Skip to main content

Buyer Journey - From Request to Payment

This section walks through a typical buyer-side journey to illustrate how Buyer Service supports the end-to-end procurement process—from initial purchase intent to contract and payment management.

1. Initiate a purchase request​

The journey begins when a buyer (e.g., a procurement requester) creates a Request in Buyer Service. This establishes the initial intent to purchase and can be initiated via two methods::

  • Direct Creation: Selecting Create New Request from the Request list page.
  • During the offer acceptance flow, when a buyer chooses to initiate an approval workflow before accepting an offer.

When creating a request, the buyer selects a system-defined workflow and fills in the required request information defined by that workflow. Requests can be used for both public offers and private offers.

2. Review and approve via tasks​

Upon submission, the system automatically generates Tasks for the relevant participants (reviewers or approvers) based on the selected workflow.

  • Review Details: Participants access the request detail page to examine specific requirements.
  • Take Action: Approvers can approve or reject the request directly from the Details section. This step ensures that all purchasing decisions adhere to internal controls and compliance standards before any financial commitment is made.

3. Receive and review the offer​

Once the internal request is approved and the vendor has sent the offer, the buyer can access the formal Offer within Buyer Service.

Key actions at this stage include:

  • Validation: Reviewing terms and pricing to ensure accuracy.
  • Alignment: Confirming the offer matches the specifics of the approved request.
  • Acceptance: Formally accepting the offer to finalize the purchase.

This step connects internal approval with the actual commercial offer, providing clear traceability.

4. Manage entitlements after acceptance​

Following offer acceptance, the resulting Entitlements become active and visible within Buyer Service.

Buyers can track active entitlements, understand what has been purchased, and manage contract-related information in one centralized place.

5. Track invoices and payments​

Post-purchase, Buyer Service synchronizes Invoices and Payments from the connected cloud marketplace to provide financial visibility. Invoices are directly linked to entitlements, creating a clear record of charges.

Buyers can:

  • View invoice records
  • Monitor charges, credits, and net costs
  • Track payment status

This gives procurement and finance teams a consistent view of post-purchase financial data without switching between systems.

End-to-end value

By connecting request → approval → offer → entitlement → invoice & payment, Buyer Service enables buyers to manage the entire cloud marketplace purchasing lifecycle in a single platform—improving visibility, control, and operational efficiency.