Vendor Master Clean Up Checklist: What to Include in Your Cleanup

If your vendor master has duplicate entries, inconsistent formats, missing data, or invalid information—your ERP system won't work properly. 71% of companies report vendor master data quality issues that cause payment delays, duplicate orders, and reporting errors.

By the end of this guide, you'll have a complete checklist of what to include in vendor master clean up and step-by-step instructions to execute it.

Quick Summary

Complete vendor master clean up checklist (20+ items)
How to detect and fix common vendor data issues
Validation rules for vendor information
ERP-ready vendor master format and export process

Common Problems in Vendor Master Data

Duplicate vendor entries - Same vendor with multiple codes or names
Inconsistent vendor codes - V-001, V001, V_001 formats mixed
Missing required fields - No tax ID, address, or contact information
Invalid tax IDs - Wrong format, missing digits, or duplicates
Non-standardized addresses - St. vs Street, inconsistent formats
Outdated vendor status - Active vendors marked inactive, vice versa
Incorrect payment terms - Wrong Net 30/45/60 codes
Mixed currency formats - USD, $, US Dollar all used
Broken vendor hierarchies - Parent-child relationships incorrect
Missing vendor classifications - No category, type, or risk rating

Vendor Master Clean Up Checklist

Category 1: Vendor Identification (Required)

✅ 1. Vendor Code Standardization

What to Check:

All vendor codes follow consistent format (e.g., V-001, V-002)
No spaces, special characters, or mixed formats
Codes are unique (no duplicates)

Wrong Examples:

V-001
V001
V_001
vendor_001
VENDOR-001

Right Example:

V-001
V-002
V-003

Excel Formula:

="V-"&TEXT(ROW()-1,"000")

Action: Standardize all vendor codes to one format.

✅ 2. Vendor Name Normalization

What to Check:

Legal company names are consistent
Proper case (Title Case)
Legal suffixes standardized (LLC, Inc., Corporation, Ltd.)
No extra spaces or punctuation

Wrong Examples:

Acme Corp
Acme Corporation
Acme Corp.
ACME CORP
acme corp

Right Example:

Acme Corporation

Excel Formula:

=PROPER(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"Corp.","Corporation"),"Inc.","Incorporated"),"LLC.","LLC"),"Ltd.","Limited"))

Action: Normalize all vendor names to consistent format.

✅ 3. Remove Duplicate Vendors

What to Check:

Duplicate vendor codes
Duplicate vendor names (fuzzy match)
Duplicate tax IDs
Same vendor with different codes

Excel Formula for Duplicate Detection:

=COUNTIF($B$2:$B$1000, B2)>1

Action: Identify duplicates, merge records, keep one master entry.

Category 2: Tax & Legal Information (Required)

✅ 4. Tax ID Validation

What to Check:

EIN format: XX-XXXXXXX (9 digits)
VAT format: Country-specific validation
No missing tax IDs
No duplicate tax IDs (except for parent companies)

EIN Validation Formula:

=IF(LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-",""))=9, "Valid", "Invalid")

Action: Validate all tax IDs, flag invalid or missing ones.

✅ 5. Legal Entity Type

What to Check:

Legal entity type is specified (Corporation, LLC, Partnership, Sole Proprietorship)
Consistent abbreviations
Matches company name suffix

Action: Standardize legal entity types.

✅ 6. Business Registration Status

What to Check:

Active business registration
No suspended or dissolved companies
Registration numbers valid (if tracked)

Action: Verify business status, flag inactive vendors.

Category 3: Contact Information (Required)

✅ 7. Email Address Validation

What to Check:

Valid email format (contains @ and domain)
No typos or invalid domains
Primary contact email specified
Accounts payable email (if different)

Email Validation Formula:

=IF(AND(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("@",A2)), ISNUMBER(SEARCH(".",A2,SEARCH("@",A2)))), "Valid", "Invalid")

Action: Validate all email addresses, correct typos.

✅ 8. Phone Number Standardization

What to Check:

Consistent phone format: (XXX) XXX-XXXX
Country code included for international vendors
No missing phone numbers for key contacts

Phone Formatting Formula:

="("&LEFT(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"(",""),")",""),"-",""),3)&") "&MID(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"(",""),")",""),"-",""),4,3)&"-"&RIGHT(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"(",""),")",""),"-",""),4)

Action: Standardize all phone numbers to consistent format.

✅ 9. Contact Person Information

What to Check:

Primary contact name specified
Accounts payable contact (if different)
Sales contact (if applicable)
Contact titles/roles

Action: Ensure key contacts are identified and contactable.

Category 4: Address Information (Required)

✅ 10. Billing Address Standardization

What to Check:

Complete address (street, city, state, ZIP, country)
Standardized street suffixes (St. → Street, Ave. → Avenue)
Consistent state abbreviations (CA, NY, TX)
Valid ZIP/postal codes

Address Standardization Formula:

=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"St.","Street"),"Ave.","Avenue"),"Rd.","Road"),"Blvd.","Boulevard"),"Dr.","Drive")

Action: Standardize all billing addresses.

✅ 11. Shipping Address (If Different)

What to Check:

Shipping address specified if different from billing
Complete shipping address information
Default shipping method/terms

Action: Verify shipping addresses are complete and accurate.

✅ 12. Address Validation

What to Check:

Addresses are real and deliverable
ZIP codes match cities/states
International addresses formatted correctly

Action: Validate addresses using address validation service or manual verification.

Category 5: Financial Information (Required)

✅ 13. Payment Terms Standardization

What to Check:

Consistent payment term codes (Net 30, Net 45, Net 60)
No typos or variations (Net30, net 30, NET 30)
Terms match vendor agreements

Payment Terms Standardization:

Net30 → Net 30
Net45 → Net 45
Net60 → Net 60

Action: Standardize all payment terms.

✅ 14. Currency Standardization

What to Check:

Consistent currency codes (USD, EUR, GBP, INR)
No mixed formats ($, USD, US Dollar)
Default currency specified per vendor

Action: Standardize currency to ISO codes (USD, EUR, etc.).

✅ 15. Bank Account Information

What to Check:

Bank account numbers (if required for ACH/wire)
Bank routing numbers (US)
SWIFT codes (international)
Account holder name matches vendor name

Action: Verify bank information is accurate and complete.

✅ 16. Credit Limit & Terms

What to Check:

Credit limits specified (if applicable)
Credit terms match payment terms
Credit status (approved, pending, denied)

Action: Review and update credit information.

Category 6: Vendor Status & Classification

✅ 17. Vendor Status (Active/Inactive)

What to Check:

Active vendors marked as "Active"
Inactive/closed vendors marked as "Inactive"
No vendors with blank status
Status matches actual business relationship

Action: Review and update vendor status for all entries.

✅ 18. Vendor Classification

What to Check:

Vendor type/category specified (Supplier, Service Provider, Contractor, etc.)
Industry classification (if tracked)
Risk rating (Low, Medium, High)

Action: Classify all vendors consistently.

✅ 19. Vendor Hierarchy

What to Check:

Parent-child vendor relationships correct
Subsidiaries linked to parent companies
No circular references

Action: Verify and correct vendor hierarchies.

Category 7: Compliance & Certifications

✅ 20. Certifications & Compliance

What to Check:

ISO certifications (9001, 14001, etc.)
Industry-specific certifications
Compliance status (GDPR, SOC 2, etc.)
Certification expiration dates (if tracked)

Action: Document and validate vendor certifications.

✅ 21. Insurance Information

What to Check:

Insurance coverage amounts
Policy expiration dates
Insurance provider information

Action: Verify insurance information is current.

Category 8: Data Quality & Completeness

✅ 22. Required Fields Completeness

What to Check:

All required fields populated (no blanks)
Mandatory fields: Vendor Code, Name, Tax ID, Address, Contact
Optional fields: Complete where possible

Completeness Check Formula:

=IF(AND(A2<>"", B2<>"", C2<>"", D2<>"", E2<>""), "Complete", "Incomplete")

Action: Fill in missing required fields.

✅ 23. Data Consistency

What to Check:

Consistent data formats across all vendors
No conflicting information (e.g., vendor name doesn't match tax ID)
Dates in consistent format (YYYY-MM-DD)

Action: Review and correct inconsistencies.

✅ 24. Historical Data Preservation

What to Check:

Purchase history preserved when merging duplicates
Payment history linked correctly
Contract information maintained

Action: Ensure historical data is not lost during cleanup.

Step-by-Step Clean Up Process

Step 1: Export Current Vendor Master

Export vendor master from ERP system to Excel for analysis.

Export Format:

Excel (.xlsx) or CSV
Include all vendor fields
Include vendor history (if needed)

Step 2: Create Backup

Before making any changes:

Create backup copy of original vendor master
Save with date stamp: vendor_master_backup_2025-11-19.xlsx
Store in secure location

Action: Never work on original file without backup.

Step 3: Run Data Quality Analysis

Use Excel formulas or RowTidy to identify:

Duplicate vendor codes
Duplicate vendor names
Missing required fields
Invalid formats
Inconsistent data

Create Quality Report:

Issue Type	Count	Severity
Duplicate Codes	15	High
Missing Tax IDs	8	High
Invalid Emails	12	Medium
Inconsistent Names	25	Medium

Step 4: Fix Issues by Category

Follow checklist order:

Fix vendor identification (codes, names, duplicates)
Validate tax & legal information
Standardize contact information
Normalize addresses
Fix financial information
Update status & classification
Verify compliance data
Complete missing fields

Step 5: Validate Cleaned Data

Validation Checks:

All required fields populated
No duplicate vendor codes
All tax IDs valid format
All emails valid format
All addresses complete
Status fields consistent

Validation Formula:

=IF(AND(Code_Unique, TaxID_Valid, Email_Valid, Address_Complete), "Pass", "Fail")

Step 6: Export Clean Vendor Master

Export Format for ERP:

CSV (most ERP systems)
Excel with specific column order
Include only active vendors (if separate export)

Required Columns:

Vendor Code
Vendor Name
Tax ID
Billing Address
Contact Email
Contact Phone
Payment Terms
Currency
Status

Real Example: Vendor Master Clean Up

Before (Messy Vendor Master):

Vendor Code	Vendor Name	Tax ID	Email	Phone	Address	Status
V-001	Acme Corp	12-3456789	john@acme.com	5551234	123 Main St	Active
V001	Acme Corporation	12-3456789	john@acme.com	(555) 123-4567	123 Main Street	Active
V_001	ACME CORP	123456789	-	555-123-4567	123 Main St.	-
V-002	Beta LLC	98-7654321	contact@beta	5559876	456 Oak Ave	Active
V-003	-	-	admin@gamma.com	-	789 Pine Rd	Active

After (Clean Vendor Master):

Vendor Code	Vendor Name	Tax ID	Email	Phone	Address	Status
V-001	Acme Corporation	12-3456789	john@acme.com	(555) 123-4567	123 Main Street	Active
V-002	Beta LLC	98-7654321	contact@beta.com	(555) 987-6543	456 Oak Avenue	Active
V-003	Gamma Inc	11-2233445	admin@gamma.com	(555) 111-2222	789 Pine Road	Active

Changes Made:

Removed 2 duplicate Acme entries
Standardized vendor codes (V-001, V-002, V-003)
Normalized vendor names (Corporation, LLC, Inc.)
Validated and formatted tax IDs
Fixed email addresses
Standardized phone format
Normalized addresses (Street, Avenue, Road)
Completed missing vendor information

Mini Automation Using RowTidy

You can clean your entire vendor master in 10 seconds using RowTidy's AI Recipes.

The Problem:
Manual vendor master clean up takes 20-40 hours for 1,000 vendors:

Finding duplicates
Standardizing formats
Validating data
Fixing inconsistencies

The Solution:
RowTidy automates vendor master clean up:

Detect duplicates - Finds duplicate vendors by code, name, and tax ID
Standardize formats - Normalizes codes, names, addresses, phone numbers
Validate data - Checks tax IDs, emails, addresses for validity
Complete missing fields - Flags required fields that need input
Export ERP-ready - Generates clean vendor master in ERP format

RowTidy Recipe for Vendor Master Clean Up:

Upload vendor master Excel/CSV
AI detects duplicates and inconsistencies
Automatically standardizes formats
Validates tax IDs, emails, addresses
Generates clean vendor master
Exports in ERP import format

Time saved: 30 hours of manual work → 5 minutes

Instead of spending weeks cleaning vendor master data manually, let RowTidy automate the entire process. Try RowTidy's vendor master clean up recipe →

FAQ

1. How often should I clean up vendor master data?

Clean vendor master quarterly for active maintenance, or before major ERP upgrades. Annual deep clean recommended for all companies.

2. What's the minimum required information for a vendor?

Minimum: Vendor Code, Vendor Name, Tax ID, Billing Address, Contact Email. Additional fields depend on your ERP requirements.

3. How do I handle vendors with multiple locations?

Option 1: Create separate vendor codes for each location (V-001-HQ, V-001-WH). Option 2: Use vendor hierarchy with parent-child relationships.

4. What if I find duplicate vendors with different purchase history?

Merge duplicates carefully. Preserve all purchase history, contracts, and payment records. Link history to the master vendor record before deleting duplicates.

5. How do I validate international tax IDs (VAT, GST)?

Use country-specific validation rules. RowTidy supports VAT validation for EU countries, GST for India, and other international formats.

6. Should I clean up inactive vendors or delete them?

Keep inactive vendors but mark them as "Inactive" status. Don't delete—you may need historical data for reporting and compliance.

7. How do I prevent vendor master data from getting messy again?

Implement data validation rules in ERP, require complete vendor information during onboarding, and conduct quarterly data quality audits.

8. Can I automate vendor master clean up?

Yes. Use tools like RowTidy to automate duplicate detection, format standardization, and data validation. Manual review still needed for complex cases.

9. What's the best format for ERP vendor master import?

Most ERP systems accept CSV format with specific column order. Check your ERP vendor master import template for exact requirements.

10. How do I handle vendor name changes (mergers, acquisitions)?

Update vendor name but keep the same vendor code to preserve history. Add a note field documenting the name change date and reason.

Related Guides

Conclusion

A clean vendor master is essential for accurate procurement, payments, and reporting. By following this comprehensive checklist—standardizing codes and names, validating tax IDs and contacts, normalizing addresses, and ensuring data completeness—you'll have an ERP-ready vendor master that prevents errors and saves time.

Try RowTidy — automate your vendor master clean up and save 30+ hours of manual work.