Service Items and Lots in SAP Ariba Sourcing Events
Our team frequently highlight new feature releases by SAP Ariba and test them within our internal systems. Recently, a new feature has been released related to Service Items and Lots in SAP Ariba Sourcing Events. Let’s find out more about it!
SAP Ariba Sourcing is a solution helping companies to source direct and indirect materials in one single platform. Although, SAP Ariba Sourcing is available for both materials and services, the out-of-the-box solution supports only materials. For implementing and using SAP Ariba Sourcing for services it needs to be enabled the one feature release the CUP-15731: Services hierarchy support in Sourcing and Contracts (also listed as SC-1574: Complex Services Hierarchy). This can be enabled by requesting a service request (SR) from your designated support contact. Enabling the above feature, users can run events for both materials and services.
Many of the functionalities that are supported for the materials are not applicable for the services items and lots. In the new features released in 2005 from SAP Ariba for Ariba Sourcing, some of these functionalities have been covered. Three main features available from 2005 releases applicable for service items and lots are the followings:
- Alternative pricing bids for service items and lots
- Multiple currencies in alternative bids for service items and lots
- Envelope bidding with alternative bids for lots and service items
Following in this blog we will provide a brief description and presentation of these features together with the changes in the user interface.
Alternative pricing bids for service items and lots
Using this feature participants in the events can submit alternative pricing bids for service items and lots either by using interactive user interface or by uploading bids from an Excel document. One restriction is that this feature is not supported for supplier bundle and volume tier alternative bids. Furthermore, It needs to be mentioned that Alternative Pricing Bid for Service Items and Lots feature needs to be enabled by system administrator.
User Interface changes
Starting with the changes in the UI, now participants after submitting their primary bid can find the option of creating alternative pricing bid.
On the other hand, buyers now can see supplier’s alternative bids for the services items and lots both in the Bidding Console at Content Tab and in the Award tab at Awarding Scenarios.
Multiple currencies in alternative bids for service items and lots
Using this feature users can select bid currencies when submitting alternative pricing bids for service items and lots by both interacting through UI and uploading bids from an Excel document. Multiple currencies in alternative bids for service items and lots feature is not supported for supplier bundle and volume tier alternative bids. This is also a feature that needs to be enabled from system administrator.User Interface Changes
The major change derived from this feature for the participants is that they can select bid currencies when submitting alternative pricing bids for service items and lots. After supplier submitting the primary bid then he has the option of creating alternative pricing bid.
As a result, in the Select Alternative Items dialog box appearing he has the option to select the desired bid currency.
On the other side, buyer’s UI has less changes. Buyer has the option to see the bids with both his and supplier’s chosen currency, by choosing the menu option of Actions -> Toggle Bid Currency on the Contents, Scenario, and Award tabs. Below, can be seen what a buyer can see in an Ariba Sourcing event for the Content tab.
Envelope bidding with alternative bids for lots and service items
This envelope feature in RFI and RFP events is now enhanced so that participants’ alternative responses for lots and service items are visible when the envelope is opened. Like the rest features mentioned above, this one needs to be enabled from system administrator as well. Alternative bids for envelope feature was limited only on material line items. Enabling this feature, participants can submit alternative bids for services items and lots and the buyers can view those alternative bids in the context of an envelope.
User Interface Changes
In this feature, participant after submitting the primary bid can see the option to create an alternative bid and re-submit his response.
Considering the UI that buyer is using, in the beginning he cannot see any of the responses of the supplier, either primary or alternative, since the answers are part of the envelope sections.
After opening the first envelope user can see both the primary and alternative bid.
This process continues until buyer opens all the envelopes and award the best for him bid.
At Brainbox we follow new releases by SAP Ariba closely and we test each one of them thoroughly. This way of working enables us to implement the newest innovations at our customers. Our consultants are available for implementing new features and we can apply changes to existing SAP Ariba configurations. For more information on our expertise, check: https://www.brainbox.consulting/digital/consulting-services-sap-ariba/ or contact us at sales@brainbox.consulting.
