This integration is currently in Beta testing and not accepting new testers.
An announcement will be made when it is available to all customers.
We've partnered with Vetcove to integrate the ordering experience within Shepherd's workflow. The integration aims to reduce the steps to navigate between two systems, saving you valuable time.
How Does it Work?
Manage Lists - seamlessly links Shepherd inventory items to Vetcove for easy ordering and to shop your PIMS lists directly on Vetcove.
View Quantities - syncs your current quantities on hand and reorder points to your Vetcove account.
Sync Purchase Orders - orders placed through Vetcove will automatically create a purchase order directly in Shepherd so you can quickly receive items upon arrival.
Activating the Vetcove Integration
Step 1: Enable the Integration in Shepherd
Under the Shepherd 'Admin' menu, click 'Integrations,' and select “Vetcove.”
Click the "Connect with Vetcove" button.
You will then be redirected to the Vetcove platform, where you must enter your username and password. Once you confirm, you'll be redirected to Shepherd to see the "Enabled" status.
To confirm your Shepherd and Vetcove connection, visit the PIMS Integration page > "Connect" tab under Orders in Vetcove.
Step 2: Connect Shepherd Items to Vetcove Items
Once you have created your desired Inventory Items in Shepherd, under Admin > Inventory > Purchase Orders tab, click the "Sync Inventory with Vetcove" button.
All active Shepherd Inventory Items will appear in your Vetcove account.
If an inventory item is inactivated in Shepherd, the item will also be removed from Vetcove the next time the "Sync Inventory with Vetcove" button is clicked.
Vetcove offers two methods for linking items: creating links per item during checkout or creating links in-bulk directly from the PIMS Integration page.
Method 1- Linking Items from Shopping Cart Steps:
Head to the Shopping Cart page by clicking on the Cart icon at the top of your screen
Click on “PIMS Link: None” (this indicates that the item needs to be linked to a PIMS product)
3. Search for the PIMS product and select the link button:
4. Choose the Unit of Measure you track this item by in your PIMS and then select update
5. Once your items are linked to a PIMS product, the updates will be reflected in your cart to display the PIMS product that the item is linked to:
Method 2: Linking Vetcove Items to PIMS Products within the PIMS Integration page
Click on the Orders tab at the top of your screen > PIMS Integrations
Select Products and filter by “Unlinked Items”
3. Search for the item and select link:
Please Note: Currently, only one Shepherd inventory item can be linked to each Vetcove item at a time. While Vetcove may display multiple linked items, only the most recent item linked in Shepherd will sync and reflect in your inventory.
If you see multiple items linked in Vetcove, this is due to the linking occurring before an order was created. However, Shepherd will only track and sync one item after the order syncs.
We’re actively working to enhance this experience to allow for more flexible linking in future updates.
4. Select the preferred unit of measure (that you track this item by in your PIMS) and click update:
Hiding Items
If you wish to not link a specific item - you may also hide any unlinked items within you PIMS integration that you would not like to appear in your lists.
Head to to the PIMS Integration page - Products page
Click on the Actions button, located to the right of each item
Select "Hide this Item." This will hide the item from view and move it to a Hidden Items folder, located on the lefthand side of the page. This will prevent the item from showing up in your Critical Shortage Lists, as well.
From within the Hidden Items folder, you may move a hidden item back into view with the rest of your items.
Click on the Action button
Select "Show this item."
Step 3: Shop and Place Orders as Normal in Vetcove
You may now build your carts and place your orders directly from your Lists page in Vetcove.
Click on the item listing, which will then drop down in the familiar Vetcove shopping format! Simply select your preferred supplier and quantity and add the items to your cart. Proceed to checkout by clicking on the Shopping cart icon as normal.
Orders placed in Vetcove will automatically create a Purchase Order in Shepherd!
If the products ordered from Vetcove have yet to be linked to Shepherd products, you can link them to existing items or create new items.
Inventory Syncing
Your Shepherd inventory will automatically be synced to Vetcove every 6 hours; however, you may always trigger a manual sync from within your Shepherd account.
To trigger a manual sync - head to Inventory in Shepherd, select the product you want to sync, and then click "Sync Inventory with Vetcove."
Disabling the Integration
Please contact Vetcove via Live Chat for help turning off the integration. Improperly disabling the integration after linking inventory items can result in Purchase Order receiving complications requiring manual correction.
In Shepherd, you can delete your credentials under Admin > Integrations > Vetcove Integration:
Questions for Vetcove?
Live Chat is in the blue icon on the bottom right corner of your Vetcove Account.
Email: support@vetcove.com
FAQs
Why can't I inactivate an inventory item or product code?
If an inventory item is still mapped within your VetCove account, integration requirements will specify linked items need to remain active as they can still be ordered from the VetCove side. Ensure the items are unlinked from within your VetCove account before attempting to inactivate any items within Shepherd.
Because inventory items are linked to products within Shepherd, an active inventory link with a VetCove item and a retail product in Shepherd will block the product from being inactivated as well. Unlinking the inventory item from the Shepherd product code will break the reference and allow you to deactivate the product code separately.
To Unlink an Inventory Item in VetCove:
While viewing your VetCove account, navigate to the Edit Inventory Item screen. Confirm if the inventory item is still associated with VetCove under the "Vendor" field.
By removing the VetCove link (by unlinking or selecting another option), the item is freed from any external integration sync constraints.
I've disabled my VetCove integration, but I am still seeing some associations or I cannot receive the items on a PO - how do I fix this?
To ensure any recent changes are fully received and applied, select the 'Save' button within any inventory items indicating issues. No changes are necessary before selecting Save.
I want to manually add items linked to the VetCove integration to a separate Purchase Order from a different vendor. Can I do this?
Currently you cannot manually add VetCove linked items to purchase orders. Existing integration logic requires syncing through the VetCove integration for all purchase order and linked inventory items. This means adding a VetCove linked item to an alternative vendor by manually building a purchase order is not supported and will result in receiving errors.
To correct the issue, you will need to unlink the item from your VetCove account.
I have a VetCove order in Shepherd, but I have not linked my inventory items. How do I link my items?
In order to receive items generated from a VetCove sync'd order, you'll need to ensure all VetCove order items are linked to Shepherd items. From your purchase order page you'll appreciate a link icon present along the far right side. Selecting this icon will present a mapping prompt to select the appropriate Shepherd inventory item.