Party identifiers
Lesson 18 of 24 8 min read
Add the identifiers that let Supply Lens recognise a Party on incoming Documents and send it the right codes, and narrow an identifier to one Integration, country or currency.
A Party with no identifiers is just a name. Identifiers are what let Supply Lens recognise a Party on incoming Documents (an EDI order naming a GLN, a Shopify order naming a company ID) and send each system the code it expects for that Party. In this lesson you will add identifiers and learn when to narrow them.
Choosing identifier types
There are many Party identifier types, mostly named after the system that uses them. They fall into a few families:
| Family | Examples | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Global standards | GLN, GLN Bill To, DUNS, VAT, SIRENE | EDI and e-invoicing partners, tax |
| Assigned codes | Customer Assigned Code, Supplier Assigned Code | The code a partner gives you, or you give them |
| ERP and accounting | Unleashed Customer Code, Unleashed Supplier Code, Xero Contact ID, Enterpryze Card Code, Quick Books Customer Ref | The Party's record in your ERP or accounts |
| Commerce platforms | Shopify Company ID, Shopify Customer ID, WooCommerce Customer Identifier, eBay Username, Etsy User ID, Mirakl Customer ID | Customers coming in from a store or marketplace |
| Warehouses and 3PLs | Mintsoft Client ID, Logiwa Client Code, Clarus WMS Account Code, Vigo Warehouse Code | Your account with a 3PL |
The type list only shows the types that apply to your organisation's Integrations, so it stays short.
Ask: who will send this code, and who needs to receive it?
For each Party, list every system that will mention it on a Document, and every system Supply Lens will send its Documents to. Each needs an identifier. Greenleaf's EDI orders name a GLN (inbound); Unleashed needs Greenleaf's customer code (outbound).
Add an identifier
- Open Settings → Reference data → Parties and open the Party.
- Scroll to the Identifiers section at the bottom.
- Click + to open the Add party identifier window.
- Choose the Type and enter the Value.
- If needed, use the Advanced settings to narrow when the identifier applies.
- Click SAVE IDENTIFIER.
| Type | The kind of identifier, such as GLN or Unleashed Customer Code. |
|---|---|
| Value | The identifier itself, exactly as the other system sends or expects it. |
| Integration state (Advanced) | Live or Test: apply the identifier only when the Integration is in that state. Useful when a partner uses different codes in testing. |
| Country (Advanced) | Apply only on Documents for this country. |
| Currency (Advanced) | Apply only on Documents in this currency. |
| Integration Type (Advanced) | Apply only on Integrations of this type, picked from a searchable list with logos. |
| Integration (Advanced) | Apply only on this one Integration. |
Leave the Advanced settings at Any unless you have a reason to narrow them. An unscoped identifier applies everywhere.
When several identifiers apply
As with Products, Supply Lens first discards identifiers scoped to a different context, then ranks the rest. For Parties the questions are asked in this order:
- Is it your organisation's own identifier, rather than a shared one?
- Is it scoped to the Integration?
- Is it scoped to the Integration type?
- Is it scoped to Live or Test?
- Is it scoped to the country?
- Is it scoped to the currency?
The first difference decides. An identifier scoped to one Integration beats one scoped to every Integration of that type, and either beats one with no Integration scope.
Greenleaf's identifiers
| Type | Value | Advanced | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLN | 5012345000017 | (none) | Greenleaf's EDI orders name the buyer by GLN |
| GLN | 5012345000999 | Integration state: Test | Greenleaf's test messages use a test GLN during certification |
| Unleashed Customer Code | GREENLEAF | (none) | Unleashed needs the customer code when the order is sent there |
And on Hilltop Coffee Ltd, the organisation party, Priya adds a Customer Assigned Code: the supplier number Greenleaf has given Hilltop. Greenleaf's EDI orders are addressed to that code, so it is how Supply Lens knows the orders are for Hilltop.
Many partners, many codes for you
An organisation party can carry several Customer Assigned Codes, one for each EDI trading partner. Each partner's code routes their messages to your organisation.
Recap
- Party identifiers let Supply Lens recognise a Party inbound and send the right code outbound.
- Add them in the Party's Identifiers section with +, choosing a Type and Value.
- Advanced settings narrow an identifier to a Live or Test state, country, currency, Integration type or Integration.
- For Parties, your own identifier beats a shared one, then Integration, Integration type, Live/Test, country and currency decide.
- Add the codes partners use for you, such as Customer Assigned Codes, to your organisation party.
Quick guides for this topic
Your progress is saved in this browser. Create a free account to keep it everywhere, take quizzes and earn certificates.