the date, order number, and optional job or project number (this ensures the incoming invoice automatically links to the right job).

• Add a reference and select materials from your database.

• Adjust quantities and prices as needed.

• Add non-stock items, attach files, and email the order directly to your supplier.

If a supplier relationship ends, you can archive it; all invoices remain securely stored and can be restored if needed.

Control Supplier Options and Margins

Under Suppliers → Options, you can customise how iTrade handles pricing and invoices:

• Use database pricing where available.

• Add a margin to supplier cost prices.

• Use supplier list prices instead of your own margins.

• Choose how invoices are pushed through to your connected accounting system.

This flexibility ensures your pricing stays accurate and consistent across every job and project.

Automate Invoice Handling

Each iTrade account has a unique inbox email address where suppliers can send invoices directly.

When invoices are received, iTrade automatically:

• Links the invoice to the correct supplier.

• Matches job numbers from the invoice reference or order fields.

• Archive a copy of the email and file for record-keeping.

If the invoice is a PDF, you can enter the details manually or use the Bilbo Extract integration to automatically analyse and extract data, saving even more time. CSV price lists can also be imported to update your material database.

Tip: If suppliers send invoices directly to your iTrade inbox, Bilbo Extract will automatically analyse and process them for you, so no manual entry is required.

Process and Review Invoices

Once invoices are received, you can:

• Review and assign them to other team members for approval.

• Adjust margins before processing.

• Process them to push directly into your accounting software.

For CSV invoices, there’s a one-time setup to match columns (invoice number, dates, item codes, prices). After that, iTrade remembers your mapping, so future invoices import automatically.

If a CSV contains multiple invoices, iTrade splits them automatically so each can be reviewed and processed independently. Once processed, all invoices are archived and linked to the relevant jobs or projects.

Track Supplier Costs Across Jobs and Projects

Within Jobs and Projects, you can see exactly how each part or material has been allocated.

For each supplier invoice, you’ll see:

• Supplier name and invoice number.

• Buy and sell price.

• Quantity and who added it.

• The original invoice file (click to view).

This detailed tracking is ideal for profit and loss analysis, material management, and cost management on large or multi-stage projects.

Maintain Clean, Connected Supplier Records

The suppliers tab in iTrade makes supplier management simple and powerful. You can:

• Import or manually add supplier records.

• Automate invoice imports and approvals.

• Maintain full traceability for audits and compliance.

• Keep your accounting software and job records perfectly aligned.

Need Extra Support?

Setting up suppliers in iTrade keeps your purchasing, pricing, and invoicing streamlined, saving time, improving accuracy, and helping you stay in control of your project costs.

And remember: if you ever need help, iTrade’s free support team is always available at support@itrade.net. Every new trial is entitled to a free 1-hour screen-sharing training session. If you haven't already taken advantage of this, please email us to arrange a suitable day and time.

We can also provide paid, in-depth training for you and your team. Please email training@itrade.net with your preferred date & time (give us a few days' warning) and your contact number, and we’ll call you back