Subject and Policy:

Agencies should collect and record the email address and phone number for a vendor’s Primary Contact during the vendor add process, whenever possible.

Guidance:

Wherever possible during the vendor add process, agencies should collect and record a Primary Contact’s email address and phone number.  SFS recently updated the layout of the Vendor Add Request page to capture this information.  This information is not required for a primary contact that does not have an email address and/or phone number.

Including a phone number and/or email address for a Primary Contact enables the SFS to automatically send standard communication directly to the vendor without agency intervention. This includes:

• The Vendor’s ID,
• A temporary login number for the Primary Contact to access the online Vendor Self-Service system, and
• Instructions to enroll in the online Vendor Self-Service System to maintain addresses, contact information and inquire about the status of a purchase order, invoice or payment.

When a vendor record does not have an email address or phone number for a primary contact, agencies are likely to field vendor requests for information, including the Vendor ID and status of payments.

References:

To add a primary contact’s email address or phone number after the vendor’s initial registration, the vendor must complete the Add, Change or Delete Vendor Contact Information form.