Introduction
The Vendor Portal is a specialised module within ZoneCapture, and it helps users to save costs, reduce Vendor onboarding time and improve Vendor relationships with a faster and cleaner interaction.
The module comes at additional cost, and may not be readily accessible in every account by default. To initiate activation, users are encouraged to reach out to our Sales team for assistance. They will be able to provide further information and guidance through the process of enabling the Vendor Portal, allowing them to explore its tailored functionalities designed for Vendor interactions.
Dependencies
The Vendor Portal functions in conjunction with NetSuite rather than a standalone platform. Its logic revolves around synchronizing data bidirectionally with NetSuite. Therefore, it is essential to address the setup required on the NetSuite side. The following pages will provide an overview of the system setup and integration within NetSuite, with the initial focus on understanding dependencies.
As the setup resides within NetSuite, specific features must be enabled to activate the functionality of the Vendor Portal. Failure to properly configure these features or settings may result in unforeseen issues within the setup, potentially leading to unexpected behavior.
Enable Features
This section outlines the SuiteCloud features that need to be enabled. These features can be found in NetSuite by navigating to Setup > Company > Enable Features.
The Vendor Portal relies on custom logic implemented through scripting. To ensure these scripts execute properly, the Server Scripts feature must be enabled. Failure to enable this feature will prevent NetSuite from running the scripted logic. Navigate to Setup > Company > Enable Features and access the "SuiteCloud" subtab. Enable the “Client SuiteScript” and "Server SuiteScript" option in this section. Note that NetSuite will prompt you to confirm the SuiteCloud Terms of Service upon enabling.
Inside the same subtab of SuiteCloud, an additional feature needs to be enabled and this feature is allocated at the section “Manage authentication”. Navigate further down to the SuiteCloud list of features, allocate the section “Manage authentication” and enable the “Token-based authentication”. The Token-based authentication serves as a robust and flexible mechanism for securing communication between the two systems (NetSuite and the Vendor Portal). Please note, NetSuite will once again prompt you to confirm the SuiteCloud Terms of Service upon enabling.
Integrate the Vendor Portal with NetSuite
After activating the module, its status can be monitored through the ZoneCapture license. Ensure that the Vendor Onboarding Portal Standard module is set to 'Active.'
Once activated, please follow the outlined steps below.
Vendor Portal Setup Assistant
To initiate the Vendor Portal Setup, begin by accessing the Vendor Portal Setup Assistant on the NetSuite platform. You can easily locate it by using the global search within NetSuite. Simply type "Vendor Portal Setup" and select "Edit" to proceed. The Assistant will then walk you through the required steps.
Since the License is Active and valid, please proceed to the next step. Make sure Vendor Management is enabled. Support is optional.
As a next step, select the user that will act as an Administrator for setting up the Vendor portal. Preferably, this user has to hold the “Administrator” role in NetSuite too.
When the integration deployment is complete and all checks have passed, proceed with the setup forward.
An integration record is already generated inside NetSuite and the only prerequisite is to obtain the Access Token. Follow the instructions as displayed on your NetSuite page.
When the Access Token page is reached, under Application name, select the Zone & Co Vendor Portal Integration. The Token name will be prepopulated. Update the name of the token upon preference.
On “Save”, store the Token ID and Token Secret created in the previous step.
Upon completion, the system will activate the "Connection successful" checkbox, confirming that the setup has been successfully executed.
This completes the Vendor Portal integration with NetSuite.
On “Finish”, the will system will redirect you to the following browser page.
Vendor Portal Sync Files (Script) Deployment
One additional step is required to obtain a full synchronization between NetSuite and the Vendor Portal. For this purpose, an additional deployment has to be scheduled manually. To reach the script, make sure you are logged in NetSuite using the Administrator role. Then, navigate through Customization > Scripting > Scripts. Click on the 'Deployments' tab and then on the Vendor Portal Sync Files (Scheduled) title.
Edit the deployment by only update the status its status from 'Not Scheduled' to 'Scheduled', then Save.