Catalog Mgmt

[Former Member]

Have a few conceptual doubts in Catalogs Management.Please share your views:

1.]Is OCI some standard that both EBP as well as the vendor uploading the catalog has to follow??I understand that it describes the data exchange between EBP and external catalog application but does every company have its own OCI standards?Who decides the fields and how is it communicated to the vendor? Any clear explanation on how the flow works?

2.]Should all the products that show up in the catalogs be in the EBP product master as well??

3.]One of the sources to shop from(other than catalogs,description and old PO template) is the 'internal goods/services from EBP product master.Are the products in this source not catalogued?

4.]From SRM Doc:"In order for Requisite BugsEye to send items from its shopping cart to the external system via a URL, it needs an interface to define the parameters between BugsEye's common attributes and the equivalent external attributes. The Catalog Connector creates the mapping between the two sets of attributes, defining the interface between the two systems."-I cannot make any sense of it.What URL?Can anyone please explain in a simpler way.

Would appreciate any input from you all.

Thanks much!

Priya

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Priya,

1 - OCI is not maint for catalog uploading, but for transactional exchanges between SRM Server (EBP) and external Catalogs. Each catalog internal and/or external can have a different schema (categories and attributes). This standard (list of HTML form fields) is designed by SAP and incorporated in the SRM Server standard.

2 - In SRM you can create description Items (as in R/3) with description and product categoruy instead of material master

3 - In SRM you can create items from catalogs, SC templates, or manually, either through local material master or through description and product category. Each SC line can be of type Goods or Servicer. If you want to use services in SRM with R/3 document creation, you ned the services to be customized in R/3 MM.

4 - It defines the OCI exchanges between the catalog (Requisite, CCM, Supplier application or Punch Out, ...) and the SRM application.

Data from the catalog item (attributes) are mapped to OCI fields, and sent to SRM through an HTML form.

Regards.

Vadim

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Vadim,

Thanks for the explanation.I have understood the OCI fundamentals but a couple of related questions remain:

1.]Where can i check the list OCI parameters/procedure to set OCI parameters between EBP and Bugs Eye?

2.]Is it necessary to have a product(e.g A4 size paper) master record(in SRM server)in order to have the product displayed(for shopping) in the catalog?i.e for all products/services displayed in the catalog,should there be a record in the product/service master of EBP??

3.]In CCM,we have the CAT(to manage catalogs similar to e-merge of requisite)...and we publish the catalogs to CSE to enable users to start shopping.In (Requisite's) E-Merge,we create categories,attributes,upload products in them--<i>but how do we export them to Bugs Eye search engine?</i>

4.]Do we replicate the product/service master(database)of EBP to Requisite??If yes,<b>why</b>??

[Similarly,do we have to replicate the EBP product/service master(database) to CCM?Why?]

5.]What is the TREX server(CCM) for?

Would really appreciate your input--i am stuck with these basic doubts.

Thanks so much!

Priya

Message was edited by: Priya Dixit

Message was edited by: Priya Dixit

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Priya,

1- This is to be done in the CCM, in the characteristic definition. SAP provides in standard the OCI mapping for CCM default characteristics

2- No you can define in the catalog description items (description + product category), and you can also check the "do not check product" flag in the catalog link definition in SRM, with this flag if you have a product number in the catalog mapped in the OCI, the SRM keeps the product code, but does not check the product in SRM, it only send it to the backend depending on the scenario in PR, PO or Reservation.

3- You cannot "send" the content between CCM and requisite (files format have to be re-worked). If you question is how to get the content from CAT to CSE, this is done through the CCM publication process.

4- About the product master rfeplication in the catalog, there was no standard tool with Requisite, but some projects choosed to develop their own tool for that (it was part of their solution design).

In CCM there is a standard report that allows you to create a product catalog (and also a Contract catalog). The idea is to enrich supplier catalogs directly with SRM products and/or contracts.

5- TREX is the search engine. It s mandatory for catalog publication and CSE use. This engine is used by SAP in its other products (SAP service portal, KM, ...).

Regards.

Vadim

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Vadim...thanks a million for the information.I have awarded you points.

Just some clarification:

<b>You wrote</b> <i>"No you can define in the catalog description items (description + product category), and you can also check the "do not check product" flag in the catalog link definition in SRM, with this flag if you have a product number in the catalog mapped in the OCI, the SRM keeps the product code, but does not check the product in SRM."</i>

<b>My Q</b>:-We are talking of a completely new product offered by the supplier(who also offers other products with records in EBP),which has no record in the EBP master(database).Correct?

When you say Desc.+product category--what will be the product category,if the product is completely new??What about the price negotiation with the vendor?I thought only products which have been negotiated and finalized between the company and supplier will be uploaded in the catalogs.

ALSO

<b>You wrote:</b>:You cannot "send" the content between CCM and requisite (files format have to be re-worked.

<b>My Q</b>:-Speaking of Requisite's E-Merge(catalog content manager) and Bugs eye(search engine for users to shop).Both should preferably exist on different servers(SRM210 document).How ,after enriching and creating the catalogs in E-Merge,users will shop in Bugs Eye,if we do not transfer/publish them?Its possible in SAP's CCM--but i was referring to the Requisite's CCM.

Please throw some light,if you can.And sorry for being a bother on this issue.

Have a great day(still day time in Paris,i am guessing:))

Priya

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Priya,

<u>First Question.</u>

To use catalog line without a material master in SRM, you have two possibilities:

1- You create in the catalog a line with no Material number (NEW_ITEM-MATNR in the OCI), but with a description (NEW_ITEM-DESCRIPTION) and a material group (NEW_ITEM-MATGRP). This item will create a SC item and will be transfered to R/3 as a description item (no material number)

2- You create lines in the catalog but you don't have the use of a material number in SRM. Then you can check in the catalog link customizing the 'Do not Check product' flag. Then the Material number is stored in SRM, and transfered in R/3, but no local material master check is done in SRM.

Here we are talking of the customer material reference, with logistic managment, not the supplier material number or contract number that validates the commercial agreement with the supplier.

<u>Second Question</u>

In fact Emerge "contains" Bugs Eye, and the "publication" from a server to another is only a "manual" process process (Emerge could be used as the catalog search engine).

In CCM the CAT and CSE are separated data and services. You must publish the content in the CSE, or the CSE services (transactions) will not get any data.

You have several options for CCM installation (CAT & CSE can be installed separately): My advice is to install the CCM on the same client of the SRM. It simplifies the master data management (vendors, units, ...) and the process (XI not requested).

Regards.

Vadim

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

am kiran

we r implementing IS- U with CRM4.0 webclient.

in this we want to configure FAQ's in the system , using TREX server,

now we need to config catalog , catalog catagories, codegroups ,codes,

problem type, problem subtype,solution type , solution subtype,

where we need to confugurre this ,

SAP suggesting that we need not create new catalog so what is the solution.