Supplier
Also called vendor
Reviewed by Dasha ShakovVP Marketing, Proton
Updated
What is supplier?
A supplier is any business that provides products or services to another business. In a distributor’s daily language, “supplier” or “vendor” means a manufacturer the distributor buys from; the distributor is in turn a supplier to its own customers.
Supplier example
“The supplier pushed lead time on those valves to six weeks,” the buyer tells the sales team, meaning the manufacturer rather than a freight company or another distributor.
Related terms
- DistributorA distributor is a company that buys products in bulk from manufacturers, holds them in stock and resells them in smaller quantities to other businesses.
- Original equipment manufacturer (OEM)An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is a company that makes finished products or equipment, such as machines or vehicles, under its own brand.
- Line cardA line card is a distributor’s list of the manufacturers and brands it sells, typically shown as a page of logos.
- Lead timeLead time is the time between placing an order and receiving the goods.
