The Category Manager dashboard is a centralized platform that provides category managers with a comprehensive view of their procurement activities within specific categories. Using an intuitive interface, it provides valuable insights and actionable data. It allows you to easily track and understand your spending patterns, supplier performance, and contract compliance, empowering you to make more informed decisions.
The Category Management dashboard consists of two Home Page Apps–Category Management and Opportunity Analysis, each accessible by tabs at the top of the page.
Note
There are five tiles available under the Category Management Tab.
The table below displays the Category Management tile names and their functions.
| Tile Name | Function |
|---|---|
| Manage Category Profile | Category managers will define metadata for the purchasing classifications, such as laws and regulations, team members, company policies, and spending channels. |
| Develop Strategy and Plan | Category managers will develop, manage, and monitor the plan for their purchasing categories, such as goals, business requirements, planned spending, SWOT analysis, and cost structure. |
| Monitor Strategy Execution | Category managers will view this dashboard to ensure that goals and initiatives are being executed as planned. |
| Initiatives Overview | Category management procurement leads can view, track, and analyze initiatives across categories to support effective strategy implementation within their organization. |
| Toolkit | Category managers can create and maintain tool documents independent of the strategy and plan documents. All the tool documents you create are saved in the Toolkit app. |
Assistance with the Category Management application can be found by selecting one of the icons at the top-right of the window.
The table below lists the available support icons and their functions:
| Assistance Icon | Function |
|---|---|
| Search | Searches for desired content. |
| In-App Help | Provides support for the current screen. |
| Built-In Support | Activates contextual help on the current screen. You can hover over the Help symbol to get more details on that item. |
| Feedback | Accepts comments for future software enhancements. |
When Help is activated, all items marked with a Help symbol will appear under Help topics on the right side of your window. Notice that the buttons at the top feature the Help symbol, and their corresponding functions are displayed in the Help Topics menu.
When you choose the In-App Help icon 
, you will receive contextual assistance for the current screen. Hovering over the Help symbol 
will display a help bubble with additional information.
Additionally, these are some other buttons available that allow you to exit Help, open Help Topics, and access tutorials.
Help Icon Descriptions
| Description | |
|---|---|
 | Exit Help |
 | Open and Close Help Topics |
 | Access SAP Ariba Category Management Tutorials |
The SAP Ariba Category Management dashboard is designed for easy navigation, allowing you to quickly access the tools and information you need. You can select a specific tile directly or return to the default dashboard by choosing the Home option.
Accessing Tiles from the Home Dropdown Menu:
- Choose Home: Choose the Home button located next to the SAP logo.
- Choose Category Management: In the Home Page App menu, select the Category Management option.
- Choose Your Tile: From the Category Management dashboard, choose the desired tile to access specific features or data.
This streamlined navigation ensures you can efficiently manage your procurement processes by quickly accessing the relevant sections of the Category Management application.
Once you have selected a tile, you will find consistent navigation options across all tiles. A category manager can use Category Management to input content, add team members, and involve stakeholders who will help execute the spending plan. The buttons and fields provided allow you to search, add, edit, or remove information as needed.
The table below lists the buttons/icons, functions, and descriptions of each button/icon.
Button/Icon Functions and Descriptions
| Button/Icon | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Selection Menu | Allows you to view all items. For example, you can expand All to see all available categories once chosen. |
 | Create | Allows you to create. |
 | Edit | Allows you to edit the selection. |
 | Delete | Allows you to delete the selection. |
 | Add | Allows you to add additional items. For instance, you can add team members. |
 | Filter | Allows you to filter by department, degree, or role for a specific tile. For example, you can filter a stakeholder by department, degree of impact, or degree of involvement. |
 | Search Bar | Allows you to enter any string based on which you want to search. For example, you can enter a search string that is part of a category name, code, or name of a lead category manager. |