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Working in a Vendor Product List

Kevin U
  • Updated

Opening a Vendor Product List

The vendor product list is a list of vendor products in your account that are available to be selected for menu food items. A vendor product list is specific to a distribution centre (DC). 

To open a vendor product list: 

  1. From the left navigation sidebar, select Procurement > Vendors & Products. The Vendors screen appears.
  2. For the vendor/DC combination whose product list you want to open, click its name. The Product List screen specific to the vendor appears.

    vendor_product_list.png

Note: The vendor products selected for menu food items is a different list than the vendor product list  explained above. To generate the list of vendor products selected for menu food items, see Viewing Food Item/Vendor Product Selections.

Filtering the Vendor Product List

Click Filters at top of the screen to expose and use the following filters to determine what products populate on the screen.

  • Availability - select one or more availability status (e.g., Active, Out of Stock, Deleted, Suspended).
  • Attributes - select one or more of the following attributes: Breakable, Catch Weight, Special Order. 
  • Product Attributes - select one one or more product attributes specific to the vendor (e.g., Gluten Free, Vegan, etc.)
  • Order Guide Only - for a vendor that lists products from both their product catalog and a DC-specific order guide, the Order Guide Only filter is available to only display products from the order guide. 
filter_vendor_product_list.png

Why Does a Product Have a Book Icon?

Depending on the vendor, the products can be imported from the order guide, which is specific to the client account, and the product catalog, which is the full list of products available from a client's distribution centre (DC). If a product has been imported from the order guide, it presents with the book icon.

PFG_order_guide_Product_catalogue.png

Setting Preferred Columns on a Vendor Product List Screen

You can set the columns to display on a Vendor Product List screen along with their sort order. To do so:

  1. Open the desired vendor product list (as per above steps).
  2. Click the Set Columns button. The Set Columns pop-up appears.
  3. For the columns you want onscreen drag-and-drop them from the right side of the pop-up to the left side of the pop-up.

    set_columns_vendor_product_list.png
     
  4. You can determine the sort order of the columns displayed onscreen by clicking, holding, and dragging a column to it desired spot in the column list.

    set_columns_vendor_product_list2.png
     
  5. Click Apply to apply your changes and close the pop-up.

Column Descriptions on a Vendor Product List Screen

The columns on a Vendor Product List screen are explained as follows: 

  • Assigned Pack Size - stock unit per pack and stock unit weight. Note the following:
    • breakable.png - indicates the pack is breakable, which means an individual stock unit can be purchased from the pack. The green icon indicates the product's "always purchase" setting is set to full pack.
    • breakable_purchase_stock_unit.png - indicates the pack is breakable, which means an individual stock unit can be purchased from the pack. The blue icon indicates that the product's "always purchase" setting is set to individual stock unit.
    • catch_weight.png - indicates the product is a catch weight, which is typically associated with meat products to allow pricing based on weight (i.e., price per pound or price per kilogram).
  • Attributes - displays an icon attribute associated with the vendor product. For example "Made in the USA" or "Vegetarian". Hovering your cursor over the icon displays the description.
    attribute_icon_description.png
    For a description of each attribute icon, see Attribute Icon Descriptions for Vendor Products below.
  • Availability - the stock status is listed here. For example “Active” or “Out of Stock”.
  • Brand - the brand of the vendor product is listed here.
  • GTIN - global trade item number.
  • Pack Price - the price of a pack/case.
  • Parent Food - lists the food item the product is linked to (if linked).
  • Product ID - the ID of the vendor product is listed here.
  • Product Name - the name of the product
  • Vendor Pack Size - the original pack size from the vendor before it is automatically parsed or manually edited to the assigned pack size.

Searching for and Opening a Specific Vendor Product

You can search for a specific vendor product to see its details, including availability status. To do so, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the desired vendor product list (as per above steps).
  2. In the Search field enter the product ID or description of the product and click the magnifying glass or press Enter on the keyboard. 
    Note: Vendors can have unique naming conventions for their products (e.g., short forms that may not be intuitive); therefore if entering a description does not return the expected results, attempt a different description. 

    search_product.png
     
  3. The screen refreshes with the results. 

    vendor_product_list.png
     
  4. To open a vendor product to view its info click its Product Name link. A separate vendor product info window appears displaying details of the vendor product. 

    food_info.png
     
  5. If you are a corporate account then the Details link is available below the vendor product name (first screenshot below). Clicking this Details link opens the Availability modal (second screenshot below), which lists each DC that the vendor product is available from, and the availability status and pack price in each DC.
     
    vendor_product_details.png
    availability_modal.png

Viewing When Vendor Product List was Last Updated

A date and time stamp is applied whenever a vendor product list is updated with additions or removals of products, and changes to individual products (e.g., status, price, etc.).  You can view when the product list was last updated either via the Vendor Product List screen or the Vendors screen. 

Note: If you have a partner vendor (i.e., interface-enabled vendor), and it is discovered that the vendor product list is not being updated, then see the following section: What if My Vendor Product List is Not Being Updated from Interface?

Via the Vendors Screen

On the Vendors screen, you can view when a product list was last updated for a vendor. To do so, complete the following steps: 

  1. From the left navigation sidebar, select Procurement > Vendors & Products. The Vendors screen appears. 

  2. The Product List Last Updated column displays when the product list was last updated. 

    last_update_product_list.png

    If the Product List Last Updated column is not onscreen, then click the Set Columns button to open the Set Columns window. Then move the Product List Last Updated column to the Columns to Display section on the left side. Click Apply to apply the change. 

    set_columns_vendor.png

Via Vendor Product List

On a vendor product list screen, you can view when a product list was last updated. To do so, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the desired vendor product list (as per above steps).
  2. The date and time of the last update for the vendor product list is displayed at the top right of the screen. 

    product_list_updated.png

Determining Source of a Vendor Product List

You can determine the source of your vendor product lists on the Vendors screen (Procurement > Vendors & Products) via the Order Guide Source column (screenshot below). Manual means the vendor does not use an import interface and Electronic means the vendor has an import interface. 

order_guide_source.png

If the Order Guide Source column is not onscreen, then click the Set Columns button to open the Set Columns window. Then move the Order Guide Source column to the Columns to Display section on the left side. Click Apply to apply the change. 

order_guide_source_column.png

What if My Vendor Product List is Not Being Updated from Interface?

If you have an interface-enabled vendor, and the vendor product list is not being updated, you can check the status of the electronic order guide (eOG) file. If the file has failed to import, then an appropriate status message appears to help troubleshoot the issue. As a parent account, the eOG statuses for your child accounts are also listed. 

Note that if the vendor product list is not being updated, it could be an issue with your vendor customer number entered for that vendor in your account (screenshot below). 

  • Check with your vendor to ensure you have the correct customer number.
  • Ensure there are no leading zeros in the customer number, and ensure there are no spaces before and after the customer number.

customer_number.png

What If a Vendor Product is not on a Vendor Product List?

If the vendor product you are searching for is not on its vendor product list, then the following options are available:

  • If your vendor is partner vendor (vendor with interface to automatically populate and update vendor products in your account), then contact the vendor to have the product added. 
     
  • If your vendor is a non-partner vendor (i.e., vendor without interface), and the vendor products are controlled by your parent corporate account, then contact your parent account to have them manually add the product.
     
  • If your vendor is a non-partner vendor (i.e., vendor without interface), and the vendor products are controlled by your account, your account can manually add the product. 

After Product is Added, Confirm if it is Linked a Parent Food Item

When a product has been added to the vendor product list, it will go through the automatic process to be verified and linked to a parent food item (i.e., ingredient or prepared food) in the system. 

From the food item's verified vendor products, one is automatically selected to determine the nutrient data and price for the food item (for more information, see Verified Vendor Products and the Selected Product for a Food Item). 

verified_vendor_products.png

To confirm if the product got automatically linked to a food item, open the vendor product list screen and search for and open the product to see if it has a parent food item; see Searching for and Opening Specific Vendor Product. Alternatively, you can ensure the Parent Food column is displayed on the vendor product list screen to see parent food items for the products displayed; if a parent food is not displayed, then the Request Food link is available to suggest a link. 

If the vendor product did not get automatically linked, then you will have to request that the product be linked to the appropriate food item; to do so see Suggesting a Food Item be Linked to a Vendor Product. 

Note: If the vendor is an account-specific vendor (aka "user-maintained vendor"), you will have to request that the product be verified and linked to the appropriate food item in the system, as automatic linking will not occur with account-specific vendors; see Suggesting a Food Item be Linked to a Vendor Product).

Removing a Product from the Vendor Product List

If you are manually maintaining a vendor product list (for a vendor without an interface that is automatically populating the vendor product list), you have the option of removing products. To do so:

  1. Click the gear icon for the product to be deleted, and select Delete. 

    delete_product.png
     
  2. A confirmation message appears. Click Delete to the confirmation message. 

Default Attribute Icons for Vendor Products

The default icons that appear in the Attributes column for a vendor product (either a Vendor Product List or the Vendor Product Selection screen) are listed in the table below. Also note that there can be attributes specific to the vendor not listed in the table below.

Icon Description
Made_In_USA.png Made in USA
Made_in_Canada.png Made in Canada
cma.gif Committed Manufacturer Agreement (Premier GPO product)
Compostable.png Compostable
demand_item.png Demand Item (shipped from product manufacturer; requires additional lead time to order)
direct_item.png Direct Item (shipped from product manufacturer; requires additional lead time to order)
just_in_time2.png Just in Time. Indicates product must be ordered by a specific time. Hovering cursor over the icon displays the following message: 

just_in_time.png 
Gluten_Free.png Gluten Free
Halal.png Halal
HPSI.png HPSI™ (GPO product)
Kosher.png Kosher
Lactose-Free.png Lactose-Free
Locally_Produced.png Locally Produced
Marine_Stewardship_Council.png Marine Stewardship Council
Nav.png Navigator (GPO product)
Tree_Nut_Free.png Tree Nut Free
Peanut_Free.png Peanut Free
Ocean_Wise.png Ocean Wise
Organic.png Organic
sysco_logo.png Sysco-recommended product
Vegetarian.png Vegetarian
Vegan.png Vegan
vma.gif Vizient Manufacturer Agreement (Vizient GPO product)

FAQs

What is the Suggest Link for in the Parent Food column?

At this time, the Suggest Link does not have any functionality. In the future, it will allow you to request that a parent food item be linked to a vendor product. 

Who is responsible for adding vendor products?

MealSuite has no control or ability to change or add vendor products. If a vendor product needs to be added, the following options are available for the client depending on the vendor type:

The above information is also available above: What if a Vendor Product is not on a Vendor Product List?

My customer number has changed. Will that affect by vendor product list?

Yes. For an interfaced-enabled vendor, your customer number is required to populate your vendor product list specific to your DC. To update your customer number for an existing vendor:

  1. From the left navigation sidebar, select Procurement > Vendors & Products. The Vendors screen appears.
  2. For the vendor whose details you want to open, right-click the gear icon in the Actions column and select Edit. The Vendor Activation slide-out panel appears.
  3. Enter the new customer number in the Customer Number field.
  4. Click the Activate Vendor button at top right corner to apply your changes.