Processes for Contingent (Non-Employee) Workers

The SAP Ariba Network is a platform for connecting businesses with suppliers for the purposes of business collaboration needs. It supports e-procurement and e-invoicing, allowing participants to buy, sell, and manage cash rapidly and effectively.

Transamerica uses the SAP Ariba Network to transact with its third-party suppliers.  With very few exclusions, most suppliers will be required to register using the SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance (SLP) application.  Purchase orders, Vendor Management System (currently Fieldglass) participation, and the use of a supplier hosted purchasing catalog all require an SAP Ariba account.  Suppliers must have an Enterprise account in order to integrate with Fieldglass.

An SAP Ariba Network Identification (ANID) number is the unique identifier for your SAP Ariba Network account.

Ariba Network Frequently Asked Questions | SAP Ariba

Visit the SAP Ariba Network for Suppliers on the SAP Business Network website for assistance in connecting with customers for both new and existing accounts. Scroll down to the Getting Started section and follow the arrows.

Provide the following information concerning your account to our Vendor Management Team ( vendormanagementoperations@transamerica.com ):

1. Supplier legal name

2. Contact name

3. Contact title

4. Contact phone number

5. Contact email address

6. Supplier physical location/address

7. Scope of primary product/service (i.e., Software, Consulting, etc.)

8. Ariba Network ID

This information will be used to set up your supplier profile. Our team can then link the profile to your existing SAP Ariba Network ID, and you will be able to then add Transamerica as a customer.

The registration invitation link is not transferable and will not work if the email is forwarded to unintended recipients. If the invitation was sent to an incorrect contact, please reach out to our Vendor Management Operations (VMO) (vendormanagementoperations@transamerica.com) team to have a new invitation sent.

A purchase order, or PO, is an official document issued by a client committing to pay a supplier for the sale of specific products or services to be delivered. It is a means of tracking and controlling the purchasing process.

In the context of SAP Ariba purchasing, Contract Terms is also known as a ‘blanket’ purchase order. Blanket purchase orders, or Contract Terms, utilize an approved overall spend amount to apply payments on ongoing or recurring charges that may vary from invoice to invoice for a certain amount of time. If Contract Terms are used, the supplier will place the corresponding C number on the invoice instead of a PO number to indicate the transaction has been initially approved for payment.

Contract Terms (a blanket PO) are set up in the following situations:

• The order involves variable dollar amounts or quantities.
• The goods or services on an order may change from invoice to invoice.
• The goods or services are reoccurring purchases.
• The maximum order amount may need to be adjusted over time.

Invoices are paid within 60 days of the invoice date, or as otherwise agreed in the applicable contract between the parties. Reach out to ap.queries@transamerica.com if you believe there is a delay in the timing of payment.

• The incorrect PO# or Contract Terms # is referenced on the invoice.
• No PO# or Contract Terms # is referenced.
• Non-contractual or unplanned line items have been added to the invoice.

There are two ways to submit invoices:

• Preferred method: Login to your SAP Ariba Network Account. After inputting the PO number, select Create Invoice (PO or Contract type) to create and submit the invoice electronically. To see this process in more detail, go to: How to Send an Invoice on Ariba Network | SAP Ariba and select the Watch Now button.
• Send a PDF of the invoice to ap.queries@transamerica.com .
• Please do NOT send paper invoices.

Here are some common reasons why Transamerica rejects invoices :

• Invalid purchase order number
• No purchase order number
• Amount incorrect
• Line-item discrepancies
• Services not performed or not performed in accordance with the applicable contract(s)
• Deliverables not provided or not provided in accordance with the applicable contract(s)

Suppliers need to revise invoices accordingly and resubmit for payment if rejected for the above reasons. For reasons other than the above, or if no rejection comments were entered, please contact ap.queries@transamerica.com for additional information.

Note that invoices may be rejected for internal errors. Transamerica will correct the issue and resubmit the invoice for payment processing if this occurs. No action is needed by the supplier for internal errors.

Access your SAP Ariba Network Account. Select ‘Orders’ from the ribbon choices at the top, then click on Contracts or Purchase Orders.

If ‘Contracts’ is selected:

• Click View Contracts. All available Contract Terms will be listed.
• The search parameter can be ID #, Title of Contract or Status.

If ‘Purchase Orders’ is selected:

• All available Purchase Orders will be listed
• Select the correct PO.

If the applicable order is not visible, reach out to the Transamerica procurement contact involved with the purchase.

Supplier needs to submit a revised invoice with the correct PO number.

Use the Ariba Resource Library to learn more about the invoicing processes or review the Invoicing & Payments section of this site for more helpful links.

Training materials can be accessed via the help menu (icon with a circle containing a question mark) after logging in to Fieldglass (https://www.fieldglass.net). Training resources and webinars can also be found here: https://www.fieldglass.com/education/training/english. The Supplier Guidebook provides all the information suppliers need to understand the Transamerica VMS program and how to engage with our team to begin successfully using it.

Non-employee hourly workers are asked to submit timesheets weekly at the end of the week.  It is best practice to submit “0” hours in the event no work is done and avoid leaving timesheets in “draft” status.  Engagement managers (or proxy users) are asked to approve timesheets by EOD Monday.  Fixed SOW invoices are submitted and approved based on the payment terms outlined in the Fixed SOW (i.e., monthly or based on milestones). 

That is correct, there is a fee associated with using the system.  The VMS fee is automatically deducted from the invoice.  It is 0.6% for hourly non-employee workers, and 0.3% for Fixed SOW workers, with no fee for expense line items.  For a $100 invoice for an hourly worker, $99.40 is paid to the supplier and $0.60 is paid to Fieldglass. 

No changes will happen to the total bill rate once transitioned to Fieldglass.

Yes. A drop-down box allows the non-employee worker to select the appropriate expense type (i.e air, hotel, etc.) and upload receipts as well. Expense codes can be added (per individual) via a request to the PMO team.

Yes. However, MSPS/PPM is used for allocation and project planning only. The VMS tracks non-employee worker hours and associated payment, replacing the supplier’s timesheet system. Suppliers have full visibility using the VMS and can extract information and make changes when needed. Most suppliers do not utilize their own system after moving to Fieldglass.

Conversion terms should be addressed in the contract between the parties. Based on those terms, any applicable fees associated with the conversion can be submitted as a miscellaneous invoice in Fieldglass using the correct calculation for the conversion amount. Reach out to the PMO team to confirm the conversion terms for your company have been captured in our files.

Reach out to Fieldglass for direct support on those topics:

Email: fieldglasshelp@sap.com

Call: 1-866-467-4833

Money Services, Inc. (MSI) is an affiliate company of Transamerica Corporation. It serves as the contracting entity for the majority of purchasing and services-related agreements for Transamerica companies. MSI is used to contract goods and services for various commodities including software, cloud, subscription, hardware, professional, and consulting services. Federal Tax ID #42-1079580. Dun & Bradstreet #84-511-0837.

The insurance and financial services industry is highly regulated and subject to strict requirements concerning contracting and financial commitments. By using our contract templates, we ensure that key clauses pertaining to these regulatory and policy guiding areas are included, making the contracting process quicker and more efficient.

Certain exhibits will be required, depending on the nature of the products and services being provided. Information security and compliance with privacy laws are rarely inapplicable and are viewed with the scope of current and future business potential.

The SAP Ariba Help Center is available for any questions you may have. Go to SAP Ariba Customer Support to login and get help.

SAP Ariba Support cannot assist with issues relating to customers’ business rules or the specific SAP Ariba Network configurations.  For these items, SAP Ariba Support will defer to our team.  SAP Ariba Support should be engaged for technical issues, general access issues, navigational questions and support for basic document creation.  

Contact your company’s SAP Ariba Account Administrator for:

• Password resets
• Requests for additional permissions
• Request for other user configurations

Account administrators control the settings for all users on a company's account. If uncertain who the administrator is for your company, click on your initials in the upper-right corner of your account and select Contact Administrator.

• SAP Ariba Customer Support for technical issues, general access issues, navigational questions and support for basic document creation.
• fieldglasshelp@sap.com for all questions relating to Fieldglass.
• AP.queries@transamerica.com for questions relating to payment or general billing.
• vendormanagementoperations@transamerica.com for general questions related to the supplier registration process.

As part of Transamerica’s efforts to practice and promote corporate social responsibility, a relationship has been established with EcoVadis, a global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ratings provider. EcoVadis conducts sustainability performance assessments on Transamerica’s supply chain partners. The overall assessment includes environmental, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

Learn more about who they are and what they do here. Visit the EcoVadis website for further information: EcoVadis

Transamerica has partnered with Rapid Ratings, who provides comprehensive insight into the financial health of both publicly and privately held companies. The assessment provides analytics on suppliers’ short-term resiliency and long-term viability.

Visit the Rapid Ratings website for more information: Manage enterprise risk with Financial Health Ratings (rapidratings.com)