Ten Account Questions that Stump Suppliers

Whether you've recently joined the Ariba® Supplier Network™ or used it for years, questions often arise about the best way to manage tasks, resolve problems, or make changes. Usually, just a few small steps can make a big difference in maximizing the value your Ariba Network account delivers. But how do you find the answers you need…when you need them? One great way is to take advantage of the handy online "Frequently Asked Questions" guide provided by Ariba Customer Support, which provides detailed responses to many queries. Or you may find the information you're looking for in the following list, which contains 10 of the most common supplier questions. Read on to find out!

1. Where can I update my company's contact information?
   If you're the account administrator, start by clicking "Manage Profile" from the upper-right corner of your Ariba Network account Home screen. From the Profile Configuration page, click "Edit Configuration" under "Basic Profile." On the "Company Info" tab, enter and update your company contact information, then click "Save."
   
   If you're a regular user, you'll need to contact your account administrator to update your company information. If you don't know who your account administrator is, contact Service clients Ariba to find out.


2. What permissions I can give my users when creating roles?
   You can define a wide array of specific permissions when creating users' account roles, ranging from giving them access to reports to viewing customer contracts to managing invoices. A complete listing of the almost 30 different permission settings is available ici.


3. How do I set my shared secret? Does this also set my test account's shared secret?
   To set your shared secret, choose the "Manage Profile" link in the upper-right corner of your Ariba Network account Home screen. From the Profile Configuration page, click the "Configure" button beneath the Electronic Order Routing profile. From there, choose the "Configure cXML Setup" link at the top of the screen. This setup page gives you the option to enter and confirm the shared secret. Next, click "OK," and from the Electronic Order Routing page click "Save."
   
   Note that setting the shared secret on your production account does not set your test account's shared secret. To do that, simply repeat the above steps within your test account, choosing a different shared secret.


4. Why are my payments going to a different address than the one listed in my Settlement profile?
   Some buyers on the Ariba Network don't use the settlement information listed in the profile for providing payment. Please contact your buyers directly to verify that they have updated the information within their internal accounting systems.


5. How do I update my company's DUNS number?
   The DUNS number is not editable within your Basic Profile. To update your company's DUNS number, please contact Ariba Customer Support.


6. Why is there no "Switch to Test" link in my account?
   There are two reasons why you may have no "Switch to Test" link within your Ariba Network account:
   
   
   1. If you don't have customer relationships established, your account does not have the ability to switch to test. After your company establishes a customer relationship, you will gain access to your test account.
   2. Only administrative accounts have access to the "Switch to Test" link, so user accounts don't see the option to access the test account. However, your account administrator can grant you a separate test user account that allows you to log in.


7. Can my Ariba Network account have more than one administrator?
   No, only one user can be named the administrator of an Ariba Network account.


8. What are my options for submitting invoices? How do I configure invoice submittal?
   As a supplier, you have three options to submit invoices through the Ariba Network:
   
   
   1. Online: Use the invoice creation tools through the Ariba Network website.
   2. cXML: Link your external system using commerce extensible markup language (cXML).
   3. EDI: Link your external system using electronic data interchange (EDI).
   
   To configure invoice submittal, click the "Manage Profile" link in the upper-right corner of the screen. From the Profile Configuration page, click the "Configure" button beneath "Electronic Order Routing." From the Profile page, you can choose and enter information for submittal via one of the above-listed methods. After you finish, click "Save."


9. Must I list my bank account information when providing a remittance address?
   No, you can add a remittance address without providing bank account information. Automated clearing house (ACH) and wire transfer information is optional and can be entered to provide direct deposit information for your buyer.


10. I am currently the account administrator, but I'm leaving my position/this company. How can I reassign the account to someone else?
    Log into your supplier account at http://supplier.ariba.com and update the following pages:
    
    
    1. Click the Administration Tab from the navigation bar on top of your screen, then select "Configuration."
    2. From the Profile Configuration page, click the "Configure" button under Basic Profile.
    3. Update this page with the new administrator information in the User Account Information section.
    4. Click the "Save" button in the upper or lower right-hand corner.