Concept: Unified Supplier Integration

The Unified Supplier Integration (USI) framework enables real-time data synchronization between Workday and Workday Strategic Sourcing (WSS).

USI provides an integration solution for customers who do not have a pre-existing supplier onboarding integration and replaces the legacy supplier connector for existing customers

After you enable USI, you can’t revert to the legacy integration.

The Integration System User (ISU) used for Unified Supplier Integration has view and modify access but you can’t sign in to the Workday UI or access supplier data. This restriction exists because the ISU has no associated email account or system user.

USI provides:

Real-time validation of supplier data.

Automatic data syncing when you change supplier data in either Workday or WSS

Data Synchronization Details

Workday synchronizes the supplier data automatically and initiates synchronization for on-demand resources, such as payee bank account or address fields, when any supplier record is opened in WSS or when a supplier-related change occurs in Workday.

USI supports only bidirectional data synchronization when you change supplier data in either Workday or WSS.

Supplier data that synchronizes automatically from Workday to WSS:

Address usage.

Payment terms.

Payment types.

Phone device type.

Supplier categories

Supplier classifications (limited to the Diversity category).

Supplier contact types (limited to the Supplier usage).

Supplier groups.

Shipping Terms

Shipping Methods

In WSS, you can clear these check boxes in Settings so that sourcing managers and suppliers can't select the options. Clearing a check box doesn't remove that option from suppliers that already have it.

Data that Workday synchronizes on demand and caches for 15 minutes:

Address fields.

Bank account fields.

USI now supports the city prompt in

Maintain Localization Setting

Workday doesn’t support automatic data syncing for basic supplier connector customers. You must enable the unified supplier onboarding form and synchronize all fields.

Workday does not sync Basic Supplier to WSS.

The USI transaction logs provide a detailed history of data exchanges from Workday to WSS.

Once WSS marks a supplier as Approved and syncs the record to Workday, the sourcing manager can’t edit the standard fields on the supplier record in WSS.

When WSS marks a supplier as Approved
and syncs the record to Workday, the sourcing manager can’t edit the standard fields on the supplier record in WSS. You can change the supplier status in WSS after Workday syncs the supplier. Changing the status doesn't affect suppliers that are already synced.

When a supplier record has a business process in progress in Workday, you can’t edit supplier contacts in WSS

Synchronization Errors

The

Supplier Synchronization Errors

task displays the latest synchronization errors. The task does not show previously resolved errors.

When you correct a synchronization error, Workday updates the record in WSS. If the correction is successful, Workday automatically removes the error from the

Supplier Synchronization Errors

task. Workday sends notifications for new errors based on the schedule in the

Opt In

tab. Any user with access to the

Supplier Sync Errors

task receives these notifications until you resolve the errors.

For supplier synchronization, the errors appear in a table directly on the

Synchronize Supplier

tab in the

Configure Unified Supplier Integration

task.

Unified Supplier Integration supports linking suppliers that exist in both WSS and Workday and that aren’t linked yet. You can link suppliers:

In bulk, using the Data Importer.

1 at a time, on the supplier record in WSS.

For the Data Importer, the supplier record must include the Workday

Supplier ID

in the

External ID

field and have a Link
with Workday status. A scheduled nightly process completes the linking.

On the supplier record, click Options and select Link with Workday Supplier, enter the Workday Supplier ID and Workday links the WSS supplier to the Workday supplier record immediately.

You can’t relink a supplier that is already linked.

Business Processes

Workday initiates the Supplier Event
business process for new suppliers from WSS.

Workday initiates the Supplier Change
business process when suppliers update their information on the Unified Supplier Portal.

Workday displays the USI integration system user in the process history, related actions, and notifications when that user creates or updates a supplier or supplier change event from WSS. If you use a condition rule to route suppliers from WSS, Workday recommends this configuration on the Supplier Event
business process:

Recommended Configuration:

Source External Field or Condition Rule: Created By

Relational Operator: In selection list

Comparison Type: Value specified in this filter

Comparison Value: Spend API Client Configuration - Integration User

Custom Validations

Workday initiates critical custom validations you configure for the supplier business object when either:

A buyer marks a supplier as Approved
.

An existing, synced supplier updates an onboarding form.

To prevent blocking a supplier going to Workday, ensure that you configure critical custom validations only for fields available in WSS.

Supplier Editing

Updates made by an onboarded supplier in the Unified Supplier Portal triggers the Supplier Change
BP. These changes will not be visible on the WSS supplier record until they are officially approved through the BP.

Once Workday syncs a supplier, the Supplier Account in Workday is the supplier record that WSS uses. When you enable the Unified Supplier Portal, suppliers can update their information there. Sourcing managers in WSS can only update supplier contacts and custom fields on synced suppliers. You must make other changes on the Supplier Account in Workday.

Company admins can select which sections suppliers can update after Workday syncs the supplier:

Supplier Information

Business Contact Information

Tax Information

Procurement Options

Banking Information

Supplier Contacts

Diversity Information

Attachments

Workday initiates the Supplier Change
business process when an onboarded supplier updates information on the Unified Supplier Portal. Workday doesn't display these changes on the WSS supplier record until the business process completes with Approved
status.

Supplier Duplication

You can now optionally enable duplicate supplier names on the Supplier Profile.