An accurate, up-to-date vendor index file speeds making telephone calls, aids in mailing notices, and generally helps in locating sources of supply. A simple card file with vendor cards that are filed alphabetically is recommended, but the information could also be kept digitally.

Vendor Cards

The following are recommendations for making vendor cards.

Primary information to be included on the card:

• Company name
• Telephone number
• Address

Optional information to be included on vendor cards:

• Name(s) of the sales contact
• Local offices (telephone number and address)
• General line of products or service
• Special information such as "preferred vendor by treasurer"

An example index vendor card is shown in Figure 12-1.

Figure 12-1. Sample Index Vendor Card

Product Index Cards

The vendor's index should be cross-filed with a product index. A cross-referenced product index will be very important for new purchasing agents or for use in finding items that are seldom purchased.

The product index should be as detailed as necessary to be helpful. It might start with broad categories and be broken down into more detailed levels based on the purchasing agent's experience.

If the categories are too broad, several cards may be required to list all the vendors. If the categories are too narrow, the index will contain an excessive number of essentially duplicate cards

A sample product index card is shown in Figure 12-2.

Figure 12-2. Sample Product Index Card

These product index cards can be used as an initial reference in obtaining vendor quotes or mailing bid notices.