What is a UNSPSC Code – How to classify your items for all e-Procurement platforms
The UNSPSC (United Nations Standardized Products and Services Code) was developed by the United Nations to classify products and services. Many e-Procurement systems use the UNSPSC to classify goods and services. If you are familiar with NIGP codes, please note that...
cXML Order Confirmation Messages
For the customer that fully embraces e-Procurement, cXML and order automation the next natural step in the world of Punchout Catalogs is the cXML Order Confirmation Messages. When a Purchase Order is transmitted to your order processing system the purchase is received...
cXML Pricing and Availability Request
When an item is listed in a Punchout Catalog it is assumed to be in stock and ready to be delivered. But some customers want to know real-time stock information for individual items. In this case you need to setup cXML pricing and availability requests. A pricing and...
Advanced Ship Notice – Keep your Punchout Catalog Customers in the know
If you've been following our series on the steps of a Punchout Catalog you've already read about the Punchout Setup Request, Punchout Edit and Inspect and Punchout Catalog Automation via cXML Purchase Orders. Once you receive an electronic Purchase Order the...
Automation with cXML Purchase Orders
Punchout Catalogs are a great tool for institutional buyers for ease of use in shopping, but how do you achieve full order automation when a Punchout Catalog simply allows shopping, but not payment? The answer is electronic purchase orders. After a user creates a...
Allowing Edit and Inspect on your Punchout Shopping Cart
Your customer has successfully added items to the Punchout shopping cart and returned it to the e-Procurement system. What happens when the user needs to change their requisition? The way to handle a change is via the Punchout Edit operation. The Punchout Edit...
The first step to a successful Punchout Catalog – The cXML Setup Request
The first step to a successful Punchout Catalog is the cXML Setup Request. The cXML Setup Request establishes the Punchout session and essentially logs the user into the Punchout Catalog. A request (see below) is sent by the eProcurement system to the Punchout Catalog...
Develop a Punchout Catalog in-house or outsource it?
Your organization has made the decision that you need a Punchout Catalog for your institutional buyers, but now how do you implement the Punchout Catalog? The first option is to develop the system in house with your own IT resources. You already have an existing...
How quickly can you setup a Punchout Catalog?
Another frequently asked question we get is "How fast can you setup a Punchout Catalog? My customer wants me setup within 30 days!"‚ The answer to this is, how fast do you need it?‚ In some cases we have setup a Punchout Catalog in one day. Ideally we like to...
A Punchout Catalog for one customer?
We are often asked if it's worthwhile to create a Punchout Catalog for just one customer, or if you should wait until you have a few customers asking for a Punchout Catalog. A Punchout Catalog is an investment in time, money and resources on your team so this should...