Importing Master Data for Catalogs

Importing master data for catalogs is a crucial process that enables businesses to efficiently manage and update product information. Whether you are setting up a new catalog or updating an existing one, importing master data for catalogs into SAP Ariba Procurement solutions can save time and effort while ensuring accuracy. In this lesson, we will explore the steps involved in importing master data for catalogs and discuss best practices to ensure a successful import.

Catalogs are text files that describe the products and services that a supplier offers. Suppliers can create catalogs for any product or service, regardless of how it is measured, priced, or delivered. Buying organizations search by company type, industry type, and product type to find catalogs that offer the product or service they need. They then download and import catalogs into their procurement application. Buyers can access catalogs through their procurement solutions to view what is offered and make purchases.​

The SAP Integration Suite, managed gateway for spend management and SAP Business Network allows buyers to integrate catalog data from an SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA (on premise) to SAP Business Network seamlessly. Customers can extract the catalog data from the Purchase Information Records and Materials Master records to create catalog items in a CIF file and send it to SAP Business Network and SAP Ariba Procurement solutions.​

The catalog data extracted from the Purchase Information records and Materials Master records are saved as catalog items in a CIF file. The CIF file contains both mandatory and optional fields that suppliers can use while maintaining the catalog files.​

With the Managed Gateway, buyers can import and handle CIF catalog files in SAP Ariba Procurement solutions using the following scheduled tasks:​

• The Catalog Syndication Scheduled Task runs every 2 hours. It picks up the CIF catalog files received from SAP Integration Suite, managed gateway for spend management and SAP Business Network and processes them.​
• The Catalog Syndication Delete Processed and Old Unprocessed Catalog Files Scheduled Task runs every 24 hours. It reviews the CIF catalog files received from SAP Integration Suite, managed gateway for spend management and SAP Business Network. This task also deletes processed catalog files that are older than 24 hours and unprocessed catalog files that are older than 5 days.​

You can create variants to run the Schedule Job for Catalog Upload Request multiple times for the full and incremental load. The variants can have different catalog filters and options that are required while running the Schedule Job for Catalog Upload Request. You can either schedule a job for Catalog Upload Request or manually import catalog master data.

You can use either the ARBCIG_BUYER_CATALOG_EXPORT program or the ARBCIG_BUYER_CATALOG_REPORT program to send catalog information to SAP Ariba Procurement solutions.

The ARBCIG_BUYER_CATALOG_EXPORT program forwards catalog information first to SAP Business Network before sending it to SAP Ariba Procurement solutions.

Whereas, the ARBCIG_BUYER_CATALOG_REPORT program sends catalog information directly to SAP Ariba Procurement solutions, which improves system performance.

The ARBCIG_BUYER_CATALOG_EXPORT program or the ARBCIG_BUYER_CATALOG_REPORT program processes the Purchase Information Records and the Material Master records while extracting the data to create catalog items in the CIF file.​

While extracting data for an incremental load, the ARBCIG_BUYER_CATALOG_EXPORT program or the ARBCIG_BUYER_CATALOG_REPORT program records all changes done to existing data for Material Master and Purchase Info Records. ​

When these records are flagged for deletion on the SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA (on premise) system, these changes are recorded in the catalog CIF file. The column Delete in the CIF file contains the value T (True) to indicate that there has been a change to the catalog item on the SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA (on premise) system.​

New values or changes done in the purchase information record or the material master records can be uploaded on SAP Business Network and SAP Ariba Procurement solutions. Buyers must run the incremental load to upload the new values to an existing catalog .CIF file.​

You can specify a date period while running the incremental load to download data that has been changed or newly created during the date period. You must ensure that you use the existing catalog subscription name for each incremental load you run for an existing catalog.

To maintain the SAP Ariba field names in the SAP system, SAP Ariba Account Administrator must first create these custom fields with the required SAP Ariba field name on their SAP Ariba Procurement solutions. These new custom SAP Ariba fields can be mapped to the SAP fields in the ARBCIG_FIELDMAP table using the Maintain Field Map for Master Data and Catalog Upload Request activity on SPRO.​

If you add catalog fields to the customized RFC structure, add the field, its structure, and the corresponding SAP Ariba field name using the Maintain Field Map for Master Data and Catalog Upload Request activity to have a preferred column name in the CIF files.​

The CIF file created on the SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA (on premise) system contains additional fields. You must maintain the SAP Ariba field names for the following fields using the Maintain Field Map for Master Data and Catalog Upload Request activity: