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TierCommerce
cXML PunchOut

SAP Ariba PunchOut for suppliers

When a customer asks you to “get on Ariba”, they usually mean a PunchOut catalogue. Their buyers open your store from an SAP Ariba requisition, shop at their contract prices and send the cart back for approval. TierCommerce is your PunchOut site, and the purchase order goes straight into your ERP.

  • cXML PunchOut through SAP Business Network
  • A UNSPSC code on every line, as Ariba expects
  • Ariba purchase orders checked and sent into your ERP
Book a demo How it works
SAP Ariba Buying Harbourside University

New requisition · Catalogues

BS Brightline Supplies Shop

cXML · signed straight in

Brightline Supplies Harbourside contract prices
  • A4 copy paper, 80gsm, 5 reams 10 × $38.50
  • Nitrile gloves, medium, 100 6 × $11.20
  • Whiteboard markers, 4 pack 12 × $6.95
$535.60 ex GST Return cart to SAP Ariba

cXML · cart sent back

Requisition · 3 lines Cost centre 4120
A4 copy paper, 80gsm, 5 reams $385.00
Nitrile gloves, medium, 100 $67.20
Whiteboard markers, 4 pack $83.40
Approved → PO PO4518220 → In your ERP

SAP Ariba PunchOut at a glance

Ariba Network is now SAP Business Network. This is what each side needs, so you can answer your customer’s supplier enablement team.

Protocol
cXML, through SAP Business Network
Buyers start from
A requisition in SAP Ariba Buying or Guided Buying
The cart goes back as
Requisition lines, approved in SAP Ariba
The purchase order arrives
A cXML OrderRequest, routed through SAP Business Network
What you need on their side
An SAP Business Network account with PunchOut catalogues, and cXML order routing

How an SAP Ariba PunchOut works

Every message between your customer’s SAP Ariba site and your store passes through SAP Business Network, which checks who’s who. Here’s each step, with the cXML behind it.

  1. 1

    The buyer opens your catalogue

    From a requisition in SAP Ariba Buying or Guided Buying, they choose your PunchOut catalogue. SAP Business Network forwards the request to the URL in your network account.

    PunchOutSetupRequest

  2. 2

    They shop your store

    TierCommerce checks the network ID and shared secret, then opens your store already signed in, with the account’s prices and range.

    PunchOutSetupResponse

  3. 3

    The cart goes back

    They return the cart instead of checking out. Each line lands in the requisition with your part number, price, unit and UNSPSC code, ready for approval.

    PunchOutOrderMessage

  4. 4

    The purchase order arrives

    Once it’s approved, SAP Ariba raises the purchase order and the network routes it to you as cXML. It’s checked and sent into your ERP.

    OrderRequest

Getting set up with an SAP Ariba customer

Most of the work is on SAP Business Network, in your account and your customer’s. These are the steps, and who does each one.

Free PunchOut setup checklist
  1. 1

    They invite you to trade

    Your customer

    Your customer sends a trading relationship request on SAP Business Network. You accept it, or register for an account if you don’t have one.

  2. 2

    Check your account type

    You

    SAP lists PunchOut catalogues as an Enterprise account feature, and Enterprise accounts can attract supplier fees. Ask your customer how they handle them before you upgrade.

  3. 3

    Create the connection

    TierCommerce

    Your PunchOut page gives you the cXML URL and a shared secret. You enter your customer’s network ID (ANID) as the identity their requests come from.

  4. 4

    Configure cXML on the network

    You

    In your test account, enter the URL and shared secret under Electronic Order Routing, route purchase orders by cXML, and create a PunchOut-only catalogue with a UNSPSC code.

  5. 5

    Validate, test and go live

    Together

    The network and your customer validate the catalogue, and a test cart goes into their test site. Then you repeat it in production. SAP’s own supplier guide plans about eight weeks.

What TierCommerce handles for SAP Ariba

SAP expects suppliers to bring their own technical team to a PunchOut. With TierCommerce, the PunchOut site is already built.

  • cXML setup requests checked against each customer’s network ID and shared secret
  • Each account’s own prices and product range
  • A UNSPSC code on every cart line, with a default for anything uncoded
  • Carts that Ariba sends back to be edited reopen with their items
  • Carts only ever returned to your customer’s own hosts, over HTTPS
  • Purchase orders checked against the account’s prices before they become orders
  • Orders sent into your ERP with the Ariba PO number
  • Every session and message logged, with secrets removed

PunchOut add-on

$149 a month

Includes your first connected customer account, then $69 for each extra account up to 10 and $39 each after that. Australian dollars, ex GST.

  • cXML and OCI PunchOut, and Unimarket catalogues
  • On the Professional and Enterprise plans
  • Only accounts that used PunchOut that month count
See pricing About PunchOut

Where SAP Ariba PunchOuts go wrong

These are the problems suppliers raise most in SAP’s support notes and community, and how to stay clear of them.

  • Test and production IDs

    Your customer’s test network ID ends in -T. If the identity or shared secret doesn’t match exactly, the network says your credentials can’t be authenticated.

  • The wrong URL

    The network sends PunchOut requests to the URL in your account’s cXML settings, not the one in the catalogue file. Keep the TierCommerce URL in your account.

  • Missing commodity codes

    Ariba expects a commodity code on every item. TierCommerce sends each product’s UNSPSC code, or the account’s default where a product has none.

  • Fees you didn’t expect

    Once an Enterprise account passes SAP’s thresholds with one customer, fees can apply across your relationships. Check SAP’s current supplier fees before you upgrade.

  • Purchase orders that never arrive

    Punching out works even when order routing isn’t set up. Route purchase orders by cXML to your TierCommerce URL, and test a real order before going live.

  • Prices that changed

    If a price changes between the cart and the purchase order, the order is held for your team instead of going through at the wrong price.

Who buys through SAP Ariba in Australia and New Zealand

Miners, banks, universities, government and services groups across Australia and New Zealand ask suppliers to trade with them on SAP Business Network. These are a few that say so on their own supplier pages.

  • BHP
  • Rio Tinto
  • Fonterra
  • NAB
  • Ventia
  • TAFE NSW
  • The University of Sydney

PunchOut across your customers’ systems

Your customers won’t all buy through SAP Ariba. One TierCommerce store handles each of these, with the same products, prices and orders behind them.

Buyer’s system Protocol Buyers start from The purchase order arrives
SAP Ariba cXML, through SAP Business Network A requisition in SAP Ariba Buying or Guided Buying A cXML OrderRequest, routed through SAP Business Network
C Coupa cXML Your logo under Shop Online on their Coupa home page A cXML OrderRequest, the Coupa Supplier Portal or email
U Unimarket cXML PunchOut, or a hosted catalogue Unimarket’s own search, or your PunchOut catalogue in Unimarket A cXML OrderRequest, or by email
SAP S/4HANA and ECC OCI 4.0 A purchase requisition, from Add from External Catalog in S/4HANA or the catalogue button in ECC or SRM Separately: cXML through SAP Business Network, an EDI IDoc, or a PDF by email
T TechnologyOne cXML A requisition in TechnologyOne, or in Unimarket where it runs alongside A cXML purchase order, or a PDF by email
O Oracle cXML A requisition in Self Service Procurement (Fusion) or iProcurement (E-Business Suite) A cXML OrderRequest, directly or through Oracle Business Network, or a PDF by email
Dynamics 365 cXML A purchase requisition, from the External catalogs action A cXML OrderRequest, or by email
J JAGGAER cXML A PunchOut catalogue in JAGGAER eProcurement A cXML OrderRequest, or email or the supplier portal

SAP Ariba PunchOut questions

What is an SAP Ariba PunchOut catalogue?

A link from your customer’s SAP Ariba site to your own online store. Their buyers shop your store at their prices, and the cart goes back to SAP Ariba as a requisition for approval. You keep your range and prices up to date in one place: your store.

Do we need an SAP Business Network Enterprise account?

Usually. SAP lists PunchOut and CIF catalogues as Enterprise account features, while the free Standard account covers purchase orders and invoices. Enterprise accounts can attract supplier fees once you pass SAP’s thresholds, so check SAP’s current fees and ask your customer first.

Does SAP Ariba use cXML or OCI?

cXML. SAP Ariba and SAP Business Network use cXML for the PunchOut and the purchase order. OCI is for customers on SAP S/4HANA or SAP ECC buying directly, and TierCommerce supports that too.

How do Ariba purchase orders reach us?

Set your order routing on SAP Business Network to cXML, with your TierCommerce URL. Each purchase order is checked against the account’s products and prices, then sent into your ERP with the PO number. Anything that doesn’t match is held for your team.

How long does SAP Ariba PunchOut setup take?

The TierCommerce side is ready as soon as you add the customer’s credential. Most of the time goes on the network: SAP’s own supplier guide plans about eight weeks, mostly validation and testing with your customer.

Do we need a PunchOut gateway as well?

No. TierCommerce is your PunchOut site, with your products, prices and stock behind it, so there’s no separate gateway or catalogue to keep in sync.

Can we test before going live?

Yes, at both ends. SAP Business Network gives you a test account and a catalogue tester, and your TierCommerce PunchOut page can send a test setup request through the same checks your customer’s system will.

What does PunchOut cost in TierCommerce?

PunchOut is an add-on on Professional and Enterprise. It’s $149 a month, including your first connected customer account, then $69 for each extra account up to 10 and $39 each after that, in Australian dollars ex GST. SAP’s own supplier fees are separate.

Sources

  1. SAP: Introduction to SAP Business Network (supplier guide)
  2. SAP Learning: SAP Business Network supplier fees
  3. SAP Community: Configuration of a PunchOut catalog in Ariba
  4. SAP Support: PunchOut requests use the URL in the supplier account
  5. SAP Support: Sender credentials cannot be authenticated
  6. SAP and Ingka: EMEA PunchOut guide for suppliers (2023)
  7. BHP: Ariba supplier FAQs
  8. Rio Tinto: transactional platform for suppliers
  9. Fonterra: supplier support
  10. NAB: Ariba Network supplier registration pack
  11. Ventia: SAP Ariba for suppliers
  12. TAFE NSW: transacting with TAFE NSW
  13. The University of Sydney: information for suppliers

SAP Ariba is a trademark of its owner. TierCommerce isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by it.

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