The importance of the design phase during an SAP Ariba implementation cannot be overemphasised. This critical stage lays the foundation for the entire project, ensuring that business requirements are accurately captured, solution capabilities are aligned, and integration touchpoints are clearly defined.

A well-executed design phase minimises configuration hiccups, reduces rework during testing and deployment, and accelerates user adoption by promoting process standardisation and alignment with organisational goals. The outcome of the design phase is the blueprints — FDD & IDD, which lay the foundation for a successful SAP Ariba implementation.

The following are the key Ariba Buying topics to discuss with clients during the design workshops:

▪ Guided Buying

▪ Purchase to Order/Pay Process

▪ Approval Processes

▪ Master Data

▪ User and User Groups

▪ Supplier & Catalog Enablement

▪ System Integration

Interestingly, I already written a couple of articles here which cover most of the topics above. Feel free to check them out and gain some insights.

The design phase is not merely about gathering business requirements — it’s about aligning vision, technology, and processes with the clients. In SAP Ariba implementations, this is where the real digital procurement transformation begins.