User Guide

When a desired sourcing event is triggered in SAP Ariba, it is sent to Keelvar. Within Keelvar, the SAP Ariba-initiated event is configured and launched, bids are collected, awarding scenarios are optimized and bids awarded. The final award data is sent to SAP Ariba for downstream processing.

The Keelvar SAP Ariba Connector is a separate product that requires a license; please reach out to your customer success manager and sales team to acquire the license before activating it.

Keelvar SAP Ariva Connector Flow.png
Figure 1. SAP Ariba Connector Flow (dotted line indicates optional steps).

SAP Ariba Sourcing

For the Connector between SAP Ariba and Keelvar to function correctly, it is essential to initiate the process within SAP Ariba Sourcing.

Select a template according to the available template options in your SAP Ariba configuration. For the Connector to function correctly between SAP Ariba and Keelvar Sourcing Optimizer, it is essential to initiate the process within SAP Ariba.

  1. Create a sourcing project in SAP Ariba Sourcing by selecting the relevant Keelvar integrated template
  2. Create an event
  3. Select suppliers
  4. Optional: Add items
  5. Approve Publish

Once your event is approved in SAP Ariba, the Connector will create the related event in Keelvar. The SAP Ariba event is now closed for bidding. When creating an event in SAP Ariba, the individual steps and required fields are dependent on your SAP Ariba configuration.

Should your Event not reflect in Keelvar, ensure the correct template has been selected. Please contact Support if you are unable to resolve the issue, support@keelvar.com

Keelvar Sourcing Optimizer

Once an event has been created in Keelvar Sourcing Optimizer, it remains in a Draft state and can now be run like any other event in Sourcing Optimizer. 

  1. Click on the Design menu, click on the Bid sheet tab. 
    • Ensure that the columns have been configured and the data has been pushed through from SAP Ariba. 
  2. Click on Invite
    • Ensure that the supplier data has been passed through from SAP Ariba.
  3. Publish the event
  4. Validate the event
    • Sourcing Optimizer will check your event and display a summary if there are any issues
  5. Click on the Publish button
  6. Once the Event is ready for the award stage, select Evaluate from the menu. 
  7. Award the Event
  8. Close the Event

Figure 2. Sourcing Optimizer Event Flow

Once the event is awarded and closed the bidding data will be transferred to SAP Ariba.

Event changes and updates

Once an event has been created and pushed through to Keelvar, certain event changes that can still be made within SAP Ariba. Adding unapproved suppliers can cause data loss when information is sent back to SAP Ariba.

Synchronize suppliers from SAP Ariba to Keelvar

After an event has been created, a user can change supplier information in SAP Ariba which will automatically be updated in the Keelvar Sourcing Optimizer. Newly added or updated suppliers in Keelvar will not be included in the populated bid data in the SAP Ariba event.

To successfully export data to SAP Ariba sourcing, all suppliers on SAP Ariba must match those in Keelvar. Updates should be made in SAP Ariba to engage the supplier-sync feature.

  • When removing a supplier, create a new version of the event in SAP Ariba, add the supplier(s), save and publish. Updates are automatically pushed to Keelvar.
  • When adding a Supplier, newly added suppliers in SAP Ariba will be added to the event in Sourcing Optimizer, but will not automatically receive and invite. The user is required to go to the event in Sourcing Optimizer and manually send an invite.
  • When an event has been updated or changed, a new approval task is raised in SAP Ariba and will require re-approval for the event to be processed by the Connector.

Synchronize line-item data from SAP Ariba to Keelvar

Items are synchronized according to the configuration of the template, which defines the system which drives the item creation.

  • If you create items and sync from Ariba: updates need to be made in SAP Ariba. In order to make an update, pause the event, make the required changes and then resume.
  • If you create the bid sheet and items in Keelvar: Any changes to the items need to be made in Keelvar in the course of the event. These will be pushed to SAP Ariba on event close.

Export data to SAP Ariba Sourcing

Upon event close in Keelvar, the Keelvar SAP Ariba Connector will output line-item data directly to SAP Ariba.  Once the closing Bid data has been populated in SAP Ariba, a custom scenario is created based on the allocations in Keelvar. This applies to standard and large capacity events, subject to SAP Ariba event size limitations.

The event is automatically closed on condition that there is no approval flow in place. However, in the case of lots or line-items that have not been allocated, full coverage is not achieved and the event will not close in SAP Ariba.

If an approval process is in place, the requested approver will need to approve the decision in SAP Ariba before the event will close.

If an Event has been closed in Keelvar and no data has been exported to SAP Ariba, please reach out to Support, support@keelvar.com

Surface connector errors on Keelvar

The Connector will now show the event progress, as well as surface errors in the chatbot displayed on the bottom right of the screen. By displaying the error, users are given insight into what triggered the error, increasing the opportunity to rectify the issue without a need to reach out to support.


Figure 3. SAP Ariba Supplier Update in Keelvar Sourcing Optimizer

Troubleshooting

  • To ensure a smooth workflow in SAP Ariba, it's crucial to first confirm that the "External System Approval" flag is appropriately configured for the "Approval for Publish" task. Additionally, double-check that the correct template has been selected within SAP Ariba. Please note, this process may require up to 30 minutes for completion.

  • To facilitate smooth data transfer between platforms, it is vital to maintain identical column names on both systems, as discrepancies can disrupt data transfer. Check for any discrepancies in column formats or datatypes between platforms (e.g. Text vs. number), and consult the Template Mapping section for guidance. Ensure mandatory columns don't export blank values, match specific Keelvar columns with SAP Ariba terms, maintain consistency in restricted options, and align decimal precision for number-type columns in both systems.

  • To ensure a seamless data exchange between Keelvar and SAP Ariba, ensure the event has been awarded in Keelvar before sending the Bid data and scenario back to SAP Ariba. It's important to note that RFI questions and documents won't be automatically transmitted to SAP Ariba; however, you can manually download them from Keelvar if necessary. Be cautious about columns in SAP Ariba with restricted inputs, as any data input outside those restrictions can trigger an error in the connector. Additionally, the Project Owner in SAP Ariba should have Surrogate Bidding access; otherwise, data won't be transmitted back to SAP Ariba. Ensure that secondary currencies are configured in both Keelvar and SAP Ariba to prevent any connector issues resulting from disparities. Lastly, verify if the event size exceeds SAP Ariba's limitations to avoid potential complications.