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Data Template: Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order

SAP Ariba

Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order Attributes (23) Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order Activities (14) Extraction Guides (2)

Your Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order Data Template

This template provides a comprehensive guide for collecting the essential data needed to analyze your Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order process. It outlines the crucial attributes and activities to track, along with practical guidance for data extraction from your source system. Use this resource to ensure a complete and accurate foundation for process discovery and optimization.

Recommended attributes to collect
Key activities to track
Extraction guidance

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Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order Attributes

These are the recommended data fields to include in your event log for comprehensive analysis of your Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order process.

3 Required 6 Recommended 14 Optional

	Name	Description
	Activity Name ActivityName	The name of the specific event or task that occurred at a point in time within the purchase order process.
Description The Activity Name describes a step in the purchase order lifecycle, such as 'Purchase Order Created', 'Purchase Order Approved', or 'Goods Receipt Posted'. This sequence of activities forms the basis of the process map. Analyzing these activities is the core of process mining. It helps visualize the process flow, identify common and rare process variants, and measure the duration between different steps. Understanding the sequence and frequency of activities like 'Purchase Order Changed' is crucial for dashboards like the Purchase Order Change Rate Analysis. Why it matters This attribute defines the steps in the process, allowing for the visualization of the process flow and the identification of bottlenecks, rework, and deviations. Where to get Generated by mapping status changes, transaction codes, or event logs from the underlying SAP Ariba tables related to document history and workflow. Examples Purchase Order ApprovedPurchase Order ChangedGoods Receipt PostedInvoice Received Against PO
	Event Time EventTime	The precise date and time when a specific activity or event occurred.
Description Event Time is the timestamp associated with each activity, recording when it started. This data is essential for ordering events chronologically and for calculating durations and cycle times between different steps in the process. This attribute is critical for nearly all time-based analyses, including the Purchase Order End-to-End Cycle Time and Purchase Order Approval Cycle Time dashboards. It enables the calculation of key performance indicators like 'Average PO Approval Cycle Time' by measuring the time difference between the timestamps of the 'Purchase Order Created' and 'Purchase Order Approved' activities. Why it matters This timestamp is fundamental for sequencing events correctly and calculating all duration-based metrics, such as cycle times and wait times. Where to get This is typically found in the audit trail or change log data for Purchase Order documents in SAP Ariba. Examples 2023-04-15T10:30:00Z2023-04-16T14:05:22Z2023-05-01T09:00:15Z
	Purchase Order PurchaseOrderNumber	The unique identifier for each Purchase Order document, serving as the central case identifier for the process.
Description The Purchase Order Number is the primary key that links all related activities and events throughout the procurement lifecycle. Each number represents a single purchasing transaction, from the initial creation of the order to its final completion or cancellation. In process mining, this attribute is fundamental for case-level analysis. It allows the reconstruction of the end-to-end journey for every purchase order, enabling the calculation of cycle times, identification of process variants, and tracking of individual order statuses. Analyzing processes by Purchase Order Number helps to understand the complete flow and identify bottlenecks or deviations for specific transactions. Why it matters This is the essential Case ID that connects all process steps, making it possible to analyze the end-to-end lifecycle of each individual purchase order. Where to get This is a primary field on the Purchase Order document in SAP Ariba Buying and Invoicing or SAP Ariba Sourcing. Examples PO7000123456PO7000123457PO7000123458
	Department Name DepartmentName	The business department or cost center associated with the purchase order.
Description This attribute indicates the organizational unit that initiated the purchase request or for which the purchase is being made. It is often derived from the cost center information on the purchase order. This dimension is essential for the Departmental PO Processing Efficiency dashboard, allowing for direct comparison of cycle times and process variants across different departments. It helps identify which departments follow best practices and which may require additional training or process improvements. It's also key for calculating the Departmental PO Cycle Time Variance KPI. Why it matters Enables performance comparison across different business units, helping to identify departmental bottlenecks and share best practices. Where to get This information can be found at the header or line-item level of the Purchase Order, often linked to the Cost Center or Requestor's profile. Examples MarketingIT OperationsFacilities ManagementResearch & Development
	Goods Receipt Date GoodsReceiptDate	The date on which the receipt of goods or completion of services was officially recorded in the system.
Description This attribute marks the timestamp of the 'Goods Receipt Posted' or 'Services Confirmation Entered' activity. It is the official confirmation that the ordered items have been received. This date is critical for measuring actual delivery times. It is the counterpart to the 'RequestedDeliveryDate' and is used to calculate delivery variance and timeliness KPIs. The Goods Receipt Posting Timeliness dashboard relies on this attribute to assess how quickly receipts are being recorded after delivery, which is important for inventory accuracy and timely invoice payment. Why it matters Represents the actual delivery date, which is essential for calculating delivery performance and identifying delays in the supply chain. Where to get This is the timestamp of the Goods Receipt or Service Entry Sheet document that references the Purchase Order. Examples 2023-06-02T11:00:00Z2023-07-14T15:30:00Z2023-08-22T09:45:00Z
	PO Amount PurchaseOrderAmount	The total monetary value of the purchase order.
Description This attribute represents the total cost of all goods and services listed on the purchase order, excluding taxes and other charges unless specified. It is a key financial metric for understanding the value of transactions flowing through the process. In analysis, the Purchase Order Amount is often used to segment the process. For example, high-value orders may follow a different, more stringent approval path than low-value orders. It can be used to prioritize process improvement efforts on the most financially significant transactions and to analyze spending patterns by department or vendor. Why it matters Provides financial context to each case, enabling value-based analysis to prioritize improvements and understand how order value impacts process behavior. Where to get This is a standard calculated field at the header level of the Purchase Order document, summing the value of all line items. Examples 1500.0025000.50500.75
	Requested Delivery Date RequestedDeliveryDate	The date when the requesting party expects the goods or services to be delivered.
Description This is the target delivery date specified by the business during the creation of the purchase requisition or order. It serves as a baseline against which actual delivery performance is measured. This attribute is fundamental for the Vendor Delivery Performance dashboard and the Goods Receipt Timeliness Rate KPI. By comparing the Requested Delivery Date with the actual Goods Receipt Date, organizations can measure vendor punctuality, calculate delivery variance, and identify suppliers who consistently fail to meet delivery timelines. This analysis is crucial for managing supplier relationships and mitigating supply chain risks. Why it matters Serves as the baseline for measuring on-time delivery performance, which is critical for assessing vendor reliability and supply chain efficiency. Where to get This is a standard date field at the line-item level of the Purchase Order document. Examples 2023-06-012023-07-152023-08-20
	User Name UserName	The name or ID of the user who performed the activity.
Description This attribute identifies the individual responsible for executing a specific process step, such as approving a purchase order or posting a goods receipt. It can be a unique user ID or a full name. Analyzing performance by user helps identify training needs or recognize top performers. It is also crucial for compliance-related analyses, such as the PO Approval Compliance Deviation dashboard, where it helps determine who bypassed required approval steps. It can also be used to understand workload distribution and resource allocation. Why it matters Provides accountability and enables analysis of user-specific performance, workload, and compliance, which is key for identifying training needs or process deviations. Where to get This information is typically available in the workflow and document history logs within SAP Ariba, often associated with each event. Examples john.smithLROSSIjane.doe
	Vendor Name VendorName	The name of the supplier or vendor from whom goods or services are being procured.
Description This attribute identifies the external partner involved in the purchase order. The vendor is a critical entity in the purchase-to-pay process, and their performance directly impacts the efficiency of the entire cycle. Vendor Name is a primary dimension for performance analysis. It is essential for the Vendor Delivery Performance dashboard, which compares delivery dates across different suppliers. Analyzing processes by vendor can reveal which suppliers are consistently late, cause more rework, or have complex invoicing processes, providing valuable insights for supplier relationship management. Why it matters Allows for the analysis of supplier performance, helping to identify reliable partners and pinpoint vendors causing delays or other issues. Where to get This is a standard field at the header level of the Purchase Order document in SAP Ariba. Examples Global Office Supplies Inc.Tech Solutions LLCAdvanced Industrial Parts
	Currency DocumentCurrency	The currency code for the monetary values on the purchase order.
Description This attribute specifies the currency, such as USD, EUR, or GBP, in which the Purchase Order Amount is denominated. It is essential context for any financial data. When analyzing a process that spans multiple countries or regions, the Document Currency is crucial for correctly interpreting and comparing monetary values. All financial KPIs and dashboards must use this field to either filter for a single currency or to apply appropriate exchange rates for accurate aggregation and comparison. Why it matters Provides necessary context for all monetary fields, ensuring accurate financial analysis and preventing the incorrect aggregation of different currencies. Where to get This is a standard field at the header level of the Purchase Order document in SAP Ariba. Examples USDEURGBPJPY
	Delivery Variance DeliveryVariance	The calculated time difference between the requested delivery date and the actual goods receipt date.
Description This metric quantifies vendor delivery performance by measuring how early or late a delivery is. It is calculated by subtracting the 'RequestedDeliveryDate' from the 'GoodsReceiptDate'. A positive value indicates a late delivery, a negative value indicates an early delivery, and zero means it was on time. This is the core calculation behind the 'Vendor Delivery Performance' dashboard and the 'Vendor Delivery Performance Variance' KPI. By analyzing this variance across vendors, organizations can identify reliable and unreliable partners, which informs supplier negotiations and risk management strategies. It helps move beyond simple on-time/late flags to understand the magnitude of delivery deviations. Why it matters Quantifies vendor punctuality by measuring the exact lateness or earliness of deliveries, which is crucial for managing supplier performance. Where to get Calculated in the data transformation layer by subtracting 'RequestedDeliveryDate' from 'GoodsReceiptDate'. Examples P2D-P1DP0D
	Event End Time EventEndTime	The timestamp indicating when an activity was completed. Used for calculating the processing time of manual activities.
Description While StartTime indicates when an activity began, EventEndTime marks its conclusion. For many system-generated events, the start and end times are identical. However, for manual tasks or long-running automated jobs, the difference between start and end time represents the activity's processing time. This attribute is used to calculate the 'ProcessingTime' metric, which is vital for the Purchase Order Activity Duration Analysis dashboard. It helps pinpoint which specific tasks are taking the longest to complete, highlighting opportunities for training, resource reallocation, or automation. Why it matters Enables the calculation of precise processing times for individual activities, helping to identify which specific tasks are the most time-consuming. Where to get Consult SAP Ariba documentation. This may need to be derived from the start time of the subsequent activity if not explicitly available. Examples 2023-04-15T10:45:00Z2023-04-16T14:05:30Z2023-05-01T11:00:00Z
	Is PO Changed IsPurchaseOrderChanged	A boolean flag indicating whether the Purchase Order was modified after its initial creation.
Description This is a derived attribute that is set to 'true' if a 'Purchase Order Changed' activity exists for a given case. It simplifies the analysis of change rates by providing a simple, case-level indicator of change. This flag is used to calculate the 'Purchase Order Change Rate' KPI. It helps to quickly segment the data to compare processes for changed vs. unchanged orders, which can reveal the downstream impacts of changes, such as longer cycle times or increased invoice discrepancies. The Purchase Order Change Rate Analysis dashboard uses this to quantify the frequency of changes. Why it matters Provides a simple flag to identify all purchase orders that have been changed, making it easy to calculate change rates and analyze their impact. Where to get This flag is derived during data transformation by checking for the presence of a 'Purchase Order Changed' event for each Purchase Order Number. Examples truefalse
	Is Rework IsRework	A calculated flag that indicates if a purchase order has undergone a rework loop, such as being rejected and resubmitted.
Description This boolean attribute is derived from the sequence of activities. It is set to 'true' if a purchase order moves backward in the process, for example, if an 'Approve Purchase Order' activity is followed by a 'Change Purchase Order' activity and then another approval. This signifies a deviation from the ideal, straight-through process. This flag is essential for calculating the PO Rework Loop Rate KPI and for filtering the process map to highlight inefficient flows. By identifying cases with rework, analysts can investigate the root causes, such as incorrect data entry or unclear requirements, and take action to improve the first-pass approval rate. Why it matters Directly flags cases with process inefficiencies and rework, allowing analysts to quantify the impact of loops and target them for elimination. Where to get This attribute is not in the source system but is calculated during data transformation using the sequence of activities for each case. Examples truefalse
	Last Data Update LastDataUpdate	The timestamp indicating when the data for this event was last refreshed or extracted from the source system.
Description This attribute provides the date and time of the latest data pull from SAP Ariba. It is a critical piece of metadata for understanding the freshness of the data being analyzed. In any process mining analysis, knowing the recency of the data is essential for reporting and decision-making. This timestamp allows users to confirm that their dashboards and KPIs, such as Purchase Order Throughput Trend, are based on up-to-date information. Why it matters Indicates the freshness of the data, ensuring users understand how current their analysis is and building trust in the insights. Where to get This timestamp is typically generated and appended to the dataset during the data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) process. Examples 2023-10-27T02:00:00Z2023-10-28T02:00:00Z
	Material Group MaterialGroup	A classification used to group together materials or services with similar characteristics.
Description The Material Group, or Commodity Code in Ariba's terminology, is a way of categorizing the items being purchased. This allows for spend analysis and the application of different procurement strategies for different types of goods or services. In process mining, this attribute enables analysis of the procurement process based on what is being bought. For example, the approval process for IT hardware might be different from that for office supplies. This allows for more nuanced insights, helping to tailor process improvements to specific purchasing categories. Why it matters Enables analysis of the process based on the category of goods or services being purchased, revealing variations in how different items are procured. Where to get This is a standard field at the line-item level of a Purchase Order, often labeled as 'Commodity Code'. Examples IT.HardwareOffice.SuppliesProfessional.Services
	PO Approval Cycle Time POApprovalCycleTime	The calculated duration between the creation of a purchase order and its final approval.
Description This metric measures the time it takes for a purchase order to get through all necessary approval steps. It is calculated as the time difference between the timestamp of the first 'Purchase Order Created' activity and the last 'Purchase Order Approved' activity for a given case. This is a direct measure for the 'Average PO Approval Cycle Time' KPI and is the core metric for the 'Purchase Order Approval Cycle Time' dashboard. Analyzing this duration helps businesses identify bottlenecks in the approval hierarchy, whether they are with specific individuals, departments, or for certain types of purchases. Reducing this cycle time is often a key goal of process improvement projects. Why it matters Directly measures the efficiency of the approval process, a common source of delays in procurement, and is a critical KPI for process owners. Where to get Calculated during data transformation by subtracting the start time of the creation event from the start time of the final approval event. Examples P2DPT8H30MP0D
	PO End-to-End Cycle Time POEndToEndCycleTime	The total time elapsed from the creation of the first purchase requisition to the final completion of the purchase order.
Description This calculated attribute measures the total duration of the entire purchase order process. It typically starts with the 'Purchase Requisition Created' event and ends with the 'Purchase Order Completed' or final 'Goods Receipt Posted' event. It provides a holistic view of the process efficiency. This is the primary metric for the 'End-to-End PO Cycle Time' KPI and the 'Purchase Order End-to-End Cycle Time' dashboard. It allows organizations to track their overall performance and the impact of any process improvements. Breaking down this total cycle time by vendor, department, or material group can reveal the biggest drivers of long lead times. Why it matters Represents the total processing time for a purchase order, providing a high-level measure of overall process efficiency and customer experience. Where to get Calculated during data transformation by taking the difference between the earliest and latest timestamps for a given case. Examples P15DP30D12HP7D
	PO Status PurchaseOrderStatus	The current status of the purchase order in its lifecycle.
Description This attribute indicates the current state of the purchase order, such as 'Ordering', 'Receiving', 'Invoiced', or 'Completed'. It provides a snapshot of where the PO is in the overall process. While process mining reconstructs the flow from activities, the current status is useful for filtering cases and understanding the current workload. For example, an analyst might want to focus only on 'In-Flight' purchase orders that are not yet completed. It can also be used to validate the final activity in a process trace. Why it matters Provides a quick snapshot of where a purchase order is in its lifecycle, which is useful for filtering and focusing on active or completed cases. Where to get This is a standard status field on the Purchase Order document header in SAP Ariba. Examples OrderingReceivingCompletedCanceled
	PO Type PurchaseOrderType	A classification of the purchase order, such as standard, framework, or subcontracting.
Description Purchase Order Type categorizes orders based on their business purpose. Different types of orders may follow distinct process paths and have different rules for approval and fulfillment. This attribute allows for the segmentation of the process to provide more meaningful analysis. For example, analyzing the cycle time for 'Standard POs' separately from 'Service POs' can reveal different types of bottlenecks. It helps in creating more homogenous subsets of data for a clearer view of specific procurement scenarios. Why it matters Allows for the segmentation of analysis by order type, leading to more accurate insights as different types often have different process flows. Where to get Consult SAP Ariba documentation. This is typically a configurable field at the PO header level. Examples Standard POService POBlanket PO
	Purchase Requisition No. PurchaseRequisitionNumber	The unique identifier of the purchase requisition that preceded the purchase order.
Description This attribute links a purchase order back to its originating purchase requisition. Not all purchase orders will have a preceding requisition, for example, in cases of direct PO creation. This link is crucial for analyzing the full, end-to-end procurement process, starting from the initial request. It is required for the Requisition to PO Conversion Funnel dashboard and the Requisition to PO Conversion Time KPI. Analyzing this connection helps identify delays between a request being approved and the formal order being placed with the vendor. Why it matters Connects the purchase order to the initial request, enabling true end-to-end analysis from requisition creation to order fulfillment. Where to get This information is usually available as a reference field on the Purchase Order line item. Examples PR10004567PR10004568PR10004569
	Purchasing Organization PurchasingOrganization	The organizational unit responsible for procuring materials and services and negotiating with vendors.
Description The Purchasing Organization is a key entity in the procurement structure, responsible for the strategic aspects of purchasing. Different purchasing organizations may exist for different regions or business units. Analyzing the process by Purchasing Organization can reveal differences in efficiency, compliance, and vendor management strategies across the company. This can help in standardizing best practices and identifying organizational-level bottlenecks or sources of inefficiency. Why it matters Allows for high-level analysis of process efficiency and compliance across different strategic purchasing units. Where to get This is a standard organizational data field at the header level of the Purchase Order document. Examples PO_US01PO_EMEAPO_GLOBAL
	Source System SourceSystem	Identifies the system from which the data was extracted, in this case, SAP Ariba.
Description This attribute specifies the origin of the process data. In environments with multiple integrated systems, it is crucial for distinguishing data from different sources and ensuring data lineage. For analysis, it helps in filtering data to a specific system or understanding process interactions across different platforms. It's a key piece of metadata for data governance and validation, ensuring that analyses are based on the correct dataset. Why it matters Provides essential context about data origin, which is crucial for data governance, validation, and analysis in multi-system environments. Where to get This is a static value ('SAP Ariba') typically added during the data extraction and transformation process. Examples SAP AribaSAP-Ariba-USAribaCloud

Required Recommended Optional

Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order Activities

These are the key process steps and milestones to capture in your event log for accurate Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order process discovery.

6 Recommended 8 Optional

	Activity	Description
	Goods Receipt Posted	Represents the physical receipt of goods, which is recorded in SAP Ariba. This is an explicit event captured when a user creates and submits a Receipt document against a purchase order line item.
Why it matters This is a crucial milestone for confirming delivery and is the end point for measuring vendor delivery performance. It also authorizes the invoice to be paid in a three-way match scenario. Where to get Captured from the creation or submission timestamp of the `Receipt` document linked to the `PurchaseOrder`. Capture Based on the submission timestamp of the Goods Receipt document. Event type explicit
	Purchase Order Approved	Indicates that the purchase order has received all necessary internal approvals and is ready to be sent to the vendor. This event is inferred from the PO document's status changing to 'Approved' after completing the designated workflow.
Why it matters This is a critical milestone for measuring approval cycle times and identifying bottlenecks in management review. Delays here directly impact vendor lead times and procurement efficiency. Where to get Inferred from the timestamp when the `PurchaseOrder` document's status or 'ApprovedState' field changes to 'Approved'. Approval history logs provide detailed data. Capture Inferred from the timestamp of the final approval action in the PO's approval flow. Event type inferred
	Purchase Order Completed	This activity marks the successful end of the purchase order lifecycle, indicating that goods or services have been fully received and invoiced. This is inferred from the PO status changing to 'Received', 'Invoiced', or a similar terminal state.
Why it matters This is the primary success-state endpoint of the process. Measuring the time to reach this state provides the end-to-end cycle time, a key measure of overall process efficiency. Where to get Inferred from the timestamp when the `PurchaseOrder` status changes to a final state like 'Received'. The PO is considered complete when all line items are fully received. Capture Inferred from the PO status changing to 'Received' or a similar completed state. Event type inferred
	Purchase Order Created	This activity signifies the creation of the official purchase order document in SAP Ariba, either from an approved requisition or directly. This is captured from the PO document's creation timestamp, representing the formal start of the PO's lifecycle.
Why it matters For direct POs, this is the process start. It's a key milestone for measuring the Requisition-to-PO conversion time and the overall PO processing cycle. Where to get Captured from the creation timestamp of the `PurchaseOrder` document object in SAP Ariba Buying. The status is typically 'Composing' or 'Submitted' at this point. Capture Based on the creation timestamp of the purchase order document. Event type explicit
	Purchase Order Sent To Vendor	Represents the moment the approved purchase order is officially transmitted to the vendor, typically via the Ariba Network. This event is captured when the PO status changes to 'Sent' or 'Ordered'.
Why it matters This marks the transition from internal processing to external fulfillment. It is the starting point for measuring vendor lead time and delivery performance. Where to get Inferred from the timestamp when the `PurchaseOrder` document's status changes to 'Sent' or 'Ordered'. This is a standard status transition in Ariba. Capture Inferred from the timestamp of the status change to 'Sent' or a similar state. Event type inferred
	Purchase Requisition Created	This activity marks the creation of a purchase requisition, which is the formal request for goods or services that precedes a purchase order. In SAP Ariba, this is typically captured when a user saves and submits a new requisition document, creating an explicit record with a creation timestamp.
Why it matters This is the primary starting point for the procurement process. Analyzing the time from this event to PO creation is crucial for understanding the requisition-to-order cycle time and identifying early-stage bottlenecks. Where to get This event is captured from the creation date of the `Requisition` document object in the SAP Ariba Buying module. The status change to 'Submitted' often signifies the formal start. Capture Based on the creation timestamp of the purchase requisition document. Event type explicit
	Advance Ship Notice Received	This activity is recorded when the vendor sends an Advance Ship Notice (ASN) via the Ariba Network, indicating that the goods have been dispatched. The ASN contains details about the shipment, such as items, quantities, and tracking information.
Why it matters The ASN provides visibility into the supply chain, allowing the receiving department to prepare for the delivery. It is a key input for tracking in-transit inventory and predicting delivery times. Where to get Captured from the creation date of the `ShipNotice` document that is linked to the `PurchaseOrder` line items. Capture Based on the creation timestamp of the Advance Ship Notice (ASN) document. Event type explicit
	Goods Returned To Vendor	This activity captures the return of goods to a vendor, typically due to damage, defects, or incorrect items being delivered. It is recorded when a return receipt or debit memo is created against the original goods receipt.
Why it matters Tracking returns highlights issues with vendor quality and delivery accuracy. Analyzing the frequency and reasons for returns can help improve vendor selection and management. Where to get This can be inferred from the creation of a return-specific receipt document or a negative quantity on a receipt. The specific mechanism can vary based on configuration. Capture Inferred from the creation of a receipt with a negative quantity or a specific 'Return' type. Event type inferred
	Invoice Received Against PO	Indicates that an invoice from the vendor referencing the purchase order has been received and entered into SAP Ariba. This event links the procurement process to the subsequent payment process.
Why it matters This activity is a key integration point between procurement and finance. Its timing is important for managing working capital and ensuring on-time payments to vendors. Where to get Captured from the creation timestamp of the `Invoice` document in Ariba Invoicing, which contains a reference to the `PurchaseOrder`. Capture Based on the creation timestamp of the invoice document linked to the PO. Event type explicit
	Purchase Order Cancelled	Represents the termination of a purchase order before fulfillment. This can be initiated by either the buying organization or, in rare cases, the vendor.
Why it matters This is an important exception and process endpoint. Analyzing why POs are cancelled can reveal issues with planning, budgeting, or vendor reliability. Where to get Inferred from the timestamp when the `PurchaseOrder` document status is changed to 'Cancelled' or 'Closed'. Capture Inferred from the timestamp of the status change to 'Cancelled'. Event type inferred
	Purchase Order Changed	This activity captures any modification made to a purchase order after its initial creation, such as changes to quantity, price, or delivery date. A new version of the PO document is created, often triggering a re-approval workflow.
Why it matters Tracking changes is vital for identifying process inefficiencies, rework loops, and root causes of procurement errors. A high change rate can indicate poor initial requirement gathering. Where to get Captured by identifying multiple versions of the same `PurchaseOrder` document. Each new version has a creation timestamp that can be used for this event. Capture Logged when a new version of the PO document is created and saved. Event type explicit
	Purchase Requisition Approved	Represents the final approval of a purchase requisition by all required stakeholders, authorizing it to be converted into a purchase order. This is typically inferred from the requisition document's status changing to 'Approved' and the timestamp of that final approval action.
Why it matters This milestone concludes the internal approval phase for the request. Tracking this helps measure the efficiency of internal controls and approval workflows before the PO is created. Where to get Inferred from the approval history or status field of the `Requisition` document. The event timestamp corresponds to the date the status transitioned to 'Approved'. Capture Inferred from the timestamp when the requisition's 'ApprovedState' field changes to 'Approved'. Event type inferred
	Services Confirmation Entered	Represents the confirmation that services have been rendered, which is the service equivalent of a goods receipt. This is captured when a Service Sheet is created and approved against a service-based purchase order.
Why it matters This activity is critical for tracking the fulfillment of service orders and authorizes payment. Analyzing its timeliness helps manage service delivery and associated spending. Where to get Captured from the approval timestamp of the `ServiceSheet` document linked to the `PurchaseOrder`. Capture Based on the approval timestamp of the Service Sheet document. Event type explicit
	Vendor Confirmed Purchase Order	Indicates that the vendor has received and acknowledged the purchase order, confirming their intent to fulfill it. This is captured when the vendor submits an Order Confirmation document via the Ariba Network, which updates the PO status.
Why it matters This activity provides assurance that the order is being processed by the vendor. It helps in tracking vendor responsiveness and the accuracy of the initial order. Where to get Inferred from the timestamp when the `PurchaseOrder` status updates to 'Confirmed' following the receipt of an Order Confirmation from the vendor. Capture Based on the creation date of the related Order Confirmation document or a PO status change. Event type inferred

Recommended Optional

Extraction Guides

How to get your data from SAP Ariba

Steps

Access Analytical Reporting: Log in to your SAP Ariba instance with a user that has reporting administrator or reporting user permissions. Navigate to the reporting dashboard by clicking Manage > Analytical Reporting.
Create a New Report: Click the Create button and select Report. From the available options, choose Transactional Report to build a report based on transactional data facts.
Select Data Model (Fact): Choose the appropriate data model that contains the procurement data. This is often named Procurement Workspace Data, Sourcing and Procurement Data, or a similar custom fact like [Your Procurement Data Mart]. Select this as the basis for your report.
Add Report Content (Facts and Dimensions): From the Data Fields panel, pivot the report by adding the necessary objects to the report query. At a minimum, include facts for Purchase Order, Purchase Requisition, Receipt, Invoice, and User. Drag and drop the required fields from these objects into the Report Columns section.
Define Report Columns: Add all fields necessary to construct the event log. This will be a 'wide' export that you will transform later. Include:
- Purchase Order.ID (as PurchaseOrderNumber)
- Purchase Requisition.Time Created
- Purchase Requisition.Approved Date
- Purchase Order.Time Created
- Purchase Order.Approved Date
- Purchase Order.Version Time Created (for changes)
- Purchase Order.Ordered Date (for Sent to Vendor)
- Order Confirmation.Confirmation Date
- Advance Ship Notice.Time Created
- Receipt.Receipt Date (as GoodsReceiptDate)
- Service Sheet.Approved Date
- Invoice.Time Created
- Purchase Order.Closed Date (for Completed)
- Purchase Order.Canceled Date
- Also add User.Name, Department.Name, Supplier.Name, Purchase Order.Total Cost, and Purchase Order.Req Delivery Date.
Set Report Filters: Go to the Filters tab. Define a filter for the primary timestamp to limit the data volume. A common choice is Purchase Order.Time Created for the last 3-6 months. Add other critical filters such as Company Code or Purchasing Organization to scope the data to your area of analysis.
Save and Run the Report: Save the report with a clear name like ProcessMind_P2P_PO_Extraction. For large datasets, use the Schedule option to run the report overnight to avoid performance impacts. Do not run it immediately.
Export Report Data: Once the report has finished running, navigate to your scheduled reports, locate the completed instance, and download the output. Choose CSV as the export format for the best compatibility with data transformation tools.
Transform the Data: The exported CSV will be in a wide format (one row per PO). This must be transformed into a long format event log. Use a tool like Microsoft Excel Power Query, Python, or a dedicated ETL tool to 'unpivot' the date columns. For each row in the original file, create multiple rows in the new file, one for each non-empty date column. Each new row will contain the PurchaseOrderNumber, the ActivityName (derived from the original date column's header), and the EventTime (the value from that date column).
Finalize and Upload: Ensure the final transformed CSV file has the required column headers (PurchaseOrderNumber, ActivityName, EventTime, etc.). The file is now ready for upload into your process mining platform.

Configuration

Prerequisites: A user account with 'Reporting User' or 'Reporting Administrator' permissions is required to create, run, and schedule analytical reports.
Report Type: Use a Transactional Report. This allows you to combine multiple data facts (e.g., POs, Requisitions, Invoices) into a single report, which is necessary to capture the end-to-end process.
Data Model (Fact): The report must be based on a comprehensive procurement data mart, such as Procurement Workspace Data or a custom equivalent, that joins purchase orders with related documents.
Date Range Filtering: Always apply a date filter to limit the dataset size. A recommended starting point is to filter on Purchase Order Creation Date for the last 3 to 6 months of activity.
Key Data Filters: To ensure data relevance and manage volume, filter by Company Code and/or Purchasing Organization. This scopes the extraction to specific business units.
Performance Considerations: For datasets exceeding tens of thousands of purchase orders, always schedule the report to run during off-peak hours. Running large, complex reports on-demand can negatively impact system performance for all users.

a Sample Query config

/*
This is a conceptual SQL query representing the logic to be built in the SAP Ariba Analytical Reporting UI.
The final output is a single CSV file that is later transformed into an event log.
The Ariba UI does not use SQL directly; this query illustrates the required data structure and joins.
*/

-- Activity: Purchase Requisition Created
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Purchase Requisition Created' AS "ActivityName",
  pr.CREATION_TIME AS "EventTime",
  pr_creator.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.PRHeader] pr ON po.PR_ID = pr.PR_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] pr_creator ON pr.CREATED_BY_USER_ID = pr_creator.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]')

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Purchase Requisition Approved
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Purchase Requisition Approved' AS "ActivityName",
  pr.APPROVAL_TIME AS "EventTime",
  pr_approver.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.PRHeader] pr ON po.PR_ID = pr.PR_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] pr_approver ON pr.APPROVED_BY_USER_ID = pr_approver.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]') AND pr.APPROVAL_TIME IS NOT NULL

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Purchase Order Created
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Purchase Order Created' AS "ActivityName",
  po.CREATION_TIME AS "EventTime",
  po_creator.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] po_creator ON po.CREATED_BY_USER_ID = po_creator.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]')

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Purchase Order Approved
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Purchase Order Approved' AS "ActivityName",
  po.APPROVAL_TIME AS "EventTime",
  po_approver.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] po_approver ON po.APPROVED_BY_USER_ID = po_approver.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]') AND po.APPROVAL_TIME IS NOT NULL

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Purchase Order Changed
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Purchase Order Changed' AS "ActivityName",
  ver.VERSION_CREATION_TIME AS "EventTime",
  changer.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
INNER JOIN [Ariba.POVersions] ver ON po.PO_ID = ver.PO_ID AND ver.VERSION_NUMBER > 1
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] changer ON ver.CHANGED_BY_USER_ID = changer.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]')

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Purchase Order Sent To Vendor
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Purchase Order Sent To Vendor' AS "ActivityName",
  po.ORDERED_TIME AS "EventTime",
  sender.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] sender ON po.ORDERED_BY_USER_ID = sender.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]') AND po.ORDERED_TIME IS NOT NULL

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Vendor Confirmed Purchase Order
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Vendor Confirmed Purchase Order' AS "ActivityName",
  oc.CONFIRMATION_TIME AS "EventTime",
  'System/Vendor' AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
INNER JOIN [Ariba.OrderConfirmations] oc ON po.PO_ID = oc.PO_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]') AND oc.CONFIRMATION_TIME IS NOT NULL

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Advance Ship Notice Received
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Advance Ship Notice Received' AS "ActivityName",
  asn.CREATION_TIME AS "EventTime",
  'System/Vendor' AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
INNER JOIN [Ariba.ASNs] asn ON po.PO_ID = asn.PO_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]') AND asn.CREATION_TIME IS NOT NULL

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Goods Receipt Posted
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Goods Receipt Posted' AS "ActivityName",
  rcpt.RECEIPT_TIME AS "EventTime",
  receiver.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  rcpt.RECEIPT_TIME AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
INNER JOIN [Ariba.Receipts] rcpt ON po.PO_ID = rcpt.PO_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] receiver ON rcpt.CREATED_BY_USER_ID = receiver.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]') AND rcpt.RECEIPT_TYPE = 'Goods'

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Services Confirmation Entered
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Services Confirmation Entered' AS "ActivityName",
  ss.APPROVAL_TIME AS "EventTime",
  ss_creator.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  ss.APPROVAL_TIME AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
INNER JOIN [Ariba.ServiceSheets] ss ON po.PO_ID = ss.PO_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] ss_creator ON ss.CREATED_BY_USER_ID = ss_creator.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]') AND ss.APPROVAL_TIME IS NOT NULL

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Goods Returned To Vendor
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Goods Returned To Vendor' AS "ActivityName",
  rcpt.RECEIPT_TIME AS "EventTime",
  returner.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
INNER JOIN [Ariba.Receipts] rcpt ON po.PO_ID = rcpt.PO_ID AND rcpt.RECEIPT_TYPE = 'Return'
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] returner ON rcpt.CREATED_BY_USER_ID = returner.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]')

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Invoice Received Against PO
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Invoice Received Against PO' AS "ActivityName",
  inv.CREATION_TIME AS "EventTime",
  'System/AP' AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
INNER JOIN [Ariba.Invoices] inv ON po.PO_ID = inv.PO_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]')

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Purchase Order Completed
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Purchase Order Completed' AS "ActivityName",
  po.COMPLETED_TIME AS "EventTime",
  'System' AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]') AND po.STATUS = 'Completed'

UNION ALL

-- Activity: Purchase Order Cancelled
SELECT
  po.PO_NUMBER AS "PurchaseOrderNumber",
  'Purchase Order Cancelled' AS "ActivityName",
  po.CANCELLED_TIME AS "EventTime",
  canceller.USER_NAME AS "UserName",
  dept.DEPARTMENT_NAME AS "DepartmentName",
  vendor.VENDOR_NAME AS "VendorName",
  po.TOTAL_AMOUNT AS "PurchaseOrderAmount",
  po.REQUESTED_DELIVERY_DATE AS "RequestedDeliveryDate",
  NULL AS "GoodsReceiptDate"
FROM [Ariba.POHeader] po
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Users] canceller ON po.CANCELLED_BY_USER_ID = canceller.USER_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Departments] dept ON po.DEPARTMENT_ID = dept.DEPT_ID
LEFT JOIN [Ariba.Vendors] vendor ON po.VENDOR_ID = vendor.VENDOR_ID
WHERE po.CREATION_TIME BETWEEN '[START_DATE]' AND '[END_DATE]' AND po.COMPANY_CODE IN ('[Your Company Code]') AND po.STATUS = 'Cancelled'

Steps

Prerequisites: Ensure you have a developer account with SAP Ariba and have created an application with API access. You will need the API Key, OAuth Client ID, and OAuth Client Secret. The application must be approved and granted permissions to the Analytical Reporting API.
Configure Reporting View: In the SAP Ariba administration interface, ensure an analytical reporting view (also known as a view template) is configured to contain all the necessary fields for the purchase order lifecycle. This view should join data from requisitions, purchase orders, receipts, and invoices. Note the exact name of this view template, as it's required for the API call.
Install Python Libraries: Set up a Python environment and install the necessary libraries: requests for making API calls and pandas for data manipulation. You can install them using pip: pip install requests pandas.
Set Up the Python Script: Copy the provided Python script into a file, for example, ariba_p2p_extractor.py. Populate the placeholder variables at the top of the script with your specific Ariba credentials, API endpoints, and the name of your reporting view template.
Authenticate and Get Token: The first part of the script handles OAuth 2.0 authentication. It sends your credentials to the Ariba authentication endpoint to receive a temporary access token required for subsequent API calls.
Define and Submit the Reporting Job: The script constructs a JSON payload that defines the reporting job. This payload specifies the view template to use and sets filters, such as a date range for the purchase order creation date. It then submits this job to the Ariba Reporting API, which starts generating the report asynchronously.
Poll for Job Completion: Since the report generation is asynchronous, the script enters a polling loop. It periodically sends requests to the API to check the status of the job, waiting until the status changes to Completed.
Download the Report Data: Once the job is complete, the script retrieves a download URL from the job status response. It then downloads the report data, which is provided as a GZIP-compressed CSV file, and uncompresses it.
Transform Data into Event Log: The downloaded CSV is loaded into a pandas DataFrame. This data is typically in a wide format (one row per purchase order). The script then transforms this wide table into a long event log format. It iterates through columns corresponding to different business events (e.g., pr.TimeCreated, po.ApprovedDate), and for each valid timestamp, it creates a new row representing that specific activity.
Map Attributes: During the transformation, the script populates the required columns for each event: PurchaseOrderNumber (Case ID), ActivityName, and EventTime. It also maps other relevant details like UserName, VendorName, and PurchaseOrderAmount to each event row.
Save the Final Event Log: After processing all activities and creating the complete event log, the script sorts the data by case ID and event time. Finally, it saves the resulting DataFrame to a CSV file named ariba_p2p_event_log.csv, which is ready for upload to a process mining tool.

Configuration

API Application: An application must be registered in the SAP Ariba Developer Portal with access enabled for the 'Analytical Reporting API'.
Reporting View Template: The core of this method relies on a pre-built reporting view. This view must be configured in Ariba to join all necessary document types (Purchase Requisition, Purchase Order, Receipt, Service Sheet, Invoice) and expose all required date and attribute fields.
Authentication: The script uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication. You must provide a valid API Key, Client ID, and Client Secret from your Ariba application.
Date Range Filter: The API call should include a filter on the purchase order creation date (po.TimeCreated) to limit the scope of the extraction. A typical range is 3 to 12 months of data to balance detail with performance.
Realm Name: Your company's specific Ariba realm name is required for constructing the API endpoints.
API Endpoints: Ensure the correct base URLs for authentication (api.ariba.com) and reporting ([your-realm].ariba.com) are used.
Data Granularity: The reporting view should be configured at the Purchase Order header or line item level, depending on the desired level of detail for the process analysis.

a Sample Query python

import requests
import pandas as pd
import json
import time
import gzip
import io

class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># --- Configuration Settings --- #
class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Replace with your SAP Ariba Developer Portal application credentials
API_KEY = class="hl-string">'[Your_API_Key]'
CLIENT_ID = class="hl-string">'[Your_OAuth_Client_ID]'
CLIENT_SECRET = class="hl-string">'[Your_OAuth_Client_Secret]'

class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Replace with your company's Ariba realm information
REALM = class="hl-string">'[Your_Company_Ariba_Realm]'

class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Replace with the exact name of your pre-configured reporting view in Ariba
VIEW_TEMPLATE_NAME = class="hl-string">'[Your_P2P_View_Template]'

class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># --- API Endpoints --- #
AUTH_URL = class="hl-string">'https://api.ariba.com/v2/oauth/token'
API_BASE_URL = fclass="hl-string">'https://{REALM}.ariba.com/api/analytics-reporting-view/v1'

class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># --- Helper Functions --- #
def get_access_token():
    class="hl-string">"""Authenticates with Ariba and returns an access token."""
    auth_payload = {
        class="hl-string">'grant_type': class="hl-string">'client_credentials',
        class="hl-string">'client_id': CLIENT_ID,
        class="hl-string">'client_secret': CLIENT_SECRET
    }
    try:
        response = requests.post(AUTH_URL, data=auth_payload)
        response.raise_for_status()
        return response.json()[class="hl-string">'access_token']
    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        print(fclass="hl-string">"Error getting access token: {e}")
        print(fclass="hl-string">"Response body: {response.text}")
        return None

def main():
    class="hl-string">"""Main function to run the extraction process."""
    access_token = get_access_token()
    if not access_token:
        return

    headers = {
        class="hl-string">'Authorization': fclass="hl-string">'Bearer {access_token}',
        class="hl-string">'apiKey': API_KEY,
        class="hl-string">'Content-Type': class="hl-string">'application/json'
    }

    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Define the reporting job with filters
    report_job_payload = {
        class="hl-string">"viewTemplateName": VIEW_TEMPLATE_NAME,
        class="hl-string">"filters": {
            class="hl-string">"createdDateFrom": class="hl-string">"2023-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            class="hl-string">"createdDateTo": class="hl-string">"2023-12-31T23:59:59Z"
        },
        class="hl-string">"outputFormat": class="hl-string">"csv"
    }

    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># 1. Submit the report generation job
    print(class="hl-string">"Submitting report job...")
    try:
        submit_response = requests.post(fclass="hl-string">'{API_BASE_URL}/jobs', headers=headers, json=report_job_payload)
        submit_response.raise_for_status()
        job_id = submit_response.json()[class="hl-string">'jobId']
        print(fclass="hl-string">"Job submitted successfully. Job ID: {job_id}")
    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        print(fclass="hl-string">"Error submitting job: {e}")
        print(fclass="hl-string">"Response body: {submit_response.text}")
        return

    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># 2. Poll for job completion
    while True:
        print(class="hl-string">"Checking job status...")
        try:
            status_response = requests.get(fclass="hl-string">'{API_BASE_URL}/jobs/{job_id}', headers=headers)
            status_response.raise_for_status()
            status = status_response.json()[class="hl-string">'status']
            print(fclass="hl-string">"Current job status: {status}")
            if status == class="hl-string">'COMPLETED':
                download_url = status_response.json()[class="hl-string">'downloadUrl']
                break
            elif status in [class="hl-string">'FAILED', class="hl-string">'NO_DATA']:
                print(fclass="hl-string">"Job finished with status: {status}")
                return
            time.sleep(30)  class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Wait for 30 seconds before polling again
        except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
            print(fclass="hl-string">"Error checking job status: {e}")
            return

    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># 3. Download the report data
    print(fclass="hl-string">"Job completed. Downloading data from: {download_url}")
    try:
        download_headers = {class="hl-string">'Authorization': fclass="hl-string">'Bearer {access_token}', class="hl-string">'apiKey': API_KEY}
        data_response = requests.get(download_url, headers=download_headers)
        data_response.raise_for_status()
        class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Decompress the gzipped content
        gzip_file = gzip.GzipFile(fileobj=io.BytesIO(data_response.content))
        df_raw = pd.read_csv(gzip_file)
    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        print(fclass="hl-string">"Error downloading data: {e}")
        return

    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># 4. Transform data into event log
    print(class="hl-string">"Transforming data into event log format...")
    event_log = []

    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Rename columns for clarity, assuming view template field names like class="hl-string">'Purchase Order Id',
    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># class="hl-string">'Requisition TimeCreated', class="hl-string">'PO ApprovedDate', etc. Adjust these to match your view template.
    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Placeholder names are used here.
    column_mapping = {
        class="hl-string">'[Purchase Order Id]': class="hl-string">'PurchaseOrderNumber',
        class="hl-string">'[Requisition TimeCreated]': class="hl-string">'pr_created_time',
        class="hl-string">'[Requisition ApprovedDate]': class="hl-string">'pr_approved_time',
        class="hl-string">'[PO TimeCreated]': class="hl-string">'po_created_time',
        class="hl-string">'[PO ApprovedDate]': class="hl-string">'po_approved_time',
        class="hl-string">'[PO LastModifiedDate]': class="hl-string">'po_changed_time',
        class="hl-string">'[PO OrderedDate]': class="hl-string">'po_sent_time',
        class="hl-string">'[PO ConfirmedDate]': class="hl-string">'po_confirmed_time',
        class="hl-string">'[ASN TimeCreated]': class="hl-string">'asn_received_time',
        class="hl-string">'[Receipt Date]': class="hl-string">'goods_receipt_time',
        class="hl-string">'[Service Sheet End Date]': class="hl-string">'service_confirmed_time',
        class="hl-string">'[Return Date]': class="hl-string">'goods_returned_time',
        class="hl-string">'[Invoice Date]': class="hl-string">'invoice_received_time',
        class="hl-string">'[PO CompletedDate]': class="hl-string">'po_completed_time',
        class="hl-string">'[PO CancelledDate]': class="hl-string">'po_cancelled_time',
        class="hl-string">'[PO Submitter]': class="hl-string">'UserName',
        class="hl-string">'[Department Name]': class="hl-string">'DepartmentName',
        class="hl-string">'[Vendor Name]': class="hl-string">'VendorName',
        class="hl-string">'[PO TotalAmount]': class="hl-string">'PurchaseOrderAmount',
        class="hl-string">'[PO DeliveryDate]': class="hl-string">'RequestedDeliveryDate',
        class="hl-string">'[Receipt Date]': class="hl-string">'GoodsReceiptDate'
    }
    df_raw.rename(columns=column_mapping, inplace=True)

    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Define activities and their corresponding timestamp columns
    activities = {
        class="hl-string">'Purchase Requisition Created': class="hl-string">'pr_created_time',
        class="hl-string">'Purchase Requisition Approved': class="hl-string">'pr_approved_time',
        class="hl-string">'Purchase Order Created': class="hl-string">'po_created_time',
        class="hl-string">'Purchase Order Approved': class="hl-string">'po_approved_time',
        class="hl-string">'Purchase Order Changed': class="hl-string">'po_changed_time',
        class="hl-string">'Purchase Order Sent To Vendor': class="hl-string">'po_sent_time',
        class="hl-string">'Vendor Confirmed Purchase Order': class="hl-string">'po_confirmed_time',
        class="hl-string">'Advance Ship Notice Received': class="hl-string">'asn_received_time',
        class="hl-string">'Goods Receipt Posted': class="hl-string">'goods_receipt_time',
        class="hl-string">'Services Confirmation Entered': class="hl-string">'service_confirmed_time',
        class="hl-string">'Goods Returned To Vendor': class="hl-string">'goods_returned_time',
        class="hl-string">'Invoice Received Against PO': class="hl-string">'invoice_received_time',
        class="hl-string">'Purchase Order Completed': class="hl-string">'po_completed_time',
        class="hl-string">'Purchase Order Cancelled': class="hl-string">'po_cancelled_time'
    }

    for index, row in df_raw.iterrows():
        base_event = {
            class="hl-string">'PurchaseOrderNumber': row.get(class="hl-string">'PurchaseOrderNumber'),
            class="hl-string">'UserName': row.get(class="hl-string">'UserName'),
            class="hl-string">'DepartmentName': row.get(class="hl-string">'DepartmentName'),
            class="hl-string">'VendorName': row.get(class="hl-string">'VendorName'),
            class="hl-string">'PurchaseOrderAmount': row.get(class="hl-string">'PurchaseOrderAmount'),
            class="hl-string">'RequestedDeliveryDate': row.get(class="hl-string">'RequestedDeliveryDate'),
            class="hl-string">'GoodsReceiptDate': row.get(class="hl-string">'GoodsReceiptDate')
        }

        for activity_name, time_col in activities.items():
            if time_col in row and pd.notna(row[time_col]):
                event = base_event.copy()
                event[class="hl-string">'ActivityName'] = activity_name
                event[class="hl-string">'EventTime'] = row[time_col]
                
                class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># Special handling for class="hl-string">'Purchase Order Changed'
                class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># This event should only be created if it's after the PO creation time
                if activity_name == class="hl-string">'Purchase Order Changed':
                    if pd.notna(row.get(class="hl-string">'po_created_time')) and pd.to_datetime(row[time_col]) > pd.to_datetime(row[class="hl-string">'po_created_time']):
                        event_log.append(event)
                else:
                    event_log.append(event)

    df_event_log = pd.DataFrame(event_log)
    df_event_log[class="hl-string">'EventTime'] = pd.to_datetime(df_event_log[class="hl-string">'EventTime'])
    df_event_log.sort_values(by=[class="hl-string">'PurchaseOrderNumber', class="hl-string">'EventTime'], inplace=True)

    class=class="hl-string">"hl-comment"># 5. Save the final event log
    output_filename = class="hl-string">'ariba_p2p_event_log.csv'
    df_event_log.to_csv(output_filename, index=False, date_format=class="hl-string">'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
    print(fclass="hl-string">"Event log successfully created and saved to {output_filename}")

if __name__ == class="hl-string">'__main__':
    main()

Data Template: Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order

Your Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order Data Template

Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order Attributes

Purchase to Pay - Purchase Order Activities

Extraction Guides

SAP Ariba Analytical Reporting CSV/Excel Export

Steps

Configuration

a Sample Query config

Python Script using SAP Ariba Reporting API

Steps

Configuration

a Sample Query python

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