Introducing SAP Ariba Supplier Management

SAP Ariba Supplier Management is a category of solutions, not a singular product offering. The portfolio encompasses the following solutions:

• SAP Ariba Supplier Information and Performance Management*
• SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance*
• SAP Ariba Supplier Risk

*Your company may subscribe to either SAP Ariba Supplier Information and Performance Management or SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance, but cannot subscribe to both.

SAP Ariba Supplier Management is a comprehensive portfolio of solutions for managing supplier information, lifecycle, performance and risk in one place. It also provides smart, safe and cohesive risk intelligence to guide supplier selection, qualification and segmentation process, with proactive ongoing monitoring of your suppliers. It is integrated into your procurement processes, to allow you to drive spend towards preferred suppliers and reduce risk.

The three solutions in the SAP Ariba Supplier Management portfolio are:

• SAP Ariba Supplier Information and Performance Management
• SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance
• SAP Ariba Supplier Risk

Your company may subscribe to SAP Ariba Supplier Management solutions in one of the following combinations:

• SAP Ariba Supplier Information and Performance Management only
• SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance only
• SAP Ariba Supplier Information and Performance Management and SAP Ariba Supplier Risk
• SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance and SAP Ariba Supplier Risk
• SAP Ariba Supplier Risk only

SAP Ariba Supplier Information and Performance Management (new architecture) includes management of suppliers based on a unified vendor model, supplier request projects, supplier registration projects, modular questionnaire projects (including certificate management), and supplier performance management projects.

SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance includes all the features of SAP Ariba Supplier Information and Performance Management (new architecture), in addition to process projects, supplier qualification projects, preferred supplier management projects, and supplier disqualification projects.

SAP Ariba Supplier Management solutions* use the unified vendor model.

• Referred to as "new architecture"
• Has a more ERP-like structure
  • Stores data such as bank account, purchasing organization, and company code information
• Based on SAP ERP business partner data model

Other SAP Ariba solutions, such as SAP Ariba Sourcing and SAP Ariba Buying, use the SAP Ariba supplier organization data model.

• Referred to as "classic architecture"

Customers with existing SAP Ariba solutions who want to start using SAP Ariba Supplier Management solutions that are based on the unified vendor model must migrate their supplier data.

* Prior to December 2016, SAP Ariba Supplier Information and Performance Management used the classic architecture configuration.

Supplier information is defined in different types of records within SAP Ariba.

Common Supplier Record

• General information about the supplier, such as name and headquarters address
• Used for strategic sourcing and supplier management activities

Partitioned Supplier Record

• Additional information about the supplier, such as remittance locations and payment methods
• Used for procurement activities

Supplier information is defined in different types of records within SAP Ariba. Common supplier records store general information about the supplier, such as name and headquarters address. Common supplier records are used for strategic sourcing activities, such as participating in sourcing events or negotiating contracts, and supplier management activities, such as registration and qualification processes.

Partitioned supplier records are mapped to common supplier records and store additional information about the supplier, such as remittance locations and payment methods. Partitioned supplier records are used for buying and invoicing activities.

By default, the unified vendor model used by SAP Ariba Supplier Management solutions stores common supplier data, but not partitioned supplier data. However, your site may be configured to support partitioned supplier data in the unified vendor model’s administration area.

If you onboard a new supplier using the request and registration processes in SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance, the supplier will not be eligible for buying and invoicing activities until partitioned supplier data is created via ERP integration or manual import by your site’s administrator.