Go to the Vendors menu from the left-side navigation bar to view all outside counsel or firms added by your organization. The top of the page shows metrics for quick reference, such as the total number of vendor records and how many are assigned to matters.
Note: These User Guides will be updated as more features are added and revised. Check in frequently for more information.
From the list view, you can do the following:
- See general information about vendors and sort/filter the list view
- Open individual vendor records to see associated matters, pending matters, and other details
- Add a new vendor record
- Export the default or filtered list view as a spreadsheet
- Take quick actions for individual vendors or apply bulk actions
- Share general files with multiple vendors
- Add and manage Vendor Groups for better organization, filtering & reporting
Sorting & Filtering the Vendor List
All active vendors are displayed. Use the tabs above the list to quickly filter the list to show only inactive vendors or all vendors. You can re-sort the list in ascending or descending order by clicking on any column name. By default, the list is sorted by vendor name in alphabetical order. The table displays the following columns of information for each vendor:
- Vendor: Name entered for the vendor; click on the name to open their record.
- Vendor Group: Only appears if Vendor Groups are enabled in your environment to categorize vendors into groups based on criteria such as office or region.
- Entities Billed: Name of the default Legal Entity associated with the vendor, if assigned.
- Contact: First and last name of the vendor’s designated point of contact. This contact typically receives default email communications regarding billing.
- Vendor Manager: First and last name of the internal user assigned as the vendor’s main point of contact.
- TK Validation: If the Timekeeper Rate Validation setting is enabled, this displays Yes if it is turned on for the specific vendor. Click here for more information.
- Accruals: Displays Yes if accruals are enabled for the request of unbilled estimates
- BillingPoint: Displays Yes if at least one person from the firm has BillingPoint access to bill for work on legal matters.
- Actions: Displays … (more) menu with options to Activate/Inactivate and Edit Vendor Manager.
You can further customize this view by using the filters above the table or using the + (add columns) option to the far right of the table to hide or change the order of the default columns. Additionally, you can use the Search field above the list to find vendors that match specific keywords, such as a firm name or Vendor Manager name; the list filters as you type.
Exporting Vendor List
Click Download above the table to export the current view of your vendor list as an Excel file (includes any applied filters or sorting). The file includes the following information: ID, Vendor Name, Entities Billed, Contact Name, Vendor Manager, Status, TK Validation (i.e., Yes or No), Vendor Portal (i.e., number of users), and additional data captured in the vendor record.
Quick Actions for Individual Vendors
From the list view, click the ... (more) menu under the Actions column for an individual vendor and select one of the following: Inactivate/Reactivate or Edit Vendor Manager.
NOTE: You will not be prompted to confirm when choosing to deactivate a vendor.
A Vendor Manager is an internal user assigned as the firm's main point of contact. Select a user from the list and click Save.
Applying Bulk Actions to Vendors
You can apply the same changes across vendors, such as deactivating/reeactivating or modifying settings for multiple firms by selecting boxes for one or more vendors and clicking Bulk Actions above the list.
Choosing Inactivate or Reactivate for the selected vendors requires confirmation. Click Update to continue.
The Edit window allows for the following bulk updates depending on settings in your environment:
- Vendor Group: Assign all selected vendors to the same Vendor Group.
- Vendor Manager: Assign all selected vendors to the same internal Vendor Manager or choose None to remove all assigned Vendor Managers from selected vendors.
- TK Validation Enabled: Set to ON or OFF for all selected vendors.
- Accruals Enabled: Set to ON or OFF for all selected vendors.
- CounselGO Invoice Submission: Set to ON or OFF for all selected vendors.
Click Update in the bottom-right corner to apply your changes across the selected vendors.
Which fields appear in the window depend on the features and other settings enabled at the system level. For example, if Timekeeper Rate Validation is not turned on in your environment, the TK Validation Enabled option will not appear in this window.
Share General Files with Multiple Vendors
Customers also have the option to share general files in bulk with selected vendors. These files are not associated with specific matters and can include billing guidelines and other standard documentation that need to be sent to vendors who are supporting your legal department.
To get started, click Bulk Share Files above the vendor list to find/select the files for sharing. For detailed instructions and other notesand considerations, click here.
Manage Vendor Groups
Vendors can be grouped in Unity for better organization, reporting, and metrics tracking. Uses for vendor groups include:
- Grouping of multiple offices/locations that belong to the same firm/vendor
- Categorizing vendors by matter group or "type" to better understand overall activity
Creating a New Vendor Group
1. Click Manage Vendor Groups above the table.
2. Click + Add Vendor Group.
3. Enter a group name and click Submit.
Editing or Deleting Vendor Groups
Use the ... (more) option under the Actions column to edit or delete
Assigning a Vendor to a Group
Once a Vendor Group is created, you can assign it to individual vendors by going to the Overview tab and clicking +add... for the Vendor Group field under the Vendor Attributes section.
Alternatively, you can assign a Vendor Group to multiple vendors at once by using the bulk edit option on the list page.