SAP Ariba – Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ariba Network?

The Ariba Network is a cloud-based business-to-business marketplace where buyers and suppliers can find each other and do business within a single, networked platform. SAP Ariba solutions will allow the City of Toronto to collect bids and proposals from potential suppliers and quickly compare them across multiple dimensions to determine which one presents the best value.

Why is the City of Toronto implementing SAP Ariba?

The City of Toronto is undergoing a broad Supply Chain Transformation that will modernize the City of Toronto’s business processes, in turn improving the service we provide to you and, ultimately, making it easier for you to do business with the City of Toronto.

The first step in this transformation is to roll out the Sourcing and Contract functionality of SAP Ariba. The City of Toronto expects to see improvements in the procurement process by:

Improving the number of bids on a Solicitation
Reducing the risk of non-compliant bids
Improving evaluation time for bids to award contracts faster
Improving visibility and reporting on the overall process

Will I need to pay fees to conduct business on the Ariba Network?

For the purposes of sourcing (i.e., responding to published Solicitations and submitting bids or proposals), as well as for contract management, no fees will by incurred by suppliers.

What's in it for me? How do I benefit?

Using SAP Ariba, procurement processes are automated and visible, making them more transparent and efficient. You will also see greater standardization in the way that procurement documents are formatted and written, which will simplify your interactions with the City of Toronto. Other benefits include:

SAP Ariba is a cloud-based solution, accessible anywhere the internet is available.
E-bidding saves time and money by eliminating the need to drop off paper copies.
SAP Ariba allows you to build your submission from the time of posting to the time of closing by providing you with a workspace to save your work.
SAP Ariba has a robust notification function. Once you have identified your intention to participate in an event, notifications will be sent automatically when addendums are issued, competitions are extended or cancelled and for other related information.
You will have a consolidated view of all opportunities you are intending to participate in or in which you have already participated.
You will gain access to other procurement opportunities within the Ariba Discovery Network. This is a global network that allows you to search opportunities from SAP Ariba’s other customer organizations. Note: There may be costs involved to respond to opportunities with other organizations on this network.
You can tailor your supplier profile so that you are notified of upcoming opportunities in categories of interest.

How do I sign up?

How will suppliers know when they are required to submit hardcopies of specific documents?

All suppliers will be notified of bidding requirements, including the submission of hard copies, in the body of the procurement.

After I save the tender, how do I go back in to change the price?

The system allows you to save your work and revise your response up until when you submit your final bid prior to closing.

How will procurements, which have prequalified suppliers, be handled in Ariba?

Those tenders will have a summary notice identifying the procurement as having prequalified suppliers.

The submission deadlines in the Ariba Discovery Posting are different than in the actual solicitation event in the system. Which deadline is correct?

There is a short delay in the synchronization of the deadline shown in the Supplier Research Posting in the Ariba Discovery portal and the deadline shown in the system (the solicitation event) whenever an extension is granted.

This delay can last up to 15 minutes before the synchronization occurs and the submission deadline aligns with the countdown clock in the Event.

When looking at the Supplier Research Posting, the correct submission deadline should also be indicated in bold print in the posting summary. In the event of an inconsistency with the submission deadline, the countdown clock in the Event takes precedence.

Will the City of Toronto offer a bid taker list?

No. In keeping with previous decisions, the City of Toronto will not offer a bid taker list.

Where can I get technical support for SAP Ariba?

For any general technical support or guidance using SAP Ariba, you may visit the SAP Ariba Help Desk or call toll-free in Canada: 1-866-218-2155.

Please also visit the SAP Ariba Learning Center. Other useful links on SAP Ariba include: