A supplier supplies raw materials or services to a business or company.
Supplier is the person or company that supplies something to another company or a community. The term comes from the verb provide , which refers to providing what is necessary for a purpose.
When analyzing the etymology of the term we come across the fact that it comes from Latin, more precisely from the sum of three particles such as the following: the prefix pro -, which can be translated as "forward" ; the verb videre , which is synonymous with "see" ; and finally the suffix –dor , which is equivalent to "agent" .
Examples of use: «We are running out of leaves: please call the supplier and order several reams» , «Juan is looking for a new input supplier since he is not satisfied with the current one» , «The water supplier has not arrived yet, so I can't offer you something fresh for the moment .
Types of suppliers
It is important to establish that there are basically two clearly differentiated types of suppliers. On the one hand, there are goods , which are those that provide, sell and supply tangible objects or items. Examples of them are beverage suppliers for bars and restaurants or wood suppliers for carpentry shops.
On the other hand, there are those of services that, as their name indicates, do not offer something material but rather an action that allows their clients to carry out their activity with total satisfaction.
That is, the company that provides services to other companies is known as a service provider . The most common business of service providers is the offering of subscriptions or contracts. Mobile telephony , Internet access and website hosting are some of the businesses of service providers.
Suppliers must comply with the delivery deadlines and conditions of their products or services to avoid conflicts with the company they supply. In many cases, these companies have to have a support or technical service department, since service interruptions cause major problems for the customer.
An Internet service provider has the necessary infrastructure to offer connectivity to its customers.
Joint work
It is essential for any company that needs suppliers to take into account two essential aspects when working with them:
- When paying for items and services to these suppliers, it can be done in cash. However, the most common thing is that those are paid within a minimum period of 30 days and a maximum of 90 days.
- It is essential when carrying out the accounting of any business, to take note of all the economic transactions that are carried out with the aforementioned " suppliers " of products or services.
Internet service provider
The Internet service provider , also known as ISP for Internet Service Provider , is the company that is responsible for providing Internet connection to its customers.
The ISP allows users to connect through different technologies , such as cable modem, DSL or WiFi. It is common for ISPs to offer other technological services related to the Internet, such as site hosting or domain registration.