Customer Management¶

Overview¶

The Customer Management feature enables you to create, manage, and maintain comprehensive customer records within the Zora Tech Logistics Platform. Customers are the foundation of order processing, billing, and relationship management across your logistics operations.

Table of Contents¶

• Overview
• Getting Started
• Accessing Customer Management
• Customer Information Structure
• Creating a New Customer
• Managing Customer Details
• Customer Addresses
• Customer Contacts
• Customer Status Management
• Customer Tiers
• Financial Information
• Searching and Filtering
• Customer Actions
• Best Practices
• Troubleshooting

Getting Started¶

Customer management is essential for:

• Order Processing: Link orders to customer accounts for tracking and billing
• Relationship Management: Maintain complete customer profiles with contacts and preferences
• Financial Control: Track credit limits, payment terms, and billing information
• Delivery Management: Store shipping addresses and special delivery requirements
• Business Intelligence: Analyze customer activity and performance metrics

Accessing Customer Management¶

Navigate to Operations > Customers from the main sidebar to access the Customer Management interface.

Key Interface Elements:

• Search Bar: Quick customer lookup by name or customer code
• Status Filter: Filter customers by status (Active, Credit Hold, Suspended, etc.)
• Tier Filter: Filter by customer tier (Standard, Preferred, VIP, Enterprise)
• Add Customer Button: Create new customer records
• Customer Table: View all customers with key information at a glance

Figure: Customer table displaying company details, tier badges, status, credit information, and action buttons

Customer Information Structure¶

Each customer record contains:

Basic Information¶

• Company Name: Customer business name (required)
• Customer Code: Auto-generated unique identifier (e.g., CUST-001)
• Customer Type: Business classification
• Individual
• Business
• Reseller
• Distributor
• Customer Tier: Service level classification
• Status: Current account status
• Tax ID: Tax identification number (optional)

Financial Information¶

• Credit Limit: Maximum outstanding balance allowed
• Current Balance: Total amount owed
• Payment Terms: Default payment conditions (e.g., NET30, NET60)
• Preferred Shipping Method: Default carrier preference

Addresses¶

• Billing Address: Invoice destination
• Shipping Address(es): Delivery locations
• Address Labels: Descriptive names for multiple locations

Contacts¶

• Primary Contact: Main point of contact
• Additional Contacts: Purchasing, billing, receiving contacts
• Contact Types: Primary, Billing, Purchasing, Receiving

Creating a New Customer¶

Figure: Add New Customer dialog showing all required and optional fields

Step-by-Step Process¶

1. Click "Add Customer" button in the top-right corner
2. Fill in Basic Information:
3. Enter company name (required)
4. Select customer type from dropdown
5. Choose customer tier
6. Set initial status (typically "Active")

7. Add Tax ID if applicable

8. Configure Financial Information:

9. Set credit limit amount
10. Define payment terms (e.g., NET30)
11. Specify preferred shipping method

12. Add special delivery requirements if needed

13. Add Preferences:

14. Preferred shipping method
15. Special delivery requirements

16. Any custom notes

17. Click "Create Customer" to save

Important: After creating the customer, you can add addresses and contacts by editing the customer profile.

Figure: Complete Add New Customer form showing all sections - Basic Information, Financial Information, Preferences, and Notes

Required Fields¶

• Company Name
• Customer Type
• Customer Tier
• Status

All other fields are optional but recommended for complete customer profiles.

Managing Customer Details¶

Figure: Edit Customer dialog showing complete customer profile with addresses and contacts

Editing Customer Information¶

1. Click the Edit button next to any customer in the table
2. Modify any customer information as needed
3. Update financial settings
4. Manage addresses and contacts
5. Click Update Customer to save changes

Customer Information Sections¶

Figure: Complete customer edit form showing Basic Information, Financial Information, Addresses, and Contacts sections

Basic Information: - Company name and type - Customer tier and status - Tax identification

Financial Information: - Credit limit and current balance - Payment terms - Shipping preferences - Special delivery requirements

Addresses: - View all customer addresses - Add new addresses - Edit or delete existing addresses - Set default billing and shipping addresses

Contacts: - Manage contact persons - Set contact types (Primary, Billing, Purchasing) - Update contact information

Customer Addresses¶

Customers can have multiple addresses for different purposes:

Address Types¶

• Billing: Invoice destination
• Shipping: Delivery location
• Both: Combined billing and shipping

Managing Addresses¶

1. Add Address:
2. Click "Add Address" button in edit modal
3. Enter address label (e.g., "Corporate Headquarters", "Main Warehouse")
4. Fill in complete address details
5. Select address type

6. Set as default if needed

7. Edit Address:

8. Click Edit next to the address
9. Update address information

10. Change address type or default status

11. Delete Address:

12. Click Delete next to the address
13. Confirm deletion (cannot delete if it's the only address)

Address Best Practices¶

• Use descriptive labels (e.g., "Dock 3 Warehouse" instead of "Location 1")
• Always maintain at least one billing and one shipping address
• Mark the most frequently used addresses as default
• Include special delivery instructions in the address notes

Customer Contacts¶

Maintain multiple contacts for each customer to ensure proper communication:

Contact Types¶

• Primary: Main point of contact
• Billing: Accounts payable, invoicing
• Purchasing: Procurement, ordering
• Receiving: Warehouse, delivery coordination

Managing Contacts¶

1. Add Contact:
2. Click "Add Contact" button in edit modal
3. Enter contact name
4. Select contact type
5. Add email address

6. Include phone number and title

7. Edit Contact:

8. Update contact information as needed

9. Change contact type if responsibilities change

10. Delete Contact:

11. Remove outdated or invalid contacts
12. Ensure at least one primary contact remains

Customer Status Management¶

Available Statuses¶

Changing Customer Status¶

1. Edit the customer record
2. Select new status from dropdown
3. Save changes
4. System automatically applies restrictions based on status

Credit Hold Behavior: - Existing orders continue processing - New order creation is blocked - Warning badge displayed next to credit status - Automatic email notification sent (if configured)

Customer Tiers¶

Customer tiers enable differentiated service levels and pricing:

Tier Levels¶

Using Customer Tiers¶

• Assign tiers based on volume, relationship, or strategic value
• Use tiers to filter reports and analytics
• Apply tier-based pricing rules
• Prioritize service based on tier level

Financial Information¶

Credit Limits¶

Purpose: Control customer exposure and manage risk

Setting Credit Limits: - Enter maximum allowed outstanding balance - System warns when approaching limit - Orders blocked when limit exceeded

Monitoring Credit: - Current balance shown vs. credit limit - Visual indicators (green = good, yellow = warning, red = over limit) - Credit hold automatically triggered if over limit

Payment Terms¶

Common Terms: - NET30: Payment due 30 days from invoice - NET60: Payment due 60 days from invoice - Due on Receipt: Immediate payment required - COD: Cash on delivery - Prepay: Payment before shipment

Using Payment Terms: - Set default terms for each customer - Terms automatically apply to invoices - Can override on individual orders if needed

Searching and Filtering¶

Figure: Status filter dropdown showing all available customer status options

Search Functionality¶

• Quick Search: Type customer name or code in search bar
• Real-time Results: Table updates as you type
• Search Fields: Searches across company name and customer code

Filter Options¶

Status Filter: - All Statuses - Active - Credit Hold - Suspended - Pending Approval

Tier Filter: - All Tiers - Standard - Preferred - VIP - Enterprise

Combined Filtering: Use status and tier filters together for precise results

Sorting¶

Click column headers to sort by: - Customer name (alphabetical) - Status - Credit status (balance/limit) - Customer type

Customer Actions¶

Available Actions¶

Billing Action¶

• View complete billing history
• Access all invoices
• Review payment history
• Generate billing reports

Delete Customer¶

Important Considerations: - Cannot delete customers with active orders - Cannot delete customers with outstanding balances - Historical data is preserved for reporting - Soft delete maintains referential integrity

Deletion Process: 1. Ensure no active orders or balances 2. Click Delete button 3. Confirm deletion in dialog 4. Customer marked as deleted (not permanently removed)

Best Practices¶

Customer Record Management¶

1. Complete Profiles: Always add addresses and contacts after creating customers
2. Accurate Information: Verify customer details, especially tax IDs and billing addresses
3. Regular Updates: Keep contact information current to avoid delivery issues
4. Descriptive Names: Use clear, descriptive labels for addresses and contacts

Financial Management¶

1. Appropriate Credit Limits: Set limits based on customer relationship and history
2. Monitor Balances: Review credit status regularly
3. Clear Payment Terms: Document terms clearly to avoid disputes
4. Consistent Tier Assignment: Use tiers systematically across all customers

Data Quality¶

1. Standardize Formats: Use consistent formats for addresses and phone numbers
2. Avoid Duplicates: Search before creating to prevent duplicate records
3. Archive vs. Delete: Use Inactive status instead of deleting when possible
4. Document Changes: Use notes field to track significant customer events

Workflow Integration¶

1. Link Orders: Always associate orders with customer accounts
2. Update Status: Change status immediately when issues arise
3. Communicate Changes: Notify customers of status changes
4. Review Regularly: Periodic customer data audits maintain accuracy

Troubleshooting¶

Common Issues¶

Cannot Create Order for Customer

Possible causes: - Customer status is not "Active" - Credit limit exceeded - Customer marked as deleted

Solution: Check customer status and credit balance. Update status or increase credit limit as needed.

Duplicate Customer Records

Cause: Creating customers without searching first

Solution: 1. Search thoroughly before creating new customers 2. Use the search function to find similar names 3. If duplicates exist, consolidate into one record 4. Mark duplicate as Inactive (do not delete if it has history)

Cannot Delete Customer

Possible causes: - Customer has active orders - Outstanding balance exists - Historical transactions present

Solution: 1. Resolve all active orders 2. Clear outstanding balances 3. Use "Inactive" status instead of deleting 4. Contact system administrator if deletion is absolutely necessary

Address Not Appearing in Order

Cause: Address not set as default or wrong address type

Solution: 1. Edit customer record 2. Verify address exists 3. Set appropriate default shipping address 4. Ensure address type is "Shipping" or "Both"

Credit Hold Not Blocking Orders

Cause: Status changed but system cache not refreshed

Solution: 1. Verify status is saved correctly 2. Refresh browser page 3. Try creating test order to confirm block 4. Check system configuration for credit hold settings

Contact Email Not Receiving Notifications

Cause: Contact marked as inactive or wrong contact type

Solution: 1. Verify contact email address is correct 2. Check contact is marked as active 3. Ensure contact type matches notification type (Billing for invoices, etc.) 4. Test email delivery through system tools

Getting Additional Help¶

For complex customer management issues:

1. Check the FAQ for common questions
2. Review Troubleshooting Guide for system-wide issues
3. Contact your system administrator
4. Refer to Order Processing for order-customer linkage

For related functionality, see Order Processing, Bulk Upload for importing customers, and Reports for customer analytics.