Overview

Vendor Pulse lets you classify vendors by the product or service they provide, using a two-level structure: a category and, under it, a subcategory. Both are managed in the Master Data section and both appear as dropdowns on the vendor form.

This guide covers creating, editing and deleting categories and subcategories, and how they are used on a vendor.

Naming note: in the sidebar this section is called Master Data, and the tab is called Product & Service Categories. Older material may refer to it as "MasterVault".

Prerequisites

• master:view — without it the whole Master Data section shows an "Unauthorized" screen
• master:add and vendor:add to create or edit a category or subcategory
• master:delete and vendor:delete to delete one

The Add, Edit and Delete controls are shown based on your master: permissions, but the save itself is checked against your vendor: permissions. If you have one and not the other, the button appears but the action fails.

Opening the Categories List

Navigation: Sidebar → Master Data → Product & Service Categories tab

1. Click Master Data in the sidebar. It opens on the Templates tab.
2. Switch to the Product & Service Categories tab.

The table lists your categories:

Use Search to find a category by name and Visibility to choose which columns are shown. The table shows 10 rows per page by default. Clicking a category row opens its subcategories.

Creating a Category

1. On the Product & Service Categories tab, click Add Category.
2. The Add New Category panel opens.
3. Fill in Category Name. It is required and must be between 2 and 70 characters, and cannot be only spaces.
4. Optionally fill in Description (up to 500 characters).
5. Click Add Category.

Category names must be unique. A name that is already used, in any mix of upper and lower case, is rejected with Category with this name already exists.

Creating a Subcategory

Subcategories live inside a category, so you open the category first.

1. On the Product & Service Categories tab, click the category's row.
2. The Subcategories page opens and shows Category: followed by the category's name.
3. Click Add Subcategory.
4. Fill in Subcategory Name — required, 2 to 70 characters.
5. Optionally fill in Description (up to 500 characters).
6. Click Add Subcategory.

A subcategory name must be unique within its category; a duplicate is rejected with Sub-category with this name already exists. The same subcategory name can be used under two different categories.

The subcategory table carries the same columns as the category table, with Subcategory Name in place of Category Name.

Tip: Design your structure to match how your organisation actually thinks about third parties — by service type, by business unit, or by criticality. There is no fixed depth beyond these two levels.

Editing and Deleting

Both tables use the same row menu.

To edit

1. Click the ⋮ menu at the end of the row.
2. Choose Edit.
3. Change the name or description.
4. Click Update.

To delete

1. Click the ⋮ menu at the end of the row.
2. Choose Delete.
3. Confirm on the Delete Category (or Delete Subcategory) dialog, which warns that the action cannot be undone.

Using Categories on a Vendor

Category and subcategory are set in the service details part of the vendor form, when you add or edit a vendor.

1. In the Category field, choose a category. The tooltip reads: "Select the category that best describes the vendor's service type."
2. In the Subcategory field, choose a subcategory. Until a category is chosen the field reads Select Category first, and it only offers subcategories belonging to the category you picked.

Both fields are optional — you can save a vendor without them. Changing the category clears any subcategory already selected.

Both dropdowns are searchable and load more options as you scroll, which matters once you have a long list.

Things to know:

• Category and subcategory cannot be set through the vendor Bulk Upload template. Set them by editing each vendor after the import.
• On a vendor's Profile tab, the card titled Vendor Category shows the vendor's tier, not the category chosen here. To check a vendor's category, open its edit form.

Troubleshooting

The Master Data section shows "Unauthorized" → You are missing master:view. Ask your administrator to add it.

I cannot see Add Category, Edit or Delete → Creating and editing need master:add; deleting needs master:delete.

The button is there but saving fails → The controls are shown on your master:* permissions, but categories are saved against vendor:add (or vendor:delete for removal). Ask your administrator to grant the matching vendor permission.

The name is rejected → Names must be at least 2 and at most 70 characters, and cannot be made up only of spaces. Descriptions are limited to 500 characters.

"Category with this name already exists" or "Sub-category with this name already exists" → Names must be unique, ignoring upper and lower case. Pick a different name or edit the existing entry.

The Subcategory dropdown says "Select Category first" → Subcategories belong to a category. Pick the category first and the list will populate.

A new subcategory is not offered on the vendor form → Check that you created it under the category you are selecting on the vendor. Subcategories are only offered for their own parent category.

I want to delete a category that vendors are using → Edit those vendors and choose another category first, so that no vendor is left pointing at a category that no longer exists. Deletion is confirmed and cannot be undone.

The Profile tab does not show the category I chose → The Vendor Category card on the Profile tab shows the vendor's tier. The category is shown in the vendor's edit form.

Need more help? Contact support@zeron.one