Faculty and Staff Resources
PaymentWorks is the Purdue University Vendor Portal. Information about the Vendor Portal and how it works can be found on this page.
Faculty and Staff Resources
Vendor Onboarding Process
Purchase or payment requests requiring onboarding of a vendor will be identified when the order or invoice is submitted for processing. Campus faculty and staff should follow their normal procurement processes. Once submitted through normal channels, if the vendor needs to be onboarded into PaymentWorks, the order will be forwarded to an “Initiator” who will issue an onboarding invitation to the vendor.
Vendors who receive an onboarding invitation will have access to PaymentWorks (PW) resources to assist with onboarding questions. Initiators will have access to an onboarding dashboard to monitor the status of vendor onboarding. An overview of the onboarding process can be seen in the graphic below.
More information can be found in this PaymentWorks Concepts presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is a vendor focused list of Frequently Asked Questions on the Resources for Vendors page.
What is the PaymentWorks onboarding platform and how is it used?
The University utilizes a third-party platform to onboard and validate all new vendors before their registrations are accepted and approved for addition to SAP. PaymentWorks is the University’s contracted third-party onboarding provider for new vendor registrations.
Authorized users can send onboarding invitations to new vendors as needed and also monitor their onboarding process through a dashboard console. During the onboarding process, vendors create a PaymentWorks account and complete a customized online registration form. Once a new vendor registration is complete and approved by Accounts Payable Vendor Data, a vendor number is assigned within SAP and is ready for use.
Why does the University need and use a third-party provider such as PaymentWorks and what are the benefits?
Using a third-party provider for new vendor registrations has a number of benefits:
- Automatic validation of vendor’s address, tax ID, banking information (if US based) etc.
- Validation against federal databases affirming vendor is not debarred by federal government (required for any entity receiving federal funding)
- Integrated, digital process that replaces need for manual entries
- Dashboard allowing initiators to monitor progress of the onboarding process
- Collection of needed supplier diversity classification data
- Risk reduction for potential breach or fraudulent activity
- Onboarding analytics and reporting
Third party platforms such as PaymentWorks provide integrated resources for validation needs that are typically beyond the scope of resources that the University may have or manage in-house. Use of a third-party platform provider ensures information such as the vendor’s address, tax ID, federal debarment, etc. are validated prior to their assignment of a vendor number.
How do I request an invitation be sent to a vendor and how do I know when it has been done?
Requestors should gather vendor contact information as well as the purchase request details and submit the request through their normal purchasing contacts. Your purchasing contact will initiate the appropriate new vendor onboarding processes.
Initiators have access to a dashboard to help monitor vendor onboarding progress. Requestors should reach out to their purchasing center contact who can check on the status for them.
My vendor is having trouble completing their registration. Do you have step-by-step instructions that I can send to them?
PaymentWorks provides support to vendors during the onboarding process as part of the University’s contractual agreement. Vendors are provided access to and instructions for PaymentWorks Help Center in all their onboarding communications. Based on separation of duties and the principle of independent onboarding being required by the vendor, it’s important they seek to fill their support needs directly from PaymentWorks.
I have a question about vendor progress or onboarding. Who should I contact?
Departments can send any internal vendor related question or matter to their purchasing center. If additional help is needed please contact vendordata@purdue.edu. The department should refrain from contacting PaymentWorks for questions regarding internal University processes.
A vendor I need to use is listed as active in SAP, but they have a different address on their quote. Is an address change update needed and how is it done?
If the vendor has an active PaymentWorks account with the University, they should login to their PaymentWorks account and make any updates needed. Departments should contact their purchasing contact for guidance and assistance related to this type of update address. If they are not already active in PaymentWorks, they need to complete the new vendor onboarding process using the correct information through their purchasing center.
How does SAP differ from the PaymentWorks platform?
SAP is the official repository for all vendor master data. It is the official, single point of truth and official vendor master data resides within SAP only. PaymentWorks is a secondary system component for onboarding and validation of new vendors and changes or updates to existing vendors. It is not the University’s official repository and does not represent the official, single point of truth for vendor master data. It is a third-party platform apart from University systems.
My vendor doesn’t remember how to log into PaymentWorks. Do you have a link that I can share with them?
A vendor can log into their PaymentWorks account at: www.paymentworks.com/df/accounts/login/
How long will it take for a vendor to be onboarded?
The length of time to completion of onboarding depends on several factors, the primary of which being the vendor’s completion of the registration process. Onboarding delays may occur if a vendor is found to have sanctions against them or other validation obstacles. Review of onboarding activities and vendor approvals occurs daily on a continual basis.
Do employees get entered into SAP Vendor Master Data or PW?
Employee vendors are established in SAP. Employee Vendor updates need to continue to use the applicable Fiori form. Initiators have access to submit changes or set up new ZEMP vendors using this form.
How does PW work to protect Purdue and vendors from fraudulent email addresses?
PW has a team dedicated to monitoring security. Payments are indemnified up to $2M and as of our implementation, they had never had to pay out.