Supplier documents let you store, request and track compliance certificates, insurance policies, accreditations and other files against a supplier. This guide is for anyone who manages supplier compliance documents.
Before you start
Create a document type
Document types describe what each file is, for example Insurance Certificate, ISO 9001 or Modern Slavery Statement. A type must exist before you can upload or request that kind of document, and once created it's available on every supplier.
Open the document types
Go to Settings > Configurations and find Supplier Document Type.
Add the type
Click Add New Supplier Document Type, enter the name and save.
Upload a document yourself
Use this when you already hold the file, for example a certificate the supplier emailed to you.
Open the supplier's Documents tab
Go to Supplier Management > Suppliers, open the supplier and click the Documents tab.
Click Add Document
Click Add Document. The Add Document window opens.
Enter the document details
Document Title (required, up to 100 characters).
Document Type (required).
Select Document (required): PNG, JPG, JPEG, PDF, XLS, XLSX, TXT, DOC, DOCX, CSV, PPT, PPTX or ZIP, up to 16 MB.
Document Expiry Date: set it for anything that needs renewing, so the document can be tracked.
Save the document
Click Save. If you left the expiry date empty, oboloo asks Are you sure you want to upload the document without an expiration date?. Click Confirm to continue.
Request documents from a supplier
Use this when the supplier should provide the file. They're emailed and upload it through the supplier portal.
Click Request Document
On the supplier's Documents tab, click Request Document. The Request Documents From Supplier window opens.
Add a document to the request
Click Add Document to Request and complete the form:
Document Type (required).
Supplier Contact (required): who receives the request. If the person isn't listed, choose New Supplier Contact to add them here.
Upload Document for Supplier (optional): a file for the supplier to download, for example an NDA to sign and return.
Guidance Notes To Your Supplier (required, up to 500 characters): what you need and why. The supplier sees these notes.
Click Save to add it to the request.
Add any other documents
Repeat the previous step for each document you need, so the supplier gets one request rather than several.
Send the request
Click Send Documentation Request, then Yes to confirm.
Approve a supplier-uploaded document
Check the file
On the supplier's Documents tab, open the Actions menu for the document and choose View or Download.
Tick Approve
If the file is correct, tick the Approve checkbox in that row, then click Yes in Approve Document?.
Read the Documents table
Some columns are hidden by default; use Edit Columns to show them.
Column | What it shows |
Status | Uploaded Internally, Awaiting upload by supplier or Uploaded by supplier. |
Active Status | Active, or Expired once the expiry date has passed. |
Approve | The approval checkbox. It's unavailable until a file has been uploaded, and stays ticked once approved. |
Automated Renewal and Being Requested In | Whether and when oboloo will ask the supplier for a replacement. See Automate Supplier and Contract Document Renewals. |
Resend Request | Click Resend Request to send the request email to the supplier again. |
Onboarding Record | Yes if the document was requested through supplier onboarding. |
Client Attachment | The file you sent the supplier with the request, if any. |
Requested From, Requested By, Uploaded By, Approved By and their dates | Who requested, uploaded and approved the document, and when. |
What happens next
The supplier is emailed: the contact you chose gets an email asking them to log in to the supplier portal, view any attachment and upload the documents. See Uploading A Requested Supplier Document.
You're told when it arrives: when the supplier uploads a document, the requester and the Supplier Owners are notified, and the row shows Uploaded by supplier.
Expiry is tracked: Supplier Owners are reminded 30 days and 7 days before a document's expiry date. See Supplier Owners.
Replacements can be requested automatically: approved documents that the supplier uploaded can be renewed automatically before they expire. To change this for one document, choose Edit in its Actions menu and use the Automated Renewal section. See Automate Supplier and Contract Document Renewals.
Requests can be cancelled: until the supplier uploads, choose Cancel Request in the Actions menu. The supplier is emailed and the request is removed from their portal.
Troubleshooting
Add Document and Request Document are missing or greyed out
The buttons are hidden while the supplier is archived, and greyed out if you can't edit the record (for example, it's restricted to its owners). See Archiving and Unarchiving Suppliers.
I can't tick the Approve checkbox
The checkbox is unavailable until a file has been uploaded, and once a document is approved. If the Approve column is empty for every document, your role doesn't have permission to approve supplier records.
I see Upgrade or Available with Supplier Plus
Supplier documents are part of the Supplier Plus plan. Contact your account administrator to upgrade.
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If you need further assistance, please contact your internal platform administrator for support. Otherwise please reach out to oboloo's support team. If you are unable to view the above area in the oboloo platform, please check your user permissions and access rights.