Managing Contacts

The Contacts module is your central database for all customer and supplier information. It's the foundation for your CRM, sales, and quoting workflows.

Adding a New Contact

Customer vs Supplier

SME System distinguishes between two types of contacts:

• Customers: Organisations or individuals you sell to
• Suppliers: Vendors and service providers you purchase from

Creating a Contact

To add a new contact:

1. Navigate to the Contacts module from the sidebar
2. Click the Add Contact button
3. Fill in the required information:
   • Name: Company or individual name (required)
   • Email: Primary email address
   • Phone: Contact phone number
   • VAT Number: For B2B customers (optional)
   • Address: Street, city, and postcode
   • Is Company: Toggle between company and individual contact
4. Click Save

Contact Information Fields

Required Fields

• Name: The company or person's name
• Organisation: Automatically assigned to your organisation

Optional Fields

• Email: Primary email address for communication
• Phone: Contact phone number
• VAT Number: UK VAT registration number for B2B transactions
• Street: First line of address
• City: Town or city
• Postcode: UK postcode (format validation)

Viewing and Editing Contacts

Contact List

The contacts list displays all your contacts with key information:

• Name
• City
• Email
• Contact type (customer/supplier)

You can:

• Search: Find contacts by name, email, or city
• Filter: Show only customers or suppliers
• Sort: Order by name, city, or creation date

Editing a Contact

1. Click on a contact in the list
2. Click the Edit button
3. Update the required fields
4. Click Save

Linking Contacts to Other Modules

CRM Integration

Contacts are linked to CRM leads:

• When creating a lead, select an existing customer
• The lead inherits the customer's contact information
• Won leads can be converted to orders with customer details pre-filled

Sales Integration

Contacts are used in the quoting process:

• Select a customer when creating a quote
• Customer address and VAT number are automatically included
• Order history is tracked per customer

Best Practices

Data Quality

• Standardise Names: Use consistent naming (e.g., "Acme Ltd" not "Acme Limited")
• Validate VAT Numbers: Ensure VAT numbers are correct for B2B invoicing
• Complete Addresses: Full addresses improve quote professionalism
• Keep Email Updated: Essential for sending quotes and communications

Organisation

• Use Categories: Group contacts by type (customer/supplier)
• Regular Updates: Keep contact information current
• Remove Duplicates: Merge duplicate contact records
• Archive Old Contacts: Hide contacts you no longer use

Security and Privacy

Data Isolation

All contacts are scoped to your organisation:

• Your team sees only your organisation's contacts
• Row-Level Security (RLS) prevents cross-organisation access
• Each user's access is controlled by their role

GDPR Compliance

Contact data is handled in compliance with UK GDPR:

• Data is stored securely in the EEA
• You can export or delete contact data on request
• Data retention follows your organisation's policies

Troubleshooting

Contact Not Appearing in CRM

If a contact doesn't appear in the CRM customer selector:

• Ensure the contact is marked as a customer (not supplier)
• Check that the contact belongs to your organisation
• Verify you have the correct permissions

VAT Validation Issues

If VAT numbers aren't validating:

• Ensure the format is correct (UK: GB followed by 9 digits)
• Check for typos or extra spaces
• Some international VAT formats may not be supported

Next Steps

• Learn about the CRM module
• Create your first quote
• Manage your product catalogue