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Partners

The “Partners” directory is used to maintain customers, suppliers, other organizations and individuals (depending on configuration). Partners are selected in sales, purchase, and invoicing documents, as well as in contracts and departments.

Where it is used​

  • sales and purchase documents;
  • invoices, bills and payments;
  • contracts;
  • partner departments (branches/locations).

Partner list​

The list typically shows basic data: Name, ID, Type, Address, Phone, Email.

If archiving is used, the list usually has a switch:

  • Active — working entries;
  • Archived — entries hidden from everyday selection.

In the system, the same “partner” can be of different types. This is important because different types store different sets of data and are used differently in processes.

Use “Legal entity” for external counterparties that are organizations:

  • customers and suppliers;
  • contractors;
  • carriers;
  • banks and other organizations.

Typical data:

  • Name and, if needed, Full name;
  • contact data and address;
  • if needed — Web site;
  • the “Legal data” tab (if enabled in your configuration).

Additionally, legal entities may have a list of contacts (see “Individual” below).

Company (our company)​

The “Company” type is used for your own legal entities on behalf of which documents are created.

When it is needed:

  • you maintain accounting for several of your companies in one database;
  • in documents, it is important to choose which company sells/buys, accepts payments, and is a party to the contract.

Practical note: if there is exactly one company in the system, it is often prefilled by default in documents (depends on settings and the specific process).

Individual​

Use “Individual” when you need to store data about a specific person:

  • a contact person of an external organization (e.g., supplier manager, customer accountant);
  • an employee of your company (if the HR/payroll contour is enabled or roles/assignees are used).

Typical data:

  • First name, Surname, Middle name;
  • Legal entity/company the person represents;
  • Position (if used);
  • phone and email;
  • if needed — Department.

Partner card​

Typical fields:

  • ID — can be filled automatically;
  • Name;
  • Type — helps separate partner roles (customer/supplier, etc.), if configured;
  • Address (including country — if used);
  • Phone, Email;
  • Archived — a flag to exclude the partner from active use.

How to choose the right type​

Use a simple rule:

  • if you describe the deal party as an external organization (customer/supplier/contractor) — create a legal entity;
  • if you describe your own organization (on behalf of which documents are created) — create a company;
  • if you need a specific person (contact, employee) — create an individual and specify the legal entity/company the person belongs to.

Typical situations and examples​

  • Customer is an organization → create a legal entity.
  • Supplier is an organization → create a legal entity.
  • Customer is a private person → create an individual.
  • Supplier contact (e.g., “John Smith, manager”) → create an individual and link it to the supplier legal entity.
  • Accounting for two own legal entities → create two company entries and select the appropriate company in documents.

Recommendations for filling​

  • Fill contact data and address immediately — this reduces errors in documents.
  • If a partner is no longer used, archive it instead of deleting.

Typical mistakes and how to avoid them​

Duplicate partners​

A common situation is when the same partner is created multiple times (for example, with different spelling).

Recommendations:

  • agree on a single naming standard;
  • move “extra” entries to Archived so they are not selected in new documents;
  • before creating a new partner, use search in the list.

If an external partner is created as a “company” (or vice versa), it leads to errors in selecting the contract party and company in documents.

Recommendations:

  • create a correct entry of the required type;
  • gradually switch processes to the correct entry;
  • move the incorrect entry to Archived (deletion is often not possible due to links to documents).