About supplier defaults and overrides

Supplier classes make data entry easier by providing default values when users create individual suppliers of the specific class.

Before you create supplier classes by using the Supplier classes (AP201000) window, carefully consider your actual and potential suppliers.
You can divide suppliers into classes based on the types of goods or services you purchase from them or based on other properties.

First create the supplier class that will have the largest number of suppliers (and thus the most common values) and specify it as the default supplier class in the Supplier ledger preferences (AP101000) window. This class will save you time when you create a new supplier class because the elements of the new class will be automatically populated with the values from the default supplier class, so that you have fewer values to type.

Also, when you create a new supplier, by default, it will be assigned to the Default supplier class, so that in most cases you will not need to choose another supplier class.

A supplier class has only two required parameters: class ID and description. For each class, you can decide which additional elements to use.
You can enter payment terms, currency, rate type, country, VAT zone, and specific general ledger accounts and subaccounts.
You can also enter a default cash account and payment method for the class.

Do not select a foreign currency as the default currency for a supplier class, unless most suppliers of the class use this currency.
If all suppliers of the class use the same currency, you can prohibit overriding the currency on supplier documents, thus reducing the chance of input errors related to currency choice.
If some suppliers might use a non-default currency and non-default rate type on individual documents, you may allow currency overriding for suppliers in the class.

When you create a new supplier in the Suppliers (AP303000) window, by default, the elements have the values that were specified for the default supplier class.
If the new supplier should be assigned to a more specific class, select the appropriate class, which changes the default values.
You can override any value, making it specific to the supplier. However, if you have to override many values similarly for multiple suppliers, consider creating a new supplier class.

A supplier can have one or more locations, each with specific settings.
Locations, which you can add, edit, and view in the Supplier locations (AP303010) window, provide the following supplier information, which can be used as defaults for purchase orders and for payments to suppliers:

• Supplier ledger and expense accounts and appropriate subaccounts
• Payment settings and remittance information
• Purchasing and shipping-related information
• VAT-related information

The main location is created automatically when you fill in the supplier's main address and contact information in the Suppliers (AP303000) window.
The main location always has MAIN as its ID, which cannot be changed.

Once the main location is created, it is automatically listed and marked as the default location on the Locations tab of the Suppliers (AP303000) window.
If additional locations have been added to the supplier, you can set another location as the default location: select the location, and click Set as default in the table toolbar.

The purchase and payment settings specified for the default location are also displayed, respectively, on the Purchase settings and Payment settings tabs of the Suppliers (AP303000) window.
Updating the elements on those tabs also updates appropriate information for the default location in the Supplier locations (AP303010) window.

The default location's settings are also used to populate elements when you create a new location.

For a new location, you can make the following selections:

• To use the same address and contact information as were specified for the main location, or to enter new information.
• To use the purchase and payment settings and general ledger accounts of the default location, or to specify different ones.

When you enter a new purchase order, invoice, or payment, the first value you must specify is the supplier.
Once the supplier is selected, certain elements in the window are automatically filled in with the supplier's default values, including the default location and its associated purchase or payment settings.
The settings of a supplier location include such information as the payment method, the cash account, the VAT zone, the VAT registration, the shipping settings, and the supplier ledger and expense accounts with the corresponding subaccounts.
If you select a location that is different from the default one, the values change to those associated with the selected location; if needed, you can override those values.

When you print payments, the system uses the remittance information and payment settings from the document.

As a result of these default settings being used to populate elements, using supplier defaults makes data entry more efficient and saves time.