To begin setting up your first vendor, you should select Purchase | Vendors and click on Create:

This is the Vendors listing, but as it is empty, you will see instructions on how you can add a new vendor. Odoo also lists a few of the features that you can expect from vendor management, such as tracking discussions, purchase history, and documents associated with a vendor.

After clicking Create, Odoo will bring up the vendor form for you to fill out:

This form is very much like the customer form because it is based on the same basic structure. In fact, it is perfectly acceptable for a customer to also be a vendor. When you create a new vendor record, a vendor checkbox is automatically marked for you under the Sales & Purchases page on the form. Sometimes, this can get a little confusing for people new to Odoo. This chapter will start to make the relationships between companies, contacts, customers, and vendors in Odoo clearer.