2. Quick Start Guide for New Buyers Using the Ariba Discovery™
Service
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 GETTING STARTED ON ARIBA DISCOVERY
3 CREATE A POSTING ON ARIBA DISCOVERY
3 Step 1: Describe Posting
4 Step 2: Add Details
5 Step 3: Invite Additional Suppliers (Optional)
6 Step 4: Review and Publish
6 MANAGE POSTINGS AND RESPONSES
7 AWARD POSTING AND SAVE SUPPLIERS
3. Quick Start Guide for New Buyers Using the Ariba Discovery™
Service
Find suppliers to make sourcing events more competitive.
This Quick Start Guide will help you use the Ariba Discovery™
service to tap into a community of
over 1 million suppliers.
GETTING STARTED
Access Ariba Discovery at http://discovery.ariba.com.
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If you already have an account with
Ariba, log in using your username
(typically your email) and password
to get started. If you don’t have an
account, click on REGISTER NOW!
to get one. It’s free and takes only a
few minutes.
Helpful Tip: If you already have a
seller account on Ariba Discovery or an
Ariba Commerce Cloud profile, this will
use the same login information.
Or start finding suppliers to meet
your needs immediately by entering a
product or service category and your
preferred ship-to or service location
for the vendor or service. Then select
START NOW to see what vendors
match your request. If you choose to
create a posting, you will be prompted
during the process to register.
4. Quick Start Guide for New Buyers Using the Ariba Discovery™
Service
CREATE A POSTING
Create a posting to start getting proposals from suppliers on Ariba Discovery whose capabilities
match your needs. Postings are created in four easy steps.
STEP 1: Describe Posting
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Select the SHIP-TO OR SERVICE
LOCATIONS where your goods or
services should be delivered.
Enter all the applicable PRODUCT AND
SERVICE CATEGORIES relevant to the
posting. You can also BROWSE for a list
of all product and service categories.
Helpful Tip: Search by category
rather than the exact item by name (for
example, “beverages” rather than “soft
drinks”). Products or services can be
classified in multiple ways. You will get
matched to suppliers based on
your choices.
After you log in, click on CREATE
A POSTING under the I’M
BUYING, POSTINGS tab. If you
entered your buying needs on the
homepage, you will skip ahead to
Step 2—Add Details.
5. Quick Start Guide for New Buyers Using the Ariba Discovery™
Service
4
STEP 2: Add Details
Enter a brief title for your posting.
Specify a range or exact amount of
the project.
At any time you may cancel the
posting or SAVE AND EXIT to finish
at a later date.
Enter a RESPONSE DEADLINE to
indicate the date suppliers must
submit their response.
Helpful Tip: Leave a posting open
for at least 10 business days to allow
suppliers enough time to respond.
Check the appropriate boxes under
PREFERENCE FOR SELLER to include
your requirements for green or
women-, minority-, or veteran-owned
businesses as well as annual revenue,
number of employees, years in
business, and experience desired.
Suppliers will be notified when
responding if their company profile
does not match your criteria.
Select the PRIVACY SETTINGS to determine how
your company name and contact information will
be displayed. If you have not already logged in or
registered, you will be prompted to do so now.
If you are looking to receive bids from suppliers,
check REQUIRE A BID FROM SELLERS THAT
RESPOND so suppliers will provide you the
required information.
Provide a very detailed description,
including your specific requirements,
the scope of work, and your
expectations along with any relevant
attachments.
6. Quick Start Guide for New Buyers Using the Ariba Discovery™
Service
STEP 3: Invite Additional Suppliers (Optional)
Invite suppliers from your supplier database in addition to those automatically matched to your
posting by Ariba Discovery.
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Check the box for the suppliers
you would like to invite to your
posting.
Select DONE to have them
added to your INVITED
SELLERS list for this posting.
Check ONLY NOTIFY INVITED
SELLERS to have the posting
sent only to the suppliers you
have designated. This posting
will not be matched to other
Ariba Discovery suppliers.
Click on INVITE NEW SELLERS
to add the name and contact
of suppliers who are not yet
on Ariba Discovery.
Click on INVITE SAVED
SELLERS to include suppliers
from your database.
7. Quick Start Guide for New Buyers Using the Ariba Discovery™
Service
Once you are satisfied, click SUBMIT. Your posting will be live on Ariba Discovery within 12 hours,
and an automatic email notification will be sent to suppliers matching your posting.
MANAGE POSTINGS AND RESPONSES
Review responses, answer questions, or edit your postings from a centralized location.
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Click on PREVIEW to review your
posting and see how it will be
displayed to suppliers.
Access your postings on Ariba Discovery by
clicking the I’M BUYING, POSTINGS tab.
This shows your postings status, number of
responses, and questions.
To make changes, click the
PREVIOUS button.
STEP 4: Review and Publish
Click on a posting to view the supplier’s
response and questions in more detail.
Respond to supplier questions in the dialog
box; hit REPLY to post your answer.
Helpful Tips: You can also create a mini-
FAQ to reduce future queries by selecting
MAKE THIS CONVERSATION PUBLIC when
replying to a supplier’s question.
