Summary:
This article describes the technical functionality and configuration of external webshops in Basware Procurement and the communication between systems. The article is targeted for customer and supplier technical audiences.
External webshop (or Open Catalog Interface (OCI) Punchout or Roundtrip) is an SAP standard providing the means to transfer data from suppliers' external catalog systems to buyers' procurement systems. Communication between the systems is managed by sending data in forms.
You can use this article to help your suppliers understand how their external webshop should be configured so that it fulfills the OCI functionality.
Basware Procurement also supports the OCI Background Search functionality.
Make sure:
Please note that Basware Procurement supports only the HTML-variant of the SAP OCI. The XML-variant is NOT supported.
There is also another variant called cXML which is Ariba's standard. Basware Purchase does not support cXML punchouts but Basware Marketplace does (Punchout Agreement).
The supplier is responsible for providing you the mandatory information like the URL, username, password, price type, HTTP method and possible outbound parameters.
Please familiarize yourself with the OCI functionality by reading the SAP OCI documentation. In case of any additional questions, please contact Basware Customer Support.
Instructions:
Below are instructions about configuring the external webshop.
BASIC DATA
Mandatory information in the configuration are:
Name - Descriptive name for the external webshop configuration
Organization - Organization where external webshop is created
Inherit - Is the configuration inherited to lower organization levels or not?
Set as Marketplace - Yes only if this webshops is the configuration for Basware Marketplace
Price Type - Net or Gross
URL - Supplier's webshop address
Username - A unique username, provided by the supplier
Password - A unique password, provided by the supplier
HTTP method - Define how the inbound/calling user is authenticated to external webshop
- GET: adds the username and password in the URL
- POST: generates an HTML form which is sent in the background, hidden from the user
OUTBOUND FIELDS
When user in Basware Procurement connects to an external webshop, information from outbound fields is sent to the external webshop and supplier captures the information they need.
Customer is able to define the Outbound fields; Outbound means "data sent from Basware Procurement to the supplier's external webshop system".
Some mandatory fields must be added, but Basware Procurement adds those automatically so the customer does NOT need to add those manually.
Mandatory fields (with values):
~OkCode - ADDI
~caller - CTLG
~target - _top (this means that the external webshop connection opens in the same browser window, currently hardcoded and _parent value NOT supported)
HOOK_URL - return URL to Basware Procurement, this is the address where external webshop returns the data. This information is automatically added always from the Basware AP Automation and Procurement server, please note that the whole HOOK_URL is needed in order to navigate the user correctly when returning from the external webshop.
TIP: When testing the external webshop connection, you can use Developer Tools (F12) to see which values are sent out to the supplier external webshop.
Example: debugging the Outbound fields
Optional Outbound fields
| Outbound field name |
Value |
Description |
| <Any> |
$UserLanguage$ |
Language of current user. Field name should be surrounded with $ sign in external webshop data mapping table. Basware Procurement can send language of the user in the OCI field selected by the supplier. |
| <Any> |
$UserFullName$ |
Name of current user. Field name should be surrounded with $ sign in external webshop data mapping table. Basware Procurement can send full name of the user in the OCI field selected by the supplier. |
| <Any> |
$UserEmail$ |
Email of current user. Field name should be surrounded with $ sign in external webshop data mapping table. Basware Procurement can send email of the user in the OCI field selected by the supplier. |
| <Any> |
<Fixed String> |
Basware Procurement can send any fixed string in the OCI field selected by the supplier |
INBOUND FIELDS
You, the buyer, are able to define the inbound fields; Inbound means "data received from the external webshop to Basware Procurement". Inbound field definitions can be found from the SAP OCI documentation.
The inbound fields are freely mappable. Basware Procurement provides a "standard set" as a starting point when an external webshop is created in Basware Procurement. Customer may change the inbound mapping so that it matches the fields the supplier is sending and even create non-standard fields by entering the field name manually.
Inbound field standard set:
Similar to debugging the outbound fields, you can also debug the inbound fields. The listener script in Basware Procurement is always PunchoutResponseHandler.ashx.
Query String Parameters are used to navigate Basware Procurement to the correct URL within the application.
Example: debugging the Inbound fields
Additional Information:
Managing external webshops
SAP OCI 4.0 full documentation
Integrated Shopping Experience
cXML