===== 👥 Third Party Concept =====

In CushionsERP, all **Customers**, **Vendors (Suppliers)**, and **Contacts** are managed under a unified module called **Third Parties**.  
This approach, inherited from [[https://www.dolibarr.org/|Dolibarr ERP/CRM]], simplifies contact management and reflects how many real-world businesses operate.

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**🧩 What is a Third Party?**

A *Third Party* represents any external entity you deal with — typically:

  * 🛒 **Customers** — Who buy your products or services
  * 🏭 **Vendors / Suppliers** — Who supply raw materials or services to your company
  * 👤 **Contacts** — Individuals linked to a customer or vendor (e.g., purchasing officer, sales rep)

These are all managed from one central place to avoid duplicate data and support cases where one company is both customer *and* supplier.

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**📂 Creating a New Third Party**

To add a new Third Party:

  1. Go to the **Third Parties** menu (👥).
  2. Click **New Third Party**.
  3. Fill in:
     * 🏢 **Company Name**
     * 📧 **Email / Phone / Address**
     * 📦 Select **Customer**, **Supplier**, or both
     * 🧾 Set financial details if needed (payment terms, VAT ID, etc.)

> 📝 You can always add or remove the “Customer” or “Supplier” status later.

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**🔗 Contacts & Addresses**

Once a Third Party is created, you can:

  * Add **multiple contacts** (e.g., technical, billing, sales)
  * Define specific **billing/shipping addresses**
  * Set default contact roles (💬)

This structure ensures flexibility while keeping data centralized.

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**💡 Why This Matters**

  * Reduces duplication — one company = one record
  * Handles real-world overlaps (e.g., partner who is both vendor & client)
  * Simplifies permissions, reporting, and workflows

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**🔍 Quick Tips**

  * Use the **Search Bar** to quickly find Third Parties by name, email, or reference.
  * Keep company info up to date — it’s reused across **Orders**, **Invoices**, and **Shipments**.
  * Assign categories or tags to group customers/vendors logically (e.g., 🏢 "Retailers", ⚙️ "OEM Suppliers").

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📎 **Related Topics**
  * [[contacts:different|Customer vs Vendor Roles]]
  * [[sales_order:creating_sales_order|Creating Sales Orders]]
  * [[purchase_order:creating_purchase_order|Creating Purchase Orders]]