Is SAP punchout the same as Ariba punchout?

No. SAP SRM, ERP and S/4HANA use OCI (a form-post protocol); SAP Ariba uses cXML. They’re different standards with different handshakes. We build both in a single integration, so you’re covered whichever your buyer runs.

Which OCI versions do you support?

OCI 4.0 and 5.0, including the fields and behaviours S/4HANA self-service procurement expects, and OCI background search where the buyer uses it.

How do purchase orders come back from SAP?

OCI itself only covers the catalogue round-trip. The PO is sent separately — commonly cXML, email or EDI depending on the buyer’s setup. Where the buyer can send electronically, we create the order in your store automatically.

Our buyer says our prices must match their SAP units of measure — can you handle that?

Yes, that’s core OCI work: mapping your shop units to SAP UOM codes (EA, PCE, BOX, etc.) and pricing per the buyer’s price-unit conventions so requisitions match to the penny.

Which ecommerce platforms can you connect to SAP?

Magento / Adobe Commerce (ready-made plugin with OCI built in), Shopify, and custom platforms — BigCommerce, WooCommerce, headless or bespoke — as a tailored build.

SAP SRM · S/4HANA · OCI Punchout

SAP Punchout Integration (OCI)

Buyers on SAP SRM, S/4HANA or SAP ERP punch out over OCI — a different protocol from the cXML world of Ariba and Coupa. We build both, so whichever SAP flavour your customer runs, your store connects: OCI round-trip for SAP catalogues, cXML for the Ariba Network.

OCI 4.0/5.0SAP SRMS/4HANAHOOK_URL round-tripcXML for Ariba

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What is SAP OCI punchout?

OCI (Open Catalog Interface) is SAP’s native punchout standard, used by SAP SRM, SAP ERP (MM) and S/4HANA. The buyer opens your catalogue from within SAP, which calls your store’s OCI entry URL with login parameters and a HOOK_URL. They shop your live site as normal, and at checkout the basket is posted back to the HOOK_URL as OCI fields — item text, quantity, price, unit, vendor material number — landing directly in their SAP shopping cart or purchase requisition.

It’s a simpler, form-post-based protocol than cXML, but the field mapping is where projects succeed or fail: SAP expects precise NEW_ITEM field naming, correct units of measure (SAP UOM codes, not shop codes), material group mapping and price formatting. That mapping is the bulk of what we do — and why our integrations pass buyer testing first time.

SAP calls your OCI URL

The buyer opens your catalogue from SAP SRM or S/4HANA. SAP calls your store’s OCI entry point with credentials and a HOOK_URL return address, and lands them on your site logged in.

They shop your live catalogue

Live products, live stock, their contract pricing — on your own store, no static catalogue files to maintain.

Basket posts back via HOOK_URL

At checkout your store posts the basket to SAP’s HOOK_URL as OCI NEW_ITEM fields, mapped to the buyer’s SAP units, material groups and currency.

Requisition to purchase order

The basket becomes an SAP shopping cart or requisition, runs through approval, and the resulting PO reaches you by cXML, email or EDI — we automate order creation in your store where the buyer supports it.

The SAP-specific details we handle

OCI looks simple on paper. In practice, every SAP buyer’s configuration differs — these are the areas we’ve solved repeatedly.

OCI field mapping

NEW_ITEM-DESCRIPTION, MATNR, MATGROUP, UNIT, PRICE, CURRENCY, LEADTIME — mapped to your buyer’s SAP conventions, including SAP UOM codes and material group taxonomies.

OCI versions & background search

OCI 4.0 and 5.0 support, plus OCI background search (SOURCING / validation calls) where the buyer’s SRM configuration uses it.

SRM, S/4HANA and ERP variants

Classic SRM, S/4HANA self-service procurement and direct ERP (MM) calls each behave slightly differently around sessions and return handling. We test against the buyer’s actual system.

Ariba too, in the same build

Many SAP buyers are migrating to Ariba. Our integrations speak OCI and cXML side by side, so a buyer moving from SRM to Ariba doesn’t need a new project.