Vendor Management Workflow — Coordinate External Partners Efficiently
See how agencies use Refront to manage freelancers, subcontractors, and third-party vendors with unified timesheets, approval workflows, and cost tracking.
Introduction
Most agencies rely on external vendors for specialised work — design, copywriting, photography, or niche development. Coordinating these partners across projects, tracking their time, and managing their invoices is a logistical headache. Refront gives vendors scoped access to your projects so they work within the same system as your internal team.
Real-World Examples
Scoped Vendor Access to Projects
A design agency hires a freelance illustrator for a client project. The agency invites the illustrator to Refront with "vendor" access — they can see only the tickets assigned to them, log time against those tickets, and upload deliverables. They cannot access other clients, internal discussions, or financial data.
Why this works:
Scoped access eliminates the security risks of sharing full project access with external parties. Vendors get just enough visibility to do their work efficiently without seeing sensitive business data.
Vendor Timesheet Approval Workflow
The illustrator logs 12 hours of work this week. The project manager receives a notification to review and approve the timesheet. Once approved, the hours are automatically tracked against the project's vendor budget, and the illustrator's invoice amount is pre-calculated based on their agreed rate.
Why this works:
Approval workflows prevent billing disputes by ensuring both parties agree on hours before invoicing. Pre-calculated invoice amounts eliminate the back-and-forth of rate verification.
Vendor Performance Tracking
Over multiple projects, Refront builds a vendor performance profile: average delivery timeliness, quality ratings from project managers, responsiveness, and cost efficiency. When a new project needs illustration work, the agency can compare vendor profiles to choose the best fit.
Why this works:
Data-driven vendor selection replaces reliance on personal networks and memory. Performance tracking also gives agencies leverage in rate negotiations — vendors who consistently deliver quality can justify premium rates.
Key Takeaways
- Scoped vendor access maintains security while enabling efficient collaboration.
- Timesheet approval workflows prevent billing disputes before they happen.
- Vendor performance tracking enables data-driven partner selection.
- Unified cost tracking includes vendor expenses in project profitability calculations.
How Refront Can Help
Refront treats vendors as first-class team members with appropriate access controls. Invite external partners, assign them work, approve their timesheets, and track their costs — all within the same platform your internal team uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many vendors can I invite?
There is no limit on vendor accounts. Vendors are free to invite — you only pay for internal team members. Each vendor gets scoped access to their assigned projects.
Can vendors see each other?
No. Vendor access is strictly project-scoped. Vendors cannot see other vendors, other clients, or any data beyond their assigned tickets and deliverables.
Does Refront handle vendor invoicing?
Refront tracks vendor hours and pre-calculates invoice amounts, but vendors send their own invoices through their preferred method. The pre-calculated amounts make reconciliation straightforward.
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