🏗️ Build a Vendor Management System in Monday.com (Step-by-Step Guide)
Today's guide shows you how to build a complete vendor management system using Monday.com.
You'll have complete control over your property management vendors, automated workflows, and a self-service vendor portal. This removes the complexity of multiple disconnected tools or additional software systems. Plus, I have found that most vendor management solutions are OVERLY complex for any small business.
Low-code project management tools like Monday and ClickUp are perfect for this.
Here's the Breakdown & Tool Requirements
Monday.com Pro Plan – Work management platform where you'll build your vendor database and automate your processes ($19/user/month)
WorkForms – The form builder for the vendor applications (comes free with Pro plan)
Gmail/Outlook Integration – Your existing email address to send automated messages.
Dashboard – Real-time performance tracking, pipeline status, and KPI monitoring (Included in Pro plan)
Total cost: $95/month for 5 users.
Step-by-Step Implementation
Step 1: Set Up Your Vendor Master Database
1.1 Create the Main Vendor Board
Navigate to your Monday.com workspace and click the "+" button in your left sidebar. Select "Create Board" and name it "Vendor Master Database". In the "select what you're managing in this board" section, write "Vendors".
This will be your central hub for all vendor information.
Set up these groups to categorize your vendors:
HVAC Contractors
Plumbing Services
Electrical Services
Landscaping
Cleaning Services
Security Services
1.2 Add Essential Columns
Add these columns to track vendor information:
Vendor Name (Text)
Contact Person (Text)
Email (Email)
Phone (Phone)
Services (Tags)
Status (Status) - Active, Inactive
Rating (Rating) - 1-5 stars
Contract End (Date)
Hourly Rate (Numbers)
Insurance Expiry (Date)
License Number (Text)
1.3 Add Sample Vendor Data
Input these test vendors to get started:
ABC HVAC Services
Contact: John Smith (john@abchvac.com, 555-0123)
Services: HVAC Maintenance, Emergency Repairs
Status: Active, Rating: 4.5/5, Rate: $85/hour
Quick Fix Plumbing
Contact: Sarah Johnson (sarah@quickfixplumbing.com, 555-0456)
Services: Plumbing Repairs, Emergency Plumbing
Status: Active, Rating: 4.2/5, Rate: $75/hour
Step 2: Create Vendor Sourcing & Application Pipeline
2.1 Build the Pipeline Board
Click "+" → "New Board" and name it "Vendor Sourcing & RFP".
Set up these groups in order:
New Vendor Applications
Contract Phase
Contract Signed
Final Approval
Banking Information
Approved - Move to Master
2.2 Add Pipeline Columns
Company Name (Text)
Contact Person (Text)
Email (Email)
Phone (Phone)
Services Offered (Tags)
Years in Business (Numbers)
Application Date (Date)
Contract Sent (Status) - Not Sent, Sent, Signed
Banking Complete (Status) - Pending, Complete
Files (File) - Application docs, contract, banking info
2.3 Create Vendor Application Form
Go to the Vendor Sourcing board and click "+" → "Form".
Create a multi-page "Vendor Application" form:
Page 1: Company Information
Purpose: Basic company details and contact info
Company Name (Required)
Contact Person (Required)
Email (Required)
Phone (Required)
Business Address (Required)
Page 2: Services & Experience
Purpose: What services you provide and business experience
Services You Provide (Multi-select: HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Landscaping, Cleaning, Security)
Years in Business (Required)
Number of Employees
Emergency Services Available (Yes/No)
Service Area Coverage (Text area - describe areas you serve)
Page 3: Business Documentation
Purpose: Required legal and insurance documents
Business License (File upload - Required)
Insurance Certificate (File upload - Required)
W-9 Tax Form (File upload - Optional)
Additional Certifications (File upload - Optional)
Page 4: References & Final Details Purpose: Client references and additional information
Client Reference 1 (Text Area) - Company Name, Contact Person, & Phone
Client Reference 2 (Text Area) - Company Name, Contact Person, & Phone
Brief description of your specialty (Text area)
2.4 Set Up Application Automation
When vendor application form is submitted
→ Send confirmation email to applicant
→ Set Application Date to today
→ Notify review team
Step 3: Create the Approval Workflow
3.1 Phase 1: Application Review
Review applications in the "New Vendor Applications" group. When ready to proceed:
Move the item to the "Contract Phase" group
This triggers contract automation
3.2 Phase 2: Contract Automation
When the item moves to "Contract Phase"
→ Set Contract Sent to "Sent"
→ Send contract email to vendor
→ Set follow-up reminder for 7 days
Important Note: Monday.com automations send file links, not actual attachments. Recipients without Monday.com accounts may have trouble accessing files. Consider using Google Drive or Dropbox and share public links instead.
Contract Email Template:
Subject: Vendor Agreement - {Company Name}
Dear {Contact Person},
Thank you for your application. Please find the vendor agreement link below.
[Contract will be shared via separate email or cloud link]
Return signed contract to: [your-email]
Best regards, Property Management Team
3.3 Phase 3: Contract Signed
When vendor returns signed contract:
Upload signed contract to Files column
Set Contract Sent to "Signed"
Move item to "Contract Signed" group
3.4 Phase 4: Internal Approval
Review signed contracts in "Contract Signed" group. When approved:
Move item to "Final Approval" group
This triggers banking form automation
3.5 Phase 5: Banking Information
When item moves to "Final Approval" → Send banking form to vendor → Set Banking Complete to "Pending"
Create a second form called "Banking Information":
Company Name
Bank Name (Required)
Account Number (Required)
Routing Number (Required)
Account Type (Dropdown: Checking, Savings)
3.6 Phase 6: Final Approval & Database Transfer
Note: Monday.com can create items across boards, but direct column mapping has some limitations.
When Banking Complete = "Complete"
→ Create new item in Master Database
→ Manually copy key information
→ Set Master Database status to "Active"
→ Archive the pipeline item
→ Send welcome email to new vendor
Welcome Email:
Subject: Welcome to Our Vendor Network!
Dear {Contact Person},
Congratulations! You've been approved as a vendor.
Your vendor ID: [Create manually] Services approved: {Services Offered}
We'll contact you about upcoming projects.
Best regards,
Property Management Team
Step 4: Create Simple Dashboard
4.1 Build Basic Dashboard
Click "+" → "Dashboard" and name it "Vendor Management".
Add these widgets:
Numbers: Active Vendors (from Master Database)
Numbers: Pending Applications (from Sourcing board)
Chart: Vendors by Service Type (from Master Database)
Timeline: Application Pipeline (from Sourcing board)
Step 5: Set Up Vendor Portal (Optional Advanced Feature)
If you want vendors to see their work orders:
5.1 Create a Shareable Board
Create new board called "Vendor Work Orders"
Set as Shareable Board type
This allows guest access for vendors
5.2 Invite Vendors as Guests
Vendors must have different email domain than your company
They can only see the shareable board, not your other boards
Set permissions so they only see their assigned items
Step 6: Test the Complete Flow
6.1 End-to-End Testing
Submit test application through form
Review and move through each phase
Complete banking information
Manually create vendor in Master Database
Check email notifications work
Important Monday Limitations
File Sharing: Automated emails include links to files, not attachments. External users cannot access these without a Monday.com account.
Cross-Board Automation: Creating items in other boards works, but automatic column mapping is limited. Some manual data entry is required.
Form Limitations: WorkForms has basic conditional logic but can't update existing items or connect to multiple boards simultaneously. (On my wish list)
Guest Access: Vendors need different email domains and can only access shareable boards you specifically invite them to. So that means you will have issues with vendors that use Gmail or other widely used email addresses.
Pro Tips
Keep It Simple: Don't add extra columns or steps until you need them.
Test First: Submit a real application yourself to test the complete flow.
Sample Workflow
Week 1: Vendor submits application → Review → Send contract
Week 2: Contract signed → Internal approval → Send banking form
Week 3: Banking complete → Auto-create in Master Database → Send welcome
Conclusion
This is how you create a formal vendor management system in your process. Less manual work, better internal company compliance to specific standards, fewer balls dropped, and better reporting on your vendor pipeline. It keeps everything organized, and while some steps require manual intervention, it's still far more efficient than spreadsheets and emails.
Clearer Communication: Vendors have visibility into their application status
Pre-qualification: Multi-stage approval ensures only qualified vendors enter your network
Centralized Management: All vendor information in one place with an audit trail
Reduced Admin Work: Forms and automations cut manual data entry significantly
Hand this guide to your virtual assistant. It's written as a step-by-step SOP they can follow.
Monday.com works well for property management and local service businesses, such as cleaning companies, HVAC, contractors, plumbing, electricians, and other local businesses.
Start with basic vendor tracking and approvals, then add features as your standards evolve. I guarantee that you will see immediate improvements in your vendor performance and compliance.
I hope this is thought-provoking!
Contact Us! Monday.com Automation Solutions
We specialize in building solutions in Monday.com, Notion, Airtable, and ClickUp for property management companies, real estate firms, solopreneurs, and service-based businesses.
Our expertise includes building out custom databases, workflow automations, API integrations, self-service portals, multi-step approval workflows, and manager-level reporting & dashboards.
For implementation support, reach out to us: https://www.csoutsource.com/why-cs-outsource/