Differentiating Materials and Methods

Purchase requisitions are composed of two parts:​

• Header - provides general data regarding the requisition like name of requester.​
• Line items - provide information on what goods or services they require.​

Users can add line items from the following types of catalogs:

1. Catalog Items

• Pre-approved items from suppliers.
• Catalogs can also be created for internal items.
• Standardized pricing and descriptions ensure compliance with negotiated contracts.
• The Catalog tab in SAP Ariba Procurement displays these hosted items from supplier catalogs.

2. Spot Buy Catalogs

• One-time, ad-hoc purchases from an open marketplace configured sitewide.
• Used for low-value, non-contractual purchases where catalog or contract options are unavailable.
• Helps organizations find competitively priced items from a broad supplier network.

3. Punchout Catalogs

• Items sourced from external supplier websites integrated with SAP Ariba.
• Users "punch out" to a supplier’s site to browse and select items, which are then pulled into your PR cart in SAP Ariba for approval.
• Punchout items can be identifed by the Punchout icon, or by the "Buy From Supplier" button instead of the standard "Add to Cart" button.

Three Levels of Punchout:

• Level 1: Listed as a link to the Punchout supplier. Links directly to the home page of the Punchout site.
• Level 2: Listed as either:
• • A link to a specific category on the Supplier's Punchout site.
  • As actual items, which link directly to the item on the Supplier's Punchout site.

In addition to adding catalog line items, line items can also be added from:

Service Items

• Used for procuring services instead of physical goods.
• May include labor, consulting, maintenance, or other service-based engagements.
• Requires specific details like service duration, hourly rates, and milestones.
• Catalog items can be added to a purchase requisition and be marked as a service item.

Contract Items

• Items or services sourced based on an existing contract agreement.
• Ensures compliance with negotiated pricing and terms.
• Streamlines procurement by directly linking purchases to approved supplier agreements.

Non-Catalog Items

• Items not available in the internal catalog but sourced from approved suppliers.
• Users manually enter item details like price, description, and supplier information.
• Suitable for specialized or one-time purchases where a catalog option does not exist.