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Companies

Keep a central library of supplier, subcontractor, and specialist company details so you can quickly find and reuse them across projects.

Companies

Keep a central library of supplier, subcontractor, and specialist company details so you can quickly find and reuse them across projects.

Who this is for

Builders, estimators, and subcontractors who work with the same suppliers and specialists regularly and need their contact details at hand when pricing jobs.

What this module is for

The Companies module stores the details of businesses you work with regularly: suppliers, subbies, consultants, and specialists. Instead of hunting through old emails or project files for a phone number or email address, you keep the information in one place. Once you've set up a company record, you can link it to your Contacts module and reuse those details across every estimate you create.

Things worth knowing upfront

  • The Companies module lives under the Contacts menu, not as a separate module. You'll find it by going to Contacts, then clicking Companies in the sidebar.

  • Each company record holds just three fields: Company Name, ABN, and ACN. If you need to store more detailed contact information (phone, email, address), that goes in the Contacts module, which you link to the company.

  • The module shows a single tab: All Companies. There's no status-based filtering — every company you create will appear in the list.

  • Deleting a company is permanent and cannot be undone.

How to get there

From anywhere in the platform:

Contacts (top header) → Companies (left menu)

What you'll see

When you open the Companies module, you see a simple list view with three columns:

  • Company Name — the business name you entered

  • ABN — Australian Business Number (if you added one)

  • ACN — Australian Company Number (if you added one)

At the top of the page is a New Company button to create a fresh record. Below it is a search field to find companies by name.

At the far right of each row are two icons: a pencil icon (edit) and a trash icon (delete). Click the row itself or the pencil icon to open the edit panel. Click the trash icon to delete the company.

Step-by-step: Add a new company

  1. Click the New Company button. A panel slides open on the right side of the screen.

  2. Enter the Company Name. This is the only required field. Type the full business name exactly as you'd like it to appear in your list (e.g., "Steelframe Suppliers WA").

  3. Add the ABN (optional). If you have the Australian Business Number, enter it in the ABN field. Format: 11 digits.

  4. Add the ACN (optional). If you have the Australian Company Number, enter it in the ACN field. Format: 9 digits.

  5. Click Save. The panel closes and the company appears in your list. If you scroll back to the Companies list, you'll see the new record.

Step-by-step: Edit a company

  1. Find the company in the list. Scroll through the list or use the search field to find the company you want to edit.

  2. Click the company row or the pencil icon on the right. The edit panel opens on the right side with the company's current details pre-filled.

  3. Make your changes. Update the Company Name, ABN, or ACN as needed. The URL in your browser will not change — the panel opens inline within the page.

  4. Click Save. The changes are saved and the panel closes. The updated information is now visible in the list.

Worked example: Add a new supplier

You're a residential builder with Pete's Building Solutions. You've just started working with Steelframe Suppliers WA — they provide architraves, framing, and timber products for most of your medium-to-large builds. You want to store their details so you can find them quickly when you're pricing a new job.

What you do:

  1. Click New Company

  2. Enter the Company Name: Steelframe Suppliers WA

  3. Enter the ABN: 52 123 456 789

  4. Enter the ACN: 123456789

  5. Click Save

What happens:

The company appears in your All Companies list with the name, ABN, and ACN visible. Now, whenever you create a new estimate and need to add a supplier for architrave or framing, you can quickly find Steelframe Suppliers WA in your company library. When you link them to a Contact record with their phone and email, you'll have everything you need in one place.

Tips

  • Use the full business name. Write the company name as it appears on invoices or official documents — it makes it easier to match against supplier lists and invoices later.

  • Keep ABN and ACN current. If the company structure changes or ABN is cancelled, update the record so your data stays accurate.

  • Link to Contacts for full details. The Companies module holds just the business registration details. For phone numbers, email addresses, contact people, and trade qualifications, set up a Contacts record and link it to the company. That way you have one source of truth.

  • Use consistent naming. If a supplier goes by different names ("BuildCo", "BuildCo Hire", "BuildCo Hire Services"), pick one name and stick with it. Consistency makes searching faster.

Troubleshooting

Symptom

Cause

Fix

I can't find a company I created yesterday

The company is in the list, but it's off-screen. You may have many companies and need to scroll.

Use the search field at the top of the Companies list. Type the company name or part of it, and the list will filter to matches only.

I see the New Company button but when I click it, nothing happens

The browser may not have loaded the page fully, or there's a network issue.

Refresh the page and try again. If the problem persists, check your internet connection and try in a different browser tab.

I entered a company but the Save button is greyed out

You haven't entered a Company Name. The name is required; ABN and ACN are optional.

Enter at least a Company Name and try Save again.

I need to change a company's ABN but it's locked

All three fields (Company Name, ABN, ACN) can be edited at any time. Nothing locks.

Click the company row, make your changes, and click Save. The changes are applied immediately.

I deleted a company by mistake

Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone in Core Estimator.

You'll need to recreate the company record. If the company was linked to Contacts or other records, you'll also need to re-link them.

Related articles

  • Contacts — Link Companies to Contacts to store phone numbers, emails, and contact people for each business.

  • Setup — Organisation — Store your own business details (company name, ABN, ACN) so they appear correctly on your proposals and invoices.

Still stuck?

If something isn't working the way you expect, reach out through the chat bubble in the bottom right of Core Estimator and we'll give you a hand.

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