The Marketplace and Purchasing

Purchasing Process

The Purchasing Process can be customized depending on your requirements during implementation. You can find more information on the steps below.

• Search For Products
• Add Items to Cart
• Checkout
• Approval Process

Order Generated

The Supplier is notified either via email or integration to process the Purchase Order. Once received Invoices are able to be matched against the invoice to be automatically accepted.

Receiving Process

You can find a more detailed guide on  Receiving Orders on our help pages.

Invoice Process

You can find more information on the Invoice Process on our help pages.

What is eProcurement?

Electronic procurement, generally known as eProcurement, is the automation and
management of the procure-to-pay process. It involves creating and approving purchase
requisitions, issuing purchase orders, receiving goods and services, and processing invoices
electronically.

How does a user update their email address or phone number?

Click on User icon (silhouette located at the top right of the site) and select My
Account. Then click on Settings and the user can make changes to their contact information. 

What is the difference between a Buyer and a Browser?

The Buyer role is assigned to those users who have the authority to make
purchases. The Browser role is assigned to those users who have the need to create requisitions for goods and services but do not have the authority to make purchases but still require the ability to search  / specify items they wish to purchase, then assign it to a buyer.

What determines user's Buyer/Browser role?

Buyer and Browser roles will be assigned by you administrator.

What do I do if my Approver is out of the office and not available to approve my
requisition?

Approvers have the ability to designate a Proxy when out of the office. This Proxy will have the ability to approve requisitions in their absence. In addition, approvals will automatically be escalated within a pre-set period of time. You may also set your “out of office” in the profile setting by clicking on your silhouette, then click on “out of office”, check the box that shows that you are unavailable and set your date and time.

What is the proxy time frame? Can it be indefinite?

This is a temporary period (such as a vacation) and is not meant to be ongoing. The new approver
should be added to the approval queues if ongoing.

How does approval escalation work?

If no action is taken within the set hours (e.g. 24hrs) of the approval task, the approval will be escalated to the next approver with authority to take the approval action. If the approver is the last in the approval chain and the 24 hours have passed, the requisition will wait for the approver to take action. This is an automated process within the system. If something is urgent then you should contact the approvers directly.

Which fields can approvers edit?

Approvers will have the ability to edit the Justification notes and Justification Attachments, Delivery Notes and Order Attachments, accounting as well as the Ship To and Bill To fields dependent on the Chart of Accounts the approver has access to.

If accounting is edited by an approver, does the purchase requisition route back
to the Buyer?

The purchase requisition will not route back to the Buyer, but it may follow a different
approval path, if the accounting determines a new approval path should be taken. 

What happens to a disapproved/declined requisition?

Declined requisitions can be found in the View Requisitions page, copied and edited for re-submission by the Buyer who originally created the requisition. Requisitions remain in the
system and can be viewed using filters such as “state” (declined, abandoned, canceled,
incomplete…). The requisitions remain in the system perpetually.

Can I resubmit a declined requisition?

Yes, if a requisition is declined, you can search for that requisition and while viewing you
can Copy the declined requisition to be edited and resubmitted for approval.

Can I charge a single item to 2 or more account codes?

Yes, use the ‘Split’ button next to the individual line items.

What if I receive a damaged/broken item?

If Items received are damaged or broken, this should be communicated through Order Receiving. Here is where you will select the ‘Return’ option that will notify the supplier that there is an issue with your order. Accounts Payable typically will not process any invoice until all items with the order are marked as “Received”. Once the supplier has either credited back the damaged good or reshipped a replacement, you then will proceed to mark the item as received where Accounts payable will then process the invoice.

Can I use the solution for purchasing a service?

Yes, you would use the Non-Catalog Item option to enter in the full description of the services to be provided.

Can the solution check my budget as part of the purchasing process?

Yes, when a buyer clicks the checkout button or an approver tries to approve a requisition the
system will:
a. Check that the account code is valid and active
b. Check that you have purchasing authority for the selected account code
c. Check the budget for the account code

What should I do if I receive a message indicating that there is insufficient funding?

The solution can be setup to either 'warn' users of insufficient funds or 'stop' users from making the purchase all together.

Can I start creating an order by placing products in my cart and not finalize it until
later?

Yes, you can initiate a requisition at any time. If you are not ready to check out yet, simply leave the items in your cart. You can also begin a requisition and save it at any time for later completion by accessing the Incomplete Requisition and complete the check-out process. 

If I order the same items each time, is there a way to duplicate my order to reuse again?

Yes, you can create Shopping Lists for orders that you process regularly. This will expedite your purchasing process. You can set up as many Shopping Lists as you need. In addition, you can find previous orders and copy them, edit as needed to meet your current needs and submit as a new requisition for approval.

Who is able to perform the Receiving function?

The Buyer of the order and/or another Buyers/Browsers in that Org Sharing Unit can receive
the item. Buyers and Browser’s both have the ability to complete receiving reports.

How do I purchase from a new Vendor?

If you cannot find your supplier you need to use you can request a supplier by using the supplier request function. This captures the required information and routes it to a Supplier Administrator for review and action. They need to ensure the supplier is correctly loaded before you can start purchasing. 

The Unimarket Marketplace makes finding and buying items easier than ever.

We’ve streamlined the shopping process with features like Guided Buying, as well as the new community messages pop-up which makes the effective communication of key information with your users simple.

Community Messaging Pop-up

Information that previously appeared at the top of the community homepage is now displayed in a Community Message Pop-up upon a user logging in. This information can be updated by a Community Administrator in Administration > Settings > Profile 

The Description can be used to specify text that will appear at the top of the pop-up. This is often used to display a welcome message or key information for buyers.

An Alert can be specified which will display as an Important Reminder in the pop-up. This is often used if there are special instructions that buyers need to see.

Links (URLs) can be specified. These are displayed on the right side of the pop-up and can be used to provide links to documents or webpages such as 'Purchasing Guidelines' or internal support.

Learning Center

The Unimarket Learning Center can be accessed on the bottom left side of your menu.

Here you will have access to the following tabs:

Community: You can view the current Alert/Reminder set by your community as well as any Quicklinks your community has added.

Help: You can click to view the Unimarket online help documentation.

Product News: You can view all recent updates to our Product News regarding New Features, Improvements, What's Coming, etc.

Marketplace Menu

Marketplace - acts as a home button and takes users back to their dashboard.

Purchasing - easy access to Create Non-catalog item, Create Blanket Order, Request Quote and Request Supplier. (If the community has these features enabled and the User has the appropriate Role).

Lists - navigates the user to their existing Shopping Lists.

Orders - navigates the user to the View Orders screen.

Transactions - gives the option to select View Requisitions, Receiving, View Requests for Quotes, View Invoices, or View Spend.

Guided Buying

Guided Buying is a new feature that replaces the Supplier Dashboard functionality.  This feature allows you to tag suppliers by any category you choose. This allows you to direct your users to specific suppliers. This is fully customizable by going to Administration > Settings > Management > Tags > Dashboard. Here you can add any tags you would like to appear under Guided Buying. This is optional, and if you do not list any tags, this section will not appear in the Marketplace. To create more tags go to Administration > Settings > Management > Tags > Tags

Marketplace 

Some of the key aspects of the interface are the supplier tiles, search capabilities, filtering and supplier details. Supplier tiles have been condensed slightly so more suppliers can be visible on the screen. A quick search tool has been added along with more advanced filtering options. Additionally, suppliers with catalogs now have a shortcut to access the catalog with one-click at the bottom of their tile.

The Filters button next to the Sort By menu gives users the ability to filter the Marketplace suppliers panel by Supplier Tags. 

Clicking on the Select Tags drop-down will show a list of existing supplier tags that users can choose from.

Create Shortcut 

A new Create shortcut button has been added to the Marketplace homepage. This button allows users to start a non-catalog order, blanket order or request a quote with less clicks than going into the supplier profile first.

Once you click into the Supplier Profile, you will see any catalogs available.  Hosted Catalogs now have a grid or list view for easier product browsing.  The Supplier Details screen and Create tab have been moved to the top right corner.  The create tab will allow you to create a non-catalog item, blanket order, or request a quote.

Viewing Supplier Details/View Transactions

Once you click on View Supplier from the Marketplace, you will be taken to a screen with their supplier details. You can click from this page to the Shop tab to view the suppliers catalogs and product listing.  Additionally, you can click on View Transactions button at the top right corner to view either requisitions or orders related to this particular supplier.

Some organizations have a semi-centralized purchasing model, whereby a select few users raise the purchase orders on behalf of others. In Unimarket these users would be assigned the Buyer role and users with the Browser role will be able to reassign requisitions to them.

• Browser: This role allows users to search for items, add them to cart and then reassign requisitions to a Buyer as an Incomplete Requisition for final checkout, which will then route for approval. A Browser has the ability to specify what items they want to purchase but they cannot complete the purchase themselves.
• Buyer: This role gives users all the abilities of the Browser, but also the power to complete a requisition to begin the approval process. A Buyer should be a user with knowledge of account information.

Raising an Incomplete Requisition (Browsers)

Browsers can find products and services in catalogs and create non-catalog order items to add to their Cart. Once they have added the required items, Browsers can checkout and reassign the Incomplete Requisition to a Buyer.

The Browser will select Reassign at the bottom of the checkout page. The Pop-up is used to choose the Buyer for the Incomplete Requisition and optionally enter a Note to provide any additional information. The Incomplete Requisition is sent to the Buyer for action and they will be notified by email and in their Tasks menu.

Creating an Order from an Incomplete Requisition (Buyers)

Buyers will be notified of new Incomplete requisitions via email. These can be viewed from the menu Tasks > Incomplete Requisitions.

A list of pending Incomplete Requisitions will be displayed. Users can click the Requisition number to view the details.

From within the Incomplete Requisition the Buyer can Checkout and complete the Requisition using the standard purchasing process.

Once the Requisition is approved an Order is created with an email notification sent to the Browser and Buyer. If the Buyer is not happy with the Incomplete Requisition, they can also choose to decline the request by selecting Cancel from the Actions menu in the top right.

The Unimarket Marketplace makes finding and buying items easier, with a quick search tool that has been introduced along with more advanced filtering options. Additionally, suppliers with catalogs now have a shortcut to access the catalog with one-click at the bottom of their tile.

The supplier view is sorted by Premium catalog suppliers by default and allows the users to browse through all suppliers alphabetically, or search for a supplier by name.

Search Results

When using the Search tool, the results will return Suppliers and Products based on the search term used. This will be returned to the closest match in terms of Product Code/Manufacturing Part ID, Name (either Supplier or Product name) and Description or Search Terms. 

Supplier Tags

Supplier Tags set up by your community appear on the left hand panel to filter results to specific suppliers. Tags can help you to identify suppliers who have been tagged as Contracted, Preferred or Sustainable. Your community may also have other tags to help you identify certain types of suppliers, such as those who provide Catering or Travel. For more on Tags click here.

View Supplier

Supplier Details can be viewed by hovering over the supplier tile and clicking on the View Supplier button that appears (for Premium Suppliers - View Supplier and Catalogs button will appear)

When clicking on View Supplier, it will give the overview of Company Details including product category supplied, Company Address and Contact Details.

For Premium suppliers a separate tab for Shop will appear for Buyers to view the available catalogues.

Guided Buying is a Marketplace shopping feature that categorizes suppliers by customizable commodity tags.

To learn more about Guided Buying you can watch this video or continue reading below.

This feature allows you to tag suppliers by any category you choose and is fully customizable by going to Administration module > Settings > Management > Guided Buying.

Here you can add any Collections you would like to appear under Guided Buying. This is optional, and if you do not list any Collections, this section will not appear in the Marketplace. You also have the option to Edit, Delete, or change the order of your collections on this page.

On the Create Collection Page you will be able to name your collection, and add relevant supplier tags. Additionally, you have the option to add additional content that will appear at the top of the page once inside a Collection (a URL can be added in this section). You can also Enable or Disable the Collection in the marketplace by using the Visible on Marketplace button.

One image can be added to each collection with a maximum size of 2MB. The file format must be either JPG or PNG. Once uploaded, it will appear below any content from the Text Box and you have the option to add a URL to the image, in case a user clicks on the image. (All collection links will open in a new tab).

To help support collections, Supplier Tags can be viewed on the Order Export. The Export will show the Tags at the time of the Order.

Creating an RFQ from a Collection

You can select a Guided Buying group of suppliers for an RFQ, by going to the Marketplace module > Purchasing

 Request Quote > Enter all required fields with a red asterisk and click Continue

Select “+ Add Supplier” > Select the drop down arrow in the guide buying field > Choose the desired supplier(s) and click Add

Attach desired documents and select Continue > Review supplier invite verbiage and select Continue > confirm information and select Finish.

The Shopping List feature provides the user the ability to create a shopping list with the frequently ordered items from Hosted Catalog and/or Non-Catalog Items. 

You can read below to find out more information on Shopping Lists or watch this short video:

Add to/Create a Shopping List From a Catalog

From a Catalog you can add an item to an existing Shopping List or Create a new one by following the below steps.

1. Finding Products in Marketplace - When you have found the product you want to purchase click on Add to List  
2. This will generate a pop-up where you can select if you wish Add to a new shopping list or Add selected items to an existing shopping list
   
   1. If you selected to add to a new shopping list enter the name and Click OK
   2. If you selected to add to an existing shopping list use the drop down list to select the correct list and click OK

Once complete you will receive a notification at the top right advising the item has been added to your Shopping List. You can click View Shopping List to be taken to the shopping list screen.

Create a Shopping List From Your Cart

To create a new Shopping list with a mixture of Non-Catalog and Hosted Catalog Products, you first need to Add the Items to your Cart.

Once you have the products you wish to add to the shopping list in your cart follow the below steps:

1. Click the Shopping Cart Icon in the top right to view your cart
2. Click +Add to Shopping List
3. Select Add to a new shopping list and enter the name for your new list
4. Click OK

Adding Items to an Existing Shopping list

To add items to a current shopping list you will first need to add them to your cart. Once you have the items you wish to add follow the below steps:

1. Click the Shopping Cart Icon in the top right to view your cart.
2. Click Add to Shopping List
3. Select Add selected items to existing shopping list 
4. Use the drop down menu to select the list you wish to add to
5. Select OK

Using your Shopping List

When you are ready to use the Shopping Lists created, click on Lists on the left menu pane. Where from here you can then browse through the available list titles, and select the list you would like to use. Shopping Lists are sorted A-Z by name.

You can either select all items from a list or only select the items you need by checking the appropriate boxes on the right side of the items. If you only require one item from the shopping list click Add to Cart to right of the item. 

For Non-Catalogue items, an Edit option is available if any of the details and/or pricing has changed before continuing Checkout.

Share Shopping Lists

When you would like to share a Shopping List click More Actions and select Share Shopping List. You can then select the Org Units you wish to share the list with and Click OK.

Copy to List

The Copy to List function allows you to add items from one shopping list to another. Just Select the items you wish to copy using the checkbox on the left. Once you have selected all the items from this list click More Actions and Select Copy to List.

Select if you want to add the items to a new shopping list or one that already exists and click OK.

Removing Items from a Shopping List

You can remove items from a Shopping List, by selecting the Shopping List you want to modify from the Lists selection, then once you have selected the Shopping List go to More Actions where you can select the Remove Selected Items action 

If you wish to remove multiple products, click the checkbox to the left of the items you want to remove.

Or you can remove individual items from a list by clicking the trash can icon to the right of the product.

If you wish to remove a shopping list completely click Delete Shopping List.

Once you have found the products and/or services you wish to purchase there are a few different ways to add them to your cart, depending on how each supplier has set them up.

Add Items to the Shopping Cart

• Locate the product you wish to purchase (Refer to Finding Products & Services for more information on how to search for suppliers' products).

1. Enter the desired quantity and click Add to Cart.

2. Some products will show View Options, which means you need to view the product and complete the additional fields that have been included for that product, e.g. size or color, then enter the desired quantity and click Add To Cart.

3. Catalog items with no specified price can also be loaded by suppliers and will display as Get Quote. This allows you to request an electronic quote from the supplier. 

4. If the supplier has a roundtrip index catalog, you may see a button that says Roundtrip next to the products shown inside the catalogue. Selecting this will redirect you to the supplier's eStore where you can continue your shopping.

To be able to place a non-catalog order, the Supplier will need to have their setting of Allowing Non-Catalog items enabled and your Community setting should match the supplier's setup of allowing Non-Catalog purchases. See Editing a Supplier regarding this setting. 

For Lite Suppliers, who don't have catalogs in Unimarket this is the only option.

How to Create a Manual/Non-Catalog Item

From the Create button in the top right of the Marketplace dashboard, a user with Buyer role can select Create Non-Catalog.

This can also be done when visiting a Supplier page where the same Create button can also be found, with the same option to create Non-Catalog item.

In the Create a Non-Catalog Item screen

• Enter the details of the product/service you wish to order from the supplier. The non-catalog item form has required fields for Item Name, Unit Price, Unit of Measure and sometimes Category depending on the configuration. For more information on how to use categories, see Unimarket Product Categorization (UNSPSC).
• The remaining fields like Description, Product Code (SKU) or Manufacturer Part ID are optional however, they are important details about the product that are used to ensure the correct product or service is ordered.

Once you have completed the non-catalog item form, click Add to Cart.

• If you want to add more items for the same supplier, repeat the steps above until you have specified all of your items.
• When you've added all the items you want on your order, click on the Shopping Cart to begin The Checkout Process.

If you need to change any information in a non-catalog product item, you can click the Edit button to the right of the product subtotal to edit the product information within the shopping cart. The supplier may also be edited by clicking Edit on the line item in Checkout.

If your community has the Edit Supplier on Non-Catalog Products feature enabled,  this will allow Approvers and Buyers to edit the supplier on a Non-Catalog item Requisition that is Pending Approval or Paused for review. To have this function enabled for your Community you will need to reach out to your Account Manager to discuss further.

To edit the supplier, press Actions and then Edit next to the line item:

Select the Supplier drop-down to change the supplier and press OK once completed.

For more information on how to pause or edit Requisitions please see our Pause Requisition and Edit Requisitions articles.

If the feature is enabled, users that require the ability to raise an Order for a Supplier but don't know the exact value up front can use price range Orders. This allows a user to specify a price range for a Non-Catalog item. The Estimated Maximum Unit Price is used for Approval. The Estimated Minimum Unit Price is sent to the Supplier.

Create Price Range Item

1. Select View Suppliers from the Marketplace menu
2. Use the Search Filters to find the supplier
3. Select Create a Non-Catalog Item 
4. Enter the Name of the product/service you wish to order from the Supplier and click Next
   
5. Select Use Estimated Price
   
   
6. Enter the lower price in the Estimated Minimum Unit Price field - this value is sent to the supplier.
7. Enter the higher price in the Estimated Maximum Unit Price field - this value is sent to the approver and displayed within the community. The graph symbol indicates there is a price range. 
   
8. Enter the remaining order information, such as product specifics. The non-catalog item form has required fields for Name, Unit Price, Unit of Measure and sometimes Category depending on the configuration. For more information on how to use categories, see Unimarket Product Categorization (UNSPSC).
9. The remaining fields like Description, Product Code (sku) or Manufacturer Part ID are optional however, they are important details about the product that are used to ensure the correct product or service is ordered.

You will see a confirmation message that the item has been added to your cart and you will be taken back to the beginning of the process. If you want to add more items for the same supplier, repeat the steps above until you have specified all of your items.

When you've added all the items you want on your order, click on the Shopping Cart to begin the Checkout Process.