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Vendor Onboarding: How to Streamline Your Crew & Vendor Information Collection

Vendor Onboarding simplifies the collection of essential information from your crew and vendors.

Updated over a week ago

What is Vendor Onboarding?

The Vendor Onboarding system lets you collect information from everyone working on your production quickly and securely. Send custom links to vendors, contractors, and employees to gather their contact details, payment information, tax documents, and signed agreements - all in one place.

Why Use Vendor Onboarding?

  • Save time by automating information collection

  • Reduce errors with standardized forms

  • Improve security with proper document handling

  • Track completion with a simple dashboard

  • Maintain compliance by collecting required tax documents

Create an Onboarding Link

  1. Navigate to the Contacts section in your workspace or project. The menu can be found in the left nav.

  2. Click the "New Onboard" button at the top.

  3. Select a project that this contact should belong to (this is an optional step. If no projects are selected, the contact will show up in the workspace contact list.)

  4. Select which contact types the vendor can associate themselves as:

    1. Company: a registered business or loan out that works with your production company

    2. Independent Contractor: usually requires a 1099

    3. Employee: a hired employee of your company

  5. Configure your requirements:

    • Select whether to require tax document uploads like W-9

    • Choose whether to require startwork signature

    • Add any NDAs or other documents that need signing

  6. Copy the generated link and send it directly via email

Note: The onboarding link can be used for multiple vendors if they have belong to the same project and have the same requirements.

What Your Vendors Will Experience

When vendors receive your onboarding link, they'll go through a simple step-by-step process:

  1. Type Selection: They'll identify themselves as a Company, Independent Contractor, or Employee

  2. Information Collection: Based on their type, they'll provide relevant contact details and upload required tax documents such as W-9s.

  3. Document Signing: They'll review and sign any required documents (NDAs, startwork)

  4. Bank Details: They'll provide their payment information for future transactions

  5. Payment Request: They can submit a request for payment and upload their invoices, and other relevant documents.

  6. Dashboard: Once the payment request has been submitted, they will see a link to go to their dashboard. The vendor dashboard is the place where they can track each of their payment requests.

Managing Onboarded Vendors

Once your vendors complete the onboarding process, their information will automatically appear in your Contacts section. You can:

  • View all contact details in one place

  • Access signed documents and tax forms

  • Process payments using their stored information

  • Track which vendors have completed onboarding

Tips for Successful Onboarding

  • Send reminders to vendors who haven't completed the process

  • Customize requirements based on vendor type

  • Include clear instructions when sending the onboarding link

  • Use project-specific onboarding for different productions

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I customize what information is required?
A: Yes, you can select which documents are required and whether vendors need to complete startwork forms.

Q: Is the vendor information secure?
A: Yes, all information is securely stored and only accessible to authorized users in your workspace.

Q: Can vendors upload invoices during onboarding?
A: Yes, vendors can upload invoices during the payment details section.

Q: What file formats are accepted for document uploads?
A: PDF, JPG, and PNG files are accepted for document uploads.

See it in Action

Check out our YouTube tutorial on how vendor onboarding works in Saturation.

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