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Overview

Odia’s Suppliers section helps you manage relationships with service providers - hotels, tour operators, transport companies, and all other vendors who deliver services to your travellers. Organize suppliers by category and destination for efficient operations.

Supplier Organizations

Manage supplier companies with categories, areas, and branding

Supplier Contacts

Maintain relationships with individual contacts at each supplier

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What Are Suppliers?

Suppliers are the companies that provide the actual services for your travellers - hotels, tour operators, transport companies, restaurants, activity providers, and any other vendors you work with. Supplier Contacts are the individual people you communicate with at each supplier organization. Why they’re important:
  • Track all your service providers in one place
  • Organize by what they offer (categories) and where they operate (areas)
  • Quickly find the right supplier when building itineraries
  • Send purchase orders and manage communications
  • Maintain contact information for operations
Common supplier types:
  • Accommodation providers (hotels, lodges, resorts)
  • Transport companies (car rental, transfers, drivers)
  • Tour operators and activity providers
  • Restaurants and dining venues
  • Guides and guide services
  • Equipment rental companies

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Supplier Organizations

Important: Supplier organizations must be created in the Suppliers section BEFORE they can be used in proposals or itineraries. You cannot create new supplier organizations while working on a proposal or itinerary - you must add them to your supplier database first.

Creating Suppliers

Add new supplier organizations:
1

Navigate to Suppliers

Click on Suppliers in the CRM section of main navigation
2

Click Add Supplier

Click “Add Supplier” or “New Supplier Organization” button
3

Basic Information

Enter supplier details:
  • Organization name (required) - Supplier company name
  • Email - Primary supplier email
  • Phone - Main phone number
  • Address - Physical location
  • Website - Supplier website URL
4

Categories & Areas

Select service categories provided:
  • Accommodation, Activities, Transportation, Dining, etc.
  • Select all categories that apply
Select destinations/areas covered:
  • Choose all geographic areas where they operate
  • Helps filter suppliers by location
5

Upload Logo

Add supplier logo for branding (optional but recommended)
6

Add Custom Fields

Fill in any custom fields your organization has configured for suppliers
7

Add Notes

Document important information like special rates, agreements, or operational notes
Comprehensive supplier profiles include:Basic information:
  • Organization name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Physical address
  • Website URL
Categorization:
  • Service categories (what they provide)
  • Areas/destinations covered (where they operate)
Branding:
  • Supplier logo (optional)
Additional:
  • Notes field for agreements, rates, special requirements
  • Custom fields (if configured by your admin)
  • Communication history
  • Linked services
  • Associated itineraries
Want dedicated fields for specific supplier information? If you find yourself repeatedly adding the same types of information to supplier notes (like preferred payment methods, net rates, contract expiry dates, or supplier tier levels), you can create dedicated Custom Fields in Settings. Custom Fields give you specific fields to fill in rather than free-form notes, making information easier to find and more consistent. Learn how to set up Custom Fields.

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Categories & Destinations

Organize suppliers by what they provide and where they operate:

Service Categories

Define what services supplier provides:
  • Accommodation (hotels, lodges, resorts)
  • Activities (tours, experiences)
  • Transportation (transfers, car rental, drivers)
  • Dining (restaurants, catering)
  • Tours & Guides
  • Other service types
Multiple categories supported - suppliers can offer multiple service typesUse for: Filtering suppliers when assigning to services

Areas Covered

Specify operating regions:
  • Select multiple areas/destinations
  • Filter suppliers by location
  • Match suppliers to service locations
  • Geographic organization
Examples: “Cape Town”, “Serengeti”, “Bali”Use for: Finding suppliers who operate in specific regions

Category Management

Assign service categories to suppliers:How it works:
  • Select all applicable categories when creating/editing supplier
  • One supplier can have multiple categories
  • Categories are set up in Settings > Categories
Benefits:
  • Helps with supplier discovery when building itineraries
  • Filter suppliers by category when assigning to services
  • Organize supplier database by service type
  • Quickly find accommodation providers vs. tour operators
Examples:
  • Hotel: Accommodation category only
  • DMC partner: Accommodation + Activities + Transportation
  • Restaurant: Dining category only
  • Multi-service supplier: Multiple categories
Define operational areas for suppliers:How it works:
  • Add multiple destination areas per supplier
  • Areas are set up in Settings > Destinations
  • Select all regions where supplier operates
Benefits:
  • Filter suppliers by region when assigning services
  • Track supplier coverage across destinations
  • Identify gaps in supplier network
  • Find local vs. regional vs. national suppliers
Examples:
  • Local hotel: “Cape Town” area only
  • Regional transport: “Western Cape” + “Garden Route”
  • National operator: Multiple areas across country
Use case: When adding an Accommodation service in Serengeti, filter suppliers by “Accommodation” category in “Serengeti” area to see only relevant options.
Assign both categories AND areas to suppliers for easier discovery. When building itineraries, you can filter by both at once - for example, “Accommodation” category in “Bali” area shows only hotels/lodges operating in Bali, making supplier selection much faster.

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Supplier Contacts

Individual people you work with at each supplier:

Contact Management

Maintain supplier contact persons:
  • Add multiple contacts per supplier
  • Different contacts for different purposes
  • Track primary contacts
  • Manage department contacts
Examples: Reservations manager, billing contact, operations manager, owner

Contact Integration

Link contacts to operations:
  • Include specific contacts in purchase orders
  • Direct messaging to individuals
  • Email notifications
  • Service confirmations
  • Emergency contacts
Benefit: Know exactly who to contact for what

Adding Contacts

Create supplier contact profiles:
1

Open Supplier Profile

Navigate to Suppliers and click on the supplier organization
2

View Contacts Section

Click the arrow next to supplier name to expand and see contacts, or navigate to contacts tab
3

Add Contact

Click “Add Contact” to create a new person for this supplier
4

Enter Details

Fill in:
  • First and last name (required)
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Notes (document their role and responsibilities)
  • Custom fields (if configured)
5

Document Role

Use notes to specify: “Reservations Manager”, “Billing Contact”, “24/7 Emergency Contact”, “Owner”, etc.
Each supplier contact includes:Personal details:
  • First name and last name (required)
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Address (optional)
Additional:
  • Notes field for role documentation
  • Custom fields (if configured by your admin)
  • Communication history
  • Linked itineraries and services
All fields except name are optional.
Use the notes field to document contact roles and responsibilities clearly. Examples: “Reservations Manager - handles all bookings”, “Owner - for rate negotiations”, “24/7 Emergency Contact - for urgent issues during trips”, “Billing Department - send invoices here”.
When adding services to itineraries:Select specific contact:
  1. Assign supplier to service
  2. Select which contact person from that supplier
  3. Contact information appears on service card
What appears for travellers:
  • Contact name
  • Phone number
  • Displayed on itinerary service cards
  • Quick access for questions or emergencies
Use cases:
  • Hotel reservation: Show front desk contact
  • Transport: Show driver or dispatcher contact
  • Activity: Show tour operator contact
  • Emergency: Show 24/7 contact number
Best practice: Always include a contact person on services so travellers know who to reach if needed.
Want dedicated fields for specific contact information? If you track the same types of details for all supplier contacts (like WhatsApp numbers, roles, department names, or languages spoken), you can create dedicated Custom Fields in Settings rather than using free-form notes. Learn how to set up Custom Fields.

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Supplier Services & Analytics

Track what each supplier provides and how often you use them:

Services Provided

Track supplier offerings:
  • View all services in your catalog linked to this supplier
  • See service usage frequency
  • Identify most-booked services
  • Track service performance
Use for: Understanding which services you use from each supplier, identifying favorites

Supplier Metrics

Track supplier information:
  • Total Contacts - Number of people at this supplier
  • Active Services - Services in your catalog from them
  • Member Since - Date added to your system
  • Total Sales - (future feature) Revenue through this supplier
Use for: Understanding supplier relationship value

Supplier Services View

Within each supplier’s profile page:What you’ll see:
  • All services in your service library linked to this supplier
  • Service names and categories
  • Usage statistics (how many times booked)
  • Popular services highlighted
Use for:
  • Understanding your service mix with this supplier
  • Identifying which services you book most
  • Finding underutilized services
  • Service gap analysis
Example: Hotel supplier shows 5 room types in your catalog, and you can see which room types you book most frequently.
See supplier’s itineraries:What you’ll see:
  • All itineraries using this supplier
  • Upcoming services (future departures)
  • Past deliveries (completed trips)
  • Services currently in progress
Use for:
  • Tracking supplier bookings
  • Understanding booking volume with supplier
  • Quality tracking and service delivery
  • Preparing for supplier negotiations (volume data)
Example: See that you’ve sent 50 bookings to this hotel this year, useful for rate negotiations.
Document supplier information in notes:What to document:
  • Supplier performance notes (“Always responsive”, “Slow to confirm”)
  • Special requirements or procedures (“Requires 48hr notice”, “Send PO to reservations@ only”)
  • Rate agreements (“10% net rate valid until Dec 2025”)
  • Communication preferences (“Prefers WhatsApp”, “Email only”)
  • Payment terms (“Net 30 days”, “Prepayment required”)
  • Emergency procedures (“Call owner’s mobile for urgent issues”)
Best practice: Keep notes current and detailed. Future you (or your colleagues) will thank you when working with this supplier.

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Search & Filter

Find suppliers quickly in your database:

Search Suppliers

Find suppliers by:
  • Organization name (partial matching)
  • Contact name (searches within suppliers)
  • Location or city
  • Service type
Search tips:
  • Type partial names to find matches
  • Search by location to find local suppliers
  • Search contact names to find their supplier

Advanced Filters

Narrow results by:
  • Category - Select one or multiple (e.g., “Accommodation + Transportation”)
  • Destination/area - Select one or multiple regions
  • Active/inactive status - Show only active suppliers
  • Booking frequency - Find most-used vs. rarely-used suppliers
Combine filters: “Accommodation” + “Cape Town” + “Active” = All active hotel suppliers in Cape Town
Use combined filters to find exactly the right supplier. For example, filter by “Accommodation” + “Transportation” categories in “Cape Town” area to find hotels that also offer airport transfers - perfect for one-stop-shop bookings.

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Supplier Integration with Services

How suppliers connect to your service library and itineraries:

Linking Suppliers to Catalog Services

Associate suppliers with services in your library:How it works:
  • When creating/editing a service in your service library
  • You can link one or more suppliers who provide that service
  • Example: “Luxury Safari Lodge” service might link to the actual lodge supplier
Benefits:
  • Track which suppliers offer each service
  • Compare supplier options for same service
  • Quick supplier assignment in itineraries
  • Supplier pre-selection for frequently used services
Multiple suppliers per service:
  • Link several suppliers who can provide the same service
  • Choose which one to use on each booking
  • Maintain backup options
Example: “Cape Town City Tour” service links to 3 tour operator suppliers, you choose which to book based on availability and rates.
When building itineraries and adding services:Three ways to assign suppliers:1. From service’s linked suppliers:
  • Add service to itinerary
  • Click on service to open details
  • Select supplier from the service’s pre-linked suppliers
  • Fastest if supplier is already linked to service
2. Search all suppliers:
  • Add service to itinerary
  • Search all suppliers (not just linked ones)
  • Filter by category and area
  • Assign any supplier from your database
3. Leave empty until later:
  • Add service without supplier assignment
  • Finalize supplier selection after proposal confirmation
  • Useful when supplier depends on final numbers or dates
When to assign suppliers:During proposal stage:
  • Assign tentative supplier for pricing
  • Show which supplier you plan to use
  • Client sees supplier information
After confirmation:
  • Finalize supplier assignment
  • Confirm availability before assigning
  • Send purchase orders to confirmed suppliers
Leave empty when:
  • Supplier depends on final guest count
  • Availability not yet confirmed
  • Waiting for best rate quotes
  • Multiple supplier options still being considered
Best practice: Assign suppliers you’re certain about during proposal, leave uncertain ones empty until confirmation.

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Purchase Orders & Communication

Communicate with suppliers directly from itineraries:

Purchase Orders

Send duty messages/POs to suppliers:
  • Auto-populate supplier contact details
  • Include all service information automatically
  • Track PO status (sent, confirmed, pending)
  • Confirmation tracking
  • Delivery status monitoring
Use for: Formal service bookings and confirmations

Direct Contact

Message suppliers through Odia:
  • In-app messaging via WhatsApp (if connected)
  • Email integration
  • Full communication history tracked
  • Service-specific message threads
  • Contact history visible in supplier profile
Use for: Quick questions, updates, changes, informal communication

Website Access

Quick reference to supplier websites:
  • Add supplier website URL to profile
  • Click link icon to open in new tab
  • Access booking portals
  • Reference supplier materials
  • Check availability directly
Use for: Quick access to supplier systems and resources
Add supplier websites to their profile for quick access directly from itinerary service cards by clicking the link icon. Saves time when you need to check availability, pricing, or policies.

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Supplier Actions

Common actions you can perform:

Create

Add new supplier organizations:
  • Full supplier details
  • Categories and areas
  • Logo and branding
  • Contacts

Edit

Update supplier information:
  • Contact details
  • Categories and areas covered
  • Logo
  • Notes and custom fields

Delete

Remove suppliers:
  • Only if no associated services or itineraries
  • Cannot delete suppliers with booking history
  • Use to clean up test entries

View Services

See all services:
  • Services in catalog from this supplier
  • Usage statistics
  • Popular services

View Itineraries

Access itineraries:
  • All trips using this supplier
  • Upcoming bookings
  • Historical deliveries

Add Contacts

Create contact profiles:
  • Individual people at supplier
  • Multiple contacts per supplier
  • Roles and responsibilities

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Best Practices

Supplier Database Management

Maintain quality supplier data:Before launching operations:
  • Create suppliers BEFORE building proposals and itineraries
  • You cannot create suppliers on-the-fly during itinerary creation
  • Build your supplier database first
Ongoing maintenance:
  • Keep contact information current (phone, email, addresses)
  • Add multiple contacts for redundancy (primary + backup)
  • Update categories and areas as suppliers expand offerings
  • Document special rates or agreements in notes
  • Review and update supplier details quarterly
Contact redundancy:
  • Add at least 2 contacts per critical supplier
  • Include emergency contacts
  • Document who handles what (reservations vs. billing vs. operations)
Structure your supplier database effectively:Naming conventions:
  • Use official business names
  • Be consistent (always “Hotel X” not sometimes “X Hotel”)
  • Include location if multiple properties (“Safari Lodge - Serengeti”)
Categorization:
  • Assign all relevant categories (suppliers can have multiple)
  • Include all operating areas
  • Update as suppliers add new services or locations
Branding:
  • Add supplier logos for professional appearance
  • Shows on purchase orders and communications
  • Helps quickly identify suppliers visually
Relationships:
  • Link related supplier entities (sister properties, management companies)
  • Document relationships in notes
  • Track ownership changes
Nurture supplier partnerships:Communication:
  • Track all communication history (visible in supplier profile)
  • Document preferred contact methods (WhatsApp, email, phone)
  • Note best times to reach contacts
  • Record timezone for international suppliers
Documentation:
  • Document special requirements or procedures in notes
  • Record preferred booking methods
  • Note any unique requirements (“Requires advance deposit”)
  • Track contract terms and expiry dates
Performance:
  • Review supplier performance regularly
  • Note quality issues or exceptional service
  • Track response times and reliability
  • Maintain backup suppliers for key services
Negotiations:
  • Use booking history data for rate negotiations
  • Document agreed rates and valid periods
  • Track volume commitments
  • Note renewal dates for agreements
Streamline supplier workflows:Pre-assignment:
  • Link suppliers to frequently used services in catalog
  • Speeds up itinerary creation
  • Reduces supplier search time
  • Maintains consistency
Templates:
  • Create message templates for common PO messages
  • Standardize communication
  • Faster purchase order sending
  • Consistent information delivery
Contact management:
  • Keep supplier contact lists updated
  • Document emergency contacts clearly
  • Note backup contacts for each role
  • Include mobile numbers for urgent situations
Performance tracking:
  • Monitor supplier response times
  • Track confirmation speed
  • Note any service issues
  • Use data for supplier selection decisions

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Permissions

Role-Based Access

Supplier management permissions:
ActionOwnerAdminSupervisorUser
View Suppliers✓ All✓ All✓ All✓ All
Create Suppliers✓✓✓✗
Edit Suppliers✓ All✓ All✓ All✗
Delete Suppliers✓✓✗✗
Add Contacts✓✓✓✗
Edit Contacts✓ All✓ All✓ All✗
View Analytics✓ All✓ All✓ All✓ Limited
Assign to Services✓✓✓✓
Notes:
  • All users can view all suppliers (company-wide visibility)
  • Users can assign suppliers to services in itineraries but cannot create/edit supplier organizations
  • Only Supervisors and above can create and edit supplier organizations
  • Only Admins can delete suppliers
Only Admins and Supervisors can create or edit supplier organizations. Users can view suppliers and assign them to services in itineraries, but cannot modify the supplier database. This ensures data quality and consistency.
Build a robust supplier database before launching operations. Having pre-loaded suppliers with proper categories and areas saves significant time during proposal and itinerary creation. Users won’t be able to create suppliers on-the-fly, so do this setup work in advance.

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Common Questions

Supplier creation is restricted to the Suppliers section to maintain data quality and prevent duplicate entries.Reasons:
  • Ensures complete supplier information (categories, areas, contacts)
  • Prevents duplicate supplier entries
  • Maintains consistent naming conventions
  • Requires proper categorization for filtering
  • Centralizes supplier database management
What to do:
  1. Navigate to Suppliers section in CRM
  2. Create the supplier organization properly
  3. Add categories, areas, and contacts
  4. Return to your itinerary
  5. Supplier now available for assignment
Best practice: Build your supplier database before creating itineraries. Invest time upfront to save time later.
You can only delete suppliers with no booking history.If supplier has been used:
  • Cannot be deleted
  • Itineraries and services reference the supplier
  • Historical data must be preserved
Alternative to deletion:
  • Mark as inactive in notes
  • Filter to hide inactive suppliers
  • Maintain for historical reference
  • Document why no longer used
Can delete: Test suppliers, duplicates with no bookings, incorrectly created entries
Categories and areas enable powerful filtering:When assigning suppliers to services:
  • Filter by service category (e.g., “Accommodation”)
  • Filter by area/destination (e.g., “Bali”)
  • Combine both for precise results
Example workflow:
  1. Adding accommodation service in Bali
  2. Filter suppliers: Category = “Accommodation”, Area = “Bali”
  3. See only hotels/lodges operating in Bali
  4. Assign appropriate supplier
Without categories/areas:
  • See all 500+ suppliers unsorted
  • Manual searching through full list
  • Time-consuming and error-prone
With categories/areas:
  • See only 15 relevant suppliers
  • Quick selection
  • Confident you’re choosing appropriate supplier
Yes! Adding contacts is highly recommended:Benefits:
  • Know who to contact for bookings, billing, operations
  • Display contact info for travellers on itineraries
  • Emergency contact availability
  • Faster communication
  • Relationship continuity
Minimum recommended:
  • At least one primary contact (reservations/bookings)
  • At least one backup contact
  • Emergency contact if different
Ideal:
  • Reservations contact
  • Billing/accounts contact
  • Operations/on-site contact
  • Owner/manager (for escalations)
  • Emergency 24/7 contact
Best practice: Add multiple contacts with clearly documented roles in notes. Future you will be grateful when you need to reach someone quickly.
No. Each contact belongs to one supplier organization.If someone works at multiple suppliers:
  • Create separate contact profiles for each supplier
  • Same person, different contact records
  • Document in notes that it’s the same person
Why: Keeps communication history organized per supplier relationship