Coupa Catalog – Guideline for suppliers
If you want to list items in the Coupa Supplier Portal, there is no way around the catalog format Coupa CSV Catalog or Punchout Catalog. Find out what the “Coupa CSV Catalog” is and how your company can create such catalogs.
What is the Coupa catalog?
The Coupa catalog is an electronic catalog in CSV format. It was developed to provide Product Data, images and prices for customers who use the “Coupa” e-procurement portal. The customer can choose from these products and place orders.
What advantages does the Coupa catalog offer?
The sale of products via coupa is possible via the aforementioned catalog or via WebEDI processing. The customer places the order there and the supplier collects it from the online portal. In contrast to the coupa catalog, this process has numerous disadvantages. In addition to the manual activity, data quality is not guaranteed and the supplier can be replaced quickly. In contrast, suppliers who provide a catalog have the following advantages.
- Customer loyalty: In order to upload a catalog to the Coupa Supplier Portal, the customer’s supplier invitation is required. The articles can be uploaded on this basis.
- Increased visibility: By providing well-structured and high-quality Product Data, suppliers gain visibility with employees authorized to place orders.
- Automation: The integration of Product Data, via the CSV catalog in Coupa, ensures up-to-date prices and product information. This means that the subsequent process can be automated without errors using EDI. EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange and describes the electronic exchange of messages.
What is the difference between the Coupa-Catalog and the Punchout-Catalog?
Coupa offers the integration of articles via two different catalog types. Punchout catalogs offer the advantage that they always provide up-to-date product information and prices. As the data is linked directly via the supplier’s website or online store. This means that customers always have the latest data available. The static Coupa catalog offers the advantage that items can be found via the comprehensive search. By storing the information locally in the Coupa system, items can also be included in favorites lists and workflows. Customers who often buy the same items appreciate this option.
- Punchout catalog: This type of catalog makes it possible to integrate the supplier’s website or online store into the Coupa platform. In the case of an order, the customer’s employee jumps to the supplier’s website and selects the products there. After the shopping cart is completed, the data is transferred back to Coupa. There, the order is finalized and sent to the supplier. Punchout catalogs are dynamic and automatically update prices or availability.
- Coupa CSV Catalog: This type of catalog is also known as a static catalog. Product Data, prices and images are uploaded to Coupa via a structured CSV file. After the upload, the customer checks the catalog content and releases it for the requisitioners (employees authorized to order). If the product range or prices change, a new upload and approval by the customer is required.
What does the static catalog look like in csv format?
A Coupa catalog in CSV format contains a wide range of information that is important for your customers. Each line in the CSV document represents a product. The most important Product Data includes product names, product descriptions, article numbers, prices, images and delivery times. The following image shows an example catalog, each separated by a semicolon. It can be opened in Excel and displayed in a structured format for maintenance purposes.
What options are available for creating this catalog file?
There are three catalog creation systems that support you in creating the Coupa catalog. The choice of the right “tool” depends on a few basic conditions. These include the number of catalog files to be created, the maturity level of your organization and whether automation of the process is being considered.
- Excel to CSV file converter: Coupa provides an Excel template for each project. The information can be maintained manually and then converted to a CSV file.
- Software for catalog creation: Professional software is used to import the product portfolio from a source system or file, validate it and output it again in the appropriate format. Depending on the target system, the catalog upload can be automated via FTP server. If you are interested, you can read the blog post “Software for electronic catalog creation”.
- PIM systems (Product Information Management System): If your company already has such a system, you can check whether an export function for individual CSV templates exists or can be programmed.
Conclusion
The Coupa catalog is an important tool for suppliers who want to serve customers and sell items via the Coupa Supplier Portal. Product Data, prices and images can be listed with this catalog in CSV format. The advantage for suppliers is that customers have access to up-to-date data. This increases customer visibility, which generally leads to increased sales and customer loyalty. In addition, up-to-date data is the basic prerequisite for the successful digitalization of subsequent processes. EDI (electronic data interchange) can be used to automatically exchange messages such as orders and invoices. We are currently experiencing a change in the purchasing behavior of business customers. Increasingly, user experiences from the private customer sector, e.g. with Amazon and Zalando, are expected in the business environment. Coupa takes this into account and enables suppliers to position themselves with the Coupa catalog.
Peter Prütting is an expert in value-oriented and digital business development. With over 15 years of sales experience in wholesale, manufacturing and e-marketplaces, he takes a holistic view. His colleagues value him as a customer-centric and focused leader who guides teams through digital change. Away from his day-to-day work, he recharges his batteries by mountain biking.
FAQ – frequently asked questions
The Coupa catalog is an electronic catalog in CSV format that provides Product Data, images and prices for customers using the e-procurement portal “Coupa”. Suppliers can upload Product Data, prices and images from which customers can select and place orders.
Firstly, customer loyalty: Requires a supplier invitation from the customer to upload items. Second, increased visibility: Well-structured Product Data increases visibility to employees authorized to order. Third, automation: Integration of Product Data via CSV catalog ensures up-to-date prices and information, reducing process error through EDI (Electronic Data Interchange).
Punchout catalog: Links directly to the supplier’s website to provide up-to-date product information and prices. The customer selects products directly on the supplier’s website and the data is then transferred to Coupa.
Coupa CSV Catalog: A static catalog where Product Data, prices and images are uploaded via a CSV file. Changes require a new upload and approval by the customer. Items can be integrated into favorites lists and workflows.
Excel to CSV file converter: Coupa provides an Excel template that can be maintained manually and converted to a CSV file.
Software for catalog creation: Professional software imports the product portfolio, validates it and outputs it in the appropriate format. The catalog can be uploaded automatically via an FTP server.
PIM systems: Existing product information management systems can be used to export or program individual CSV templates.
Sources
Coupa, catalogs: https://supplier.coupa.com/catalogs/
