Discovering Simple RFx Events

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Explain the general principles of simple RFx events.
  • Explain how to work with simple RFx events.

Simple RFx Events

Simple RFx events for materials provide a quick way for you to add items, invite suppliers, and specify the time periods for which you want to capture pricing. They are also helpful for when you want to capture pricing information for products and items on an ongoing basis.

  • With simple RFx events, most of the information is defaulted for the user. They only require you to enter information on the Create Quote Request page.
  • After simple RFx events for materials move to a Pending Selection state, you can accept pricing across items and suppliers.
  • Typically, this highly efficient process is used to request information that is subject to frequent updates, such as frequent price updates.
  • Simple RFx events for materials supports cost terms that have time components to describe how these impact costs in the future.
  • Simple RFx events for materials enable suppliers to specify how long their quotes are valid for, SAP Ariba automatically expires their quotes and notifies the material owner.

Simple RFx Events Characteristics

  • Simple RFx uses a template that creates a new event of the type RFP with limited functionality.
  • Customers can capture pricing information on an ongoing basis.
  • Customers can specify time periods for which they need a quote.
  • The process involving a simple RFx ends with a Price Acceptance scenario and not award.
  • Sourcing managers can create simple RFx events for multiple materials from the same supplier at the same time.
  • Suppliers can specify for how long are their quotes are valid.
  • If an existing simple RFx event with the same materials and supplier exists, SAP Ariba automatically prepopulates the new event with the terms from the last existing event. Sourcing managers can override this if they wish so.
  • Simple RFx for material events can contain up to 2000 total items.

The simple RFx events for materials event type does not support the following functionality:

  • Multi-currency
  • Grading and scoring
  • Alternative bidding
  • Matrix terms
  • Custom offline responses
  • Copying from a predecessor project
  • Parallel timing
  • Review time
  • Start time
  • Scheduling events (Simple RFx events for materials start when you click Publish.)

Simple RFx Event Workflow

The following workflow describes the simple RFx event for materials process:

  1. A template administrator configures a simple RFx event template.
  2. The buyer clicks Material quote → Material Quote Using Simple RFx on the Product Sourcing dashboard.
  3. SAP Ariba displays the Create Quote Request page.
  4. The buyer enters information as needed and clicks Publish.
  5. SAP Ariba sends invitation emails to the invited suppliers.
  6. Invited suppliers sign in and submit their responses.
  7. After the simple RFx event for materials closes, the buyer chooses the suppliers and item combinations for which they want to accept supplier pricing.
  8. The buyer clicks Accept Pricing on the Content tab of the Event Monitoring Interface. Optionally, buyers can use the Import Accept Pricing Excel file to choose pricing information.

Simple RFx are disabled by default. To enable this feature, please have your Designated Support Contact log a service request. An SAP Ariba Customer Support representative will follow up to complete the request.

Note

Simple RFx for materials functionality is only available for SAP Ariba Strategic Sourcing Suite buyers. SAP Ariba Strategic Sourcing Suite buyers must have also enabled product sourcing functionality with BOM and Material Master integration.

Simple RFx events for materials are only available for RFP type events.

Restrictions

SAP Ariba Sourcing has limits for the number of content items. Standard-capacity and simple RFx for material events can contain up to 2000 total items. These limits are validated when you create and publish an event or when you import content from Microsoft Excel, add to the content, or view the Summary page. If you attempt to add more than the content limit, SAP Ariba Sourcing displays an error message.

Simple RFx Event Terms

The system comes preloaded with the following terms to be used in simple RFx events:

  • Price
  • Quantity
  • Extended Price
  • Shipping Terms
  • Savings
  • Earnings
  • Unit Cost
  • Total Cost

You can edit simple RFx event terms in the Item Terms area.

Simple RFx Event for Materials Fields

The following fields are used in simple RFx events for materials:

FieldRequiredDescription
TitlexThe title of the simple RFx event you are creating.
TemplatexThe template you are using to create your simple RFx event.
Due datexThe date and time that the simple RFx event closes to responses.
Send reminders to suppliers Send event reminder messages to suppliers.
Collect quotes forxSpecify the duration for which you want suppliers to submit quotes (months, quarters, or years).
Starting fromxThe date on which you want to begin collecting quotes.

How to Update Simple RFx Materials

  1. Access the simple RFx event you want to update.
  2. Choose Actions → Edit.
  3. On the Create Quote Request page, make your updates as needed.
  4. Choose Republish.
  5. Choose Keep and email or Do not keep, and email to send participants the Event Edited and Republished notification.
  6. Choose Update.

The system immediately updates the event with your changes, unless you need approval before publishing an event. If approval is needed, the system submits your updates for approval. When the appropriate person provides approval, the system updates the event with your changes.

The Event Edited and Republished notification is sent when you republish your event.

Pricing Conditions in Simple RFx Events

Simple RFx for materials allow you to collect different prices during different validity periods. You can map validity periods on pricing conditions to their external SAP ERP systems.

Pricing conditions functionality has the following limitations:

  • Support for pricing conditions is limited to ERP integrated events.
  • Validity periods are only available on Money type terms.
  • Validity periods are available on contracts and RFPs, but they are not for auctions.
The Supplier and Buyer view of Quote request is displayed.

You can export a Microsoft Excel file containing the pricing conditions for each validity period and item and supplier combination. To download the pricing comparison Microsoft Excel file, choose Download Pricing Comparison.

The Pricing Conditions in Simple RFx is displayed.

How to Add a New Material Item

Limitations

Only the content a participant is invited to participate in is visible to them. If a participant is not invited to participate in a particular section, that content is not displayed in an exported Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

An External System Configuration with an active system must be configured and master data loaded, to see the Add New Material button.

Steps

  1. Choose Add New Material in the Material Items section on the Create Quote Request page.

  2. Enter search terms and choose Search.

  3. In the search results, click the checkboxes for the items you want to add.

  4. Choose Add.

Result

When a material is added, the AML suppliers are invited to the event for that item.

How to Import Data from Microsoft Excel

SAP Ariba enables you to import sourcing event data from, and export data to, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

This feature helps suppliers as follows:

  • Suppliers can use spreadsheets to enter a large volume of data quickly and to collaborate with colleagues.
  • Spreadsheet make it easier for suppliers to compose their responses, especially if they already have their bidding information in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
  • When bidding is a collaboration among groups, suppliers can share the spreadsheet using email, combine the results, and then import the spreadsheet into SAP Ariba Sourcing.

The Excel import functionality is only available while working with a draft version of the event. After an event has been published, the Excel Import button does not appear.

Prerequisites

To import data from Microsoft Excel, you must be the event or project owner and a member of one of the following groups:

  • Commodity Manager
  • Event Administrator (access to this group must be approved by the SAP Ariba Market Coordination Team)
  • Internal User
  • Limited Event Administrator (access to this group must be approved by the SAP Ariba Market Coordination Team)
  • Sourcing Project Administrator (access to this group must be approved by the SAP Ariba Market Coordination Team)

Steps

  1. Create a simple RFx event for materials into which you want to import event data.

  2. Choose Excel Import in the Material Items section to open the Import Content from Excel page.

    To import content from Excel, you use the Import Content from Excel page to export the existing content Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and then import the modified spreadsheets.

  3. Select the data you want to import.

  4. To download an Excel file with instructions and the appropriate column headers, choose Click here to open your RFP in an Excel Spreadsheet. You can skip this step if you already have an Excel file with contents.

    Note

    Simple RFx events do not support attachments. The Click here to download existing attachments into a Zip file option is not supported for simple RFx events.

  5. Edit the downloaded Excel spreadsheet.

  6. Select how you want to import the event contents: whether you want to add to or update the existing event contents with the same internal (System) ID; or delete all existing event contents and replace all existing event contents.

    • Add to Event Content: If an existing item in the event has the same System ID (internal ID) as an item in the import file, data for the item is replaced. If an existing event item has no corresponding item (same System ID) in the import file, it is deleted. Items in the import file without corresponding items in the event are added to the event.
    • Replace Event Content: All existing items in the event are deleted and replaced with the contents of the import file.

  7. Use the Browse button or drag-and-drop box to upload your modified Excel file.

  8. Choose Import.

Result

If an error occurs, you will get a message listing them up to about two dozen per import attempt. You must correct the problem in your Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. If you choose Cancel, you will be taken back to the Import Content from Excel page. Browse to your file and re–attempt to import it.

Note

Not all errors cause an error to be displayed. For example, if you accidentally changed an optional column heading, the system ignores it during import, and the expected data under the column does not appear. Always verify that the data you think you loaded is displayed online.

If the template is error free, you are returned to the Import Content from Excel page. Look through the imported information to see if it is what you intended. If necessary drag and drop, or copy and paste the information to order it correctly.

Inviting Suppliers

When creating a material quote, the system automatically adds any AML suppliers or supplier accounts that have provided pricing for the item in the past. Event organizers can invite additional suppliers which will be associated with the material for future events.

The Create Quote Request page is displayed.

How to Add a Team Member

You can add members of your own organization to the team that runs the event. The actions each user can perform depends on the group to which they are assigned.

Note

You may need to globally replace a team member in several sourcing projects, for example, when a user leaves the company. To globally replace a team member with a different team member, contact your administrator.

When the project’s access control is set to Private to Team Members, you can see who can view and interact with the event in the following areas:

  • On the Create Quote Request page, in the Team Members section
  • In the event monitoring interface, on the Team tab

Prerequisites

The prerequisites to add a team member are the same as described in Unit 1 → Lesson 4 → Prerequisites to Create Quick and Full Sourcing Projects from Product Sourcing Materials and BOM.

Note

If the project creator is not a member of one of the groups described in the prerequisites, they can only edit the Active Observers and Project Owners groups. Groups you create on this page are local to this project only.

Steps

  1. On the Create Quote Request page, in the Team Members section, choose the Add Team Member icon to the right of the group to which you want to add a member.

  2. Enter the name of the team member or project group you want to add.

    Names that match the value you entered automatically display.

  3. Select the box to the left of the user you want to add.

    Note

    If a user belonging to any of the following groups is added to a sourcing project as a team member, they can act as the project owner and access all content that is available to the project owner:
    • ACM Administrator
    • Contract Administrator
    • Sales Contract Administrator
    • Internal Contract Administrator
    • Project Manager
    • Event Administrator

  4. Choose Add.

How to Remove a Team Member

You can remove members of your own organization from the team that runs the event.

Prerequisites

You must be the event or project owner and a member of one of the following groups:

  • Commodity Manager
  • Event Administrator (access to this group must be approved by the SAP Ariba Market Coordination Team)
  • Internal User
  • Limited Event Administrator (access to this group must be approved by the SAP Ariba Market Coordination Team)
  • Sourcing Project Administrator (access to this group must be approved by the SAP Ariba Market Coordination Team)

Note

If the project creator is not a member of one of these groups, they can only edit the Active Observers and Project Owners groups. Groups you create on this page are local to this project only.

Procedure

On the Create Quote Request page, in the Team Members section, select the x icon to the right of the team member or project group name you want to remove.

How to Accept Supplier Pricing

After simple RFx events for materials move into a Pending Selection state, you can accept pricing across items and suppliers.

The Content tab allows you to compare supplier responses by item. Using the Display drop-down menu options and table options menus, you can filter, sort, and organize supplier responses to your event in several ways.

Note

By default, only the material owner can accept supplier pricing. SAP Ariba can configure the Application.ACM.AcceptPricing.ValidationRule site configuration option to allow all users with Project Owner capabilities to accept pricing for either of the following:
  • A material if the material owner is a member of the Project Owner group in the event
  • Any material in the event
To have SAP Ariba configure the Application.ACM.AcceptPricing.ValidationRule site configuration option for you, have your Designated Support Contact file a service request.

Prerequisites

The prerequisites to accept supplier pricing are the same as described in Unit 1 → Lesson 4 → Prerequisites to Create Quick and Full Sourcing Projects from Product Sourcing Materials and BOM.

Steps

  1. Access the Content tab of the event monitoring interface.

  2. Select the supplier pricing information you want to accept.

    You can accept pricing across items and suppliers.

    SAP Ariba Strategic Sourcing Suite sends the pricing information to your SAP ERP system.

    Note

    The status of the simple RFx event for materials stays in a Pending Selection state until all items are awarded.

How to Accept Supplier Pricing in a Simple RFx - Video

This video demonstrates the price acceptance scenario in the context of a simple RFx.

How to Import Accepted Supplier Pricing from Microsoft Excel

The Import Accept Pricing Excel file page allows you to export and import a Microsoft Excel file that contains supplier pricing information that can be accepted.

The Content tab allows you to compare supplier responses by item. Using the Display drop-down menu options and table options menus, you can filter, sort, and organize supplier responses to your event in several ways.

You can also accept pricing across items and suppliers using the Accept Pricing Excel file. The Accept Pricing Excel file is useful when you have many items or suppliers for which you want to accept pricing.

Note

By default, only the material owner can accept supplier pricing. SAP Ariba can configure the Application.ACM.AcceptPricing.ValidationRule site configuration option to allow all users with Project Owner capabilities to accept pricing for either of the following:
  • A material if the material owner is a member of the Project Owner group in the event
  • Any material in the event

To have SAP Ariba configure the Application.ACM.AcceptPricing.ValidationRule site configuration option for you, have your Designated Support Contact file a service request.

The prerequisites to import accepted supplier pricing are the same as described in Unit 1 → Lesson 4 → Prerequisites to Create Quick and Full Sourcing Projects from Product Sourcing Materials and BOM.

  1. Access the Content tab of the event monitoring interface.
  2. Choose Import Accept Pricing Excel File.

    The Import Accept Pricing Excel File page appears.

  3. To generate an Accept Pricing Excel File for the event, choose Download Content.

    When the file has finished generating, a browser dialog box opens with access options for the file.

  4. Choose Open or Save.
  5. Open the Excel file and, in the Accept Pricing column for the supplier pricing you want to accept, enter Yes.
  6. Save the Excel file.
  7. Select your saved Excel file.
  8. Choose Upload.

    A message appears indicating that your Accept Pricing Excel file was imported successfully.

  9. To accept the imported pricing, on the Content tab, choose Accept Price.

    SAP Ariba Strategic Sourcing Suite sends the pricing information to your SAP ERP system.

Note

The status of the simple RFx event for materials stays in a Pending Selection state until all items are awarded.

How to Create a Quote Request with Estimated Lead Time Values

When a material with an estimated lead time is used in a Simple RFx to get a quote, the estimated lead time is entered as the initial value for the lead time if a value doesn’t already exist.

The estimated lead time can be entered for each of the items directly on the user interface or by Excel import. The estimated lead time is per supplier. If no lead time exists, the estimated lead time value is copied to the lead time field when getting a quote. The supplier then sees the estimated lead time value in the lead time field as an initial value. The supplier can change the estimated lead time value, which becomes the new lead time.

The prerequisites to create a quote request are the same as described in Unit 1 → Lesson 4 → Prerequisites to Create Quick and Full Sourcing Projects from Product Sourcing Materials and BOM.

A published Simple RFx template with the Lead Time term at the item level is needed unless you want to add the term in the quote request.

  1. On the Product Sourcing dashboard tab, do one of the following:
    • Click the Materials with missing lead time tile.

      Note

      The Materials with missing lead time tile shows the materials that do not have a value for estimated lead time or lead time.
    • Click any materials tile.
  2. Select the materials. If you do not see the Estimated lead time or Lead time columns in the materials view, click the icon to add columns to the materials table and select them. The columns appear by default on the Materials with missing lead time tile.
  3. Choose Material Quote → Using Simple RFX.
  4. Add a Title and select the Template.
  5. If your template does not have a lead time term at the item level, you can choose Add Term and create the Lead time term.

  6. Add or edit an estimated value to the Estimated lead time for the item on the user interface or export and import the values using Excel.

    You must be the material owner to edit the estimated lead time value.

    When you create a simple RFx, if an estimated lead time exists for a material and an AML supplier combination but the lead time doesn’t exist from a previous event, the estimated lead time is used as the initial value in the Lead time field.

  7. Complete the quote request and Publish.

    The estimated lead time is sent to the supplier as the default value for lead time in the quote request. The supplier can change the lead time or leave the estimated lead time value.

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