> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://hub.equipme.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://hub.equipme.io/pro/portfolio/partner-connect.md).

# Partner Connect

With Partner Connect you connect with other providers: invite partners, activate partnerships, activate partner offers for your customers, allow direct connections.

**Path:** "Portfolio Management" → "Partner Connect"

With Partner Connect you work together with other providers on the platform. There are two roles, and you can take on both at the same time:

| Role                                    | What you do                                                                                               | Example                                                                                           |
| --------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Broker** (you use a partner's offers) | You connect with a partner and activate their offers for your customers. The partner delivers.            | You're an IT service provider and additionally offer your customers a partner's mobile contracts. |
| **Partner** (you provide offers)        | You publish a partner profile and provide offers to other providers, which they offer to their customers. | You're a distributor and deliver to the end customers of several resellers.                       |

"Activate partnerships with your suppliers and partners to gain access to their service offerings. You can selectively activate your partners' offerings for your customers."

An overview of the business models is available under [Business models and licenses](/pro/getting-started/business-models.md).

## The partner directory

The **"Partners & Suppliers"** page shows all providers who have published their profile in the partner directory, as cards with logo, banner and short profile. A checkmark in the corner indicates an active partnership, a lock icon a deactivated one. Active partners are at the top.

The **"Add partner"** card comes first. Below it, you also see your open invitations.

If you don't have your own partner profile yet, you'll find the link to the [partner profile](#providing-offers-as-a-partner) here.

## Inviting a partner

If your partner isn't on the platform yet or can't be found in the directory:

1. Click the **"Add partner"** card → **"Invite"**.
2. In the "Invite partner" dialog, enter:
   * "Company" (company name)
   * "Partner contact": "First name", "Last name", "Email"
   * "(Optional) Message to the partner"
3. Click **"Invite"**.

The partner receives an email with an **invitation ID**. The invitation appears as a **"Pending invitation"** card with the "Invite ID" (copyable with a click), the contact and the expiration date. Once it has expired, the card is called "Invitation expired". On the card, you can withdraw the invitation with "Cancel" or send it again with **"Invite again"**.

The invited provider enters the invitation ID in their Equipme Pro under "Sales" → "Customers" → "Enter invitation ID" and clicks "Connect" (see [Creating and inviting customers](/pro/customers/create-and-invite-customers.md)).

## Partner details

Clicking a partner card opens the details with up to three tabs.

### "Profile" tab

The partner's contact details (email, phone, web), brief description and detailed description. Above them:

* **"Request partnership"**: If there's no connection yet, click here. In the "Request partnership" dialog, you specify your contact at the partner. The connection then exists.
* **"Activate partnership"**: Switch to turn the partnership on or off.
  * Turning on: "By activating the partnership, you enable the provision of additional services for your customers. Please note: The offers of this partner must first be explicitly activated for your customers."
  * Turning off: "When the partnership is deactivated, all shared offers will immediately disappear from the customer's marketplace."
* **"Share contact information"**: "Share your customers' contact information with this partner." This lets the partner talk directly to your contact person at the customer. The data is kept up to date and overwrites what the partner has entered themselves. If you turn it off, the most recently transferred state remains with the partner.

If the partner has temporarily blocked their offers, you see: "This partner has temporarily disabled the release of their offers."

### "Offer brokerage" tab

"Here you can selectively activate your partner's offers for selected customers."

You see the partner's catalog by category, with search. Clicking an offer opens the detail view with "Overview", "Details" and "Service agreement".

This is how you activate offers:

* **All offers for all customers:** **"Unlock all offers"** switch. Every offer the partner provides to you then appears for all your customers. You don't select individual customers here; use customer-based activation for that.
* **One specific offer:** In an offer card's menu, choose **"Customer-based activation"**. In the "Customer assignment" dialog:
  * **"Activate this offer for all direct customers"** or
  * select individual customers in the list.

{% hint style="info" %}
You only see offers the partner has explicitly provided to you. If an offer you expect is missing, talk to the partner. If "Unlock all offers" is active, individual activations aren't necessary: "Based on your settings, all offers from this partner are already enabled for your customers."
{% endhint %}

### "Direct connection" tab

Only with full Pro access and access to customers.

"Grant the partner permission to publish offers directly to selected customers. Please note that this will allow the partner to see the names of your customers and you will no longer have control over the offers published directly by the partner to your customers."

* **"Assign all customers"**: connects all existing and future customers to the partner. "Your partner can see them in their customer list, create offers for them, and receive orders from them. The partner cannot log in to the customer instances."
* Or select individual customers in the list and click **"Save"** ("Reset" discards the changes).

An active partnership is required.

## What happens after activation

1. Your customers see the activated partner offers in their marketplace next to your own portfolio.
2. If a customer orders a partner offer, the order goes to the partner. You see the item in your [Order Inbox](/pro/sales/order-reception.md) for information ("Fulfilled by" = partner); only the partner can process it.
3. In your [customer details](/pro/customers/customer-details.md), partner offers appear with the assignment "Brokered offer". You can't open their details: "This offer is provided by your partner supplier, so you cannot access the details."
4. Optionally, you receive an email when a customer orders from a partner (see [Email notifications](/pro/administration/email-notifications.md)).

## Providing offers as a partner

If you want to be a partner yourself:

1. **Set up a partner profile:** "Administration" → "Supplier Profile" → "Profile" tab (see [Supplier profile](/pro/administration/supplier-profile.md)). There you maintain the logo and banner, "Contact email", "Phone number", "Website", "Brief description" and "Detailed description", and set:
   * **"Active"**: "Connected customers can view and order your public offering."
   * **"Show profile in partner directory"**: "Enable this option to be found by new customers."
2. **Establish a connection:** Providers request a partnership via the directory, or you invite them. Connected providers appear in your [customer list](/pro/customers.md) with the customer type "Partner".
3. **Provide offers:** Open a service in the [service portfolio](/pro/portfolio/service-portfolio.md), turn off "Offer available to all direct customers" in the offer and select the partner in the customer list (see [Offers and pricing](/pro/portfolio/offers-and-pricing.md#assigning-customers-and-partners)). The partner now sees the offer in their "Offer brokerage".
4. **Process orders:** Orders from the partner's customers land in your [Order Inbox](/pro/sales/order-reception.md) and run through your fulfillment. In [Billing](/pro/sales/billing.md), "Referred by" shows the referring partner.

If a partner has granted you a direct connection, their customers appear in your customer list as "Partner customer". You can assign offers directly to these customers.

{% hint style="warning" %}
A service with partner offers can't also be restricted to individual customers as a customer-specific service. If you set your partner profile to inactive, your partners and their customers no longer see your offers.
{% endhint %}

## Partners, suppliers and offline suppliers

| Term                               | Meaning                                                                                                                                                                             |
| ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Partner** (Partner Connect)      | Another provider on the platform with whom you exchange offers                                                                                                                      |
| **Supplier** (product master data) | Your source in purchasing, see [Product master data](/pro/portfolio/products.md#suppliers-and-manufacturers-tabs)                                                                   |
| **Offline supplier**               | An external supplier that a customer manages in their own customer portal. It doesn't use the platform. It plays no role in Equipme Pro. See the customer guide, chapter Suppliers. |

## Frequently asked questions

**I've activated a partnership, but my customers don't see any partner offers. Why?**

Activation alone doesn't release anything. In the "Offer brokerage" tab, turn on "Unlock all offers" or release individual offers via "Customer-based activation". Also check whether the partner has provided the offer to you and whether their profile is active.

**Does the partner see my customers?**

The partner sees the customers who order from them, along with their orders, because they have to deliver to them. They only get further insight via a direct connection (your customers then appear in their customer list) or via "Share contact information" (they receive your contact person at the customer).

**Can I end a partnership?**

Yes, turn off "Activate partnership". Released offers disappear immediately from your customers' marketplace. Services already ordered remain in place.

**Who bills partner offers?**

The invoice items are created at the partner who delivers the service, not in your billing. In their billing, you are named under "Referred by". How you settle the brokerage between you is something you agree on with the partner.


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