Characterizing SAP Ariba Supplier Management Architecture

The unified vendor model has an ERP-like structure and stores data such as bank account, purchasing organization, and company code information in addition to basic supplier data such as name, address, and organization IDs. The unified vendor model includes the following benefits:

• Rich supplier 360° views with supplier information and management functionality in one place
• Unified vendor master data management, with a complete vendor model in a supplier database and bidirectional integration with SAP ERP, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP MDG

SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance and SAP Ariba Supplier Risk use the unified vendor model.

The supplier organization data model stores data such as name, address, and organization IDs in the classic SAP Ariba data structure. SAP Ariba Sourcing and SAP Ariba Contracts use the supplier organization data model, and SAP Ariba Procurement solutions synchronize common supplier data to this model.

Because of the differences in supplier data models, customers with existing SAP Ariba solutions that are based on the supplier organization data model must migrate their supplier data to start using SAP Ariba Supplier Management solutions that are based on the unified vendor model.

At a high level, classic architecture includes:

• Management of supplier organizations based on the SAP Ariba supplier organization data model, with common profile fields synchronized with SAP Business Network and extended profile information gathered using the supplier profile questionnaire.
• Supplier creation through an action on the dashboard by supplier managers, resulting in a new supplier record in the database and a supplier workspace project.
• Supplier workspace, SPM Project, and SQM Project templates for supplier management, with SPM and SQM projects existing outside of the supplier workspace and using the classic project interface (tabs for team, documents, tasks, messages, and so forth) and functionality.

At a high level, new architecture includes:

• Management of suppliers based on a unified vendor model using the SAP ERP business partner data model, with supplier profile information gathered using the request form and the registration questionnaire, as well as from internal surveys, integrated ERP systems, and information on SAP Business Network.
• Supplier creation by users across the organization submitting supplier requests. Supplier records are created in the database only after their requests are approved.
• Supplier request and supplier registration projects integrated into a complete supplier 360° view, where project tasks and documents are managed alongside the supplier's other data, and SPM Projects existing outside of the supplier 360° profile and using the classic project interface (tabs for team, documents, tasks, messages, and so forth) and functionality.