In Brahmin Solutions, vendors (suppliers) allow you to connect inventory items to the companies you purchase them from.
Assigning vendors to variants helps you manage:
Supplier-specific pricing
Lead times
Vendor SKUs
Purchasing rules
Replenishment workflows
Vendors can be assigned in two ways:
From the Variant Details screen
From the Vendor record itself
Why Assign Vendors?
Vendor assignments make purchasing faster and more accurate by ensuring each SKU has:
A preferred supplier
The correct purchasing cost
The correct ordering unit of measure
Reliable lead time expectations
This is especially important for items with the Buy flag enabled.
Where Vendor Assignments Are Used
Once assigned, vendor information is used throughout the system, including:
Purchase Orders
Reordering and replenishment workflows
Cost calculations (MAC and valuation)
Supplier reporting
Method 1: Add a Vendor from the Variant Screen
This is the most common workflow when setting up an item.
Steps
Go to Inventory → Inventory
Click the variant (SKU) you want to edit
Open the Pricing & Vendors tab
Scroll to the Vendors section
Click Add Vendor
Vendor Fields Explained
When adding a vendor, you can configure the following fields:
Vendor Name
The supplier you purchase this SKU from.
Vendor SKU (optional)
The supplier’s internal item code.
Lead Time
How long it typically takes to receive this item from the supplier.
Primary Vendor
Marks this supplier as the default vendor for purchasing.
Primary Vendor Pricing Rule (Important)
In Brahmin Solutions, the Primary Vendor setting controls how purchase cost is determined.
When a Vendor is set as Primary
If a vendor is marked as the Primary Vendor:
The purchase cost is not entered manually on the vendor assignment
Instead, Brahmin Solutions automatically uses the cost from the item’s Purchase Price List
The cost applied depends on the price list assigned to that vendor
This ensures primary purchasing follows standardized vendor pricing.
When a Vendor is NOT Primary
For non-primary vendors:
You can manually enter a vendor-specific purchase cost
This is useful when alternate suppliers have different pricing or terms
Example
Vendor A is the Primary Vendor
→ Cost is pulled from the assigned vendor price listVendor B is a secondary vendor
→ Cost can be entered directly as a custom supplier cost
Drop Ship Eligible (if enabled)
Whether this vendor can ship directly to customers instead of shipping to your warehouse first.
Save Vendor Assignment
Click Save to apply the vendor assignment.
Result
After saving, the variant will now be linked to the supplier and can be purchased directly through Purchase Orders.
Method 2: Assign Items from the Vendor Screen
This workflow is useful when onboarding a new supplier and linking many SKUs at once.
Steps
Go to Purchasing → Vendors (or the Vendors directory)
Select the vendor you want to manage
Open the vendor’s Items or Products Supplied section
Click Add Item
Select one or more variants to associate
This method is best for:
Supplier onboarding
Bulk vendor setup
Managing supplier catalogs
Best Practices for Vendor Setup
Assign at least one vendor for every purchased SKU
Always define a Primary Vendor when possible
Keep vendor costs updated for accurate valuation
Use lead times to improve replenishment planning
If multiple vendors exist, store pricing separately per supplier
Common Questions
Can a variant have multiple vendors?
Yes. A single SKU can be purchased from multiple suppliers, each with its own cost and lead time.
What happens if no vendor is assigned?
You can still track inventory, but purchasing workflows will require manual vendor selection.
Should I assign vendors at the Product level or Variant level?
Vendors are assigned at the Variant (SKU) level, since costs and supplier SKUs often differ between variants.
Why can’t I edit the cost for my Primary Vendor?
Primary Vendors use price list-based purchasing. To set a manual cost, assign the vendor as a secondary supplier instead.