Update on Web assistant for SAP Ariba Solutions

[former_member573447]

With over 700 hits on my original blog post from July 2021, I thought it would be good to share the latest progress and plans on introducing Web Assistant from SAP Enable Now into SAP Ariba solutions as we kicked off 2022 with our first release on February 18th. Please note that we did have some shifts in timing since the July post, so please refer to this post for our latest plans (still subject to change). For anyone not familiar, standard content describes Web assistant content that SAP includes with our software for all end users to help guide them in using our applications. Custom content provides the ability for SAP Enable Now licensed customers to add in their own content and modify the standard content to provide organization-specific guidance to their users.

I'm happy to report that we added standard Web assistant content into the following solutions in our November 2021 release:

• SAP Ariba Direct Spend Sourcing


• SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance - Supplier search page

Standard content was also introduced for our February 2022 release for:

• SAP Ariba Contracts - New user interface for enhanced contract line item management (please note this will only be for this component and not the entire SAP Ariba Contracts solution) More details can be found here.


• SAP Ariba Commerce Automation within Ariba Network. Demo available here.

Looking ahead to our May 2022 (2205) and August 2022 (2208) releases, we look forward to adding Web Assistant to 4 more solution areas:

• May
  
  
  
  • Invoice Status Portal in Ariba Network - standard content
  
  
  • Guided buying capability - standard and custom content. We're currently doing an Early Adopter Care program. If interested in participating, please review program information and complete and submit the questionnaire as described here.
  
  
  
  


• August
  
  
  
  • SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance
    
    
    
    • Supplier Search page - custom content (standard content was released in Nov 2021, as noted above)
    
    
    • Supplier 360 pages - standard and custom content
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Below is a table summarizing where we have currently released Web assistant or plan to through August.

Solution	Standard Content	Custom Content
SAP Ariba Sourcing - guided sourcing capability
Ariba Network - Trading Partner Collaboration
Ariba Network - Supplier Portal
SAP Ariba Direct Spend Sourcing
Ariba Network - Early Payment/Discounting
SAP Ariba Contracts - New user interface for enhanced contract line item management
Ariba Network - Commerce Automation
Guided buying capability	Planned May '22	Planned May '22
Ariba Network - Invoice Status Portal	Planned May '22
SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance - Supplier Search		Planned Aug'22
SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance - Supplier 360	Planned Aug '22	Planned Aug'22

We have also introduced learning content to many of the Web assistant standard content implementations, with more content being added over time, so be sure to check the latest listings, found here. Unlike guided tours that take users through the live system to demonstrate select processes, this learning content uses screenshots to guide users through a simulation of processes. The learning content can be accessed via the graduation cap icon as shown in the example below. (Click image to enlarge.) You will also find a Learning Center button that will take users to the repository of all related trainings available for the solution. In this case, the topic is how to create sourcing events.



Learning content in guided sourcing Web assistant

In addition to developing in-app help, the SAP Ariba User Assistance team continues to enrich the comprehensive product documentation with each release. Whereas in-app help focuses on the page the user is on, providing tips and guidance in context so users can quickly complete their tasks, the product documentation provides comprehensive and detailed information. In-app help topics conveniently provide links to related documentation on the SAP Help Portal, so users can easily get more information when needed. This two-pronged approach to providing help ensures that users find the right information, at the right time, in the right context.

Additionally, Web assistant provides a link to documentation on the SAP Help portal. To quickly find information on any SAP Ariba product, you can start with the Quick reference to SAP Ariba product documentation. It lists SAP Ariba product documentation based on audience, functional area, or product. It describes the different types of audiences and functional areas, so users can quickly zero in on the docs they need. Lastly, if you want to explore new features, you can go to What’s new in SAP Ariba, which is cumulative and lists all features released since the 2008 (August 2020) release.

For the most recent updates on SAP Enable Now for SAP Procurement solutions, please see the latest blog post from daniela.vogler who will be taking over responsibility for this topic going forward.