In supply chain management, what is the meaning of the terms vendor and supplier? Do the terms share a definition? Usually, people involved in the supply chain, procurement, and purchasing work use the terms interchangeably. The reason could be because both the supplier and vendor provide goods and/services. Even though they supply goods, each entity has its uniqueness. So, supplier vs. vendor: What’s the difference? This is what you will learn next. Before this, you should understand the meaning of each.