Setting Up Tiered Alternative Responses

Suppliers may have additional items to provide to the buyer which the buyer did not account for, so buyers have the option to enable the Allow supplier to add items event rule to allow suppliers to add bid content in both primary and alternative bids.

In case buyers want suppliers to only bid on supplier-added items in alternative bids only, buyers can enable the Allow supplier-added items only in alternative bids event rule. This rule restricts participants from bidding on supplier-added items in primary bids.

Supplier-Added Items in SAP Ariba Sourcing events offers the participants with the flexibility to incorporate their own items into the event directly, so suppliers can customize the line items to the best suit and portray their product and service offerings. Buyers can allow suppliers to enter in their own terms after they submit an initial response, or if enabled, within their primary bids. This suits scenarios when the suppliers are experienced and know more about the product offerings and attributes than the buyers.

Template creators can allow suppliers to add items during the bidding process by enabling the following set of rules in the event template, in addition to the considerations, below:

1. If the Allow supplier-added items only in alternative bids rule is set to Yes, and suppliers should be allowed to specify a value (such as for the Price and Quantity terms) the term option, Is term editable in alternatives, must be set to Editable By Owner and Participant.
2. Template creators must add at least one of the following definition prototypes for suppliers to be able to add their own items during the bidding process. Supplier Line Item or Supplier Item with Child Items or Service Hierarchy.
   
3. In most cases, Project Owners will want to create a Supplier Line Item definition prototype so you can specify visibility and edit capabilities that are different for supplier-added items. The default terms that the prototype uses are Price, Quantity, and Extended Price.
4. If suppliers want to create their own Lots, Supplier Item with Child Items or Service Hierarchy must be created in a definition prototype with a Lot type set to Basket with No Items - Bid at Lot level, compete at Lot level (do not collect item pricing).

Suppliers can add as many line items or lots as the buyer allows them to. The value must be set by the customer during the event creation.