How a punchout session works, step by step

A punchout session feels like one flow to the person using it, but several systems take part. Here is what happens, with a middleware between the buyer and your shop.

Buyer's ERP / procurement system
        |  1. punchout request
        v
   Middleware  ---- 2. request + session ID --->  Your shop
        ^                                            |
        |  4. mapped basket (cXML / OCI)             | 3. user shops
        +--------------- basket <--------------------+
        |
        v
Buyer's system: approval -> purchase order -> you

1. The buyer starts a session

An employee picks your catalogue in their procurement system. The system sends a punchout request to a URL that you registered with the buyer. That URL points to the middleware.

2. The middleware forwards it with a session ID

The middleware checks who is asking, creates a session ID and forwards the request to your shop. It remembers which buyer, which return address and which format belong to that session.

3. The user shops in your shop

Your shop opens inside the buyer’s system. Prices can be the buyer’s contract prices, because the session tells you who is shopping. The user adds items and presses the shop’s “transfer to procurement” button. Nothing is paid or ordered at this point.

4. The middleware maps the basket

Your shop returns its basket to the middleware. The middleware looks up the mapping for this buyer and converts it: item numbers, units of measure, currency, tax, classification. The result is a cXML PunchOutOrderMessage or OCI form fields.

5. The buyer approves and orders

The basket lands in the buyer’s system as a shopping cart. It goes through their normal approval, becomes a purchase order, and reaches you as an order, without anyone re-typing it.

Why the session ID matters

Many users can be inside your shop at the same time, for different buyers. The session ID is how the basket that comes back is matched to the right buyer, the right return address and the right mapping.