Punchout: Connect Your ERP to the Borong Marketplace
Punchout is the standard method for connecting an external supplier catalog to an enterprise ERP or procurement platform. Instead of maintaining a static price list within the ERP, Punchout allows procurement users to browse a live, current supplier catalog, make selections, and return a structured order document to the ERP for approval and processing. Borong supports both cXML and OCI Punchout, the two dominant standards used by enterprise procurement platforms globally.
What Is Punchout?
Punchout is a procurement integration protocol that creates a live, session-based connection between an enterprise procurement system and an external supplier catalog. When a procurement user wants to buy from a supplier that supports Punchout, they click through from their procurement system to the supplier's catalog in a connected browser session. They browse and select items in the supplier's catalog, then check out. Instead of completing a standard e-commerce checkout, the selected items are transmitted back to the procurement system as a structured document, where they populate a purchase requisition automatically.
The result is that procurement users get the experience of browsing a live, current catalog with real pricing, while the ERP maintains full control of the approval and purchase order workflow.
cXML vs OCI: Understanding the Two Punchout Standards
cXML (Commerce eXtensible Markup Language) is the dominant Punchout standard in North America and globally, and is used by SAP Ariba, Oracle, Coupa, Workday, and most major enterprise procurement platforms. The protocol defines a structured XML message format for Punchout setup requests, order messages, and order confirmations.
OCI (Open Catalog Interface) is a standard developed by SAP and is used primarily in SAP ECC and SAP SRM environments. It is a simpler, URL-based protocol: SAP sends a GET or POST request to the supplier's catalog URL with session parameters, and the supplier returns selected items as an HTML form POST in OCI-standard fields, which SAP turns into a shopping cart or requisition. While cXML is more broadly adopted, OCI remains important for organisations with legacy SAP deployments that have not yet migrated to SAP Ariba or SAP S/4HANA. Borong supports both standards, ensuring compatibility across the full range of enterprise procurement environments.
As a rule of thumb: OCI is the right choice for SAP ECC or SAP SRM environments where OCI is already the configured catalog standard. cXML is the preferred protocol for SAP Ariba, SAP S/4HANA (which supports both, but generally recommends cXML), and all non-SAP platforms. A Borong integration specialist will confirm which protocol your specific environment uses if it isn't clear from your ERP configuration.
How Borong Punchout Works
The Borong Punchout session begins when a procurement user initiates a catalog connection from within their ERP or procurement platform. The ERP sends a Punchout setup request to Borong in the appropriate protocol (cXML or OCI). Borong authenticates the session and opens the Borong marketplace in the user's browser, pre-populated with the contracted catalog and pricing for that organisation. All pricing is already within MIDAS benchmarks or agreed contract rates.
The user browses and selects items and initiates checkout. Borong transmits the selected items back to the ERP in the appropriate protocol as a PunchOutOrderMessage (cXML) or OCI response. The ERP receives the items and creates a populated purchase requisition. The requisition follows the standard ERP approval workflow without modification.
What Punchout Delivers for Enterprise Procurement Teams
- Live catalog access with current pricing within the ERP workflow, eliminating static price list maintenance
- Automatic requisition population from catalog selections, removing manual item and price entry
- MIDAS benchmark-aligned pricing applied to all catalog items before they enter the ERP workflow
- Full ERP governance maintained: approval rules, budget checks, and compliance controls apply to Punchout requisitions as to any other
- Spend data from Punchout transactions captured within ERP analytics for full spend visibility
Compatible ERP and Procurement Systems
Borong Punchout is compatible with SAP, SAP Ariba, Oracle, Oracle NetSuite (via cXML), Coupa, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Workday. For systems not listed, the Borong integration team will assess compatibility. Most enterprise procurement platforms that support standard cXML or OCI protocols can connect to Borong through Punchout.
Connect Your ERP
Through Punchout
Speak with an integration specialist to confirm cXML or OCI compatibility with your ERP and scope the Punchout setup.