Describing Quick Enablement

To invite suppliers to register automatically to SAP Business Network, we use the Quick Enablement or Interactive Purchase Order flow. This method enables buying organizations to send a purchase order email to a supplier through the network without a previous supplier connection. The message contains the purchase order as an attachment and a trading relationship confirmation button embedded within it.

The initiation of a first interactive purchase order email sent through SAP Business Network creates a "private" AN ID, or supplier account identification number, on behalf of the supplier within the network. The message is triggered from the buyer’s ERP by specifying the supplier’s company information or email address, in a corresponding element in the header of purchase orders sent to the supplier.

SAP Business Network logs in the supplier ERP ID, or Vendor ID, embedded within the purchase order cXML to create a private supplier account with an individual AN ID and the System ID endpoint from which the document has been received on the network. Once created on the SAP Business Network buyer account, all three supplier-relevant data pre-define the transfer path for the following purchase orders.

To process the purchase order, the supplier selects theProcess Order button included in the email message and is directed to the SAP Business Network supplier login page. From there, the supplier chooses between one of two options:

• The supplier creates a new SAP Business Network supplier account. With this new registration, the initial private supplier account AN ID becomes a public supplier account AN ID. The trading relationship request is automatically confirmed, and the supplier is listed as Current in the Active Relationships tab on the SAP Business Network buyer account.
• The supplier logs in with their login credentials for an already existing supplier account on the network. Depending on the supplier account setup, the trading relationship request is either automatically confirmed, the default account setting, or the supplier needs to manually confirm the request within their account, a customized setting option. In this case, the initially created private supplier account AN ID is replaced by the already existing supplier account AN ID. This change can be either observed directly on the buyer account or tracked using the Supplier Enablement Report available on SAP Business Network. The Vendor ID and System ID are automatically reassigned to the existing supplier account AN ID.

  Once the supplier processes the interactive purchase order on SAP Business Network, instead of the interactive purchase order template, a purchase order notification is triggered, as defined and managed by the supplier on their account. The notification message can be routed to one or multiple customized supplier email addresses that might not correspond to the supplier email address maintained by the buyer on the ERP.

  Steps for the Quick Enablement or Interactive Purchase Order flow:

  1. The buyer account is enabled for quick enablement.
  2. You send a purchase order to a dummy supplier with whom you do not have any existing relationship.
  3. SAP Business Network creates a private account for the used supplier ERP ID (vendor ID). Note: In this scenario, Quick Enablement is used for sending out purchase orders only.
  4. The supplier receives an interactive purchase order email from SAP Business Network and selects the button embedded in the email message to start the registration process.
  5. If the supplier is not yet registered, they can accept the invitation by completing the registration process. At this step, the private AN ID becomes a public AN ID.
  6. If the supplier is already registered, they can accept the new relationship request within their existing account. The initial private AN ID is being replaced by the already existing public AN ID of the chosen supplier account.
  7. Once registered and logged in, the supplier immediately gains access to the account and can process the purchase order, either through an order confirmation or an invoice using the PO flip method.
  

  Alt text Screenshots showing the process flow for supplier registration.

For accounts with multiple supplier Vendor IDs or additional buyer ERP endpoint configurations on the SAP Business Network buyer account, it is essential that after a supplier accepts a trading relationship, the buyer adds a Vendor ID for the same supplier entity, identified by supplier tax ID, that is relevant to their business, to the established transactional relationship on the buyer account. By maintaining all essential supplier data combinations, including Vendor ID, System ID, and supplier account AN ID, buyers ensure that all transactional exchanges are accurately routed to and from the correct supplier account on the network.

To manually add more data to the buyer account, log into the SAP Business Network buyer account and select Supplier Enablement > Active Relationships > Current. Identify the supplier company and select Edit. Add the unique identifiers, Vendor ID and System ID, and save the configuration.

• No involvement of the SAP Supplier Enablement team is required.
• The first interactive purchase order sent from the ERP system is embedded within a trading relationship request message from SAP Business Network.
• The supplier can view the purchase order details from the interactive email attachment or by accepting the trading relationship on the SAP Business Network supplier account.
• The supplier can either reuse an existing account or directly access the newly created account.

For the Interactive Purchase Order process to work properly, outgoing purchase orders must meet specific criteria. This applies to both the SAP S/4HANA quality and production environments. Ensuring that supplier master data is configured correctly is essential for reliable processing.

Supplier master data can be verified within the Create Purchase Order transaction.

• Supplier ID:
  • Check the supplier Vendor ID, or ERP ID, which is displayed in the header section of the order.
• Supplier Email Address:
  • The supplier associated with the purchase order must have an email address maintained in the ERP. This email address is essential for Quick Enablement through SAP Business Network.
  • To verify or enter the supplier master data:
    • Double-click the supplier’s name.
    • Navigate to the Address tab and check for the email address in the Communication section.

The key learning points of this lesson are:

• Quick Enablement or the Interactive Purchase Order flow allows buyers to send purchase orders from the ERP over the network and automatically invite suppliers to register on SAP Business Network. When a purchase order is sent, the system creates a temporary privatesupplier account ID (AN ID) linked to the supplier’s ERP ID (Vendor ID) and System ID. The supplier receives an interactive PO email with a registration link and an attachment containing the complete order details.
• Suppliers can either create a new account or use an existing one to convert a private AN ID into a public supplier account. Relationship confirmation is handled automatically or manually based on account settings. Once registered, all future purchase orders with matching Vendor ID and System ID are routed directly to the supplier’s connected account, and buyers must manage these relationships in their buyer account.
• For Quick Enablement in S/4HANA, the supplier master data must include a Vendor ID in the purchase order header and an email.