Customer Management

What is the Customers Module?

The Customers module is your central database for every company and contact you sell to. It stores all the information your sales and finance teams need to manage customer relationships -- from basic contact details and trade licenses to credit limits, default margin percentages, and payment terms. Every inquiry, quotation, and invoice in Tawridy is linked to a customer record, so maintaining accurate and complete customer data is critical to smooth operations. The module supports the full range of customer types found in GCC trading: end-users, contractors, sub-contractors, government entities, and resellers, each with their own pricing and compliance requirements.

How It Connects

The Customers module is the starting point of the sales side of Tawridy. Data flows out of Customers into multiple downstream modules:

• Inquiries -- When a customer sends a request, the inquiry is linked to their customer record. Customer defaults (currency, payment terms) are auto-applied.
• Quotations -- Customer-specific margins and pricing rules are applied automatically when generating quotations.
• Invoices -- Billing details, TRN, credit terms, and outstanding balances are pulled from the customer record.
• Projects -- For project-based customers (contractors, government), the customer links to project BOQs and submittals.
• Communication -- WhatsApp and email history with the customer is accessible from their profile.

Customers --> Inquiries --> Quotations --> Invoices
    |                                        |
    +------> Projects                        |
    +------> Communication                   |
    +------> Credit & Payment Tracking <-----+

Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a New Customer

1. Navigate to Sales > Customers in the sidebar.
2. Click + New Customer.
3. Enter the Company Name (official name as it appears on trade license).
4. Select the Classification:
   • End-User -- The final buyer who uses the goods directly.
   • Contractor -- A construction or engineering firm sourcing for projects.
   • Sub-Contractor -- Works under a main contractor; may have separate billing.
   • Government -- Public sector entity with specific compliance and payment cycles.
   • Reseller -- Buys from you and resells; typically gets volume pricing.
5. Fill in the Contact Details: primary contact name, email, phone, and address.
6. Enter the Trade License Number (mandatory for GCC compliance).
7. Enter the TRN (Tax Registration Number) -- this appears on all VAT invoices.
8. Set Payment Terms (e.g., Net 30, Net 60, Cash on Delivery).
9. Set the Credit Limit -- the maximum outstanding balance allowed.
10. Set the Default Margin % -- this is auto-applied when creating quotations for this customer.
11. Add any Notes or internal comments.
12. Click Save.

TIP

If the customer has multiple branches or divisions, create each as a separate customer record with the parent company noted in the Parent Company field. This keeps billing and delivery addresses accurate while allowing consolidated reporting.

Editing a Customer

1. Navigate to Sales > Customers and find the customer using search or filters.
2. Click on the customer name to open the detail view.
3. Click Edit in the top-right corner.
4. Make your changes and click Save.

Viewing Customer History

1. Open a customer record.
2. Click the History tab to see all linked records: inquiries, quotations, POs, invoices, and communication logs.
3. Use the timeline view to see activity in chronological order.

Key Fields Explained

Field	Description	Required
Company Name	Official registered company name.	Yes
Classification	Type of customer: end-user, contractor, sub-contractor, government, reseller.	Yes
Trade License Number	The trade license number issued by the local authority (e.g., DED in Dubai).	Yes
TRN	Tax Registration Number for VAT purposes. Appears on all tax invoices.	Yes (if VAT-registered)
Payment Terms	Default payment terms for this customer (e.g., Net 30, Net 60).	Yes
Credit Limit	Maximum outstanding receivable balance allowed before new orders are blocked.	Recommended
Default Margin %	The default margin percentage applied when creating quotations for this customer.	Optional
Currency	Preferred transaction currency. Defaults to your organization's base currency.	Optional
Contact Person	Primary point of contact name.	Yes
Email	Primary email address for correspondence and document delivery.	Yes
Phone	Primary phone number, including country code.	Recommended
Address	Full postal address used for delivery and invoicing.	Yes
Parent Company	Links this customer to a parent entity for consolidated reporting.	Optional
Status	Active, Inactive, or Blacklisted. Only active customers appear in dropdowns.	Auto-set

Tips & Best Practices

• Always enter the TRN. GCC tax authorities require the TRN on every tax invoice. Missing TRNs cause delays during audits and may result in non-compliant invoices.
• Set credit limits proactively. A customer without a credit limit can accumulate unlimited outstanding invoices. Review and set limits based on payment history.
• Use classifications consistently. Classifications drive reporting. If you mix up "Contractor" and "End-User," your sales reports by customer type will be inaccurate.
• Keep payment terms realistic. If a customer consistently pays at 45 days but your terms say Net 30, update the terms to match reality. This improves cash flow forecasting accuracy.
• Review inactive customers quarterly. Customers with no activity for 12+ months should be marked as Inactive to keep your active customer list clean and relevant.

WARNING

Changing a customer's TRN after invoices have been issued does not retroactively update those invoices. You will need to issue credit notes and re-invoice if a TRN correction is needed on past invoices.

FAQ

Q: Can I delete a customer? A: No. Customers with linked records (inquiries, quotations, invoices) cannot be deleted. Instead, change the status to Inactive or Blacklisted. Inactive customers do not appear in dropdown selectors but their historical records remain intact.

Q: What happens when a customer exceeds their credit limit? A: Tawridy shows a warning when you try to create a new quotation or invoice for a customer who has exceeded their credit limit. Depending on your organization's settings, this can be a soft warning (proceed with a note) or a hard block (requires manager override).

Q: Can I import customers from a spreadsheet? A: Yes. Go to Sales > Customers > Import and download the CSV template. Fill in the columns and upload. Tawridy validates each row and flags any errors before importing.

Q: How do I handle customers with multiple delivery addresses? A: Each customer record supports multiple addresses. Go to the customer's Addresses tab and add additional delivery or billing addresses. When creating a quotation or PO, you can select which address to use.

Q: Can I set different margins for different product categories for the same customer? A: Yes. The default margin on the customer record is a starting point. You can override the margin at the quotation level or at the individual line-item level within a quotation.