Business Partner inventory access model
As an IBM Business Partner registered with IBM Partner Plus, the Business Partner Inventory Access Model offers a streamlined pathway to end-customer data. With this model you can access your clients' inventory details as needed for upgrades, migrations, or other requested purchases. Notably, it eliminates the requirement to provide a system number, order number, or software maintenance contract number to register a specific customer number. Also, it does not send an email notification about the customer number registration to the end customer's administrator.
Access
Accessing End Customer inventory through the Business Partner inventory access model provides you with the 'View information' authorization for the relevant Customer Number.
- The Business Partner inventory access model is available for Business Partners that are registered and active in IBM Partner Plus.
- The Business Partner inventory access model is available under My inventory > Inventory Explorer - Advanced search tab.
- The Business Partner inventory access model is natively integrated into Base Composer on the ESS website, CPQ Hub and e-Config on Cloud - both ESS Base Composer and ESS Quick Retrieval options. The Business Partner inventory access model is activated and you are assigned with permanent "View information" authorization, when you browse records and create carts in Base Composer on ESS, CPQ Hub or e-Config, or do retrievals through either of the two ESS options in e-Config.
→ Learn more about View information authorization
Registering for the End user by using the Business Partner inventory access model
It is not required to go through the full registration process by using the option "Register Customer Number". Instead, the profile can be extended by using Inventory Explorer - Advanced search tab.
You can find a machine by selecting a search type and providing one or more values. Search results table is displayed and shows all the matching records. It also informs on whether the related customer number is already in your profile or not, and whether the customer number has a BP block.
If there is no BP block, you can extend your profile automatically by accepting the following statement: "I confirm that this access is required due to an existing End Customer order. I understand that my IBMid profile will be extended with this customer number." This acceptance is stored for auditing purposes.
- No email notification to the customer administrator is sent.
- The profile extension is permanent for auditing purposes.
- You can remove all customer numbers from your profile by accessing the option My profile > View My Authorizations.
- Resellers are always visible to Customer Number administrators.
- Distributors are only visible to Customer Numbers administrators when a BP block is enabled.
If the Customer Number has a BP block, registering the customer number to user's profile is not available. You can request access from the administrator through a request access form.
What is a BP block
A Business Partner Block (BP block) restricts Business Partner users from accessing a customer number without explicit administrator approval.
Only administrator users who are associated with the customer number can manually add Business Partner users and assign application authorities through the 'Manage Authorizations' feature by selecting 'Authorize Another User ID'.
When activating the BP block, administrators see distributor IBMids with access to the customer number. With a BP block disabled, only IBMids belonging to End Customer and Reseller IBMids are showing.
How can End Customers check which Business Partners have access to their customer numbers
The client administrator has visibility to which resellers have access to their customer number. Distributors are hidden by default and are listed once BP block is enabled. The BP block is activated under My profile > Manage Customer Numbers.
The user list shows who has access to the particular customer number:
(DI) - Business Partner IBMid with active Distributor BPA in IBM Partner Plus - only listed when BP block is enabled
(BP) - Business Partner IBMid with any other active
BPA in IBM Partner Plus
(EC) - End Customer IBMid
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