How to Use the Supplier Portal - Connect Group to Use the... · Supplier Portal User Guide Viewing a Purchase Order (PO) If you select to view a PO you will have the following options

USER GUIDE

How to Use the Supplier Portal

The CS2 supplier portal allows you to directly access Connect Group’s (including Smiths News and Tuffnell's) purchasing system and manage your side of the purchase process. This guide will show you how to:

• Navigate around the Portal

• Manage Documents such as Invoices, Purchase Orders and Credit Notes

• Manage your Company Information

• Update and Manage your Catalogue

Supplier Portal User Guide

How to Access the Portal As CS2 is a cloud-based system, you will access Connect Group’s supplier portal through a web browser once you have been registered.

Enter your Username and Password set up when you registered on the system. Click Retrieve Password if

you forget your password. This will then prompt you to enter your username and click Submit, before having your password emailed to your registered email address.

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2 Click Log In to enter the portal after entering your username and password.

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How to Use the Portal Dashboard Having logged into the system, you will be presented with a dashboard

Dashboard Quicklinks allow you to navigate to certain areas of the system with one click

Dashboard widgets display:

» Order Management Alerts – Business critical messages sent to

you

» Reminders – Personal reminders

» News – Articles that have been assigned to the user’s location

» General Information Widgets – Other widgets such as

exchange rates and notepad are available

Click here to see the Time and Date, and to either Change Password or Log Out.

The Vertical Navigation Menu allows you to

1 access all pages in the portal options. Using

the icon you can navigate to sub menu options.

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4 To change the layout

5 of your dashboard,

simply drag and drop the widgets.

6 To edit what is shown on your dashboard, click either Customise Dashboard to add or remove the widgets show or Edit Quicklinks to add or remove quicklinks.

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Customising the Dashboard Select to either Edit Quicklinks or Customise Dashboard

7 Use the tick boxes to select which

widgets and quicklinks you wish to

view on your dashboard.

8 Click either Update Dashboard or

Update Quicklinks to submit the

changes or Cancel to remain with

the current selections.

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How to View and Manage Customer Orders Within CS2, you can view and manage your orders within the supplier portal. To view orders awaiting acknowledgement, follow the steps below:

1 Select the Acknowledge Orders menu

option, from within the My Orders menu

Use the search functionality to narrow down the

2 results shown. Use the free text box to search for

any metadata stored against an order and the date dropdown to filter the results shown by date.

3 Click View to view the full details of the PO or click Select to view the purchase order with the ability to action the PO.

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Viewing a Purchase Order (PO) If you select to view a PO you will have the following options

1 The full PO will be displayed including Buyer Details, Vendor Details, Line Information and Order Amount.

2 To View, Add or Remove both line level and header level notes, click the Notes and Attachments tab.

To change the line information displayed, click Customise

3 and on the subsequent page tick all columns you wish to

be displayed before clicking Submit Changes. Click Cancel to remain with the current columns shown or click Restore Defaults to display the default line information.

Select a currency from the

4 dropdown and click Show

Conversion to view the PO financial information in the selected currency.

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Line level notes and attachments that apply to one or more selected lines can be viewed, added or removed from this tab.

2 To add or remove a note or attachment to a single line, click the icon, and the follow the steps on the following page.

To add or remove a note or attachment from multiple lines, use the tick boxes to select the lines and then click either the Create Notes for Selected Lines or Clear Notes on Selected Lines button.

On the line of a note or attachment, you can use the icon to edit the note or attachment or the icon to remove the note or attachment.

The Notes and Attachments Tab The Notes and Attachments tab allows you to view and download any additional notes or attachments to the order.

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Header level notes and attachments that apply to the entire order can be viewed, added or removed from this tab. Use the Add a Header Level Note to add a new note or attachment at this level, and then follow the steps on the following page.

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Adding a Note or Attachment After selecting to either add a note or attachment at either header or line level, follow the steps below:

1 Input your Message that you want to attribute at either

header or line level.

2 Click the Add Files for Upload

button to add an attachment.

3 Click OK. The note or attachment will now

appear either on the line or header level.

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How to Manually Register an Invoice Once you have supplied the goods or services you will need to create an invoice to request payment. To do this manually within the portal, follow the steps below:

1 Select Register Invoice from the My Invoices menu option.

2 Click Manual Invoice Entry to begin the process of manually creating an invoice.

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Note: The PDF upload does not submit your invoices.


Adding Lines to the Invoice Having chosen to manually create the invoice, you will next have to choose the lines to invoice. To do this, follow the steps below:

1 Use the Free Text Search to find the purchase order number and click Update Results. Click either of the icons to switch between viewing.

2 View the line information, when you find the correct line check the tick box and enter the number of Units or Value you want to invoice.

3 Click Add Selected to Invoice. The selected line and entered amount will now be added to the invoice. To add more lines to the invoice, repeat step 2. Once you have added all of the items to invoice click Continue.

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Adding Charges to the Invoice Additional charges can be added to the invoice, including tax adjustments and rounding lines. To add a charge to the invoice, follow the steps below:

1 Click Add New Charge to bring up the Add Charge pop up.

Select the Charge Type from either rounding line or tax adjustment. Enter a Description if required for further clarity to the customer. If you’re entering a rounding line, enter the Charge Net Total.

Select the Line that the charge applies to.

Choose the relevant Tax Code.

Either manually enter the Charge Tax Total or allow it to calculate

based on the charge net total and selected tax code.

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3 Select Add Charge to add the charge to the invoice.

4 Click Continue to advance to the Finalise Your Invoice tab.

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Finalising Your Invoice The Finalising Your Invoice tab allows you to make any last changes to the invoice. To use this tab, follow the steps below:

1 Enter Your Reference, and if applicable External Purchase Order Reference. Then if required edit the Document Data, Tax Point and Tax Location.

2 Make any changes to the line information as required, including altering the Amount to Invoice and Tax Code.

If you make any line changes, click Update All to

3 submit the changes.

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Once you are satisfied with the invoice, click Continue to advance to the Submit your Invoice Tab. Alternatively, click Back to return to the Charges tab.

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Submit your Invoice Once you have finalised your invoice, you will navigate to the submit your invoice tab. Here you can make any final checks before submitting your invoice. To use this page, follow the steps below:

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2 Once you have had a final check of the invoice details either click Back to return to the Finalise your Invoice tab to make changes or click Submit to submit the invoice.

Click the and icons to hide and view the Supplier & Invoice Details and the Document Details.

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3 Finally, you will be presented with the Invoice Reference Number. From here you can either Register another Invoice or Return to Dashboard.

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How to View Submitted Invoices Once you have submitted your invoice, you will want to check back to view the status of the invoice.

1 Select My Invoices / Invoices

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2 Use the Free Text Box and drop down to search for either Your Reference, Reason or External Reference and use the Tick Boxes to narrow down the results shown. If you alter the filters, click Update Results to change the invoices shown based on the filters selected.

All top-level information for the invoices will be displayed, including Status with icon, Your Reference, Origin, Process by Date, Last User etc. From here you can click the icon to view the full invoice, the icon to view any notes associated with the invoice or the icon to view the document source.

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How to View Invoices Ready for Payment If your invoice has been processed and sent for payment, then it will have the status of sent for payment.

1 Select My Invoices / Invoices Ready for

Payment.

Use the Search functionality to narrow down the results shown. Use the free text box to search against an order and the date dropdown to filter the results shown by date.

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3 Click View to view the full details of the invoice.

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How to View Payments Received Once your invoice has been paid you can view this from the supplier portal.

1 Select My Payments / Payments Received

Use the search functionality to narrow down the results shown. Use the free text box to search for an order and the date dropdown to filter the results shown by date.

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3 Click View to view the full details of the order.

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How to Approve Return Requests For various reasons we may request to return an item. You will have to ability to either approve or reject the return within CS2.

The top-level details of each request are displayed. Click View to see the full details of the order and request or click Select to view the full details with the ability to either accept or reject the request.

1 Select My Returns / Approve Return

Request

Use the search functionality to narrow down the results shown. Use the free text box to search for a return request and the date dropdown to filter the results shown by date.

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Click Accept to accept the return and agree to the collection date. Click Reject to reject the return and have the order remain. Click Exit to return to the return requests screen.

4 Check the full details of the request. If required, alter the Return Reason and Collection Date. If you want to provide extra clarification about your decision, click the Unhide Notes button and add a note. Once you have actioned the request, the client will be able to see this note along with your decision.

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How to View Rejected Returns If you decide to reject a return, it will remain within your supplier portal.

1 Select My Returns / Rejected Returns



an order and the date dropdown to filter the results shown by date.


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How to View Scheduled Returns If you decide to accept a return, it will remain within your supplier portal as approved but awaiting collect.

1 Select My Returns / Scheduled Returns


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How to View Completed Returns If you have collected a return and Connect Group has acknowledged this in CS2, it will show in your supplier portal as a completed return.

1 Select My Returns / Completed Returns


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Click Archive to remove any completed

4 returns from the view, whilst not

entirely deleting the record from the system.

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How to Approve or Reject Credit Requests If your Connect Group has requested credit then you can either accept or reject the request from within CS2.

1 Select My Credit Notes / Approve Credit

Requests



an order and the date dropdown to filter the results shown by date.

Click View to view the full details of the credit

3 request or click Select to view the full credit

request with the ability to either approve or reject.

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How to Raise a Credit Note

If you have been asked to raise a credit, you can do so by following the below steps.

1 Select My Credit Notes / Register Credit

2 Click on the + on the invoice that you want to raise a credit for

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Select the line you want to credit by ticking in the box

Click ‘Add Selected to Credit Note’

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Click ‘Ok’

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2 Click ‘Continue’



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Click ‘Continue’

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2 Enter your reference and select the reason for credit in the dropdown box



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Check the amount you want to credit (amend if necessary) and click ‘Update All'

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2 Click ‘Continue’



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2 2 Click ‘Submit’



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Your Credit Note has now been completed.


How to Manage your Account Within the supplier portal, you can manage your company and user information. To do so, follow the steps below:

1 Select My Account / Company Profile

2 Your company information will be displayed and

separated into tabs that group the relevant information.

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How to Edit your Company Details

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1 Click Edit on the company details tab.

Edit the field as required.

Fields marked with an *

are mandatory.

3 Click Show Changes to get a view of

everything you have changed since

clicking edit.

Click Save Changes to submit the

changes you have made.

Click Cancel Edit to cancel any

changes you have made

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How to Edit your Additional Setup To edit your additional setup, follow the steps below:

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1 Click Edit on the additional setup tab.

Edit the fields as required.

Fields marked with an *

are mandatory.

3 Click Show Changes to get a view of everything you have changed since

clicking edit.

Click Save Changes to submit the changes you have made. Click Cancel Edit to cancel any changes you have made

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How to Edit your Accounting Details

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1 Click Edit on the accounting details tab.

Click Select on a line to edit that line or click

Add New to add more account details. Having

clicked either of the options, complete the

fields as required.

3 Click Show Changes to get a view of everything you have

changed since clicking edit.

Click Save Changes to submit the changes you have made.

Click Cancel Edit to cancel any changes

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How to Edit your Tax Registration

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1 Click Edit on the tax registration tab.

Click Select on a line to edit that line or click

Add New to add tax registration details for a

new country. Having clicked either of the

options, complete the fields as required.


changed since clicking edit.

Click Save Changes to submit the changes you have made.

Click Cancel Edit to cancel any changes

3 Edit the fields as required.

Fields marked with an * are

mandatory.

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How to View your Trading Info

1 Select the Trading Info tab.

2 Click the Go to Terms and Conditions

Administration to see existing terms and any

terms awaiting your acceptance. 3 Click Download to receive an offline version

of the terms and conditions.

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How to View and Manage Users As a supplier, you can add and manage users for your account. To view users, follow the steps below:

1 Select the Users tab from within the

Company Profile page.

2 Use the free text search box to enter a

user name and click Search to find the

user. Alternatively, you can filter the users

shown by selecting a letter to display all

users with a name beginning with the

selected letter.

3 Click a user’s name to view the user’s

full details, with the ability to edit or

copy the user. Having clicked a user,

follow the steps on the next page.

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How to Edit or Copy a User Once you have selected a user, you will be able to either edit or copy the selected user. To do so, follow the steps below:

1 Select Edit to edit the selected users details or Copy to

create a new user with the selected users details

prepopulated. This is particularly useful if you are creating

a user with the same permissions

2 Edit the fields as required. Use the tabs to navigate

between the top-level user details and the contact details.

If you are copying the user, change the details as

necessary for the new user.

Click Show Changes to get a view of everything you have

3 changed since clicking edit or copy.

Click Save Changes to submit the changes you have made. Click Cancel Edit to cancel any changes you have made

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How to Add a New User From within the users tab of the company profile you can create new users.

1 Select the New User button.

2 Complete the fields. All fields

marked with * are mandatory. Use

the tabs to navigate between the

top-level user details and the

contact details.


changed since clicking add new user.

Click Save Changes to submit the changes you have made and

create the user.

Click Cancel Edit to cancel any changes you have made

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How to View the Audit Log The audit log contains information regarding every action and process relating to your company activity on the CS2 system.

1 Click the Audit Log tab. This will bring up the full audit log,

ordered by most recent activity log.

2 The audit log details will be displayed with a Title, Message, User and Timestamp for

each activity. The title will be a broad title to describe the type of activity, the message

will give further details to the specific activity, the user will show which user carried out

the activity and the timestamp will display exactly when it happened.

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How to Change your Password From within the supplier portal, you can change your user password.

1 Select My Account / Change Password

2 Enter your Current Password, followed by

your New Password and your New

Password Again.

3 Click OK to change your password or

Cancel to remain with your current

password.

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Version Control

Name Changes Date Version

Amanda Enstone Amending to reflect structure changes 05/05/2020 V1

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