Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 Subject: ECC - New Ariba 12s1 Release
Dear Essex Supplier Portal User,
As may have been communicated to you by Ariba, there will be an update of the Ariba eSourcing platform scheduled for August 4th 2012. As a valued ECC partner we would like to issue a clarification of what this will mean for you, as Ariba users. This communication is being sent to all contacts of Suppliers and Service Providers who are registered on the ECC (Ariba) eSourcing Portal.
The main change is that, in addition to maintaining your ECC Profile, Ariba will require you to register profile information in, what is referred to by Ariba as, the “Commerce Cloud”. This will give you a means of identifying tender opportunities from organisations other than ECC, and should therefore be beneficial. As part of the new release Ariba has also established an “Account Administrator” role for Supplier and Service Provider organisations. This means that you will now be able to manage your own users/contacts, giving you more control over your organisational profile.
We would like to stress that there is no need for you to take any immediate action in respect of this release. When you first login to Ariba, following the release, you will be guided by the system to complete the required fields in the “Cloud Profile”. Following this there will be a link to a new ECC landing page where all your current and historic tenders will be available.
To help you further we would like to provide some answers, below to some questions you may have:
Q: Will my Existing Profile data remain? A: Yes. All ECC Supplier profile data will be retained, including ECC categories you are registered against.
Q: If I am currently participating in a tender will there be any impact? A: No. All open tenders will run as currently and will be visible on the ECC landing page.
Q: Will the web link to access the ECC eSourcing portal Change? A: No. The web link will still be: http://ecc.supplier.ariba.com
Q: Will I need to complete all fields in the Ariba Cloud profile? A: No. When you first login the system will guide you through completing the required fields. All other fields are optional.
Q: Will there be any change to how Tender opportunities are notified. A: No. tender opportunities will continue to be notified through the ECC web link: http://www.essex.gov.uk/Business-Partners/Supplying-Council/Pages/default.aspx
Q: Do I need to do anything immediately? A: No. There is no immediate action to take. When you do first login, however, following the 12s1 release you will see the changes that have been made and will be guided through completing the required information
Further details of the change can be found in the attached Appendix Document which contains links, also, to different sources of information from Ariba.
If you need help with any of the process please contact, as for all support enquiries, the Ariba Help Desk on 0800 358 3556.
Ariba 12s1 Release Appendix 1 New Ariba 12s1 Release – Appendix to ECC Communication 23 July 2012
As well as the eSourcing tools used by ECC, Ariba has several other tools that, prior to the 12s1 release, have required Suppliers and Service Providers to have separate profiles and logins. The 12s1 release creates a unified access to all areas of Ariba technology and thus simplifies use of Ariba for Suppliers and Service Providers that have multiple access points and/or accounts with Ariba.
As part of the new release ALL Suppliers and Service Providers will be requested to complete a Profile on what Ariba refers to as the “Commerce Cloud”. This will give an opportunity to identify tender opportunities from organisations other than ECC. As a Supplier and/or Service Provider to ECC you will also need to maintain your ECC Supplier profile data. Please note that all ECC supplier profile data for existing Suppliers and/or Service Providers will be retained. You will NOT need to re-provide this data.
As part of the new release Ariba has established an “Account Administrator” role for Supplier and Service Provider organisations. This means that you will now be able to manage your own users/contacts. More information is given below, but PLEASE NOTE that only the “Account Administrator” will be able to update profile information. In the upgrade to 12s1 the first contact from an organisation transferred will, by default, become the Account Administrator. This can easily be changed, as indicated below.
What to Expect
1. Upgrade to the Ariba Commerce Cloud Upon logging into Ariba you will be required to upgrade your user account to the Ariba Commerce Cloud. The system will guide you through this process. Please note, if you already have an Ariba Commerce Cloud or Ariba Network account established, you will be guided through a process to enter your existing User ID and Password. Ariba will use your email address to determine if you have an existing account. If you do not have an existing Ariba Commerce Cloud or Ariba Network account, the system will guide you through a 2-step process to establish an account:
Step 1 – Welcome Information
Ariba 12s1 Release Appendix 2 Step 2 – Enter Registration Information
2. Terms of Use All users will be required to accept the updated Ariba Terms as part of the registration process. A copy of the Ariba Terms along with a summary of the changes is available on the Ariba 12s1 Seller Portal.
3. ECC Tenders Upon completing the registration process you will able to access all your current active ECC tenders as well as the ECC tenders you have participated in the past. Participation in ECC tenders will not be impacted by this release.
4. Ariba Commerce Cloud Account Administration A new user role for sellers, Account Administrator, has been established as part of this release. The first user from your company to upgrade to the Ariba Commerce Cloud will be assigned this role by default and will be notified via system-generated email. As the Account Administrator, this user will be able to create new users for your organisation and complete / update your company profile. This user can also transfer the Administrator role to another user within your organisation at any time.
Sample Account Administrator Notification:
Ariba 12s1 Release Appendix 3 5. Ariba Commerce Cloud Profile Your organisation will now have a single account profile that is shared across all Ariba solutions and is visible to ECC and other buying organisations that utilize Ariba solutions. The Administrator for your account can maintain / update your cloud profile. It is import that your organisation provides complete, timely and accurate information and updates to your cloud profile.
To help you learn more about the exciting features planned for this release, please visit the Ariba 12s1 Seller Portal. Included in this portal is valuable information to help your organisation prepare for the release including:
Instructional Videos Frequently Asked Questions Release Guides Summary of the Changes to the Ariba Terms
The eSourcing lead for your company is strongly encouraged to review all information contained in the portal; other users who may participate in sales / proposal development / sourcing activities are also encouraged to visit the portal. Ariba will continue to update this portal with information leading up to the general availability of this release.
*This information reflects the status of Ariba's planning as of July 2012, and the features and release schedule discussed are subject to change at any time without notice. Ariba assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions and nothing in this notice should be construed to represent
Ariba 12s1 Release Appendix 4 any commitment by Ariba to include any specific new features in any version of the Ariba solutions.
Ariba 12s1 Release Appendix 5