Free tool
Supplier onboarding form generator
Build a form that collects legal name, ABN, GST status, bank details and contacts in one go.
Why it matters
A messy supplier list causes duplicate payments, wrong GST coding and fraud. Two records for the same supplier means two sets of bank details. That is where payments go wrong.
A clean list also makes reports useful. Spend by supplier only works when each supplier appears once.
The steps
- Use one onboarding form. Collect the legal name, trading name, ABN, GST status, bank account, payment terms and an accounts contact. Do not enter a supplier from an email signature.
- Check the ABN. Look up the ABN on the ABN Lookup site. Check the name and whether the supplier is registered for GST. If a supplier does not give an ABN, you may need to withhold tax from payments.
- Confirm the bank details by phone. Call a number you find yourself. Record who you spoke to and the date.
- Keep one record per supplier. Search before you add. Merge duplicates and keep the record with the history.
- Set defaults. Set the default account and tax code for each supplier. Set the payment terms.
- Review each quarter. Run a list of suppliers with no activity in 12 months and archive them. Check for suppliers that share bank details.
The Pulsify way
- Pulsify checks the supplier ABN and flags one that is invalid or not registered for GST.
- It flags changed bank details against the supplier's past invoices and the supplier record in your accounting system.
- A new supplier can be created in your accounting system from Pulsify, for example in Xero or MYOB.
Worked example
Example Trade Supplies Pty Ltd reviews 400 supplier records.
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| Records in the list | 400 |
| Not used for 12 months | 86 |
| Pairs with the same ABN | 14 |
| Pairs with the same bank account | 3 |
| Records left after archiving unused records and merging same-ABN pairs | 400 - 86 - 14 = 300 |
The three pairs with the same bank account get a phone call before any merge. Two turn out to be one supplier with two names. One is a change request that was never confirmed.
Common mistakes
- Entering suppliers from an invoice without checking the ABN.
- Keeping old bank details on the record.
- Leaving trading names and legal names mixed.
- Deleting suppliers with history instead of archiving them.
Next step
Use the Supplier onboarding form generator first. Then see how to onboard a new supplier safely.
Sources
Common questions
Should I delete old suppliers?
No. Archive them so past bills and reports still work.
What if a supplier has no ABN?
You may have to withhold from payments to them. See the ATO page on withholding when an ABN is not quoted.
How often should I review the list?
Every quarter is enough for most businesses.
Related how-to guides
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