Use Content Interchange Format (CIF) for Quick and Easy Publishing of Catalog Content to Customers

Have you been tasked to support your customers' eProcurement initiatives and publish catalog content to them? Will you be offering catalogs with 1,000 items or less? Is your catalog content stable, with relatively infrequent changes?

If so, Ariba's catalog interchange format (CIF) is for you. CIF provides a fast, easy way to support your customers' needs for electronic catalog content while simultaneously improving their order accuracy. You simply convert your word processor or spreadsheet-based catalog into CIF. It's fast and easy - and you benefit by receiving high-quality purchase orders that fully comply with the terms you've negotiated with your customers, including price, ship-to address, part number, and other key parameters.

Solution Highlights

With CIF catalogs, you benefit from:

• Easy, low-cost catalog publication: CIF is a low cost, easy way to provide your Ariba customers with the catalog content they need to enable their eProcurement initiatives. You can easily upload CIF catalog content, including product and service descriptions, illustrations, specifications, and pricing, with any word processor or spreadsheet application. There's no need to invest in a costly B2B eCommerce website.
• Self-service technology: Our user-friendly wizard technology directs you through the catalog creation, upload, and testing process, every step of the way. To minimize training time and eliminate mistakes and confusion, Ariba provides sample catalogs and templates. You'll have your CIF catalog available to customers quickly and easily.
• Easy, one-step catalog validation and publishing: The Ariba Supplier Network automatically validates your catalog to ensure that the content is correctly structured and compatible with catalog standards. If any problems occur, you receive a notification that clearly pinpoints where they are so that you can correct them and ensure receipt of accurate orders from customers.
• Fast and simple updating: When your catalog content becomes outdated due to price, specification, and other changes, CIF makes it easy to update single or multiple items.
• Easy management and maintenance: Our comprehensive catalog dashboard provides access and drill-down capabilities for all key aspects of online catalog collaboration. You have just the level of visibility and control you need to manage and maintain catalogs.
• Catalog status updates: CIF catalogs are easy to keep current. This increases customer satisfaction by reducing the likelihood of order rejection caused by buyers ordering from out-of-date catalogs. When you see that a customer hasn't activated new content, you can follow up to trigger the appropriate actions. With up-to-the-minute visibility into buyer activity, you can ensure any changes to your catalog content adhere to agreed-upon contractual terms.
• Resources to ensure success: Ariba provides resources that teach you how to create CIF catalogs, describe how to use catalog features to reflect your business model, and recommend ways to differentiate your product and service content.

Register for a live demo.
View documentation and tutorials on this and other Ariba Supplier Network topics.
Request more information about the Ariba Supplier Network at supplierprograms@ariba.com.
Register now to join the Ariba Supplier Network.