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RoundTrip is a feature within Commerce One's Procurement application. RoundTrip enables buyers to browse a supplier's web site, access a supplier's complete web based catalog, make product selections, create a shopping cart at a remote site, and have it imported back into the buying application.
The RoundTrip protocol is based on the SAP Open Catalog Interface (OCI). Commerce One's RoundTrip implementation is described in the Commerce One Addendum to the OCI 2.0B. In order for the RoundTrip feature to work, suppliers are required to make modifications to their transactable web site in accordance with the specifications mentioned.
When using Enterprise Desktop Edition, a RoundTrip transaction flows as follows:
The buyer logs into the Procurement application via a web browser and selects Create | Create New Shopping Cart to begin the e-procurement process. From the Shopping Cart screen, the buyer selects the RoundTrip Service and views a list of RoundTrip-enabled suppliers.
When the buyer selects a specific supplier to RoundTrip, a HTTP request is sent to the supplier's web site to inform the supplier that a buyer would like to access their OCI/RoundTrip services. Once the proper buyer authentication takes place, the supplier service's home page is displayed in a new window that is fully dedicated to the supplier web site.
The buyer searches, selects, and configures products directly on the supplier's web site.When the buyer is ready to order the items from the supplier, the buyer clicks on the Complete Order or Checkout button at the supplier's web site. The order request, or shopping cart, information is sent back to the buying application.
The Procurement application uses the shopping cart information to populate or update a Shopping Cart. The Shopping Cart is then routed through the appropriate approval workflow in the Procurement application before being converted into purchase orders. The Purchase Order is then sent to a Commerce One-powered e-marketplace. The transaction platform forwards the Purchase Order to the supplier to complete the RoundTrip process.
