Overview
A scattered contact list costs your team real time. When client details live in someone's inbox and vendor insurance documents are buried in a shared drive, mistakes happen, wrong contacts get reached, expired certificates slip through, and new hires have no idea who to call. Structur solves this by giving your entire organization a single, centralized database for every client and vendor relationship you manage.
The client database keeps all your customer records in one place, with support for multiple contacts per client, custom fields tailored to your business, and direct quick actions to call, text, or email without ever leaving Structur. The vendor database goes further - storing compliance documents with expiration tracking, trade specialties, crew sizes, payment preferences, and internal ratings so your team always knows who to trust and who's ready to work.
Both databases connect directly to QuickBooks Online, so the contact data you maintain in Structur stays in sync with your accounting system without double entry. You can also import existing records in bulk from a CSV file or pull them directly from QuickBooks, making it easy to get up and running without starting from scratch.
This guide walks you through building and maintaining your client and vendor databases in Structur.
Understanding Client and Vendor Management
What It Does
The client and vendor database allows you and your team to:
Store all contact information in a single registry accessible to your entire organization
Add multiple contacts per record with individual notification preferences for each
Track vendor compliance documents including W9s, insurance certificates, and workers' compensation with expiration date alerts
Build detailed vendor profiles with trade specialties, crew size, ratings, and payment preferences
Import records in bulk from a CSV file or directly from QuickBooks Online
Export your full database as a CSV for backups, analysis, or migration
Sync with QuickBooks Online to keep client and vendor data aligned across accounting and operations
Take quick actions — call, text, or email any contact, or create a new lead, directly from the list
When to Use It
Client and vendor management is most valuable when you want to:
Migrate existing contacts into Structur from spreadsheets or another system
Keep vendor insurance and compliance documents organized and up to date
Give your team fast access to the right contact without hunting through emails
Create leads or estimates without manually re-entering client information
Identify your preferred or highest-rated subcontractors for a new project
Keep your QuickBooks contact list aligned with your operational records
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Access Client or Vendor Management
Open Settings from the left sidebar
Click Clients or Vendors in the left sidebar
You'll see your full registry with search, filter, import, export, and a + New Client or + New Vendor button in the top right.
2. Add a New Client
Click + New Client
The Add New Client modal opens with two tabs: Client Details and Other Contacts
Tab 1 — Client Details
Fill in the client's basic information:
Name
Email
Phone Number
To add custom fields specific to your business:
Click + New Field
Enter a Field Name
Select a Field Type - Short Text, Rich Text, Number, Date, or Email
Check Required Field if the field should be mandatory
Enter a Default Value (optional)
Click Create
Note: Custom fields apply to all clients, including existing ones. If you delete a custom field, it will no longer appear on new client records but remains on existing ones.
Tab 2 — Other Contacts
Add additional contacts for this client:
Enter the contact's Name, Email, and Phone Number
Toggle Send Notifications on if they should receive project updates
Click Add
Repeat for each additional contact. Added contacts appear in the table below.
Click Add Client to save.
3. Add a New Vendor
Click + New Vendor
The Add New Vendor modal opens with five tabs: Company Details, Vendor Files, Vendor Profile, Other Contacts, and Pricing & Scope
Use Next and Back to move between tabs, and Add Vendor on the final tab to save
Tab 1 - Company Details
Click Upload Logo to add a vendor logo (optional)
Fill in the vendor's details:
Company Name (required)
Website
Contact Name
Email
Phone Number
Address
Trades - select the type of work this vendor performs
Click Next
Tab 2 - Vendor Files
Upload compliance and legal documents for this vendor:
Select a File Type from the dropdown:
W9
General Operations Insurance
Liability Insurance
Workers' Compensation
Other
Enter an Expiration Date if applicable (optional)
Click Click To Upload or drag and drop your file - accepts PDF, DOC, XLS, images, or ZIP (max 50MB)
Click Add to attach the file
Repeat for each document, then click Next
Important: Structur will alert you when creating subcontracts, bills, or expenses if a vendor's compliance documents are expired. Upload documents early and always set expiration dates so your team gets timely warnings.
Tab 3 - Vendor Profile
Add operational details and qualifications:
Crew Size - enter the vendor's typical crew count
Rating - assign a 1–5 star rating
Preferred Vendor - check this box to flag the vendor as a go-to subcontractor
Fill in the managed profile fields using the drop-downs. Each field has a Manage Options link if you need to customize the available choices:
Actively Bidding
New Construction / Remodel
Residential / Commercial
Have Subs Been Used?
Job Size
Materials / Labor
Preferred Payment Method
Contractor License
To add a custom field, click + Add new field and follow the same steps as client custom fields.
Use the General Notes rich text editor to add internal notes about the vendor. Notes are only visible to your team - the vendor cannot see them.
Click Next.
Tab 4 - Other Contacts
Add additional vendor contacts:
Enter the contact's Name, Email, and Phone Number
Toggle Send Notifications on if they should receive updates
Click Add
Click Next.
Tab 5 - Pricing & Scope
Add rich text content for two optional fields:
Pricing List - document this vendor's standard rates or pricing structure
Primary Scope - describe the primary scope of work this vendor typically performs
Click Add Vendor to save the complete vendor record.
4. Import Clients or Vendors
Import from CSV
Click the import icon (upload arrow) in the top right of the Clients or Vendors page
Select Import from CSV
Download the provided CSV template
Fill in the required columns (Name, Email, Phone for clients; Company Name for vendors)
Upload the completed file
All records in the file are added to Structur.
Import from QuickBooks Online
If QuickBooks is connected:
Click the import icon and select Import from QuickBooks
Choose your import method:
Quick Import
Imports all customers or vendors from QuickBooks into Structur in one step
Toggle Merge Clients/Vendors with the Same Name to combine matching records
Prioritize QuickBooks Information toggle:
When enabled:
QuickBooks data overwrites existing Structur data for matching records
When disabled:
Existing Structur data is preserved; QuickBooks data only fills empty fields
Manual Selection
View a table of all QuickBooks records
Select specific contacts to import
Click Import to add selected records only
Note: Imported clients and vendors display a QuickBooks icon in the list, making it easy to identify synced records.
5. Export Clients or Vendors
Click the download icon in the top right of the Clients or Vendors page
Your full list downloads as a CSV file
Use exports for data backups, analysis in Excel, or migrating records to another system.
6. Use Quick Actions from the List
From the Clients or Vendors list, each row has quick action icons on the right:
Phone icon - opens your phone app to call the contact
SMS icon - opens your messaging app
Email icon - opens your email app
Pencil icon - opens the record for editing
+ New Lead (clients only) - creates a new lead directly linked to that client
Click Open on any row to view the full client or vendor record.
Best Practices
Upload compliance docs before you need them – Add vendor files during setup, not when you're about to create a subcontract, so expiration alerts have time to work.
Always set expiration dates – An insurance document without an expiration date won't trigger alerts; dates are what make the compliance tracking useful.
Use trades accurately – Vendors with the correct trades assigned are easier to find and select when building out a project team.
Clean your data before importing – Standardize phone number formats, consistent naming, and complete addresses before uploading a CSV to avoid duplicates and messy records.
Review QuickBooks merge options carefully – Understand whether you want QuickBooks or Structur data to take priority before running an import; overwriting good data is hard to undo.
Add all relevant contacts – Include project managers, billing contacts, and site supervisors for each vendor so the right person gets the right notification.
Use ratings and preferred vendor flags – These signals help your team make faster decisions when sourcing subs for a new job.
Common Questions
Q: Can the same company be both a client and a vendor?
A: Yes. Create separate records in the Clients and Vendors databases. The two databases are independent, so there's no conflict in having the same company in both.
Q: What happens if I delete a client or vendor?
A: Historical data - projects, invoices, and subcontracts remains in the system, but you can no longer create new items for that record. If you think you might work with them again, consider leaving the record as-is rather than deleting it.
NOTE: We are working on an update to archive/restore vs a full delete, and should be released very soon.
Q: Can vendors see the notes or ratings I add to their profile?
A: No. General notes and vendor ratings are internal only and are never visible to the vendor.
Q: What happens when a vendor's insurance expires?
A: Structur will alert you when you attempt to create a subcontract, bill, or expense linked to that vendor. The alert won't block the action, but it ensures your team is aware before proceeding.
Q: How do I handle a client with multiple locations?
A: Use the same client (existing client) when creating new leads/projects, that will create separate client records for each location, or use custom fields to track multiple addresses within a single record.
Q: Can I edit a vendor's compliance documents after saving?
A: Yes. Open the vendor record and navigate to the Vendor Files section to upload new documents, update expiration dates, or remove outdated files.
Q: Does the QuickBooks sync update automatically, or do I need to re-import?
A: Changes in QuickBooks automatically push to Structur. You' don't need to run an import again to pull in updated records.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
Import contacts without cleaning the data first | Standardize formatting and remove duplicates before uploading |
Run a QuickBooks import without reviewing merge options | Review and set your prioritization preference before importing |
Upload vendor documents without expiration dates | Always enter expiration dates so compliance alerts trigger on time |
Skip the Trades field when adding vendors | Fill in trades accurately so vendors are easy to find and assign |
Add all contacts as notification recipients by default | Only toggle Send Notifications for contacts who genuinely need updates |
Delete clients or vendors instead of leaving them inactive | Keep records intact to preserve historical project and billing data |
Share one client record across multiple locations | Create separate records per location for accurate project tracking |