Company Types, such as "Customer", "Vendor", "Partner", ... allows the user to "categorize" companies and contacts. Company Types are used in the following three different ways.
1. Searching: You can limit your searches by filtering your results by Company Type. If you are only looking for customers, Filter by "Customers".
2. Security: On the "Administration" Tab (if you have access to it), you can set the different actions/permissions (such as "View Company", "Edit Company", "Add Company" and so on) based on User Group and Company Type. For example, you might want the "HR" Group to be able to have "Full Control" over the Company Type "Employee", but only have "View" access to "Customers". And you want the "Sales" Group to have full control over "Customers" but only "View" access to Employees.
Here is what it might look like:
This can all be handles by the Administration Tab. So properly setting your Company Types can make your contact manager very secure. You can also add, edit and remove Company Types if you are an Administrator
3. Custom Functionality: Sometimes we will use Company Types to trigger special functionality. This will only happen on CaseStream, CourtStream or some of our other Custom Products. For example, in CourtStream, Service Provider is a "special" company type. It triggers some behind the scenes functionality.
Other Notes:
A company or contact be categorized as more than one Company Type.