---
title: Manufacturers
---
## Manufacturers
A manufacturer is a [company](../concepts/company.md) which acts as an external producer of parts and raw materials. A manufacturer may or may not also be a [supplier](./supplier.md) of those parts.
!!! info
**Viewing**, **adding**, **editing** and **deleting** manufacturers require the corresponding [Purchase Orders user permissions](../settings/permissions.md)
To access the list of manufacturers , click on the {{ icon("shopping-cart") }} Buy navigation tab and click on {{ icon("building-factory-2") }} Manufacturers option in the dropdown list.
{{ image("purchasing/manufacturer_list.png", "Manufacturer List") }}
### Add Manufacturer
Once the manufacturer page is loaded, click on the {{ icon("plus-circle") }} New Manufacturer button: the "Create new Manufacturer" form opens. Fill-in the manufacturer information (`Company name` and `Company description` are required) then click on Submit
!!! info "Manufacturer vs Supplier"
In the case the manufacturer sells directly to customers, you may want to enable the checkbox `is supplier` before submitting the form (you can also enable it later on). Purchase orders rely exclusively on [supplier parts](./supplier.md#supplier-parts), therefore the manufacturer will need to be set as a supplier too.
### Manufacturer Parts
Manufacturer parts are linked to a manufacturer and defined as manufacturable items.
!!! warning
**Viewing**, **adding**, **editing** and **deleting** manufacturer parts require the corresponding [Purchase Orders user permissions](../settings/permissions.md)
#### Add Manufacturer Part
To create a manufacturer part, you have the following options:
* Navigate to a Part detail page then click on the {{ icon("building") }} Suppliers tab
* Navigate to a Manufacturer detail page then click on the {{ icon("building-factory-2") }} Manufactured Parts tab.
Whichever you pick, click on the {{ icon("plus-circle") }} New Manufacturer Part button to load the "Create New Manufacturer Part" form. Fill out the form with the manufacturer part information then click on Submit
#### Edit Manufacturer Part
To edit a manufacturer part, first access the manufacturer part detail page with one of the following options:
* Navigate to a Part detail page, click on the {{ icon("building") }} Suppliers tab then, in the Part Manufacturers table, click on the _MPN_ link
* Navigate to a Manufacturer detail page, click on the {{ icon("building-factory-2") }} Manufactured Parts tab then click on the _MPN_ link.
After the manufacturer part details are loaded, click on the {{ icon("edit", color="blue", title="Edit") }} icon next to the manufacturer part image. Edit the manufacturer part information then click on Submit
#### Delete Manufacturer Part
To delete a manufacturer part, first access the manufacturer part detail page like in the [Edit Manufacturer Part](#edit-manufacturer-part) section.
After the manufacturer part details are loaded, click on the {{ icon("trash", color="red", title="Delete") }} icon next to the manufacturer part image. Review the the information for the manufacturer part to be deleted, confirm the deletion using the checkbox then click on Submit