NGHA I-Supplier Portal Guide

NATIONAL GUARD HEALTH AFFAIRS
LOGISTICS & CONTRACTS MANAGEMENT
I-Supplier Portal
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SUPPLIERS REGISTRATION
DEADLINE 17 AUGUST 2011
TRANSACT AND COMMUNICATE ON LINE
The material in this booklet is considered to be proprietary material for use by the National Guard
Health Affairs Authority. It may not be copied, reproduced, or distributed without written permission
from the Executive Director of the Logistics & Contracts Management , NGHA.
For internal use only – copyright © 2011 NGHA
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iSupplier Portal Overview
The iSupplier Portal is a web-based tool which structures all communication between NGHA and
suppliers through a secure internet portal, with online Purchase Order collaboration, and paperless
fulfillment. Previously NGHA relied on email and phone communication to coordinate procurement
activities with suppliers. It used paper forms to facilitate supplier registration and manually enter all
supplier data.
The NGHA iSupplier Portal module introduces a supplier self-service model which allows suppliers to
register and manage their administrative information, receive bid documents, submit bid responses
and receive invoice/payment status online.
As a supplier using Oracle iSupplier Portal, you have real-time access to information (such as
purchase orders, invoices, payments and your company’s registered information with NGHA).
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What are the benefits of iSupplier Portal (iSP)?
The iSupplier Portal (iSP) gives suppliers the ability to directly access information and enter business
transactions online in a secure, self-service environment. ISP provides visibility across the procurement-topay life cycle, building a collaborative environment where NGHA buyers and suppliers become integrated
partners as both parties are able to access the same information over the Internet.
Suppliers must first register via the "supplier registration" process then they can inquire across a range of
web pages that include information, such as current purchase orders and supplier agreements.
Suppliers can also gauge their performance and efficiency by reviewing the following information:
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receipt histories
purchase order histories
returns
outstanding overdue receipts
open delivery schedules
on-time delivery performance
Invoice and payment information can also be shared over the Internet, including when invoices were
received and when payments were sent.
ISP also enables suppliers to proactively learn about their service level in areas, such as progress against
long term agreements, time-critical delivery information, purchase order changes, and delivery
performance information. All views are shown at a high level but can be drilled down to view the specific
documents associated to the inquiries.
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At NGHA we believe that the iSupplier Portal (iSP) will offer a wide range of advantages for registered
Suppliers, as well as, to Internal NGHA Users. The following statements detail some of the important
advantages that registered Suppliers should enjoy as they use the iSupplier Portal (iSP) process:
 Elimination of those “lost” Purchase Orders sent via faxes and/or emails that are not being
successfully transmitted to, or received by Suppliers.
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Electronic data concerning new PO’s, change order requests, etc. will be
instantaneously available within each Supplier’s secured Home Page.
Future NGHA PO‟s will reside electronically within the iSupplier database resulting in
less man-hours wasted with filing paper PO’s.
 “Real-time” electronic feedback on PO’s
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Immediate email notification to the iSP Users with information pending PO’s requiring
attention.
Enables more accurate information sharing, and communications surrounding the
entire PO Commitment Process.
 Provide each iSP USER a discrete portal into a secured, web-based, information data warehouse.
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Enables a reduction in Supplier man-hours wasted due to non-Value Added telephone
inquiries, investigations, and/or information search concerning PO Status, delivery
history, or selected invoice information.
KEY ADVANTAGES of iSUPPLIER PORTAL
 Reduced Cycle Times through Interactive Information Sharing across the
entire Order Acknowledgement to Fulfillment cycle.
 Secured Data Base of Information offering a Higher Degree Information
Integrity on PO’s.
 Establishment of a Closed Loop Process that is easily accessible, highly
interactive, and globally expandable in the PO review, tracking, and
acknowledgement process.
 Higher Quality of Collaborative Communications between NGHA and
Suppliers to avoid “surprises” in the “Acknowledgement to Fulfillment”
execution process
 Informative Invoice Inquiry for registered iSP Suppliers.
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Is iSupplier Portal (iSP) secure?
Yes, it is highly secure application and ISP Security strategy is explained below.
Self-Service Web Applications Security Strategy
Oracle’s Self Service Web Applications security strategy is composed of:
 The user registration process and user-level password protection
 Record-level security to ensure that each user views only the assigned set of data; known as securing
attributes
 Column-level security to ensure that specific data columns can be hidden from users; known as
excluding attributes
 Time and hit limits for each connection session
 Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connections to secure the communication line between the user and the
systems.
 HTTP cookie technology to ensure that the appropriate client is communicating with the appropriate
server during a communication session.
 Encryption technology ensures that users cannot simply change the URL line to access unauthorized
information.
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What is the minimum Hardware and Software requirement to access
iSupplier Portal?
You will need to use a Pentium PC with an Internet connection and Internet Explorer 5.5 or above browser,
PDF Adobe “Acrobat” and an email address to use iSupplier Portal.
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I don’t have access to iSupplier Portal. How can I get access to
iSupplier?
If you are an approved supplier doing business with NGHA, please contact Expediting Section or send an email to expediting@ngha.med.sa. Currently, NGHA is providing access to registered suppliers as we are in the
initial stage of iSupplier rollout. You must be invited to get access to iSupplier Portal. If you are not an NGHA
approved supplier, please send in your request and Expediting Section will respond accordingly.
What is my username?
You will receive your username and temporary password when you receive your invitation to register. In
general, your username will be the e-mail address used to create an account with NGHA iSupplier Portal. All
communications will be sent to this e-mail account. In some cases, the username will be the supplier number
followed by the email address. This will be used if you need to access more than one supplier record on
iSupplier Portal.
Who will notify me when my account is created in NGHA iSupplier
Portal?
NGHA iSupplier Portal will send an encrypted e-mail that contains your email address and temporary
password when an account is established for your organization. Check the e-mail address submitted by your
organization to Expediting Section to access iSupplier Portal. You must log into the application within 14 days
of receiving your credentials, otherwise, your account will be locked.
I typed my password incorrectly 5 times, now my account is locked
and I am unable to login to NGHA iSupplier Portal?
You need to send an e-mail to expediting@ngha.med.sa so we can reset your password. Currently iSupplier
portal will automatically lock the account after five invalid attempts and you won’t be able to access until
NGHA releases the lock. This is enabled for NGHA security reasons.
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I forgot my password to login to NGHA iSupplier Portal. Who should I
contact to get a new password?
Send an e-mail to expediting@ngha.med.sa so they can reset your password. A new password will be
generated by the NGHA iSupplier Portal system and an encrypted e-mail will be sent to your account. You
must log into the application within 14 days of receiving your credentials, otherwise, your account will be
locked.
I have not used iSupplier Portal for over 90 days; will my original
logon still work?
No, if iSupplier Portal has not been accessed within 90 days, the logon will be de-activated. You will need to
email expediting@ngha.med.sa to request your account to be activated.
How often should I log onto the iSupplier Portal?
This depends on your business needs. NGHA iSupplier Portal will send you an e-mail notification when an
action is required from the supplier.
Why does the system log me out after only 30 minutes of inactivity?
For security purposes you will be logged out after a period of inactivity.
When I logon to the iSupplier Portal, I get an error.
Please report this error to expediting@ngha.med.sa. This may be due to an Applications upgrade or
maintenance.
How do I get support if I have a problem using iSupplier Portal?
You can contact your Buyer or send an e-mail to expediting@ngha.med.sa.
Is training available for iSupplier?
NGHA has created a user guide to help suppliers navigate through the iSupplier Portal. The manual is
available on the NGHA suppliers website http://www.ngha.med.sa/Arabic/Pages/Vendorsmain.aspx.
You can also request for a copy of the document by sending an email to expediting@ngha.med.sa. This
document is periodically updated by NGHA so always use the latest version. However, right after the “go-live”
there will be limited training sessions during the month of August to register and train suppliers.
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Does each person in our site get a separate login to access NGHA
iSupplier Portal?
Yes, NGHA will provide a separate username and password for each supplier user.
There is another person in my company who wants to access
iSupplier. How do I request for access?
Send an e-mail to expediting@ngha.med.sa and provide the following information: First and last name;
mailing address; e-mail address and phone number. Also provide their Job Title and explain their role in your
company. The Expediting Section will review the request and register the user if appropriate.
How can I be registered?
If you have supplied goods or services to NGHA in the past and do not have log-in credentials, you should set
up a log-in username for the NGHA iSupplier Portal. The following steps explain the process for setting up a
NGHA iSupplier Portal user:
Request NGHA iSupplier Portal Login ID
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Complete I-Suppliers Portal Registration Form
NGHA Review
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NGHA reviews and approves user application.
Approved applicants are emailed a Username and Password to
access the NGHA iSupplier Portal.
Receive Approval E-mail from NGHA
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E-mail will have a link to the NGHA iSupplier Portal as well as the
unique Username and Password for the registered user.
The user clicks on the link to launch the NGHA iSupplier Portal
and logs in with the Username and Password.
Register Other Users
Additional users for your company can register via the NGHA
iSupplier Portal by following these steps.
Every additional registered user must have a unique email
address to receive their own login and password.
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I do not receive any e-mail notifications from NGHA iSupplier
Portal?
You need to notify expediting@ngha.med.sa or your Buyer to fix this problem. NGHA iSupplier Portal will
only send e-mail to the e-mail address registered on the portal. If your e-mail is a personal account and was
not used for registration, you will not receive any e-mails.
How can I view all the notifications sent to me via iSupplier Portal?
On the iSupplier Home Page under Worklist, click on the “Full List” button and select the appropriate
notification type from the dropdown list.
Is it possible to have the e-mail notifications sent to more than one
e-mail address?
iSupplier Portal sends workflow notifications to the e-mail address of supplier users that are registered on
the Portal. Depending on the specific action required, the system will identify the appropriate supplier user
based on their assigned responsibilities.
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Can I see the status of my invoice and if it has been paid?
Yes, you can access the iSupplier Portal and review an invoice and its status from the Account tab.
Do we have to use the iSupplier Portal to invoice NGHA?
You can use your current method of sending invoices to NGHA. Currently, the online invoice feature is only
available to suppliers with purchase orders. NGHA would like to encourage these suppliers to submit
invoices through iSupplier.
I created an invoice on iSupplier. However, I cannot find the invoice
that I created when I search for invoices?
Invoices created on iSupplier are reviewed and processed by Accounts Payable. It takes some time for this
process to be completed. If your invoice is approved, the invoice will be show up on the query after the
processing period. If you have any questions about invoices, please contact Accounts Payable.
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What are things I can do with the iSupplier Portal?
 Acknowledge Purchase Orders
As a supplier, you can record purchase order acknowledgments online, respond to a notification, or record
several acknowledgments from a central web form. The purchase order is automatically updated with your
response and a notice is sent to the buyer. Both the supplier and buyer are notified when acceptance has
not been recorded by the acceptance due date.
 Change a Purchase Order Promise Date for Delivery Items
As a supplier, you can communicate a change in a promised date of a purchase order online at the Orders
Tab. Select the Purchase Order to be updated and then click on the reschedule button. The request for
change is then sent and routed within NGHA for approval. An approval action automatically updates the
purchase order with the date change, whereas a rejection routes an exception notification to you, the
supplier.
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 Enter Advance Shipment Notifications
Oracle Purchasing supports the use of Advance Shipment Notices (ASN). The ASN contains details including:
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shipment date
shipment and time identification number
expected receipt date (due date)
packing slip data and freight information
item detail including cumulative shipped quantities
purchase order number, including releases
purchase order due date
returnable container information
As a supplier, you can also send billing information through an Advance Shipment and Billing Notice
(ASBN). These *ASBNs contain currency and invoice amount information.
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 Forecast
With ISP the Supplier is provided with the ability to view the planning and forecast schedules. There will be
52 weekly buckets and quarterly buckets of forecast information on the screen.
 Review Delivery Schedules
The Supplier has access to information about open delivery schedules. This includes shipments that are
past due, which help in planning shipments of goods to the buying organization.
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 Review Receipt and Return History
The Supplier can explore a historical view of all receipts that have been recorded for the shipped goods.
This allows the supplier to track its delivery performance for every shipment made and viewing the return
information as well as accessing the results of inspected goods.
 On-Time Performance
With the On-Time Performance the supplier can view historical
delivery status. Base line for on time is 3 days early / 0 days
 late
 Early
 On-time
 Late
 Review Invoice & Payments
The Supplier can review the status of their invoices and payments. Access to this information helps
eliminating the need for purchasing and payables departments to handle routine supplier inquires.
 Supplier Item Summary
Use the Supplier Items screen to view summary information such as purchase orders, overdue orders,
receipts, defects, returns, on-time performance and invoices for items that are sourced to supplier through
the Approved Supplier List (ASL).
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