Supplier Community

Many Contract Manufacturers (CMs) use the same Supplier Community platform in reverse to securely collaborate with the OEMs and brands they serve. Since the community is fully configurable without code, a CM can stand up a dedicated, branded website that gives their customers permission-based visibility into build data, BOMs, quality records, and change activity for the products being manufactured on their behalf. The same context-based access controls that keep Supplier A separate from Supplier B ensure one customer never sees another customer's designs or quality data. This makes Supplier Community equally valuable on both sides of the relationship: OEMs use it to manage suppliers, and CMs use it to manage the customers they build for.

Access control operates at detailed levels—you specify which suppliers see which BOMs, documents, or change orders. Permission settings ensure Supplier A cannot see Supplier B's data. Authentication is required for all access, and the platform maintains records of who accessed what information. Because suppliers access the live system rather than receiving file copies, you can revoke access immediately when a supplier relationship ends. The platform uses the same enterprise security, including secure data transmission and storage. All sharing is configured through permission settings and sharing rules.

Two license types are available:

– Partner Collaboration for operational suppliers and Contract Manufacturing (CM) customers
– Partner Performance for strategic partners

Partner Collaboration licenses allow users to view BOMs and documents, participate in workflows, and communicate in context. Partner Performance licenses add the ability to create parts and assemblies, initiate change orders, and participate in project management. Licensing can be structured as dedicated user licenses or pooled access. Pooled access allows multiple occasional users to share a login pool, which is cost-effective when suppliers need infrequent access. Each supplier's access level and permissions are configured independently based on their role. Reach out here for more information.

Partner capabilities depend on their assigned license type. All suppliers can view shared BOMs and documents, download approved files, and participate in change order and quality workflows. They can communicate with internal teams in the context of specific products or projects. Strategic partners with higher-level licenses can create parts, initiate change requests, support quality actions like SCAR, and participate in project management tasks. Suppliers can also complete assigned training modules and view their performance metrics. The system supports supplier onboarding, qualification, audits, and ongoing performance monitoring.

Suppliers are added through a standard user setup process. Each supplier needs a company profile and individual user profile, along with an assigned user license. Once configured, suppliers receive authenticated access to a dedicated website with your branding. The interface is designed for ease of use by external users. For onboarding multiple suppliers at once, you can use bulk import tools. After access is granted, you control what each supplier sees by configuring sharing rules and permissions. The no-code configuration allows you to set up different access levels for different supplier types without IT involvement.