What is a Vendor?
A Vendor can be a supplier of materials or equipment. A Vendor can also be a subcontractor. For example, if you're a contractor hiring another company for specialized services, they would be considered a subcontractor. Some customers choose to create themselves as Vendors for specific alternative workflows or purchases.
To access the Vendors page, you have multiple navigation options:
Navigate through: Operations > Vendors
Or through: Operations > Procurement > Vendor
NOTE: Adding Vendors requires ADMIN Access.
Troubleshooting Navigation: If you cannot find the Vendors menu where expected, confirm you're using the latest navigation path, ensure menu dropdowns appear when hovering over tabs, and check that you have the necessary permissions to access the Vendors module.
Managing Vendors
When you access the Vendor page, you'll find a table with information about your Vendors.
Each Vendor has a ✓ or X icon, indicating whether or not they are Active or Inactive. If a Vendor is marked as inactive, you will not be able to use them for transactions or Job assignments.
Similar to other tables in BuildOps, you have the ability to add filters, make columns hidden/visible, adjust the density, and create saved Table Views using the controls at the top left of the table.
You can also use the keyword search to quickly find a Vendor in your list.
Click on a column header to show additional actions: Sort by Ascending/Descending order, add a column-specific filter, hide, or pin a column.
Adding Vendors
To add a new Vendor, click the "Add Vendor" button.
Fill in the required information:
Vendor Name
Vendor Type (Supplier or Subcontractor)
Primary Contact
Contact Phone Number
Email Address
Billing Address - Start typing and select an address from the dropdown.
Additional Notes (optional)
Click "SAVE" to add the Vendor to your list.
NOTE: BuildOps currently allows only one email address per Vendor, so choose the contact person who will handle emails, purchase orders, or invoices.
Editing Vendors
To edit a Vendor, click the edit pencil icon on the right side of the Vendor line.
Deactivating Vendors
To deactivate a Vendor, uncheck the "Active" checkbox when editing a Vendor, then click "SAVE."
The Vendor status symbol will change from ✓ to X, indicating it is now inactive.
Why is the Add Vendor button missing?
If you do not see the Add Vendor button, the most common cause is that your role does not have the required access to create or edit vendors. Currently, only "Admin" role has access to add vendor.
You may also see this happen if:
Your permissions were recently updated and your session has not refreshed yet
You are looking in an older menu path
Your browser is holding onto outdated page data
How to fix it
1. Confirm you are in the correct location
The Vendors page is now located under Directory → Vendors.
If you were previously using an older path, go to the Directory menu and open Vendors from there.
2. Check your role permissions
Access to the Vendors page and vendor actions depends on your role permissions.
If you can open the Vendors page but do not see the Add Vendor button, ask your company admin to review your role in Roles + Permissions.
3. Refresh your session
If your role was just updated:
Sign out of BuildOps
Sign back in
Return to Directory → Vendors
This refreshes your session and helps load your latest permissions.
4. Clear your browser cache
If the button is still missing, clear your browser cache and reload BuildOps.
5. Try an updated browser
Make sure your browser is up to date, then reopen BuildOps and check the Vendors page again.
Frequently Asked Question
Q: Why can I open Vendors but not add a new vendor?
This usually means your role allows you to view vendors, but not perform the action needed to add or manage them.
Q: I was just given access. Why is the button still missing?
Your browser session may still be using your previous access settings. Sign out and sign back in, then check again.
Q: Where do I go to manage vendors now?
Go to Directory → Vendors.