# Crew Module #modules #crew #vendors The Crew Module in PAI provides tools for managing vendor relationships and finding suitable crew members for your productions. This module consists of two main components: Crew List and Crew Finder. PAI offers two distinct approaches to vendor tracking, allowing you to choose the method that best fits your workflow and vendor relationships: ### Vendor Portal Integration When you invite vendors to the PAI [[Vendor Portal]], you gain access to a comprehensive accounts payable system where vendors can submit invoices or timecards directly through the platform. This approach provides complete visibility into the billing process, automated status tracking, and streamlined approval workflows. It's ideal for regular crew members and service providers who work with you frequently. > [!tip] > Even without using PAI's vendor portal, maintaining vendor records provides significant organizational benefits. You can assign expenses to vendors in your budget and track spending against specific vendors without requiring them to submit invoices through PAI. This approach is particularly useful for retail merchants, equipment rental houses, or one-time service providers where you handle payments externally via credit card, cash, or direct vendor invoicing. ### Benefits of Vendor Records Regardless of Payment Method Whether you use the [[Vendor Portal]] or handle payments externally, maintaining vendor records in PAI offers valuable advantages: - **Organized Expense Tracking**: Clearly identify which vendor is responsible for each expense line in your budget - **Contact Management**: Store vendor contact information for easy access during production planning - **Reporting and Analytics**: Generate vendor-specific spending reports across projects - **Call Sheet Integration**: Automatically populate vendor contact details in production documents - **Historical Reference**: Build a database of trusted vendors for future project planning - **Geographic Search**: Utilize the Crew Finder to locate vendors based on production locations This flexibility ensures that PAI adapts to your existing vendor relationships and payment processes while still providing the organizational benefits of centralized vendor management. ## Crew List The Crew List serves as your organization's centralized database of vendor contacts. This comprehensive directory allows you to maintain detailed records of all production vendors and crew members. ### Adding Vendors Vendors can be added to your organization in two ways: 1. **Through Budget Assignment**: - Click in the vendor cell of a budget expense line - Search for existing vendor or select "Add New Vendor" - Enter required information (email, first name, last name) - Choose whether to invite them to the vendor portal or just create the record ![[vendor-create-budget-action.gif]] 2. **Through the Crew Module**: - Navigate to the Crew section in the main navigation - Click "Add Crew" to create a new vendor record - Complete the vendor profile with contact details - Optionally send an invitation to join your vendor portal ### Vendor Record Management PAI offers two distinct approaches to vendor tracking, allowing you to choose the method that best fits your workflow and vendor relationships: ##### Individual Use this method to add a vendor that is primary identified by the First & Last Name. Recommend use is for Individuals, Sole Proprietors, and other types of single-individual service providers, where they will typically be used to execute on production activities. To Add this vendor record, you must enter the following information: 1. Vendor Email 2. Vendor First & Last Name 3. Optionally add additional details: - Phone number - Business name (if applicable) > [!tip] Use this option if you are planning to use PAI's Vendor Portal to request and track your vendor invoice's and timecards ##### Business / Merchant Use this method to add a vendor that is primary a service provider or merchant. Recommended use includes service providers such as retailers, equipment rental houses, location services, ect. To Add this vendor record, you must enter the following information: 1. Business name 2. Optionally add additional details: - Vendor Email - Vendor First & Last Name - Phone number > [!tip] You can use this approach if you are not planning using PAI for payment submission and instead will handle transaction tracking outside of PAI. ### Vendor Portal Integration When adding a vendor, you have two options: - **Create Only**: Add the vendor to your crew list for internal reference & financial tracking - **Create and Invite**: Add the vendor and send an invitation to join your organization's vendor portal > [!tip] To invite a vendor and have them submit invoicing via the vendor portal, you must include an email address when creating a vendor record. ### Vendor Profile Details When you select a vendor record, you'll access their profile: - **Profile Tab**: View and manage core vendor information - Editable if the vendor hasn't connected to your organization via the portal - Read-only ins some areas if the vendor has registered and has connected to your organization - **Contact Information**: Used throughout the application in various documents - **Address Information**: Enables distance calculations in Crew Finder - **Position/Specialty**: Helps categorize vendors by their skills and roles ### Vendor Connection Management Before a vendor can assess your organizations billing dashboard, you need to Activate their connection. Vendors "In Review" have completed their registration and are pending connection to your Org. To Activate a vendor to actions must be completed: 1) Classify the vendor 2) Activate the vendor profile #### Vendor Classification PAI requires assigning specific classifications to vendors before being able to activate their connection to your organization: - **1099**: Independent contractors (served invoices through PAI) - **W2**: Employees (served timecards through PAI) - **Foreign Individual**: Non-US contractors (served invoices through PAI) - **Merchant**: Businesses/retailers for internal tracking only > [!info] Classification purpose > Vendor classification in PAI determines how vendors interact with the system (invoices vs. timecards) and is solely for system behavior. It does not imply any specific legal determination. Your organization should consult with legal and financial advisors regarding proper vendor classification. ## Crew Finder The Crew Finder provides a map-based interface for locating vendors based on geographic proximity to your production locations. ### Map Navigation and Search - **Default View**: The map initially loads based on your current location - **Location Search**: Enter a specific address or simply a city name in the address bar to center your search - **Distance Filter**: Set the search radius to find vendors within a specific distance - Use preset distance buttons (e.g., 25 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles) - Enter a custom value to expand beyond the standard 150-mile limit ### Crew Filtering - **Role-Based Search**: Type crew roles in the filter field to narrow results by specialty - **Multiple Role Search**: Enter multiple roles simultaneously (e.g., "Gaffer & Key Grip" or "Camera Operator & AC") - **Comprehensive Results**: The search examines both primary and secondary roles that crew members selected during registration - **Combined Filtering**: The map will display only vendors who meet both location and role criteria - **Visual Results**: Vendors meeting your search parameters appear as markers on the map ## Vendor Assignment in Projects Vendors from your Crew List can be assigned to projects in several ways: - **Budget Assignment**: Directly assign vendors to budget expense lines - **Call Sheet Assignment**: Add vendors to call sheets, which automatically links them to the corresponding budget lines - **As a Contact**: You can assign them as contacts on call sheets and other business documents ## Related Topics - [[Vendor Portal]] © 2025 PAI Tech, Inc. 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