Punchout catalog: easy integration with your customers' procurement systems

A punchout catalog is a digital product database that is accessed directly from

• an e-procurement system (e.g., SAP Ariba, Coupa, or Jaggaer)
• or an ERP or merchandise management system (e.g., SAP, MS Dynamics, Navision, ABAS, Infor)
  

of a customer.

The buyer “jumps” via a secure interface (e.g., OCI or cXML) directly into the supplier’s online store – with all relevant data such as prices, product ranges, and user rights. After selection, the shopping cart is automatically transferred back to the ERP or procurement system – without any disruption in the workflow. Depending on the interface, this is specifically either an OCI PunchOut or a cXML PunchOut.

Difference from static catalogs:

• Static catalogs: must be updated manually on a regular basis
• PunchOut catalogs: always provide up-to-date data in real time, directly from the supplier’s online store

Other terms:

• PunchOut Catalog
• OCI Catalog
• cXML Catalog
• Catalog Integration via E-Procurement
  

Today, PunchOut catalogs are an integral part of modern B2B procurement processes – especially for large customers who require standardized, automated, and transparent purchasing processes.

The punchout process is surprisingly simple for the buyer:

1. Start in the buyer’s system The buyer opens their usual e-procurement system (procurement platform, ERP, inventory management system).
2. Direct access to the supplier’s catalog Via a secure interface (“punchout”), the buyer is directed directly to the supplier’s punchout catalog. Thanks to the secure connection, the buyer does not need to log in again there.
3. Select products: The buyer sees their individual prices, product ranges, and availability, as agreed with the supplier.
4. Order list back to the ERP With a single click, the selected products are transferred back to the procurement system. The normal approval and ordering process then takes place there.

Result: Simplified purchasing based on agreed-upon terms. At the same time, all purchasing guidelines and workflows in the ERP system remain in place.

A medium-sized industrial supplier faces a challenge: major customers are demanding direct integration with their e-procurement systems (e.g., SAP Ariba). Traditional methods such as email orders or PDF catalogs are no longer accepted.

• A 32% increase in the share of wallet among key customers, as the supplier is directly visible and accessible on the platform.
• 70% fewer inquiries to internal staff, as prices, availability, and product ranges are available in real time.
• 50% fewer manual quotation processes, as buyers retrieve their information directly from the catalog.
• Order process completedup to 60% faster
• Compliance ensured: The customer’s purchasing guidelines and approval workflows remain fully intact.
• Strengthen customer loyalty: Those whooffer punchout become “preferred suppliers.”
• Secure & grow revenue: Without Punchout, you risk being excluded from procurement platforms.

Many companies shy away from punchout projects because they expect them to involve complex IT projects and high integration costs. With avanta, it’s different:

OCI & cXML – the standards are here

avanta supports the common standards OCI and cXML, which are used by procurement platforms and ERP systems.

Simple setup with no project effort

What makes it special: avanta provides all necessary parameters and instructions for integration right out of the box.

• The customer (buyer) receives the connection data via the system and can easily activate the punchout catalog in their own system.
• The supplier does not need to launch a separate project, tie up IT resources, or incur additional costs.
• The connection can thus be established in a few hours instead of weeks.
  

Your advantage as a supplier

• No setup costs for the customer connection
• No IT effort: all steps are handled by the customer.
• Fast time-to-market
  

With avanta, Punchout transforms from a complicated IT interface into a plug-and-play solution that is particularly attractive to industrial companies and wholesalers who want to respond quickly to customer requirements.