All procurement organizations maintain lists that associate the items and services they buy with the companies who supply them, either formally or informally. Data stored in a controlled, global repository containing relevant details about each ship-from/ship-to/item relationship, is known as an Approved Supplier List (ASL). This repository includes information about all suppliers with business statuses including Approved, Debarred, or New.
Use the Approved Supplier List and Supplier-Item Attributes windows to specify blanket purchase agreements, contract purchase agreements, or quotations as source documents for a particular item and supplier or particular item category (commodity) and supplier. Purchasing automatically defaults this source document information, such as the Buyer, supplier Contact, and Supplier Item Number, for the item or commodity onto the requisition line. Standard purchase orders get source document information from global agreements and quotations. Requisitions get source document information from blanket purchase agreements, contract purchase agreements, or quotations. See: Defining the Supplier and Commodity/Item Combination. See: Defining the Supplier/Item Attributes.
Note: Purchasing can also search for the most current source documents for you, without your setting up the Approved Supplier List, if you set the profile option PO: Automatic Document Sourcing to Yes. See: Setting Up Automatic Sourcing
The Approved Supplier List (ASL) API ( PO_ASL_API_PUB) enables users to create, update, and delete approved supplier lists in bulk. Using the API, users can create ASL with details that include type, commodity, item details, key attributes such as supplier, site, operating unit, and manufacturer. Other ASL attributes that can be created include plan schedule, shipping schedule, delivery calendar, ASL capacity, and tolerance information.
For more information about:
The API attributes, refer to the ASL API in the Integration Repository available from the Integrated SOA Gateway responsibility.
Using the API and sample API invocation, refer to the Oracle Purchasing - API to Create, Update and Delete Approved Supplier List (ASL) (Doc ID 1613320.1) on My Oracle Support.
Through maintenance of the Approved Supplier List repository the following goals are realized:
Supports Supplier Certification programs by providing a single store of information regarding a supplier's current status.
Helps design engineers achieve higher quality designs at a lower total cost through the re-use of preferred suppliers in new designs. Avoids supply base proliferation or unnecessary design dependence on 'difficult' suppliers.
Eliminates redundant sourcing efforts within departments, and across organizations. Facilitates a more global approach to contract negotiation.
Provides immediate procurement visibility when a supplier is assigned an unfavorable status. This 'early warning' can help prevent problem replication in multiple organizations.
Complies with external Quality System process requirements like ISO 9001/9002.
If Oracle Quality is implemented, eRecord tracking of ASL changes can be done. See FDA CFR 21 Part 11, Oracle Quality User's Guide.
Provides storage for general data attributes that are unique to the supplier/item intersection.
Maintains lists of supplier 'candidates' by commodity or item for future consideration.
Using Oracle Purchasing Approved Supplier List, you can:
Set approval/certification status at the appropriate level for your business. For example, approve a supplier for a given commodity (e.g. 'Office Supplies') for expense purchases while approving a specific supplier/site for each production item.
Approve suppliers (they perform their own manufacturing), distributors (they represent manufacturers), and manufacturers (they manufacture items marketed and sold by distributors).
Define global or local ASL entries. All organizations should be able to specify their own attributes (information about the supplier/item relationship) even if the supplier/item status is defined as a global record. This enables individual ship-to-organizations to determine, for example, whether they are ready to perform supplier scheduling, their purchasing unit of measure, their default item price, etc.
Link the primary supplier item number with your internal item number. This designated item will default to Purchase Order and Requisition lines.
Specify a Review By date indicating a proactive, planned review of the business with a longstanding supplier partner.
Review ASL information in a flexible inquiry format.
Define your own approval statuses and associate them with specific business rules.
Control procurement activity by preventing purchase order approval or supplier schedule confirmation for certain supplier/item combinations.
Control whether Sourcing Rules must be comprised of approved suppliers.
Define reference information, including planning constraints such as lead time, for the supplier/item combination.
Disable ASL entries. See: Defining the Supplier and Item/Commodity Combination.