Using the Buyer Center

This chapter provides an overview of the Buyer Center, lists common elements, and discusses how to:

Click to jump to parent topicUnderstanding the Buyer Center

The Buyer Center is a PeopleSoft eProcurement page that is designed for organization buyers. The Buyer Center page provides numerous links to PeopleSoft Purchasing and enables you to:

The Buyer Center enables buyers to turn requisitions into purchase orders and dispatch them. This diagram illustrates the process flow from a requisition to a purchase order:

Requisition to PO process flow

See Also

Creating Requisitions

Approving Requisitions

Dispatching Purchase Orders in PeopleSoft eProcurement

Click to jump to parent topicCommon Elements Used in This Chapter

Search

Click to initiate a search for the purchase orders or requisitions that meet the criteria. A purchase order must match all of the search criteria that you enter. If you cannot find the purchase order that you want, remove some of the search criteria to broaden the search, and try again.

Business Unit

Displays the purchasing business unit.

Attachments

Click to display any files that are attached to this transaction.

P-card (procurement card)

Displays if a purchase order uses a procurement card to purchase items from the vendor.

Click to jump to parent topicUsing the SRM Dashboard

The SRM Dashboard is a centralized portal page with multiple pagelets that provide buyers with essential information to assist them with their daily jobs in one location. These buyer-facing pagelets are delivered with the SRM Dashboard and can be accessed if PeopleSoft Purchasing or PeopleSoft eProcurement are installed.

You may add any the delivered pagelets to the SRM Dashboard page.

The information that appears on each pagelet is by buyer or buyer manager. When a buyer logs into the system, the first page that appears is their home page with their selected pagelets. The information that appears on each pagelet is only those POs or requisitions on which they are specified as the buyer. If a buyer is responsible for multiple purchasing business units, the POs and requisitions for all purchasing business units will appear.

See Also

Using the Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) Dashboard

Setting Up and Maintaining Users

Using PeopleSoft eSupplier Connection Pagelets

Click to jump to parent topicManaging Purchase Orders

This section discusses how to manage purchase orders.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Manage Purchase Orders

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Manage Purchase Orders

PV_PO_LIST

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Manage Purchase Orders

Manage POs by adding a new PO, changing an existing PO, or creating a change order.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicManaging Purchase Orders

Access the Manage Purchase Orders page.

Use the top section of this page to search for existing POs.

Vendor ID

Enter a Vendor ID to limit the list of purchase orders to a specific vendor.

PO ID(purchase order ID)

To further narrow the list of POs, enter the ID to display a specific PO.

Buyer

Enter the name of the buyer on the PO. You can select only buyers that are authorized for the user ID on the User Preferences page.

Date From and Date To

This is a range of dates from which the system will limit the view of POs within the list of POs.

Filter By

Select the method by which you want to filter POs that appear in the list. You can filter by: All, Approved, Dispatched, Open, or Pending.

Add New PO (add new purchase order)

Click to access the Maintain Purchase Order page, where you can create a new PO.

List of Purchase Orders

PO ID(purchase order ID)

Click to access the Maintain Purchase Order page, where you can review and maintain header and line-level details for a PO.

Vendor

Displays the Vendor ID used on this PO. This is the supplier to whom the PO is sent.

See Also

Defining User Preferences

Setting Up Installation Options

Setting Up Attachments for Transactions

Click to jump to parent topicExpediting Requisitions

This section discusses how to:

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Expedite Requisitions

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Expedite Requisitions

PV_PO_REQ_SOURCE

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Expedite Requisitions

Review requisitions created by employees.

Staged Purchase Order

PV_PO_REQ_CREATE

Click the Preview button on the Expedite Requisitions page.

Review and change the staged PO.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicReviewing Requisitions Created by Employees

Access the Expedite Requisitions page.

Use this page to define requisition search criteria and to display requisitions. After completing the search criteria, click the Search button to display any requisitions that meet the criteria. Click the Clear button to clear the page of requisitions and enter new search criteria. The requisition must meet the following conditions before it can be selected:

After requisitions appear, you can change or add a vendor or create a PO.

Include Lines with No Vendor

Selecting this check box will enable the system to display lines that do not have a vendor associated with them. These lines can then be manually updated to include a vendor for sourcing.

Default Buyer ID

Select the name of the buyer to use on the PO. This value only applies if another buyer is not found on the staging table or default hierarchy, or if requisitions are consolidated by buyer. These buyers are listed on the User Preferences page.

Build POs as Approved (build purchase orders as approved)

Select to have purchase orders created with an Approved status when you run the Create Purchase Orders process. If selected, the process examines auto approval criteria set at the business unit level. If the auto approval criteria is met, the status is set to Approved. If the auto approval criteria is not met, the status is set to Pending approval, and the purchase order enters the approval process. If you do not select this check box, the purchase order is created with a status of Open.

Submit

Click to create the purchase order for the requisition lines that you have selected using the Include button, which is located at the bottom portion of this page. The Submit feature stages the items and launches the PO Calculations process (PO_POCALC) and Create Purchase Order process (PO_CREATE). You must assign a vendor to the requisition line before the system can create a purchase order.

Preview

Click to display a preview of the purchase order before it is actually staged. You must select the requisition, click the Includebutton in the lower portion of this page, before you can preview.

Requisition Schedule Lines

Include

Select to include an individual requisition in the planned purchase order. When you initially select a requisition for inclusion in the purchase order, the system activates the Submit and Preview buttons. Clear the check box to remove the requisition from the planned purchase order later.

Include All

Select to include all requisitions in the planned purchase order. The requisitions must first have valid vendors assigned to them.

Exclude All

Select to remove all requisitions from the planned purchase order.

Select All/Deselect All

Select this check box to use the vendor that appears in the bottom field of the Vendor column as the vendor for this requisition when you submit the purchase order.

Vendor Name

Enter the vendor ID of the vendor that you want assigned to each requisition. You can assign vendors by either selecting a vendor in individual fields or click the Select check box and the Apply vendor to selected lines button to assign a single vendor to multiple lines. You define that vendor using the bottom field in the Vendor column.

Amount Only

Displays if the line is an amount-only line. .

Apply Vendor to Selected Lines

Click to apply the vendor ID that appears in the Vendor field at the left of this button to the requisition lines that have been selected using the Selectcheck box.

PO Qty (purchase order quantity)

The quantity that is ordered from the vendor. This value is from the Requisition Quantity field, but you can change the quantity before you create the purchase order.

Suggest Vendor

Click to access the Suggested Vendor page, where you can review the vendor that the requester suggested.

See Also

Setting Up Installation Options

Setting Up Attachments for Transactions

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicReviewing and Changing Staged Purchase Order Details

Access the Staged Purchase Orders page.

Distribute by

To split this shipment schedule line into multiple distribution lines, select Quantity or Amount as the method of splitting.

Distribution Detail

PO Qty (purchase order quantity)

The quantity of the distribution line.

Amount

The extended price of the distribution line (unit price × quantity).

Percent

The percentage of quantity or amount on this distribution line.

Location

The internal shipping location.

See Also

Defining and Using ChartFields

Click to jump to parent topicUsing the Quick Sourcer

This section provides an overview of the Quick Sourcer and discusses how to:

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicUnderstanding the Quick Sourcer

The Quick Sourcer process creates orders from requisitions by creating a material stock request in an organization's inventory stock or creating a purchase order to send to the vendor.

The Quick Sourcer process combines these PeopleSoft Purchasing processes:

AutoSelect Requisitions process (PO_REQSORC)

Applies the priority one vendor to each requisition line.

Build Inventory Demand process (PO_REQINVS)

Checks the organization's inventory stock to see whether the order can be filled internally. This process applies only if PeopleSoft Inventory is installed. If stock is found, the system creates a material stock request in PeopleSoft Inventory, and the requisition is identified as complete. The material stock request ships the required stock to the requester.

PO Calculations process (PO_POCALC)

Verifies that the requisition has been completely filled from inventory stock. If it has not, the process passes the remaining quantity that is needed to the Create Purchase Order process.

Create Purchase Order process (PO_CREATE)

Creates a purchase order for requisition quantities that were not filled by the Build Inventory process. You can set up the system, so that if there is not enough inventory stock, a material stock request is issued for part of the order, and a purchase order is created for the remaining quantity.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used for the Quick Sourcer

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Selection Criteria

PV_RUN_REQSORC_1

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Quick Source Requisitions, Selection Criteria

Enter parameters for the AutoSelect Requisitions process.

Sourcing Options

PV_RUN_REQSORC_2

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Quick Source Requisitions

Click the Sourcing Options tab.

Enter parameters for the PO Calculations process and the Create PO process.

Run Results

RUN_PO_AUTOSRC_LOG

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Quick Source Requisitions

Click the Run Results tab.

You may check the results by navigating to the Run Results tab or by using the Process Monitor.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicEntering Parameters for the AutoSelect Requisitions Process

Access the Selection Criteria page.

Request Type

Select the type of requisition. Values are:

Inventory Demand: Processes only the requisition lines for which the Inventory Source check box is selected.

Note. You can select the Inventory Source check box on the Items Definition page.

Purchase Orders: Processes only the requisition lines for which the Inventory Source check box is not selected.

Both Inventory Demand and PO's: Processes both types of requisitions.

Item ID Required

Select to process the requisitions that have a valid item ID that is set for AutoSelect. Define an item for AutoSelect on the Purchasing Attributes - Purchasing Controls page. If this check box is cleared, the Quick Sourcer processes special requests. If the special request does not include a vendor ID, then the requisition line appears with an error status in the purchase order staging tables. If this check box is selected, then all special requests are processed manually using the Requisition Expediter page.

From Business Unit

If you are opting to source by a range of business units, you can elect to put a starting value in the From Business Unit field and an ending value in the To Business Unit field.

From Requisition ID

If you are opting to source by a range of requisitions, you can elect to put a starting value in the From Requisition IDfield and an ending value in the To Requisition ID field.

Requester

Specify the requester for whom you want to source requisitions.

Buyer

Select a specific buyer for whom to source requisitions to create purchase orders.

Vendor Set ID

Specify the specific vendor set ID for the system to narrow its search.

Vendor ID

Specify the specific vendor ID for the system to narrow its search.

Contract Set ID

If you are sourcing requisitions associated to contracts, you can specify the specific contract set ID for the system to narrow its search.

Contract ID

If you are sourcing requisitions associated to contracts, you can specify the specific contract ID for the system to narrow its search.

Category Set ID

Specify the specific category set ID for the system to narrow its search.

Category

Specify the specific category for the system to narrow its search.

Work Order ID

Select a work order that is associated with sourcing the requisition.

Origin

Select the origin for the purchase order. Origin codes are established on the Origin Codes page and help identify the origins of transactions.

Date Selection

Option

Specify date selection criteria to select the requisition lines with source dates that are within the specified date criteria, as related to the current system date. Values are:

No Selection by Date.

Current Date.

Current Date Minus Days.

Current Date Plus Days.

Specified Date.

Operand

Restricts the range to before, equal to, or after the date in the Date field. For example, to select requisitions for sourcing that have source dates for the next three days, select P in the Option field, <= in the Operand field, and 3 in the Nbr Days (number of days) field.

Nbr Days (number of days)

The number of days for the before, equal to, and after selection in the Operand field.

Date

Specify the date to use in the date selection criteria. This field is required when you select S in the Option field.

See Also

PeopleSoft Enterprise Managing Items 9.0 PeopleBook

Running the AutoSelect Requisitions Process

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicEntering Parameters for the PO Calculations and the Create Purchase Order Processes

Access the Sourcing Options page.

Buyer

Select the buyer to use on the purchase order header in case the PO Calculations process cannot determine the buyer. The buyer name is carried at the line level on the requisition, so a requisition can have multiple buyers.

When the PO Calculations process creates the purchase order header, it must assign a buyer name. If all the staged lines that belong on one purchase order have the same buyer name, the PO Calculations process uses that name on the header. However, if the staged lines that belong on the purchase order have different buyer names, and the process that created the staged entry did not specify a name, the name that you enter here is used on the purchase order header.

Consolidation Method

Determines whether purchase orders are consolidated by business unit, vendor, and buyer, or by business unit and vendor only. The consolidation method applies only to staged rows that are identified for consolidation.

For example, suppose that you choose to consolidate by business unit and vendor only, then all the rows that belong to the same vendor in each business unit are grouped into one purchase order, even if they have different buyers. Alternately, if you add a buyer to the criteria, purchase orders are built in the same manner. However, they are split between buyers, so that each buyer has a separate purchase order with this configuration.

Lead Time Factor %, Ship to Priority Factor %, Price Factor %, and Vendor Priority Factor % (percentage)

These fields are used for flexible sourcing. To override the category and item settings, enter the percentage weight that you want the PO Calculations process to give the factor when the application process evaluates vendors for flexible sourcing. The sum of these factors must be 100 percent.

Origin

Enter an origin to be used on the purchase order.

Purchase Order Date

Enter a date for the purchase order, if a date has not been assigned. If you leave this field blank, the PO Calculations process uses the current system date.

Purchase Order Reference

Enter a purchase order reference for the purchase orders. This is a free-form field.

Pre-Approve Vendor

Select to approve the vendor automatically that the PO Calculations process selects. This option enables you to run the PO Calculations process and the Create Purchase Order process as a unit, without having to approve the vendors.

Build POs as Approved

Select so that the purchase orders that are created when you run the Create Purchase Order process have an Approved status. If you select this option, the process examines auto-approval criteria set at the business unit level.

Expedite Staged POs

Select to source all requisitions that are located in the staging table.

Calculate PO Line Numbers

Select to ignore staged entry line numbers when the Create Purchase Order process creates new purchase orders and assigns sequential line numbers, beginning with 1. If you do not select this option, the performance is faster, but you might have purchase orders with nonsequential line numbers that do not begin with 1.

Hold from Further Processing

Select to place the resultant purchase orders on hold and prevent further processing.

Allow Dispatch When Appr (approved)

Select to make the resultant purchase orders eligible for dispatch.

Note. Users can view the results either by navigating to the Run Results page or by using the Process Monitor PeopleTools, Process Schedule, Process Monitor.

See Also

Using Purchase Order Sourcing

Click to jump to parent topicDispatching Purchase Orders

This section discusses how to dispatch purchase orders.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Dispatch Purchase Orders

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Dispatch Purchase Orders

PV_PO_MAIN2

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Dispatch Purchase Orders

Select from a range of tasks for sending purchase orders to suppliers.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDispatching Purchase Orders

Access the Dispatch Purchase Orders page.

Using the Dispatch Purchase Orders page, you can select from a range of tasks for sending purchase orders to suppliers. Tasks include:

See Also

Dispatching Purchase Orders in PeopleSoft eProcurement

Click to jump to parent topicApproving Change Requests

This section discusses how to approve change requests in the Buyer Center.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Approve Change Requests

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Change Requests Pending Approval

PV_CHNG_APPR_LIST

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Approve Change Requests

Click the Process Change Order link to process the change order.

View change requests pending approval.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicApproving Change Requests in the Buyer Center

Access the Change Requests Pending Approval page.

To send a change request to the vendor, a buyer must convert the request to a change order. A change order is a duplicate of the original purchase order sent to the vendor but with the changes that you are requesting. All approved change requests must use the Change Purchase Order process to convert them to change orders. Click the Process Change Order link to process the change order.

Use the Change Order Message Log page to verify that the change order was successfully created.

See Also

Approving Change Requests

Click to jump to parent topicRunning Procurement Processes

This section discusses how to run the procurement processes.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Run Procurement Processes

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Procurement Processes

PV_PO_MAIN3

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Procurement Processes

Perform buyer tasks relating to Purchase Orders.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicRunning the Procurement Processes

Access the Procurement Processes page.

Using the Procurement Processes link in the Buyer Center, you can perform buyer tasks relating to purchase orders. To access the Procurement Processes page, select eProcurement, Buyer Center, Procurement Processes. Tasks include:

See Also

Understanding Purchase Orders

Click to jump to parent topicAccessing Vendor Tables, Item Tables, and Return to Vendor

This section lists the pages used to access vendor tables, item tables, and returns to vendors.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPages Used to Access Vendor Tables, Item Tables, and Returns to Vendors

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Vendors

none

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Vendors

Access vendor tables.

See Maintaining Vendor Information.

Maintain Items

PV_ADM_DEFINE_ITEM

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Maintain Items

Access PeopleSoft item tables.

See PeopleSoft Enterprise Managing Items 9.0 PeopleBook.

Return to Vendors

none

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Return to Vendors

Access the return to vendor pages.

See Returning Items to Vendors.

Click to jump to parent topicAccessing Inquiries and Reports

This section discuses how to access inquiry pages and reports.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Access Inquiries and Reports

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Inquiries and Reports

PV_RPT_MAIN

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Inquiries and Reports

Access inquiry pages and reports for requisitions, purchase orders, and items.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicAccessing Inquiry Pages and Reports

Access the Inquiries and Reports page.

See Also

PeopleSoft eProcurement Reports

Click to jump to parent topicGenerating and Viewing PeopleSoft eProcurement Information

This section discusses how to generate and view PeopleSoft eProcurement information.

In addition to the standard reports and inquiries that PeopleSoft applications provide, PeopleSoft eProcurement provides transactional analysis graphs. These bar graphs enable you to view information about PeopleSoft eProcurement requisition and purchase order transactions. Four graphs are delivered with PeopleSoft eProcurement:

PO Status Analysis

Provides information about the current state of purchase orders by displaying the number of purchase orders in each purchase order status.

PO Value Analysis

Provides information about the total purchase order costs by item category or ship-to location.

Requisition Status Analysis

Provides information about the current state of the requisitions by displaying the number of requisitions in each requisition status.

Vendor Analysis by Categories

Provides information about total quantities and amounts received from vendors.

PO Status Analysis Graph

This graph displays the number of purchase orders that are currently in each purchase order status. Each column represents a different purchase order status; the height of the bar indicates the number of purchase orders within that status. The number of purchase orders in the largest column is noted at the top of the graph. The legend provides the total number of purchase orders by status. The graph displays information for only one PeopleSoft Purchasing business unit at a time. Within the business unit, you can further limit the purchase orders that appear to one vendor, one buyer, and for a specific date range.

PO Status Analysis graph

PO Value Analysis Graph

This graph displays the total monetary amount of the purchase orders. This information can be processed by item category (using the purchase order line level) or by ship to location (using the purchase order distribution line level). The method is noted at the top of the graph, along with the total purchase order monetary value in the largest column. Each column represents a different item category or ship to location; the height of the bar indicates the total monetary value of the purchase orders in that category or location. If you sort the information by item category, then a note appears below the graph with the item category descriptions. The Legend provides the total monetary value of all purchase orders by item category or ship to location. The graph displays information for only one PeopleSoft Purchasing business unit at a time. Within the business unit, you can further limit the purchase orders that appear to one vendor, one buyer, and a specific date range.

PO Value Analysis graph

Requisition Status Analysis Graph

This graph displays the number of requisitions that are currently in each requisition status. Each column represents a different requisition status; the height of the bar indicates the number of requisitions within that status. The number of requisitions in the largest column is noted at the top of the graph. The legend provides the total number of requisitions by status. The graph displays information for only one PeopleSoft Purchasing business unit at a time. Within the business unit, you can further limit the requisitions that appear to one requester and for a specific date range.

Requisition Status Analysis graph

Vendor Analysis by Categories Graph

You can view the quantity or amount of goods that a vendor supplies to a business unit for a specific category using the Vendor Analysis by Categories graph. The system totals the monetary value to arrive at an amount value from each vendor or it totals the number of units to arrive at a quantity from each vendor.

 

Vendor Analysis by Categories graph

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicPage Used to Generate and View PeopleSoft eProcurement Information

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Procurement Analysis

PV_GRAPH_MAIN

eProcurement, Buyer Center, Analyze Procurement Data

Generate and view PeopleSoft eProcurement information in transactional analysis graphs using requisition and purchase order information.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicGenerating and Viewing PeopleSoft eProcurement Information

Access the Procurement Analysis page.

Select Graph

Select one of the four delivered graphs.

Business Unit

The PeopleSoft Purchasing business unit containing the requisitions or purchase orders that are used to build the graph. The system uses the business unit that is specified on the User Preferences - Overall Preferences page as the default.

Vendor ID

Select a vendor ID to restrict the graph information to one vendor. This field does not appear if you selected the Req. Status Analysis graph option.

Buyer Name

Select a buyer name to restrict the graph information to one buyer. The buyers are those that are authorized for the user ID on the User Preferences - Procurement Page: Purchase Order Authorizations page. This field does not appear if you selected the Req. Status Analysis option.

By Amt/Qty (by amount or quantity)

Determine if you want the graph to sort by amount or quantity.

Analysis By

Select how you wish to sort the analysis.

  • Department ID

  • Item Category

  • Location

  • Ship To

Graph Type

Select the type of graph used to display the results.

Graph

Click to generate the transactional analysis graph.

Reset

Click to delete the entries on this page. Then you can enter new criteria for generating the next graph.

See Also

Defining User Preferences for PeopleSoft eProcurement