The Manufacturers tab lists the brands your products come from. A manufacturer is the maker of an item, kept separate from the vendor who sells it to you, so you can track both.
What you see on the Manufacturers tab
Each row is one brand. If you have connected a brand to a supplier, the vendor's name shows next to it, so you can tell at a glance where that brand comes from.
Adding a manufacturer
Press Add manufacturer and enter the brand's name.
You can also set a manufacturer while you are adding or editing a product, and it will appear here.
Linking a brand to a factory direct vendor
If you buy a brand straight from the maker rather than through a distributor, connect that manufacturer to a vendor as its factory direct supplier. This keeps it clear where the brand comes from when you price and order. The link is optional, so leave it off for brands you buy through a distributor.
Inside a manufacturer
Press any manufacturer to open its detail panel and see the products in your Catalog that carry that brand. It is a quick way to review everything all products you buy that are made by this manufacturer.
How manufacturers connect to products
Each product can name the manufacturer that makes it. Those names are what fill this tab, so the more of your products carry a manufacturer, the more useful the Manufacturers tab becomes for grouping and review.
Related: Understanding the Catalog