Adding Trade Partners
Reference for the Add Trade Partners drawer: the Single Trade Partner form fields and validation, the 22-column bulk upload template and the results of an upload.
The Add Trade Partners drawer has two tabs: Single Trade Partner and Bulk Upload. For the steps, see Add Trade Partners.
Single Trade Partner form
| Field | Req. | Type | Values and validation | Default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Partner Name | Yes | Text | Any text. The name cannot be left empty. | Empty |
| Trade Partner Identifier | No | Text | Your identifier for the partner. It can be left empty. | Empty |
| PGLN | No | Number | Must be a valid PGLN. A number that fails the check-digit test shows Invalid PGLN and nothing is created. | Empty |
| DUNS | No | Number | Must be a valid DUNS number | Empty |
| Buyer / Supplier | No | Choice | Buyer or Supplier. The form does not offer Other or Self; those values can be set only in the spreadsheet. | Empty (Select buyer or supplier) |
The Create Trade Partner button is greyed out while the form is empty. When the partner is created, its drawer opens on the Details tab and the new row appears in the list with Connection set to Not Connected and Type set to NonWholechain.
Bulk Upload
The Bulk Upload tab has two steps: step 1, Excel Template (downloads the template); step 2, a file box (click it or drag a file onto it) and an Upload button. Accepted file types are .xlsx and .xls.
Template layout
The template has 22 columns. Row 1 holds the headings and row 2 holds the field codes. Both rows must stay. Each row describes one Trade Partner and one Location for it.
| Column | Key | Req. | Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Partner Number/ID | tp_external_id | No | Your identifier for the partner |
| Company Name | tp_name | Yes | Partner name |
| Connection Type | tp_connection_type | Yes | Buyer, Supplier, Other or Self. This column says what the partner is to you; it does not connect the partner. |
| PGLN | tp_pgln | No | Valid PGLN |
| Company DUNS | tp_company_duns | No | Valid DUNS number |
| Location Group | tp_location_group | No | Name of an existing Location Group. If the group does not exist, the Location is not linked and no group is created; create the group first (see Location Groups). |
| Location Number/ID | tp_location_external_id | No | Your identifier for the Location |
| Location Name | tp_location_name | No | Location name |
| Address 1 | tp_address_1 | No | Street address |
| Address 2 | tp_address_2 | No | Additional address line |
| City | tp_city | No | City |
| State/Province | tp_state_province | No | State or province |
| Country | tp_country | No | Country |
| Postal Code | tp_postal_code | No | Postal code |
| Geocoordinates | tp_geocoordinates | No | latitude,longitude, with both values, for example 37.7704,-122.3894. When an address is provided, Wholechain attempts to find the coordinates; if none can be found for the address, the Location is saved with 0, 0. |
| Contact Name | tp_contact_name | No | Contact person |
| Phone Number | tp_phone_number | No | Contact phone |
| Phone Extension | tp_phone_extension | No | Contact phone extension |
| tp_email | No | Contact email | |
| GLN | tp_gln | No | Valid GLN for the Location |
| Location DUNS | tp_location_duns | No | Valid DUNS number for the Location |
| Polygon | tp_polygon | No | Location boundary in GeoJSON format |
At a minimum, a row needs a Company Name and a Connection Type.
Results of an upload
| Outcome | What you see |
|---|---|
| All rows accepted | The new partners appear in the list; each shows 1 in Location(s). No confirmation count is shown. |
| Row matches an existing record | The record is updated. If the record was created with an identifier and the file leaves the identifier blank, a new record is created instead, because a blank identifier counts as a value. |
| One or more rows rejected | An error banner appears with Download issues file. Rows without errors can already have been added. |
| Locations created | Each Location is listed on the Locations page with the type Warehouse / Distribution Center, because this template has no Location Type column. |
Add form compared with the spreadsheet
| Item | Single Trade Partner form | Excel spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| What the partner is to you | Buyer / Supplier: Buyer or Supplier (optional) | Connection Type: Buyer, Supplier, Other or Self (required) |
| Required fields | Trade Partner Name | Company Name and Connection Type |
| Connection status of a new partner | Not Connected | Not Connected (the template has no connection column) |
For the rules and messages that apply when adding Trade Partners, see Rules and restrictions and Messages.