This Training Guide will walk a Requester through the process of creating a Catalog (iBuyNU) Requisition

 

Catalog Requisition - Getting Started  

What is a catalog requisition?     

A purchase request for goods found only in iBuyNU.

Who creates catalog requisitions?

Users with the Requester security role.

What is iBuyNU?  

A web-based ordering tool that provides departments and schools with the most streamlined, cost effective way to order. It contains items from preferred vendors (discount pricing, enhanced customer service, and negotiated contracts). This tool offers two catalog formats for shopping: hosted and punchout.

What is a hosted catalog?

A catalog that is established by Procurement and Payment Services (PPS) on behalf of a preferred supplier that is included in the iBuyNU Marketplace. All item detail is sent to PPS in spreadsheet format that is then turned into a catalog that is placed in the Marketplace.

Features of a hosted catalog include:

• Shopping experience is contained within iBuyNU
• Retains the look and feel of iBuyNU
• Searchable simultaneously across multiple catalogs
• Can generate side-by-side product comparisons
• Hosted items can be edited in cart until submitted for requisition

What is a punchout catalog?

For many suppliers included in the iBuyNU Marketplace, Procurement and Payment Services (PPS) has decided that it is more advantageous to allow departments and schools to connect to a supplier’s actual web site catalog that has been configured specifically to NU’s contract (products available, pricing, etc.). Orders to suppliers that are included in the iBuyNU Marketplace using a punchout strategy will generally receive their orders electronically.

Features of a punchout include:

• Shopping experience links from iBuyNU to supplier website for shopping and cart creation, then cart is transferred back to iBuyNU
• Punchouts have the look and feel, functionality, terminology, etc. specific to each supplier’s website
• Punchout items may or may not be edited in cart until submitted for requisition, depending on the punchout supplier’s rules

What is a realtime catalog? 

A hosted catalog with similar features of a hosted catalog. 

Features of a realtime catalog include:

• Shopping experience is contained within iBuyNU
• Retains the look and feel of iBuyNU
• Searchable simultaneously across multiple catalogs
• Can generate side-by-side product comparisons
• Items can be edited in cart until submitted for requisition
• Option to punchout to supplier’s website to search and shop

 

Step 1: Navigate to NUFinancials

NUFinancials > Requisition > Create New Requisition > iBuyNU

Step 2: Create a Catalog Requisition

2. Click on the Requisition tile.

   

3. Click Create New Requisition.

 

4. Click iBuyNU under the Web section.

 

Step 3: Search for items

There are multiple ways to search for products in iBuyNU:

• Keyword Search – search one or more supplier’s catalog by entering a keyword.
• Part Number Search – search by selecting a supplier and entering a supplier part number, manufacturer part number, or buyer part number.
• Shop a Specific Supplier Catalog – browse a supplier’s catalog.

Keyword Search

Use the Search field on the purple header bar to perform a keyword search.

 

Hosted and Real-time (Punchin) Supplier Catalogs are associated with one or more iBuyNU categories. If “Automatic” is left unchanged on the Search bar when you start a keyword search, iBuyNU selects a category for the keyword and will search only suppliers that are associated with that category; iBuyNU will not search all suppliers. For example, type “laptop” into the Search field and press Enter and iBuyNU will search only suppliers that are associated with the Computer Hardware & Accessories category; a paint supplier that is not associated to Computer Hardware & Accessories will not be searched for laptops. You can however, select a different category other than the one iBuyNU chooses, or you can choose to search all suppliers.

Follow the steps below to search for a product by typing a keyword into the Search field:

1. Type a keyword in the Search field.

As you type several characters, iBuyNU displays a drop-down list of one or more specific categories that you can select. Example:

2. Optionally:
   1. Click a category to search from the drop-down list that displays.

or

3. 2. Click     to display a list of all categories, including “All Suppliers,” and select one. (Note: By clicking “All Suppliers”, your keyword will be searched across all hosted and real-time supplier catalogs regardless of the category they are associated with.)

 

3. Press Enter or click    to begin the search.

iBuyNU displays a supplier search progress window. Supplier names turn green as they respond to your search.

 

 

Part Number Search

Use the iBuyNU Quick Find search when you know the supplier and the supplier part number, manufacturer part number, or buyer part number. Up to 50 products may be entered at a time. Quick Find can only be utilized to search for items from a Hosted or Real-time (punchin) catalog. 

1. Click  from the left side menu.

2. Click in Part Number and select the part number type from the resulting menu: Supplier, Manufacturer, or Buyer.
3. Optionally, click  to load one or more part numbers by uploading them from a spreadsheet template.
4. Click in Supplier Name and select a supplier from the resulting list.
5. Enter the part number.
6. Optionally, enter the unit of measure.
7. Optionally, enter the quantity.
8. If you want to add another part number to the search, click  .
9. Click Quick Find to search for your item.

 

Shop a Specific Supplier Catalog

You can browse a specific supplier catalog.

1. Click    from the left side menu.

iBuyNU displays a list of suppliers.

 

• Click  to browse a supplier hosted catalog. 

or

• Click  to leave iBuyNU and punchout to shop a supplier’s catalog/website.
  • Shop the supplier’s catalog/website. Note that punchout websites vary. Follow the supplier’s onscreen instructions and prompts to add items to the punchout cart and checkout/return to iBuyNU.
  • To return to iBuyNU without adding any items to your iBuyNU cart, click the >>Return to Aquiire button on the purple header bar.

 

 

Step 4: Add item to cart

When the search completes, the supplier progress window will disappear and the results will display.

From the search results, you can perform various actions:

• Refresh the search.
• Save the search.
• Filter search results from punchin and hosted catalogs using one of the Klarity visual search tool sections. Note this is a dynamic tool and will change with each search.
• Filter the search results by supplier or price.
• Add the item to your shopping cart.
• Include more search results.
• Compare this product to others.
• Add this product to your Favorite Products.
• Add this product to one of your saved carts.

  

Step 5: Check Out iBuyNU Shopping Cart

When you have added items to your iBuyNU cart and have finished shopping, check the cart out. 

To check out:

1. Optionally, hover over the shopping cart to view the products you have selected or to remove a product (click  ).

2. From the hover display click View Cart & Checkout, or click   on the purple header bar.

 

iBuyNU will verify pricing and check to see if there are any alternate suppliers who may have the item you are purchasing for a lower price or available in a another brand. The Assign Cart and Check Out buttons will be visible but disabled while pricing is being verified.

iBuyNU will also check item availability. Check the items in your cart to make sure all are available and there are no red messages where the price normally appears. If there is a red message (e.g., “ITEM NOT FOUND”), you will have to delete the item from your cart to be able to assign the cart or check out (Requester); optionally shop for an alternative item.

3. Click  .

Step 6: Review Requisition Summary

The Checkout – Review and Submit screen is where you enter ship to codes, chart strings, budget check, and save and submit the requisition.

1. Enter Requisition Name.

 

 

Step 7: Enter Ship to Fields

1. To view the hidden section that contains the Ship to and chart string fields for a line item, click the triangle next to that line item.

2. Click the magnifying glass next to Ship To: to look up the ship to code.

A Look Up window appears.

• In the Description field, type the first letters of the department name.
• Click Look Up.
• Click the Ship To Location code that matches your department. If there is more than one location for your department, select the one that designates the appropriate drop-off location / delivery point.

  

3. At this time, you can enter information into the Attention To field, if it hasn’t already been populated with the correct name.

 

 Add Attachments (Internal use only)

4. To add an attachment, click the Add button next to the comment bubble.
   1. Click Add Attachment.
   2. Once you’ve uploaded the attachment, click OK.

Step 8: Enter Chart String Fields

All chart strings utilize Fund, Dept, and Account codes, at a minimum. If you do not know which chart string to use, see your manager.

1. To view the hidden section that contains the chart string fields for a line item, click the dropdown arrow next to Accounting Lines.
2. Then click Chartfields2.

 

3. In Fund, type the Fund Code.
4. In Dept, type the Department ID.
5. Scroll right, type the Account. If applicable, add Project, Activity, and Chartfield1.
6. To add another chart string, click on the + sign at the end of the chart string row.

 

Step 9: Check Budget and Save & Submit

1. Scroll down and click Check Budget.
   • The budget check ensures the chart string(s) is valid and has no spending controls against it that would prevent you from submitting the requisition.
   • Successful budget checking pre-encumbers or earmarks the funds.

 

2. A confirmation message appears regarding saving and budget checking the transaction. Click OK.

 

3. When budget checking completes, a Budget Checking Status appears.
4. Click Save & Submit.

Alternatively you can click Save for Later to save the requisition. This allows you to come back to the Requisition, make edits and submit when needed.

  

• After you save and submit, a Confirmation page appears.
• The Chart String Review shows the approval workflow; the requisition is now in workflow.
• The Requisition ID is available on this page and is only used for internal purposes and should not be given to suppliers or service providers. Upon approval, NUFinancials creates and then dispatches a purchase order to each supplier specified in the requisition. (If only one supplier is specified, then one purchase order is created.) Each purchase order is assigned a unique purchase order ID beginning with PUR.

 

 

For additional assistance please contact the IT Support Center at 847-491-4357 (1-HELP) or email servicedesk@northwestern.edu.