Catalog Mgmt

Question

Have a few conceptual doubts in Catalogs Management.Please share your views:
1.]Is OCI some standard that both EBP as well as the vendor uploading the catalog has to follow??I understand that it describes the data exchange between EBP and external catalog application but does every company have its own OCI standards?Who decides the fields and how is it communicated to the vendor? Any clear explanation on how the flow works?
2.]Should all the products that show up in the catalogs be in the EBP product master as well??
3.]One of the  sources to shop from(other than catalogs,description and old PO template) is the 'internal goods/services from EBP product master.Are the products in this source not catalogued?
4.]From SRM Doc:"In order for Requisite BugsEye to send items from its shopping cart to the external system via a URL, it needs an interface to define the parameters between BugsEye's common attributes and the equivalent external attributes. The Catalog Connector creates the mapping between the two sets of attributes, defining the interface between the two systems."-I cannot make any sense of it.What URL?Can anyone please explain in a simpler way.
Would appreciate any input from you all.
Thanks much!
Priya

Answer 1

Hi Priya,
<u>First Question.</u>
To use catalog line without a material master in SRM, you have two possibilities:
1- You create in the catalog a line with no Material number (NEW_ITEM-MATNR in the OCI), but with a description (NEW_ITEM-DESCRIPTION) and a material group (NEW_ITEM-MATGRP). This item will create a SC item and will be transfered to R/3 as a description item (no material number)
2- You create lines in the catalog but you don't have the use of a material number in SRM. Then you can check in the catalog link customizing the 'Do not Check product' flag. Then the Material number is stored in SRM, and transfered in R/3, but no local material master check is done in SRM.
Here we are talking of the customer material reference, with logistic managment, not the supplier material number or contract number that validates the commercial agreement with the supplier.
<u>Second Question</u>
In fact Emerge "contains" Bugs Eye, and the "publication"  from a server to another is only a "manual" process process (Emerge could be used as the catalog search engine).
In CCM the CAT and CSE are separated data and services. You must publish the content in the CSE, or the CSE services (transactions) will not get any data.
You have several options for CCM installation (CAT & CSE can be installed separately): My advice is to install the CCM on the same client of the SRM. It simplifies the master data management (vendors, units, ...) and the process (XI not requested).
Regards.
Vadim