For: Admins and service managers · Permission: Manage Parts · Time: ~3 minutes
Quick summary
- Go to Parts & Inventory → Manufacturers.
- Click + New manufacturer, type the name, and click Save.
- To change a name, open the row's ⋮ menu and click Edit.
- To retire one, open the ⋮ menu and click Deactivate. Click Delete only when no parts use it.
Before you start
- You'll need: The Manage Parts permission.
- Good to know: Manufacturers have their own page, apart from Parts and Vendors. Every part needs a manufacturer. A manufacturer that parts still use can't be deleted. Deactivate it or merge it instead.
Open Manufacturers
Go to Parts & Inventory → Manufacturers. The header shows how many manufacturers you have. Each row shows its parts count, its most-used category, and its status.
Each row has a ⋮ menu with Edit, Deactivate, and Delete. An inactive row shows Activate in place of Deactivate.
A row's ⋮ menu: Edit, Deactivate, and Delete.
The Manufacturers list, filtered to Active.
Add a manufacturer
Click + New manufacturer. In the Add Manufacturer window, type the name in Manufacturer. Leave Manufacturer Status set to active, then click Save.
The Add Manufacturer window takes a name and a status.
Names must be unique. If the name already exists, Save is disabled and the window says "Entry already exists." Pick a different name, or edit the existing manufacturer.
Rename a manufacturer
Open the row's ⋮ menu and click Edit. In the Edit Manufacturer window, change the name and click Save.
The Edit Manufacturer window uses the same fields as Add Manufacturer.
Deactivate a manufacturer
Open the row's ⋮ menu and click Deactivate. The status changes to Inactive, and the manufacturer leaves the Active list.
To find inactive manufacturers, click Inactive above the list.
The Manufacturers list, filtered to Inactive.
To bring one back, open its ⋮ menu and click Activate.
Delete a manufacturer
Open the row's ⋮ menu and click Delete. Delete works only when no parts use the manufacturer.
Delete is greyed out when parts still use the manufacturer. A short line under it gives the reason, for example "Can't delete. 3 parts still reference this manufacturer." Reassign those parts, deactivate the manufacturer, or merge it into another one.
Merge duplicate manufacturers
When two manufacturers have similar names, a banner appears at the top of the Manufacturers page. It reads N manufacturers look like duplicates. Review and merge to keep your catalog clean. With one pair, it says "1 manufacturer looks like a duplicate." Click Review duplicates.
In the Review duplicate manufacturers window, pick the name you want to keep. It's marked CANONICAL. Every part on the other manufacturer moves to the one you keep, and that manufacturer is archived. Click Merge into the name you keep. The button shows how many parts will move.
Merging can't be undone. Check the Result line in the window before you click Merge into.
No banner, or you dismissed it? MetaFleet shows the banner only when it finds likely duplicates. Dismiss on a pair hides that pair for good. Dismiss all hides the banner for this session only. To combine a pair you dismissed, move its parts to the manufacturer you keep, then deactivate or delete the other.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Delete is greyed out | Parts still use this manufacturer | The line under Delete shows the count. Reassign those parts, deactivate the manufacturer, or merge it into another one. |
| A manufacturer isn't in the part dropdown | It's set to Inactive | Open its ⋮ menu and click Activate. |
| Save is disabled when adding | The name already exists | Use a unique name, or edit the existing manufacturer. |
FAQs
What's the difference between a manufacturer and a vendor?
A manufacturer makes the part. A vendor sells it to you. They're kept apart. A part has one manufacturer and an optional preferred vendor. See Add and Manage Vendors.
If I deactivate a manufacturer, what happens to its parts?
Existing parts keep the manufacturer. In a part's Manufacturer dropdown it shows as "Name (inactive)" until someone changes it. The manufacturer stops appearing as a choice when you add new parts.
Can I combine two manufacturers?
Yes. Use Review duplicates in the banner at the top of the Manufacturers page, pick the name to keep, and click Merge into that name. See Merge duplicate manufacturers above.