Understanding Catalog Search and Punchout Catalog

You will begin your search using the search box at the top middle of your dashboard.

You can basically search using any part of the catalog item data, including description, part number, etc.

If you use quotation marks around your search criteria, the system will return all results with that exact phrase.

The keyword search defaults to and so without quotation marks, a search for USB cable, for example would return only results that contain both USB 'and' cable.

Another part of Boolean logic that you can use is ‘or’. In our example of USB and cable. If you used ‘or’ the system will return results with any items containing either USB or cable.

You can also exclude terms by using a dash in front of the word.

In this example, using bags, if your search was for bags, dash, plastic the system would return all bags with the exception of plastic bags.

Using stemming functionality, the system will return results using the stem of the word. For example, if you search for battery, the results would be battery and batteries.

Partial word searches are used to make it easier searching for a word such as polyethylene.

If you type in the word Poly for your keyword, the system would return all items that begin with Poly.

Lastly, the fuzzy spelling functionality is used for correcting common spelling mistakes, such as using an ER rather than OR at the end of a word.

As with most ecommerce systems, you are able to sort your search results. The default search is Best Match, which is how closely your key terms are matched to actual items.

You can also sort by price high to low as well as price low to high.

You can sort your search results by:

• Relevance (how closely result matches your search results) – this is the default sorting method
• Price high to low
• Price low to high

You can refine your search results on the left side of the page:

• Selections in effect until changed
• Custom catalog fields are selectable through this menu
• Provides guidance for the search process
• Refinement counts help to provide "sense of what is in catalog"
• Narrows a search result set
• Supports parametric types

You can also refine your search results by using the keywords and options on the left side of your screen.

These refinement options narrow down your search results and help to guide you through the search process, including displaying item counts for each refinement option.

Your search results will remain in effect until a new search is entered.

A PunchOut catalog allows you to punch out or navigate to your supplier’s catalog. The PunchOut items look similar to all other items, only they are a link to the supplier’s website. The PunchOut session will return items from your supplier’s catalog to your Guided Buy shopping cart.

The items in your cart will behave the same as internal catalog items, with the exception that quantities and other item information will need to be changed directly on the suppliers catalog rather than your Guided Buy shopping cart and you will also need to return to the supplier’s catalog in order to delete certain items.

• PunchOut allows users to shop for items directly on the supplier’s website
• A PunchOut session adds items to the shopping cart
• The PunchOut items behave the same way as catalog items once they have returned to SAP Ariba with some exceptions
  • For example, to change the quantity or other item information, you must return to the PunchOut site
  • You must also return to the PunchOut site to delete some (but not all) of the items
• A supplier can have one link or multiple links to the PunchOut catalog

A PunchOut catalog is a remote catalog hosted by the supplier. The item displayed is presented as a link to the supplier website where the catalog content resides. The user selects the link and the SAP Ariba Procurement Solution displays the supplier’s website. The user shops the website, selects (and even configures) desired items, then checks out. The contents of the website’s shopping cart is returned to the user’s requisition in the SAP Ariba Procurement Solution.

This graphic displays the basic process flow for using the PunchOut catalogs. As a user, you will select the PunchOut item from your guided buy dashboard. This will send a request over the Ariba Network, which will be authenticated on your supplier’s website.

Once you have added items to the shopping cart and click the checkout button, the items will be returned over the Ariba network and added to your shopping cart in Guided Buy.

1. The user selects a PunchOut item in the SAP Ariba Procurement Solution catalog. This selection sends a request to the Ariba Network to establish a connection with the remote catalog.
2. The Ariba Network authenticates the buying organization and forwards the request to the supplier’s PunchOut site.
3. The supplier sends back a URL of a webpage on the supplier’s PunchOut site designed specifically for the buyer. The procurement system redirects the user to this URL. The remote shopping site appears in the user’s window and the user begins shopping.
4. After shopping, the user clicks the site’s Check Out button, which moves the contents of the shopping cart from the supplier site back to SAP Ariba Procurement.

There are two types of PunchOut catalog items. The first is PunchOut Level 1, which is at the supplier level and will route you to the catalog home page of your supplier’s website. There you can search and select whatever items you need.

PunchOut level 2 will display aisle, shelf, or item level views of the catalog. This allows you to route directly to a specific item or area within your supplier’s catalog. The PunchOut catalog item in guided buy, displays a Buy From Supplier Button rather than add to cart.

• PunchOut level 1 allows users to do individual searches within each separate supplier’s punchout catalog site
• PunchOut level 2 allows users to do a single search of all suppliers’ punchout catalogs within the Guided Buying user interface
• PunchOut catalog items display a "Buy from Supplier" button

A PunchOut session moves a fully configured catalog item to the user’s local requisition. The supplier does not take any action other than offer a reservation for the chosen item or service. The supplier does not start fulfillment until an approved purchase order has been received.

Level 1 PunchOut suppliers have one PunchOut link which displays a store-level view of the catalog. The first item displayed in the image above, labeled Software House International, is a level-1 PunchOut catalog at the supplier level.

Level 2 PunchOut suppliers have multiple PunchOut links that display an aisle-level or item-level view of the catalog. The Software and Licenses item is a level-2 PunchOut catalog item at the category/aisle.

The Belkin Keystone Faceplate is an example of a level-2 PunchOut catalog at the item level.

Spot Buy capability is an add on feature that allows you to make purchases from suppliers who are not enabled in your SAP Ariba system.

These items are generally not available in your internal catalogs and are often smaller dollar items or one-off purchases that users would make outside of the procurement system and then expense them.

With Spot Buy, your users can purchase these items through Guided Buy using Spot Buy providing compliance and visibility. Spot Buy has flexible rules allowing your administrators to choose which items to display, as well as forcing users to select from internal catalogs if the item is available there.

Spot Buy allows users to purchase non-sourced items from a list of Ariba Network Suppliers that have been configured for Spot Buy.

• Users search the catalog for the item they wish to buy
• Support for vetted, partially-vetted, and non-vetted suppliers
• More buying options – with compliant invoice process
• Item added to basket in guided buying when selected
• Spot Buy purchases may be restricted or require additional approval

With Spot Buy you can purchase these goods within your SAP Ariba Procurement Solution without the requirement to source the supplier, enter the supplier in the vendor master, or even provide the supplier with any payment method, such as a procurement card, or invoice process.

The Spot Buy tab displays products from Ariba Network suppliers that have been configured for Spot Buy. Your company’s SAP Ariba administrator selects which suppliers will be available for requisitions.