The best practice is to make each tree structure only three levels deep, for quick access. Advanced searches can also be customized for efficient and accurate retrieval of desired products or services. Items in the local catalog can also obtain additional information from Web pages by encoding a hyperlink in the catalog script for that item. Also, the ORMS system is packaged with nifty catalog management tools for loading and maintaining catalogs. Also, the Internet catalog relieves the ORMS system from catalog maintenance functions.
Suppliers can maintain customer-specific pricing information on the Web site.
In a typical requisition scenario, in order to request a product or service on Ariba, the user clicks on the catalog link for the supplier. This click transports the user to the suppliers Internet catalog. After the user makes and confirms the selections, Ariba brings the item descriptions, including pricing information, back into the ORMS system to create a requisition. This process is called punch out, the capability of supplier-managed content to be pulled into Ariba purchase requisitions. ERP Integration Most organizations implementing an e-procurement system have existing ERP systems.