Preparing to Implement PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing

This chapter provides an overview of PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing implementation and discusses how to:

Click to jump to parent topicUnderstanding PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing Implementation

This section discusses:

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicBidder Groups

You can create additional groupings for bidder invitations that enable you to save frequently used bidders as a group and invite the group to future sourcing events. This feature expedites the process for searching and selecting bidders. Groups can contain any number and combination of bidders, vendors, and customers, therefore providing the maximum flexibility for maintaining lists containing different bidder types.

See Creating Bidder Groups.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicStandard Comments

You can create various comments that you use regularly in various types of events. By creating standard comments, you do not have to rewrite them for each event or remember which comments need to go with which type of event.

You attach comments to an event when you create the event.

You can display the comments on the event to the bidder or, if they are comments for internal use, you can hide them from bidders.

You can include comments on the award. If you are awarding a purchase order or contract, the comments on the event also appear on the awarded purchase order or contract.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicTerms and Conditions

Terms and conditions are the legal parameters that you establish to govern bidding on events. The Terms and Conditions document is displayed to users when they register to bid; they must accept the terms and conditions to complete their registration.

The document is also available for registered bidders to review at any time.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDiscussion Forums

Bidders can use discussion forums to communicate with the event creator. PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing provides an event-specific forum for bidders to ask questions regarding the event and have them answered by the buyer. The forum administrator can delete messages from the forum, and delete entire forums as well.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicImplementation Order

Implement PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing in the following order:

  1. Strategic Sourcing installation options and the MultiChannel Framework for chat.

  2. Autonumbering.

    To set up automatic numbering, use the Auto Numbering page (Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Common Definitions, Codes and Auto Numbering, Automatic Numbers).

    See Defining Additional Common Information.

  3. Bidder categorization trees.

  4. Bidder registration defaults.

  5. Discussion forums.

  6. File attachment server.

  7. URL location for notifications.

  8. Bidder terms and conditions.

  9. Sourcing reason codes.

  10. User preferences.

  11. Standard comments.

Click to jump to parent topicSetting Up Instant Messaging by Using MultiChannel Framework

To set up instant messaging for PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing, use the Installation Options - Strategic Sourcing page.

To set up queues, use the MultiChannel Queue (MCF_Q_CONFIG_CMP) component. To set up agents, use the MultiChannel Agents (MCF_AGENT_CMP) component.

Use the PeopleTools MultiChannel Framework to enable instant messaging among bidders and event creators. Bidders can initiate chats with an event owner, which enables bidders to receive immediate responses on questions or clarifications for a selected event.

To set up the MultiChannel Framework:

  1. Create and configure clusters.

  2. Configure REN servers.

  3. Configure MCF queues.

  4. Set up MultiChannel Framework defaults on the Installation Options - Strategic Sourcing page.

     

  5. (Optional) Maintain MCF agents.

See Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: PeopleSoft MultiChannel Framework

Note. To maintain a chat log for events, select PeopleTools, MCF, Universal Queue, Configuration, Cluster Tuning. Change the Key log_chat_ses value to Yes to activate the log. You must reboot the application server for the system to start maintaining a chat log.

See Also

Defining Strategic Sourcing Installation Options

Click to jump to parent topicSetting Up Bidder Categorization Trees

To set up bidder categorization trees, use the Maintain Categorization Trees (AUC_SLF_CAT_CREATE) component.

This section provides an overview of bidder categorization and discusses how to:

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicUnderstanding Bidder Categorization

You can set up bidder categorization trees, which bidders can use to register for interest in selected categories. You can use predefined trees or manually add nodes. You can select the number of node levels to display to the bidders; for example, you might display only the top three node levels of a four-node tree to the bidders.

Registered bidders can select bidding categories when they register to personalize the events in which they want to participate. Bidders can also maintain their lists of categories after they register and after becoming a vendor or customer. Event creators can use these categories to target event invitations to the group of bidders who are most interested in those events.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Set Up Bidder Categorization Trees

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Maintain Categorization Trees

AUC_CAT_CREATE_HP

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Sourcing, Create Self Categorization Tree

Create new and view existing self-categorization trees.

Self Categorization Tree

AUC_SLF_CAT_CREATE

Click Edit next to a tree on the Maintain Categorization Trees page to view an existing tree or create a new one.

Create and modify categorization trees that can be associated with bidders.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicSetting Up Bidder Categorization Trees

Access the Maintain Categorization Trees page (Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Sourcing, Create Self Categorization Tree).

SetID

Select the setID for the tree.

Create Tree

Click to create a new self-categorization tree.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicEditing and Viewing Self-Categorization Trees

Access the Self Categorization Tree page (click the Edit button next to the tree that you want to edit or view on the Maintain Categorization Trees page).

Sourcing, Sell, or Buy

Click to create a tree for sourcing, sell, or buy events.

Note. Sell categories appear as purchase categories to bidders. Buy categories appear as sell categories to bidders.

Click to edit the selected tree node. The system displays the group box. Select a category and click the Submit button to add it to the tree.

Click to add a child branch to the node.

Click to add a sibling branch to the node.

Click to cut the selected child.

Click to paste a child.

Click to remove a child.

Click to add an existing PeopleSoft tree as a node to the self-categorization tree. If you have an existing item or asset category tree, copying it into the buy or sell node saves time.

Click to jump to parent topicSetting Up the Registration Homepage

To set up bidder registration, use the Bidder Registration Setup (AUC_BID_REG_SETUP) component.

This section discusses how to set up bidder registration.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Set Up the Registration Homepage

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Bidder Registration Setup Homepage

AUC_BID_REG_SETUP

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Sourcing, Bidder Registration Setup

Identify the information that bidders must enter as part of registration and indicate whether approvals are required

Bid Factor Question

AUC_RG_BF_CMMT_SEC

Click the Bid Factor Question button on the Bidder Registration Setup Homepage.

Define profile questions for businesses or individuals to answer as part of the registration process.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicSetting Up Bidder Registration

Access the Bidder Registration Setup Homepage page (Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Sourcing, Bidder Registration Setup).

Default Bidder Registration Setup

Click to make the values that you enter a default guest user for the selected setID.

User ID

Select to apply roles that are assigned to a default bidder to this bidder. This default bidder user ID is set up on the User Profile - Roles page.

Important! You send the default user ID to new bidders when you invite them to events. They use this value as their ID and password, after which they can create their own bidder information.

Tree ID

Assign a default bidder categorization tree to bidders when they register.

See Setting Up Bidder Categorization Trees.

Workflow Approval Required

Select to require bidder registrations to be approved before bidders can use PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing.

Important! If you select this check box, all bidder registrations must be approved.

Role Name

Assign the user role that is to be responsible for approving all bidder registration requests if workflow is required.

Event Preferences

Select the type of event to set up workflow approval for each role. Values are Both, Purchase Good/Services, and Sell Good/Services.

SIC Codes (standard industry code codes)

Specify whether bidders can enter standard industry codes that are related to their businesses. If the check box is selected, you can specify the type of standard industry codes that bidders can select from.

Standard ID Qualifier

Select which ID numbers must be provided by the bidders during registration. Options include:

  • Comp Tax Reg Number - Brazil

  • Company Identification Number

  • Company Number - Australia

  • DUNS Number

  • Dun & Bradstreet Number

  • Fiscal ID - Company - Italy

  • Fiscal ID - Indiv - Italy

  • Fiscal ID Number - Spain

  • Ind Tax Reg Number - Brazil

  • Municipal Reg Number - Brazil

  • NIC Number - France

  • SIREN Number - France

  • SIRET Number - France

  • State Reg Number - Brazil

  • Tax Identification Number

Required Flag

Select to make each standard ID qualifier required for bidder registration.

Profile Questions

Enter to obtain bidder-identified information from the bidders. For example, you may want to know how many years the bidder has been in business. You create a profile code of YEARSBUS, make it a numeric type, and click the Bid Factor Question button to ask the question: How many years have you been in business? If you select the Required Flag check box, the bidder must answer to register successfully.

Bidder Type

Indicate whether the profile question is for bidders registering as a business, an individual, or both.

Bid Factor Type

Select standard bid factor types for profile codes:

  • Attachment

  • Date

  • List

  • Multi-select List

  • Monetary

  • Numeric

  • Text

  • Yes/No

Required Flag

Select to make each profile factor required for bidder registration.

See Also

Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: Security Administration

Defining Strategic Sourcing User Preferences

Click to jump to parent topicSetting Up Discussion Forums

To set up discussion forums, use the Sourcing Forum Administration (AUC_FORUM_ADMIN) component.

This section discusses how to set up discussion forums.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Set Up Discussion Forums

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Manage Forum Settings

AUC_FORUM_MGR

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Sourcing, Forum Administration

Create and manage discussion forums. You also can set up forum user permissions.

Manage Forum Messages

AUC_MESSAGE_MGR

Click the Manage Forum Messages link on the Manage Forum Settings page.

View and delete message threads.

Forum User Lookup

AUC_FORUM_LOOKUP

Click the Load Binds button for a user type on the Manage Forum Settings page.

Search for forum users.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicSetting Up Discussion Forums

Access the Manage Forum Settings page (Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Sourcing, Forum Administration, then click the Event Discussion link on the Forum Administration page).

To create permissions for a discussion forum user:

  1. (Optional) set this forum as the forum for which all event discussion threads are maintained by selecting the Default Event specific forum check box.

  2. Select a user type of Bidder, Customer, Role, User, or Vendor.

    If you want to assign permission for a group of users by role, select Role.

  3. Click Read Only to assign read permission to a user or role but not the ability to create messages.

  4. Click Block to prevent the user type from accessing the discussion forum.

Click to jump to parent topicSetting Up File Attachment Servers

To set up file attachment servers, use the File Attachments (PV_ATTACH_ADMIN) component.

This section discusses how to set up file attachment servers.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Set Up File Attachment Servers

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Maintain File Att Servers (maintain file attachment servers)

PV_ATT_SRV_ADMIN

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Common Definitions, File Attachments, Administer File Attachments

Set up the FTP server location for PDF and XML file attachments which are included with notifications.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicSetting Up File Attachment Servers

Access the Maintain File Att Servers page (Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Common Definitions, File Attachments, Administer File Attachments).

  1. Click the Add FTP Server button.

  2. Enter the login name, password, FTP server name, and path name for the attachments.

See Also

Setting the URL Location for Notifications

Click to jump to parent topicSetting the URL Location for Notifications

To set up URLs, use the URLs (URL_TABLE) component.

This section discusses how to set up the URLs.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Set Up URL Locations

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

URL Maintenance

URL_TABLE

PeopleTools, Utilities, Administration, URLs

Enter the URL, pertinent description, and comments.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicSetting Up URLs

Access the URL Maintenance page (PeopleTools, Utilities, Administration, URLs).

You must set up the following URLs:

Click to jump to parent topicPreparing Terms and Conditions

To set up terms and conditions, use the Terms and Conditions Setup (AUC_TERMS_CMP) component.

This section discusses how to create terms and conditions.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Prepare Terms and Conditions

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Define Terms and Conditions

AUC_TERMS_PG

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Sourcing, Define Terms and Conditions

Create legal terms for bidder agreement.

Terms and Conditions

AUC_VIEW_TERMS

Event Responses, View Terms and Conditions

Display terms and conditions for review.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicCreating Terms and Conditions

Access the Define Terms and Conditions page (Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Sourcing, Define Terms and Conditions).

Sections

Create several sections within a terms and conditions document. An unlimited amount of text can go into each section.

Message Text

Enter the text of the terms and conditions.

Click to jump to parent topicSetting Up Reason Codes

To define reason codes, use the Reason Codes (REASON_CD) component. Use the REASON_CD_CI component interface to load data into the tables for this component.

This section discusses how to set up reason codes.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Set Up Reason Codes

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Reason Codes

REASON_CD

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Common Definitions, Codes and Auto Numbering, Reason Codes

Define reason codes, which provide explanations for occurrences such as pausing and resuming auction events, disallowing bids, and disapproving a bidder's registration request.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicSetting Up Reason Codes

Access the Reason Codes page (Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Common Definitions, Codes and Auto Numbering, Reason Codes).

You can set up reason types and codes within PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing. Reason types correspond to actions; codes are the reasons given for the action.

Oracle delivers the following reason types and codes in PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing, but you can add more to meet business requirements:

Click to jump to parent topicSetting Up User Preferences

To define user preferences for PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing, use the Define User Preferences (OPR_DEFAULT) component.

This section discusses how to create PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing user preferences.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Set Up User Preferences

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

User Preferences - Sourcing

OPR_DEF_TBL_SS

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Common Definitions, User Preferences, Define User Preferences. Click the Strategic Sourcing link on the User Preferences page.

Define PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing-specific user preferences and defaults.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicCreating PeopleSoft Strategic Sourcing User Preferences

Access the User Preferences - Sourcing page (Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Common Definitions, User Preferences, Define User Preferences). Click the Strategic Sourcing link on the User Preferences page.

Use this page to set up permissions and defaults for the selected user, including whether he or she can create buy, sell, or RFI events, event authorizations, copy from transactions, sourcing constraint permissions, and sourcing template permissions.

If you select the Award Events option in the Event Authorizations region, you must select at least one Award Type option. The user will have access to create only the documents selected here. Options include Purchase Order, PO Contract, General Contract, and Single Release PO Contract.

Note. To award to purchase orders or contracts, users must have access on the Procurement User Preferences page to create contracts and purchase orders, and enter and approve vendors.

See Also

Defining Strategic Sourcing User Preferences

Click to jump to parent topicCreating Standard Comments

To set up standard comments, use the Standard Comments (AUC_STD_COMM_COMP) component. To set up standard comment types, use the Standard Comments Types (AUC_STDCOMTYP_COMP) component.

This section lists the pages used to create standard comments.

See Also

Creating Events

Creating Standard Comments

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Create Standard Comments

Page Name

Definition Name

Navigation

Usage

Standard Comments

AUC_STD_COMMENTS

Sourcing, Create Events, Standard Comments

Create boilerplate comments that you can use regularly for many events.

Standard Comment Type

AUC_STD_COMM_TYPE

Sourcing, Create Events, Standard Comment Type

Identify categories of comments, such as comments specific to sale events, for ease in identifying which comments to attach to which events.