Manual Brands & categories
Two reference lists structure your suppliers: supplier types (categories) — which classify each partner (wholesaler, service provider…) — and supplier brands. Both are configurable and can be created on the fly, without leaving the entry screen.
Overview
To keep readable purchasing reference data, Swifto offers two classification dimensions.
Supplier type
The category attached to each supplier (mandatory Type field on the record). E.g. Wholesaler, Raw materials, Service provider, Carrier.
- Filters the supplier list
- Structures purchasing statements and statistics
Supplier brand
The brand (MarqueFournisseur) references the commercial brands attached to your purchasing partners, useful for the catalog and for classifying purchased items.
- Reference data specific to the company
- Reusable on purchasing items
Related pages
The type is chosen on the supplier record; financial tracking by category is available in the supplier statement. Overview: Suppliers.
Access and navigation
Left-hand side menu: Purchasing → Suppliers → Supplier types. Brands are managed from the purchasing item catalog or on the fly from data entry.
List of types
The page lists the company's supplier types. Each type has a label and an optional description.
| Label⇅ | Description⇅ | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesaler | Bulk merchandise purchases for resale | ||
| Raw materials | Production / manufacturing inputs | ||
| Service provider | Services (maintenance, consulting…) | ||
| Carrier | Transport and logistics providers |
Fields of a type
| Field | Description | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Label | Name of the category (e.g. Wholesaler). Unique within the company. | Yes |
| Description | Optional explanatory text about the nature of the suppliers concerned. | No |
On-the-fly creation
From the supplier record, the button next to the Type field opens a mini-window to create a category without leaving the entry screen. The new type is immediately selectable.
New supplier type
Steps
- On the supplier record, click the + to the right of the Type field.
- Enter the label (mandatory) and, if needed, a description.
- Click Validate: the type is created for your company.
- It is automatically selected in the Type field of the current record.
Unique label
Swifto checks the uniqueness of the type's label within the company. A duplicate is rejected with an error message.
Management via the menu
For more detailed labels and descriptions, or to reorganize the reference data, go through Purchasing → Suppliers → Supplier types.
New
Creates a type with a label and full description.
Edit
Updates an existing type (label, description).
Delete
Avoid if suppliers are attached to it.
Wholesaler
Bulk merchandise purchases for resale.
Raw materials
Production / manufacturing inputs.
Service provider
Services (maintenance, consulting, transport…).
Controlled deletion — deleting a type still used by suppliers leaves those records without a category. Reassign the suppliers concerned first.
Brands (MarqueFournisseur)
The supplier brand (MarqueFournisseur) is company-specific reference data that records the commercial brands linked to your purchases. It is reused on purchasing items to structure the catalog.
| Brand⇅ | Description⇅ | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosch | Tools and equipment | ||
| Délice Danone | Dairy products | ||
| Saint-Gobain | Building materials |
Like types, supplier brands are isolated by company: you only see the brands of your own company.
Create / edit a brand
Creating a brand follows the same principle as types: a label and an optional description, which can be created on the fly from a purchasing item entry or via the dedicated list.
New supplier brand
| Field | Description | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Label | Name of the brand (e.g. Bosch). Unique within the company. | Yes |
| Description | Optional text describing the brand or its range. | No |
Create your brands as you go while entering purchasing items: no need to interrupt your work to open another screen.
How it's used
Types and brands structure the analysis of your purchases. Here is where they come into play.
The type, everywhere
- Displayed in the Type column of the supplier list
- Category column of the supplier statement
- Filtering criterion and purchasing statistics
The brand, in the catalog
- Attached to purchasing items
- Used for classifying and searching items
- Reference data shared across the whole company
Business rules
Uniqueness of the label — types and brands have a unique label within the company; duplicates are rejected on creation and modification.
Multi-company isolation — each type and each brand belongs to a single company.
On-the-fly creation — a type created from the record is immediately available and selected, without a page reload.
Controlled deletion — do not delete a type or brand that is still referenced: reassign the records / items concerned first.
FAQ & Tips
What's the difference between type and brand?
The type classifies the supplier (wholesaler, service provider…); the brand qualifies the purchased items (Bosch, Saint-Gobain…).
My new type doesn't appear?
Check that it was actually validated (not just entered) and that it doesn't already exist under an identical label (duplicate rejected).
Tip — concise reference data
Limit the number of types to a few clear categories: reference data that is too granular complicates filtering and statements. Prefer quality over quantity.
