Using Vendor Requests to Manage On-boarding New Vendors

Built into Dynamics AX is a feature for managing the setup of new Vendors which allows users to request for new vendors to be added, for the purchasing group approval process by the way of workflows, and finally automatically create new vendor records.  Additionally, if you are using the Vendor Portal, the on-boarding process will allow you to co-ordinate the setup of the vendor users, and if you want to, you van also have the prospective vendors update and approve their information before they are approved to ensure that their details are correct, and that they want to do business with you as well.  This process is a great way to streamline the vendor setup process and is also a time saver because people are involved through the workflow process and all activities are tracked.

In this blueprint we will show how the vendor on-boarding process is handled through the Vendor Requests function within Dynamics AX.

Here are all of the topics that are included in this blueprint:

1. Configuring the Vendor Justification Workflow
2. Creating a New Vendor Request via the Employee Self Service Portal
3. Approving New Vendor Add Justification Requests
4. Configuring the Vendor Application Approval Workflow
5. Approving New Vendor Applications
6. Configuring the User Provisioning Request Workflow
7. Requesting a Portal User Account for a Vendor
8. Configuring a new Vendor Portal User Account
9. Allowing Prospective Vendors to Update Their Information

The vendor on-boarding process makes the setting up of vendors so much easier, especially when you have multiple people involved in the setup and approval process.

In this example we have just shown a couple of the options that are available to you.  Once you have mastered the basics, you can try the following:

• Adding questionnaires for gathering additional information from the vendors during on-boarding
• Tweaking the vendor justification options
• Automating the user setup process workflows
• Adding multiple routings and approval steps for the workflow processes.

This is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and may be overkill for some of you, but for those that do have more formal processes in place for adding vendors, this will definitely be a life saver and allow you to manage the on-boarding process a lot more effectively.  Give it a go, I’m sure it will be worth the setup.

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