Organization Settings

For users with sufficient privileges, some organization-wide settings, like custom fields and tags, can be changed from the Organization Settings page (also accessible by clicking the organization logo while on the User Profile page).

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Configurable Fields

Currently, custom fields must be added by a Silkline administrator. Once added, the set of options available fort a custom field can be modified for each resource's settings tab (e.g., Requests, Orders, Suppliers, Parts).

Important note: To provide flexibility required for stable integrations, Configurable Field options acts as data validation:

• Changing or removing an option does not automatically modify or remove existing data

• When editing an existing value that is no longer valid, the validation is enforced and the user must update the value to a valid option

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Organization Users

Manage your team members and their access to Silkline.

Default Role for New Users

You can set a default role for new users. Any new user added to the organization will automatically be assigned this role when they join the organization.

Changing the default role only applies for new members going forward.

User List

The user list shows all active members, their roles, and their current status. Use the ⋮ menu to manage individual users (e.g. resend invite, deactivate).

User statuses

Status	Description
Member	The user has accepted their invitation and has an active account in your organization. They can sign in and use Silkline based on their assigned role.
Pre-registered	The user was added through an integration or bulk import, but has not yet been invited to log in. You can send them an invitation at any time.
Invited	The user has been sent an invitation to join your organization but has not yet accepted it. Their account will be activated once they accept the invite.
Invite expired	The user was invited but did not accept the invitation within the expiration period. You can resend the invitation to allow them to join.
Inactive	The user’s account has been deactivated. Inactive users cannot log in or access the platform. Use the Show Inactive toggle at the top right to view users who have been deactivated.

User roles

Silkline currently offers the following predefined roles:

Viewer

• Purpose: Provides read-only access to Silkline.

• Permissions: Users with the Viewer role can see information like requests, quotes, orders, and suppliers within Silkline, but they cannot create, edit, delete, or send anything.

• Ideal Use Case: Suitable for stakeholders, managers, or team members who need visibility into procurement activities but don't actively participate in the workflows.

Collaborator

• Purpose: Designed for users primarily involved in the sourcing process (e.g., engineers, requesters).

• Permissions: Collaborators can actively work on sourcing tasks. They can:

  • Create and edit Requests (RFQs).

  • Create, edit, and delete Quotes received from suppliers.

• Limitations: Collaborators cannot manage or send purchase orders, send requests/check-ins, or manage supplier information.

• Ideal Use Case: Team members who define requirements, create RFQs, and evaluate supplier quotes but do not handle the final purchasing or supplier management.

Material Planner

• Purpose: Designed for users responsible for managing order status, material availability, and delivery timelines.

• Permissions: Material Planners can do everything Collaborators can, plus:

  • Edit and create Parts

  • Send Check-ins to suppliers

• Limitations: Material Planners cannot manage or send purchase orders or manage supplier information.

• Ideal Use Case: Team members focused on ensuring suppliers deliver on time and maintaining up-to-date information on open orders.

Buyer

• Purpose: Offers comprehensive access to manage end-to-end procurement workflows.

• Permissions: Users with the Buyer role have the broadest access. They inherit all Material Planner permissions and can also:

  • Create, edit, and send Purchase Orders.

  • Send Requests (RFQs) and Check-ins to suppliers.

  • Create and manage Supplier profiles and related information (including tags).

  • Create and manage Parts within Silkline.

  • Define and manage Quality Clauses.

  • Manage Request Tags.

  • Create, edit, and delete Pedigrees (documentation of product origin and chain of custody).

  • Configure certain Organization Settings, Custom Fields, and the Organization Chart.

• Ideal Use Case: Procurement professionals, purchasing managers, or administrators responsible for the full procurement lifecycle, from sourcing and ordering to supplier relationship management and system configuration.

Admin

• Purpose: Provides full access to your Silkline organization, allowing the management of all resources and users. Only a Silkline administrator can assign a user to this role.

• Permissions: Admin is the highest level of access. It inherits all Buyer permissions (including creating, editing, and deleting Pedigrees) and can also:

  • Assign roles to other users in the organization

  • Set the default role assigned to new users

• Ideal Use Case: Assign to the user(s) responsible for managing Silkline access and usage, so that they can assign appropriate roles to other users.

Single Sign-on

For SSO users, Inactive status in Silkline affects visibility only. Inactive users are hidden from user selections and cannot be newly assigned to items, but their ability to sign in remains controlled by your Organization's IdP. To block sign-in, remove or revoke access in your IdP.

User management works a little differently for users with Single Sign-on (SSO) enabled:

• User access is controlled within your Identity Provider (IdP) (e.g. Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace). Anyone who is authorized for the Silkline application in your IdP can sign in to Silkline without needing a manual invitation.

• New users in Silkline are typically created automatically the first time they sign in through your SSO provider (e.g. Okta, Azure AD), even if they weren’t manually invited in Silkline.

• These users will appear as Member once they’ve successfully authenticated.

• Pre-registered users added via bulk upload or integrations can still be invited if needed, but in many cases they can simply log in via SSO to activate their account.

• For SSO users, Inactive status in Silkline affects visibility only. Inactive users are hidden from user selections and cannot be newly assigned to items, but their ability to sign in remains controlled by your Organization's IdP. To block sign-in, remove or revoke access in your IdP.

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Branding

Upload and manage your organization’s logos.

• Square Logo — shown in the Silkline application; recommended size: 512 × 512 px

• PDF Header Logo — used on purchase order PDFs; recommended format: rectangular

Supported formats: PNG and JPG.

For best results, use a solid background for your the Square Logo and a transparent/white background for the PDF Header Logo

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Email Settings

Customize the email settings used when Silkline sends messages to suppliers.

Email personalization

When properly configured, emails sent through Silkline are sent from your organization's email domain (e.g., [e-mail]). This requires your IT adminstrator to configure DNS records that allow us to send authenticated emails from your domain.

If Silkline is not authenticated to send emails from your domain, emails will be sent from [e-mail]. Contact support for help configuring this.

From Email on Requests

You can set the email address that will appear as the “From” address when sending requests to suppliers. This is useful when you want all RFQs to come from a team address (e.g., [e-mail]).

Email Templates

Email Templates are organization-wide. Modifying email templates will affect all users.

You can customize the subject and body of the emails Silkline sends for:

• Send Order — when sending purchase orders to suppliers

• Send Order Update — when sending updates to existing orders

• Send RFQ – when sending RFQs to suppliers

Templates support dynamic placeholders such as {{Order.OrderOrganization.name}} and {{Order.orderNumber}}.

Click Edit next to a template to make changes.

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Tags

Tags let you label and organize Purchase Orders and Suppliers.

Use the + Purchase or + Supplier buttons to add new tags. Use the 🗑 icon to delete existing ones.

Important note: Deleting a tag will remove that tag from all items where that tag is applied. Similarly, modifying a tag will update that tag everywhere it is used.

Purchase Tags

Purchase tags can be used to capture key attributes about an order. Common examples include:

• Project — Tag orders by internal project or program (e.g. Project Falcon, Demo Line Build)

• Commodity / Category — Identify the type of item being purchased (e.g. Sheet Metal, Electronics, Machining)

• Team / Department — Associate orders with the responsible team (e.g. Engineering, Manufacturing, R&D)

• Priority / Timeline — Highlight urgency or criticality (e.g. Critical Path, Long Lead Time, Rush Order)

• Location — Indicate which site or facility the order supports (e.g. Seattle Plant, HQ, Mexico Ops)

• Funding Source / Budget Code — Track orders against a budget or funding pool (e.g. CAPEX FY25, Grant-DOE)

• Internal Initiatives — Group orders related to a specific initiative (e.g. Sustainability, Quality Upgrade)

You can apply multiple tags to a single order to support flexible filtering and reporting.

Supplier Tags

Supplier tags are managed separately and are useful for classifying or segmenting your supplier base. Examples include:

• Supplier Type — e.g. Manufacturer, Distributor, Prototype Shop

• Qualification / Certification — e.g. AS9100, ITAR Registered, NQA-1

• Region — e.g. Domestic, China, EU

• Tiering — e.g. Tier 1, Tier 2, Strategic Supplier

• Capabilities — e.g. 5-Axis Machining, PCB Assembly, Heat Treat

• Performance Indicators — e.g. High OTD, Quality Watchlist, New Vendor

• Commodity Focus — e.g. Composites, Sheet Metal, Electronics

Supplier tags are especially useful for identifying relevant suppliers for an RFQ.

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Requests

Configure how purchase requests behave in your organization.

Request Editing

Enable this option to require users to add a note whenever they update a request item. This helps buyers understand what changed on a request.

Request Completion

Enable Manual close required if you want requests to be manually marked complete by users, rather than automatically closed when an order is linked or created.

Request Configurable Fields

You can add standard or custom fields to capture additional information on each request.

• Standard fields (e.g. Drop Zone) come preconfigured.

• Custom fields can be text fields or select/dropdown fields for capturing organization-specific data (e.g. Priority, Department, etc.).

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Approvals

Set up approval thresholds and define your organizational approval structure. This covered in detail elsewhere, so we'll keep it brief! Refer to Approvals for more information.

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Orders

The Orders settings control how purchase orders are created, managed, and enriched with additional fields. From this page, admins can configure:

• Core order behavior (e.g. creation rules, numbering, required fields)

• Additional fields to capture key business data on orders and order line items

Order Settings

These settings control how new purchase orders behave inside Silkline:

Setting	Description
Order creation enabled	When enabled, users can create new purchase orders directly in Silkline. When disabled, order creation is blocked—this is typically used when POs are managed entirely through an external ERP system.
Use External System PO Numbers	When enabled, Silkline will use the PO number from your external integration instead of generating a Silkline PO number.
Require Part Selection for Order Line Items	When enabled, all order line items must have a part selected before the order can be saved or submitted. This is helpful when external systems orders are synced to require a part for each line item.
Require Order Rationale	When enabled, users must provide a justification or purpose for each order before submission. This is useful for approval routing and auditing.
Check Order Emails for Confirmations	When enabled, Silkline automatically processes incoming order confirmation emails and matches them against open orders to validate supplier acknowledgements.

Some settings can only be changed by Silkline support. Please reach out to us if you need assistance.

Order Configurable Fields

You can configure additional fields to appear on purchase orders. This helps standardize data capture across your organization and ensures orders include the information needed for approvals, fulfillment, and reporting.

There are two types of fields you can configure: Standard Fields and Custom Fields.

Standard Fields

Standard fields are commonly used attributes on POs. You can enable and configure any combination of the following:

• Bill To Address – The billing address that will appear on the PO.

• Ship To Address – The destination address for the order.

• Payment Terms – Predefined terms like Net 30 or Net 45.

• Delivery Terms – Terms such as FOB/Incoterms.

• Delivery Mode – Shipping method or delivery type (e.g. Ground, Air).

You can configure or edit these fields to set defaults that will apply to all new orders.

Custom Fields

Custom fields let you tailor orders to capture organization-specific data. You can choose different field types, such as:

• Text fields – For freeform entries (e.g. Project Name, Cost Code)

• Select fields – For predefined dropdowns (e.g. Department, Budget Pool)

• Multi-select fields – Similar to select fields, but allows multiple selections

• Boolean fields – For simple Yes/No toggles (e.g. “Is Tax Exempt”)

Common use cases for custom fields include:

• Tracking budget codes or internal cost centers

• Tracking attribute required for syncing to other systems

• Identifying projects, programs, or departments

• Flagging orders with special internal routing (e.g. CAPEX vs OPEX)

• Adding internal classification fields for reporting

Custom fields appear on the order creation form, can be included in exports and reports, and support filtering in list views.

Order Item Configurable Fields

In addition to order-level fields, you can also configure fields for order line items. These allow you to capture structured data at the line level for better planning and tracking.

Standard Fields

• Need Date – Captures the required delivery date for each line item.

You can enable and configure this to standardize how due dates are captured.

Custom Fields

Just like at the order level, you can add custom text, select, or boolean fields to line items. This can be useful for:

• Capturing line-level budget codes

• Adding engineering or manufacturing references

• Tagging special handling or inspection instructions

• Tracking commodity or category information

Order item fields are especially powerful when paired with reporting and filtering to manage line-level schedules, budgets, or priorities.

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Order Workflows

Order workflows define the sequence of status steps that a purchase order moves through from the time it’s issued to when it’s received. Workflows provide structure and visibility into the lifecycle of an order, making it easier for teams and suppliers to stay aligned on progress.

Overview

Each organization has:

• An overall default workflow — This is applied to all suppliers by default.

• Optional per-supplier defaults — You can assign a different workflow to a specific supplier if they follow a unique fulfillment process.

For example, you might use a COTS/Raw Materials workflow as your default and then assign the a Fabricated Parts workflow to suppliers who provide machined/fabricated parts.

Workflow Steps

Workflows are made up of ordered steps that reflect key stages in your procurement and fulfillment process. Two steps are required in every workflow:

• Acceptance — The starting point when the supplier confirms the order.

• (All other steps)

• Received — The final step when the goods or services are received.

Managing Workflows

At this time, only Silkline Support can modify workflows. Please contact support for help configuring your organization's workflows.

At this time, only Silkline Support can modify workflows (e.g. adding new steps, renaming steps, or creating new workflows). If you need changes:

1. Identify the workflow and the steps you'd like to configure.

2. Provide the desired step names and order.

3. Contact Silkline Support to implement the changes.

Example Workflows

Different categories of purchases often follow different fulfillment lifecycles. Below are some example workflows you might use for common procurement categories. These can be set as the organization default or applied to specific suppliers.

🛒 COTS / Raw Materials

For commercial off-the-shelf items and raw material purchases, the workflow is typically straightforward, focused on shipping and receipt:

1. Acceptance

2. Processing (e.g., order fulfillment)

3. Transit

4. Received

Keep this workflow simple — the main goal is to identify when orders are confirmed and items have shipped. Most COTS vendors provide their order tracking and won't complete Check-ins

🏭 Fabricated Parts

For made-to-order or custom fabricated components, the workflow usually includes production and pre-shipment steps to reflect manufacturing progress:

1. Acceptance

2. Processing (e.g. material procurement, scheduling)

3. Production

4. Outside Processing

5. Quality Checks

6. Preparing to ship (e.g. inspection, packaging)

7. Transit

8. Received

Delayed outside processing and failed QC/inspection are the most common causes of unexpected delays. Including workflow steps to track these steps can help identify delayers earlier.

🔌 Electronics / PCBAs

Electronics workflows typically involve multiple distinct stages: procuring components, kitting, fabricating boards, assembly, testing, and shipping. Capturing each step improves visibility into lead time drivers and manufacturing progress.

1. Acceptance

2. Material Procurement

3. Kitting

4. PCB Fabrication

5. Assembly

6. Testing

7. Preparing to ship

8. Transit

9. Received

Kitting is especially useful for distinguishing between material readiness and production progress. Many delays occur at the kitting stage, so surfacing it as its own step provides better schedule control.

🔄 Outside Processing

For processes like plating, heat treat, coating, or NDT, orders often involve sending parts to a supplier for a service, then receiving them back:

1. Acceptance

2. Outbound transit

3. Scheduling

4. Prep (e.g., masking, cleaning, surface prep)

5. Outside Processing (the actual service step)

6. Quality Checks

7. Preparing to ship

8. Return transit

9. Receive

We recommend keep this workflow general rather than having different workflows for different kinds of finishing/processing steps (e.g. “Anodize” or “Heat Treat”) to help prevent an overwhelming number of different workflows.

💻 Software / Services

For non-physical purchases, shipping steps may not apply. The workflow focuses on delivery milestones and final acceptance:

1. Acceptance

2. In Progress (e.g. onboarding, setup, or project execution)

3. Delivered (e.g. license issued, service completed)

4. Received

Confirming fulfillment for non-receivable items is critical for accounts payable. Even for intangible items, the “Received” step helps to standardizes reporting and closure across all order types.

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Suppliers

The Suppliers settings let you control how suppliers are added and managed in your organization, as well as configure custom fields for capturing additional information. These settings help keep your supplier data consistent and structured across the platform.

Supplier Settings

Setting	Description
Supplier creation enabled	When enabled, users can add new suppliers directly in Silkline. When disabled, new suppliers must be managed through an external system or integration. This is useful for organizations where supplier onboarding happens in an ERP or third-party vendor management system.
Supplier scorecards enabled	When enabled, Silkline automatically tracks and displays supplier performance metrics (e.g. on-time delivery, order acknowledgment rates) on the supplier page. This gives you real-time visibility into supplier performance.
Structured supplier address format	Uses a standardized address field with separate inputs for country, state, and postal code. This can help with reporting, integrations, and ensuring consistent address data across suppliers.

Configurable Fields

You can configure additional fields on supplier records to capture key attributes specific to your organization. These fields appear on the supplier details page and can be used for filtering, reporting, and routing.

Custom Fields

Custom fields can be Text, Select, or Boolean types. For example:

• Select fields are useful for tracking attributes

• Multiselect fields are useful for tracking attributes where multiple options are permitted (e.g., Small Business Programs statuses)

• Text fields allow freeform entries, such as special instructions or notes.

• Boolean fields provide simple Yes/No toggles for attributes like “ITAR Registered” or “Preferred Vendor.”

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Parts

Manage part creation and metadata.

Part Settings

Toggle Part creation enabled to allow or prevent users from adding new parts directly in Silkline.

Configurable Fields

Add custom fields to store part attributes, such as:

• Material Category — set up as a select/dropdown field

• Additional custom fields for specifications, sourcing notes, or internal IDs

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Pedigree Management

Pedigrees define categories for parts, suppliers, and inventory to support traceability, compliance, and sourcing rules. They’re often used to distinguish flight vs. non-flight parts or development hardware, ensuring items follow the right controls throughout their lifecycle.

Settings

Setting	Description
Material Pedigree Allow List	Restricts which pedigrees can be associated with materials. Useful for ensuring only approved pedigrees are used for specific parts.
Supplier Pedigree Allow List	Restricts which pedigrees can be associated with suppliers. Commonly used to limit T1 work to qualified suppliers.
Require Pedigree for Inventory Items	Enforces that all inventory items (excluding non-inventory items and receivables) must have a pedigree, supporting proper tracking for regulated or serialized parts.

Enable allow lists and pedigree requirements to strengthen quality and keep sourcing boundaries clear and consistent.

Pedigree Entries

Pedigree entries define the available categories for your organization.

• Click Create Pedigree to add a new one.

• Rename or archive pedigrees as needed; archiving removes them from new selections but preserves historical data.

• Each entry shows how many order and request items are associated.

Pedigrees cannot be deleted while they are in use. To prevent a pedigree from being selected, it can be archived.

Example Pedigrees

Pedigree	Description
T1 – Flight (or Production)	Serialized flight hardware with strict supplier and documentation requirements.
T2 – Critical Non-Flight (or Qualification)	Qualification articles or critical non-flight hardware (such as tooling) that still requires pedigree controls.
T3 – Development (or Prototype)	Prototype or R&D parts with more flexible sourcing, kept separate for traceability.

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Taxes

The Tax Module lets you define and apply tax codes across Silkline. When enabled, organizations can manage tax rates and apply them directly to purchase order line items.

• Taxes are applied at the line item level, giving flexibility for mixed-tax orders.

• Multiple tax codes can be assigned to a single line, allowing combinations like state and local rates.

• Total taxes, broken down by tax rate, will display in the Order Adjustments section on a PO

Tax Codes

Tax codes define the available tax rates for your organization. Each code has:

• Label – e.g. “Standard Tax,” “Reduced Tax,” “Tax Exempt”

• Rate – The percentage applied to line items

• Status – Active or inactive

To manage codes, enable the module, then add, edit, or deactivate codes as needed. Common examples include standard, reduced, and exempt rates.

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Terms & Conditions

You can manage your organization’s default Terms & Conditions (T&Cs), which are automatically applied to new purchase orders.

• Each organization has one default T&C.

• The default can be overridden on a per-supplier basis by editing the supplier record. This is useful when certain suppliers require unique terms.

How It Works

• T&Cs are set when a PO is created.

• Once applied, the T&C version is locked to that PO for traceability.

• If you update your organization’s T&Cs later, existing POs are not affected—the original version remains associated with the PO.

Our approach to T&Cs ensure clear version control and a clean audit trail for contractual terms across orders.

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Quality Clauses

Quality Clauses define the quality and compliance requirements that apply to RFQs and purchase orders. Each clause includes a unique code, title, and description, and can be tailored to your organization’s standards.

• Relevant clauses automatically appear on both RFQs and POs, ensuring suppliers see all applicable requirements up front—no surprises after award.

• Clauses can include inspection requirements, documentation needs (e.g. Certificate of Conformance), or other quality instructions.

Managing Clauses

• Click Create Quality Clause to add a new clause, or click the vertical three dots on a quality clause to edit that quality clause.

• Each clause must have a unique code (e.g. QC-001) and title.

• Clauses can be edited or archived as your requirements evolve.

Quality Clauses can also be used to flow down end-customer requirements to suppliers, such as DFARS requirements or DPAS ratings.

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Broker Settings

Feature-flagged: Broker Settings are only available for certain organization types. If you don’t see this section in your settings, contact Silkline Support to learn more.

The Broker Settings page lets organizations that act as intermediaries manage markup and quote defaults for generated customer quotes.

Generated Quotes

• Standard Markup — Applied by default to all generated quotes unless overridden.

• NRE Markup — Applied specifically to fixed costs such as NRE, setup fees, or tooling.

You can override these standard markups at the quote item level.

Default Quote Notes

Default notes appear on all generated quotes by default. You can customize formatting (bold, lists, links, etc.) and edit notes on a per-quote basis before download.