Vendors Directory

Note: Click on the images to enlarge them. 

Viewing the Vendors Directory

To view the Vendors Directory, click the Maintenance Tab and select Vendors Directory. You'll see a list of all vendors in your building's Vendors Directory, along with vendor compliance information. To export the Vendors Directory so you can print it or save it to your computer, click the blue Export to Excel button. 

To turn your Vendors Directory on or off, please contact BuildingLink Technical Support. 

You can confirm the active/inactive status of the Vendors Directory in the General Building Set-up Options menu under the Settings Tab.

Adding companies to the Vendors Directory

To add a company to the Vendors Directory, click the Maintenance Tab and select Vendors Directory. In the top right corner, click the green Add More Vendors from Master List button.

To search the master list, fill out the search fields at the top of the screen and click the blue Search button. You'll be taken to a BuildingLink Vendors/Contractors Master List, where you can view all companies currently in BuildingLink's master list. The Vendors/Contractor Master List is comprised of companies other BuildingLink buildings have added to their own Vendors Directory. These companies are pulled from other buildings' directories; that way, you are less likely to have to enter contact information for well-known companies yourself. 

You can also scroll through the master list and view all companies available. If you'd like to confirm the contact details for a company before adding it to your building's directory, click View Details. 

To add a company to your building's directory from the master list, click Add to My Directory to the right of a specific listing. 

If the company you're trying to add is not listed on the Vendor/Contractor Master List, click the green Create new company button in the top right corner of the search window. 

NOTE: To avoid adding duplicates, please be sure the company is not already on the master list by searching the master list thoroughly for this company first, as any company you create will also be added to BuildingLink's Vendor/Contractor Master List. 

In the Create New Company window, fill out all company information under "Basic Info." 

All general information entered into the "Basic Info" section for new companies will appear on the BuildingLink Vendor/Contractor Master List and your building's own Vendors Directory. All information entered in the Basic Info section should be non-private. You can include Building-specific or private information in the following section. 

Note the check box next to Allow Maintenance Requests To Be Assigned To This Vendor?  If you check this box, you can assign Maintenance Requests to the vendor and record any work orders completed by the vendor. 

In the Building-Specific Information section, you can enter your building's specific contact at the company. This information is for your building only and will not be added to BuildingLink's Master list.

Keep in mind that if you add an email address to the email field, you can email work orders to this vendor if you decide to. You will also be able to input vendor compliance information for the vendor if you wish. 

You can also initially track this contractor's compliance by selecting Yes or No. More on tracking compliance can be found below in this article. 

Click Save after entering all information to save your new contractor. 

After saving your entry, you'll be taken back to your Vendors Directory, where your new entry will now be listed. 

Editing the details of a contractor in your directory

You can add notes, add/remove additional building-specific contacts, track compliance, and edit basic info. To edit contractor details, click View/Edit next to the contractor entry you want to update. 

Note: You can only edit Basic Info for vendors added to the master list by your building. Although, you can add notes, add/remove additional building-specific contacts, and track compliance for all contractors in your buildings directory. 

You can add notes (ex., the vendor's on-site parking requirements or your technician's preferred schedule) or the vendor's induction date at your site. At the bottom right of the page, click Add Note or Add Site Induction; you then enter your note/date in the open text field. Click Save Note after entering the new information to save it to your contractor's file. 

Removing a Vendor from the Vendors Directory

To remove a listing in the Vendors Directory, click Remove to delete the vendor from your building's Vendors Directory permanently. 

Note: You can only remove vendors from your building's directory, not the BuildingLink master list. 

Tracking Vendor Compliance

When adding or editing any vendor, a Vendor Compliance option is available. 

By vendor, this will allow you to decide whether you'd like to track their compliance. If you set the "Track Vendor Compliance?" option to "Yes," you can choose which types of documentation must be uploaded for the vendor to be marked as "Compliant." 

Examples of compliance documents: 

• License: Contractors License, Plumbing License, Practitioners License
• Workers Compensation: A certificate of insurance (COI) for the worker's compensation policy of the contractor. 
• Liability Insurance: A certificate of insurance (COI) for the contractor's liability policy. 
• Certification: Certificates of training, local government-required certificates, (alternate use) a certification that permits this contractor to work in your building. 

Compliance status will display on the main page of your Vendors Directory as Compliant, Non-Compliant, or Not Tracked. 

Note: Having just one of the required compliance types incompliant will cause the vendor to display Non-Compliant on the main Vendors Directory.

If you do not select any required compliance types, the vendor will be automatically marked as Compliant. 

If you select certain compliance types and required, the vendor will be marked as Not Compliant unless compliance documentation is uploaded via the "add" links. 

Adding Compliance Documents

To upload compliance documentation, click the add link next to the appropriate compliance type. You can select an expiration date for when the compliance documentation must be renewed or choose "No Expiration." (If you choose an expiration date, the Vendor Compliance Status will automatically change to "Expired" once the expiration date is reached.) Click Save to save the documentation.

Renewing Compliance Document

Clicking renew on an expired compliance document will allow the vendor to be marked as compliant again and allow you to upload new compliance documentation. 

Setting up Compliance Notifications

You can set up email notifications to alert the appropriate people that vendor compliance documentation will expire soon. To do so, click on the Settings Tab, select General Building Set-up Options, and use the drop-down menu at the top to select Section 40, Vendor Directory/Compliance, or scroll down to section 40. 

Once in section 40, select "Yes" under Notify management 30 days before Vendor Compliance documentation expiration? and then input the email address(es) of the people who should be notified. 

A separate email notification will be sent to your supplied email address(es) for any vendor with documentation expiring; however, if the same vendor has multiple compliance types expiring on the same date, those notifications will be grouped into one email. Click Save to save your new notification setting. 

Vendors Expiring Action Items 

Even if you choose not to set up email notifications, you will always be able to quickly and easily see if any vendors have documentation expiring in the next 30 days from the Action Items list on your Manager Dashboard.

Vendor Insurance Compliance Summary

You may also view vendor compliance information from the Vendors Directory page via the Compliance Summary at the top of the Vendors/Contractors Directory page. 

Show the Vendor Compliance Column 

If you don't see the Vendor Compliance column on the Vendors/Contractors Directory page, select it under the Options section at the top of the list. This column will display the following statuses for vendor compliance: Not Tracked, Not Compliant, Compliant, Compliant (Expiring within 30 days), and Expired. 

Contacting Vendors

To contact a vendor, click the Maintenance Tab and select Vendors Directory. Next to each vendor, you'll see all relevant contact information. 

If the vendor has a recorded email address on file, there will also be an open envelope icon in the Contact Vendor column. Click on that icon to email the vendor using your chosen email program. 

If the vendor's website is on file, a small globe will be available as a quick link to the company's website. (Via a pop-up window)

Assigning Work Orders to Vendors 

When entering or editing a Maintenance Request in the Maintenance Tab, you will see an option for "Assigned Vendor/Contractor." If you click the drop-down menu under that option, you'll see all vendors set to allow maintenance request assignments, as mentioned above in this article. Select the desired vendor from the list and click Save.

Emailing a Vendor from an Assigned Maintenance Request

If the vendor assigned to a request has an email address on file in the Vendors Directory, you'll have the option of emailing the request directly to the vendor of an assigned Maintenance Request. 

In the following window, you can choose from existing contacts or add a new contact for the vendor.

Adding a Vendor Contact Email

If the vendor contact you want to email is not currently in the Vendors Directory, you can add a new building contact from a maintenance request assigned to that vendor. After clicking Add Contact, enter your new building contact information and save the information by clicking Add Contact.

The new vendor contact should now display as a selectable contact option in the Email Vendor Contact window.

Click Continue after selecting your preferred vendor contact(s). 

Compose and send your email in the following window. Click for more information on how to send and compose and send an email.