FAQ Ariba suppliers

The use of the SAP Ariba network will also generate added value for suppliers. Swisscom sees the following advantages:

• Reducing the administrative costs of postage, printing and shipping
  
• Online overview of the order status (only with an Enterprise account)
  
• Transparency and clarity regarding accounting and payment dates
  
• High precision when it comes to invoicing and fewer invoice deviations
  
• Access to the world’s largest business commerce network
  

Swisscom’s suppliers have two options for using the Ariba network:

• Standard account (free of charge)
  
• Enterprise account (for a fee)
  

A Standard or an Enterprise account may be used to exchange documentation and information with Swisscom. When you register as a supplier, you automatically receive a Standard account free of charge. If you would like an Enterprise account, you have the option of upgrading to a chargeable Enterprise account via the Ariba network. The choice of whether to use a Standard or Enterprise account for exchanging documents is up to the supplier.

overview of accounts(opens in new tab)

Standard account

The use of the Standard account is free of charge for suppliers, regardless of the transaction volume and how many documents are exchanged via the Ariba network.

For suppliers, access to orders and invoices is always provided via a link that they receive by email.

Enterprise account

The Enterprise account offers added features. Enterprise accounts are available in premium, bronze, silver, gold or platinum. Fees may vary depending on the volume of transactions and the number of documents sent.

As a supplier, you may be able to use the Enterprise account free of charge. You can find the current regulations in the link below.

You can find specific information about the subscription levels and thresholds at: https://www.ariba.com/de-de/ariba-network/ariba-network-for-suppliers/accounts-and-pricing(opens in new tab)

Scroll down on this page and download the rates or the overview of subscriptions for your region.

You can find information about data protection on the SAP Ariba website at: https://www.ariba.com/gdpr(opens in new tab)

The Ariba portal can be used with the following certified internet browsers:

• Apple Safari 9+ (64 bit). Safari does not support the new Ariba design on mobile devices.
  
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 (32 bit). Compatibility mode is not supported.
  
• Microsoft Edge 25
  
• Google Chrome 53 - 55 (64 Bit)
  
• Mozilla Firefox 48 - 50 (64 Bit)
  

To initiate business relations with Swisscom, you must be registered and qualified as a creditor and/or supplier. Responsible Purchasing Managers will invite you to do so via e-mail.

Instructions: SLP Process (registration and qualification)(opens in new tab)

Instructions: Invoice Overview and Open Item List(opens in new tab)

Company settings in SAP Ariba(opens in new tab)

Instructions: Adding the RemittanceID(opens in new tab)

Shipping costs must be listed in the invoice header, as they are subject to VAT in Switzerland and this must be taken into account.

Invoice numbers may not contain any spaces or special characters, max. length 16 characters, alphanumeric characters are allowed, but only capital letters.

Basically, centimes should be invoiced exactly and not rounded. Details on how to enter can be found in the instructions for entering invoices.

Service entry sheets do not need to be created directly.Invoicing for a service order automatically creates a service entry sheet.
The procedure is described in the instructions on invoicing for service orders.The most important thing is to record the quantity and unit.

Dynamic Discounting (EN)(opens in new tab)
Instructions: Configuration Dynamic Discounting(opens in new tab)

To manage the homepage, proceed as follows:

1. Go to the “Orders, invoices and payments” section and click “More”.
   
2. Click “Manage default boxes”
   
3. Two columns will then be displayed on the “Manage action boxes on the homepage dashboard” page: “Available boxes” and “Selected boxes”. You can select and remove the action boxes as desired.
   
4. You can select up to four boxes in the “Selected boxes” column. If four boxes are already included, a box must first be removed before a new one can be added using drag and drop.
   
5. Click “Done” to save your changes.
   

CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS

• In the “Account settings” menu, click on the “Settings” link and then on “Customer connections”
  
• You can choose whether customer connections are accepted automatically or manually
  
• You can approve or reject pending connection requests in the “Pending” section. In the “Latest” section, you can view the profiles and information portals of current customers. Rejected customers can be viewed in the “Rejected” register
  

How to check your customers’ transaction rules

• Select the “Company settings” drop-down menu, go to “Account settings” and click on “Customer connections”
  
• The customer list will be displayed. Click on the customer’s name
  
• Once you have clicked on the customer list, scroll down to the “General accounting rules” section
  
• If the customer has activated country-specific accounting rules, the country of origin of the invoice can be selected from the drop-down menu. Click “Done”
  

This will let you know whether a customer needs a confirmation of order prior to issuing an invoice for an order or whether the customer allows invoices to be backdated.

If you are familiar with a customer’s transaction rules, this can reduce the number of invoicing errors and rejected invoices.

USER ROLES

Manage users (and user roles)

Allocate user roles and authorisations to staff in line with their role within the company:

• Company profile managers
  
• Lead creators/managers
  
• Proposal and contract managers
  
• Order managers
  
• Invoice managers
  

Inform the individual users and teams in your company of the Ariba account they are allocated to, so that they are well prepared for questions and collaboration with buyers.

The administrator is the primary point of contact for users in the event of questions or problems. They are responsible for the set-up/configuration and management of the accounts. This means that they create users and assigns roles/authorisations to users of an account. Each role has a unique name and set of associated authorisations. Example: the administrator creates a role with which the staff member can process the orders received and issue invoices. Depending on the tasks to be performed, users may have several roles.

How to add a user as an administrator:

Add a user

1. Click on “Account settings”, “Settings” at the top right of the dashboard, and then select “Users”.
   
2. Create the roles first and then the user accounts. Then assign the roles to the accounts.
   

Please note:

• You can create up to ten user-specific roles.
  
• Account administrators can reset forgotten user passwords. If it becomes necessary for security reasons, you can also force the user password to be reset. To reset a user’s password, edit the user and click on “Reset password”.
  
• Before deleting a role, you must assign a different role to the users in question. You cannot delete roles assigned to users.
  
• If an employee leaves or changes to another position within the company, the corresponding user account is no longer required. We recommend either deleting the user or assigning the user’s login details to another employee. If you reassign the login details, the user’s set-up and details will be transferred.
  
• Up to 250 user accounts can be set up per ANID. Users may have different roles/authorisations that correspond to their actual tasks. Users can have access to all or only certain customers as allocated by the administrator. Users are not normally visible to your customers and cannot be searched by them.
  
• All users have access to the “My account” page with general contact information and settings for their preferred language. Each authorisation gives users access to additional sections of your business account. The authorisations can also control which types of notifications users can configure.
  

How to update your user information:

• Click on your name at the top right of the dashboard and select “My account”.
  
• Update the information in the “Account settings” tab and enter your personal details and the settings for your preferred language, time zone and currency.
  

Please note: by default, your customers can view the account administrator’s name, telephone number and email address. If this information should not be made available to customers, check the box under “Hide my personal contact information” in the “Default settings for contact information” section.

• Click ‘“Save”
  

In the “Notifications” tab, you can control which system notifications you would like to receive and define the email addresses to which they are sent.

You can set default settings for notifications to indicate which events you would like to be informed about. You can display and manage notification settings depending on your user account authorisations. Contact the account administrator if you need help in creating default settings for notifications.

To configure notifications, proceed as follows:

1. Click on “Account settings” at the top of the dashboard and select “Notifications”.
   
2. Check the box for each type of notification you would like to receive. You can enter up to three email addresses for each type of notification. These should be separated by a comma but NO space.
   

Please note: to send at least one type of notification to more than three email addresses, create a distribution list in your email system and enter the name of the list in the appropriate field on the “Notifications” page.

• Click “Save”.

The following documents can be exchanged electronically between Swisscom and suppliers via the Ariba network:

• Orders for goods and services
  
• Order confirmations
  
• Delivery confirmations
  
• Receipt of goods
  
• Service entry sheets (time sheets)
  
• Invoices and credits
  

Processing material orders(opens in new tab)
Processing service orders(opens in new tab)

Processing material orders(opens in new tab)
Processing service orders(opens in new tab)

• Shipping notifications can be created via your Ariba account as soon as the items have been sent. It is possible to send several delivery announcements per order. Click on the “Create shipping notice” button.
  
• Fill in the required information on the shipping form. The package ID is any number that can be used to identify the shipping notification. Select “Carrier name” and then “Tracking #” and the type of shipment.
  
• Enter the shipping information and click “Update address”.
  
• After the delivery confirmation has been checked, click “Send”
  
• Shipping notifications offer improved communication and avoid unnecessary calls to the customer service team
  
• After the shipping notification has been issued, the order status will change to “Sent”. Sent shipping notifications can be viewed either in the outbox or by clicking on the link below the relevant documents in the order view.
  

This is not possible. The content of the Ariba network is displayed in the same language as your internet browser.

A link can be made when a new account is created. For links at a later point in time, please contact SAP Ariba support.

A link can be made when a new account is created.

For links at a later point in time, please contact SAP Ariba support.