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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-01-09
Create Supplier Catalogs and Load Items

Create Supplier Catalogs and Load Items

  • Configure the
    Catalog Load
     business process and security policy.
  • Security:
    Process: Supplier Catalog
     and
    Self-Service: Supplier Contact - Catalogs
     domains in the Supplier Contracts functional area.
  • Configure supplier contracts for the items.
You can create supplier catalogs, load catalog items with units of measure (UOM) and unit prices, and associate UOMs with alternate item identifiers. You can then route the catalog load request for review and approval.
  1. Access the
    Create Supplier Catalog
     task.
  2. Click
    Load Items
     to access the
    Catalog Load Request
     task.
    Option
    Description
    Effective Date
    The date for the catalog items you're creating, updating, or inactivating.
    Select Existing Items to Update
    Select to pull existing catalog items into your catalog load request so you can update or inactivate them.
  3. Click
    Ok
    .
  4. Click the
    Details
     tab and consider:
    Option Description
    Default Lead Time in Days
    Specify a value for the number of days between the document date of the purchase order and the expected delivery date.
    • Workday uses the lead time plus document date to calculate the due date on the purchase order.
    • When there are multiple lead times, Workday selects the lead time based on this order of priority:
      • Lead time specified on either the supplier item or catalog item.
      • Lead time specified on the supplier.
      • Lead time specified on the tenant.
    You change this lead time when you add items. However, when you don't specify the lead time value for an item, Workday will default to the value entered in this field.
  5. Click
    Add
     on the
    Items
     tab to add a supplier item and consider:
    Option Description
    Catalog Item
    To change an existing catalog item, select a catalog item from the prompt.
    Purchase Item
    Select a purchase item to associate with the supplier catalog item.
    You can search for catalog items using the item identifier of the associated purchase item. Workday displays matching purchase and catalog items associated with the purchase item.
    If you store supplier information on the purchase item, Workday suggests you select the purchase item before you enter other information. This ensures consistent supplier data.
    Action
    Workday automatically populates the field to
    Update
    . You can override the option with:
    • Inactive
      : You can't select a catalog item for new requisitions or purchase orders when it's inactive.
    • No Change
      : The catalog item hasn't changed since the last catalog load and requires no further processing on the effective date.
    Supplier Item Identifier
    Enter the supplier item identifier to add a catalog item. The field automatically populates from the catalog item when you select an existing catalog item.
    Commodity Code
    Select a standard product taxonomy code.
    Example: UNSPSC or NIGP.
    Spend Category
    When you select this item as a worktag in a transaction, Workday automatically includes its category as a worktag.
    Base Unit of Measure
    Populates if linked to a purchase item. Otherwise, Workday recommends that you enter the base UOM when you're defining multiple UOM.
    Packaging String
    Enter or update the packaging string of the item to give users visibility to the different units of measure and their conversion factors.
    Example:
    CS/10BX/200EA
    When you associate a purchase item to a catalog item during the catalog load process, Workday automatically populates the packaging string of the purchase item.
    Lead Time
    If you have already defined the
    Default Lead Time in Days
    , it will populate here. You can specify a different
    Lead Time
    for an item.
    Workday uses the
    Lead Time
    plus
    Document Date
    to calculate the
    Due Date
    on the purchase order.
    When there are multiple lead times, Workday selects the lead time based on these, order of priority. Lead time specified on:
    • The supplier item or catalog item (the value in this field).
    • The supplier.
    • The tenant.
    Note: When there are no due dates populated in the goods lines, Workday uses the
    Header Due Date
    in purchase orders to populate the corresponding goods lines.
    Item URL
    Enter a URL when the supplier has a website to access more details about the catalog item.
    Item Tags
    Item tags associated with the catalog item, punchout item, or purchase item.
  6. As you complete the
    Ordering Units of Measure
     and
    Just In Time Units of Measure
     section, consider:
    Option Description
    Conversion Factor
    Enter the number of base UOMs comprising that UOM.
    Workday recommends that you keep conversion factor values consistent between the catalog item and the associated purchase item.
    On procurement documents, Workday populates the
    Conversion Factor
     from the purchase item you associate with the selected catalog item.
    Lead Time
    The lead time of a UOM overrides the lead time of an item.
    Default
    Select 1 UOM as default for ordering.
  7. In the
    Alternate Item Identifiers
     section, specify the value and units of measure for the applicable
    Item Identifier Type
    .
    When you configure supplier catalog items with primary item identifiers on the
    Maintain Item Identifier Type Display Options
     task, Workday displays up to 3 item identifiers in columns. You can select the remaining items that aren’t marked as primary item identifiers in the
    Additional Item Identifiers
     column. See Define Alternate Types of Identifiers for Items.
After approving the catalog load request, the catalog load displays:
  • Whether items are new, updated, inactive, or unchanged.
  • The
    Price Variance Percent
    , if applicable.
  • Route your catalog load requests for approval.
  • Link the catalog to supplier contracts:
    1. From the related actions menu of a supplier contract, select
      Supplier Contract
      Amend Supplier Contract
      .
    2. In the
      Catalog Item Pricing
       section, select the
      Catalog Items
       tab.
    3. Add a row to the grid.
    4. In the
      Catalog
       prompt, select
      Catalogs for SUpplier
      , then select the catalog you created.
    5. Click
      Submit
      .