SAP Vendor Master Data/PaymentWorks Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When a vendor registration is complete, it will show status of Approved. A status of Approved means vendor onboarding has been completed and the vendor number is being loaded into the SAP Vendor Master Data for use on a procurement transaction such as a Shopping Cart, Payment Request Document, etc. The vendor number is typically ready and available to use on procurement documents approximately one-half business day after showing as Approved. Be sure to check SAP T-code XK03 to determine the vendor number. It's important not to wait for any type of final dashboard notification in PaymentWorks for this. A status of Approved is the official, final step in the formal onboarding process.

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 support 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. If needed, departments can also place a request for assistance on behalf of the vendor via the vendorhelp@l.uky.edu help email.

Based on a number of factors, PaymentWorks may or may not reflect the SAP vendor number in its console status bar. It’s important not to wait for PaymentWorks to reflect the vendor number. A status of Approved is the final formal step in the onboarding process. The vendor number can be found in the SAP Vendor Master Data and available to use on procurement documents approximately one-half business day after showing status of Approved.

Eastern State Hospital (ESH) External Learners are not technically University employees. If they need a vendor number established, send them an invitation through PaymentWorks as normal. The individual should also indicate in the “dba” field on their registration form that they are an ESH employee or External Learner to avoid delays in registration processing. When registering, these individuals will select the “ESH External Learner” selection from the “University of Kentucky Status” dropdown menu on their registration form.

When manually placing a vendor number directly on the SRM Shopping Cart or PRD, you may encounter this message. This means the vendor is inactive and blocked in the SAP Vendor Master Data. Send them an onboarding invitation in order to register anew with PaymentWorks. A new, separate email address should be used for their new account.

Inactive/blocked vendors are not reactivated internally. If a vendor has been blocked or inactivated within the SAP Vendor Master Data, an invitation with a new email address must be sent to the vendor to complete a new registration.

Change requests for a current vendor (e.g., address change) are also conducted via PaymentWorks. A previously registered vendor can update their own address within PaymentWorks which will transition into the SAP Vendor Master Data once approved.



If a vendor has registered through PaymentWorks and they need to update their address, it’s important to not send them a second invitation for this. Once they have registered with PaymentWorks, the vendor logs into their PaymentWorks account to update their address and submit. If approved, the address update in PaymentWorks is updated in the SAP Vendor Master Data. The address update in SAP Vendor Master Data is manual; there is a short delay from the time the vendor submits the update until it is reflected in the SAP Vendor Master Data.

The PaymentWorks onboarding application began in 2018. Each new vendor in the SAP Vendor Master Data since 2018 has been onboarded via PaymentWorks. A number of long-time, continually used vendors were previously registered in the SAP Vendor Master Data prior to PaymentWorks and may not have a PaymentWorks account. If one of these older vendors needs to make a change to their information, send them an invitation through PaymentWorks identical to a new vendor onboarding.

A single PaymentWorks registration cannot be used for multiple entities/individuals. The vendor will need to change the information on their registration to their original submission. In order for the entity to register separately as an individual, ask them for a separate email address and send them a new invitation to register as an individual. The vendor will need to ensure to use the second email address to access the new invitation only; it must remain apart and separate from the email and account they used for their company registration.

When manually placing a vendor number directly on the SRM Shopping Cart or PRD, you may encounter this message. This means the vendor is inactive and blocked in the SAP Vendor Master Data. Send them a new onboarding invitation in order to register anew with PaymentWorks. A new, separate email address should be used for their new account.

In this instance, if you are seeing the vendor number in the SAP Vendor Master Data, it would only be accessible if using a search tab other then UK Vendor Search. Be sure when performing searches in the SAP Vendor Master Data to only use the UK Vendor Search tab to display the currently active vendors.

"Master Data" is simply an organized collection of business details having a specific purpose to meet the needs of the business operation or initiative. For instance, a manufacturing entity may maintain master data for specific parts they make such as catalog number, size specifications, material type, etc.

“Vendor Master Data” is a type specifically related to and used by business entities to conduct transactions, operations, and reporting. It is simply a record, physical or digital, of all needed data elements related to a supplier entity. This can include items such as supplier name, address, phone number, email address, tax information, etc. Vendor Master Data is designed so a single reference (i.e., vendor number) will assign other needed details to a procurement transaction such as a Shopping Cart or Payment Request Document.

The University’s Vendor Master Data resides as a database within SAP and thus is formally known as “SAP Vendor Master Data”. SAP is the University’s Enterprise Resource Planning, or ERP, system. It comprises all formal business processes used by the University into a single large-scale, integrated software platform. The SAP Vendor Master Data holds thousands of active vendor records that departments can utilize as needed for ongoing creation of procurement transactions such as Shopping Carts, Requisitions, and Payment Request Documents.

Vendor Master Data can include items such as supplier name, address, phone number, email address, tax information, etc. Vendor master data used by more advanced business entities can also include components such as payment terms, shipping terms, supplier diversity classifications, etc.

For the University, SAP Vendor Master Data serves as the basis for procurement transactions such as Shopping Carts and Requisitions (both of which evolve into purchase orders) and Payment Request Documents. Vendor Master Data is not used in any way with procurement card transactions.

For instance, when a departmental Shopper creates a Shopping Cart to order goods or services, a vendor number is required as one of the key elements, similar to item descriptions and catalog numbers. Upon entering a vendor number on the Shopping Cart, all needed vendor information is automatically assigned to the order such as the vendor’s address, phone or email, shipping, or payment terms, etc.

Procurement Services manages the University’s SAP Vendor Master Data. This includes:

• Ownership of the SAP Vendor Master Data
• Needed maintenance and updates
• Onboarding of new vendors into the SAP Vendor Master Data
• Inactivation and blocking of vendors for various reasons
• Tactical and strategic elements for best management and overall use of the data as it relates to institutional goals and objectives
• Contracting and assignment of third-party platform for onboarding new vendors
• Ongoing supplier management of third-party platform provider for onboarding new vendors

In summary, all aspects of the University’s SAP Vendor Master Data are managed by Procurement Services. A dedicated procurement technology team manages and oversees ownership of the data as well as onboarding of new vendor registrations.

SAP Vendor Master Data is used by departments (and Procurement Services Buyers) to assign vendor numbers to procurement transactions such as Shopping Carts, Requisitions, and Payment Request Documents. Departmental users are authorized to access SAP Vendor Master Data and create procurement transactions via assigned roles. The role for accessing vendor master data and sending new vendor registration invitations requires completion of an SAP Training Request Plan and required courses in myUK Learning (after 7/10/23).

For purposes of the University’s procurement and business needs, SAP Vendor Master Data is generally structured into these general classifications:

• US business entities (such as a company or corporation)
• US individuals, i.e., persons using their SSN as their tax identifier
• International entities
• International individuals including persons utilizing W8-BEN forms or various visa types

US business entities also include any organization or entity using a federal tax ID number such as non-profit organizations, government entities, University student groups, etc.

SAP Vendor Master Data also includes University personnel for various reasons and under specific protocols and identifiers who manage Imprest (petty) cash transactions on behalf of their department as well as information related to employee reimbursements.

Vendor numbers typically are used on any type of Shopping Cart or Requisition (both of which evolve into purchase orders) and Payment Request Documents. Assignment of a correct and active number is required on a procurement transaction identical to the entry of the item description, catalog number, etc.

Prior to starting any procurement transaction, it’s important first to check and verify whether the desired vendor currently exists within the SAP Vendor Master Data using T-code XK03 only. If the vendor is listed within SAP Vendor Master Data, and their information is current, the departmental user can move forward with completing the procurement document.

If the vendor is not listed within the SAP Vendor Master Data, the departmental user will send them an invitation to register via PaymentWorks from within the myUK Enterprise Services tab. Remember to perform an exhaustive search in SAP Vendor Master Data for the vendor’s name before sending the invitation.

It's important not to assume that the first purchase from a given vendor automatically means the vendor will need to register anew. Many vendors are used across multiple University departments for needed purchases and will already be in the SAP Vendor Master Data. Be sure to check the SAP Vendor Master Data first to see if the needed vendor is already listed and available to use.

If the vendor is listed within SAP Vendor Master Data and their information is current, the department can move forward with completing the procurement transaction (e.g., Shopping Cart, etc.).

Prior to starting any procurement transaction, it’s important first to check and verify whether the desired vendor currently exists within the SAP Vendor Master Data. If the vendor is listed within SAP Vendor Master Data, and their information is current, the departmental user can move forward with completing the procurement document. To search and verify whether the needed vendor is already available within SAP Vendor Master Data:

Note: A link will be available (est. May 2023) within the Enterprise Services / PaymentWorks tab and will take you directly to a web-based browser version of the SAP T-code for Display Vendor access. Traditional users of SAP may prefer to use the T-code directly inside the SAP GUI. Both approaches produce the same results and navigation steps are generally identical.

A. Access web-based version of SAP T-code XK03 via the Enterprise Services / PaymentWorks tab (or if preferred, access the T-code within the SAP GUI)

B. Click the Search icon on the right side of the Supplier Search box.

C. The correct tab/panel to use is entitled UK Vendor Search; this typically appears and is the correct search tab/panel. If the UK Vendor Search tab does not appear initially, click on the small folder icon at the top right of the panel and select the UK Vendor Search tab for current active vendors.

Important: There will be multiple tabs here; be sure to use only the tab labeled UK Vendor Search; all other tabs will display incorrect results.

D. Search for your needed vendor using a wildcard format under the name or other search criteria. Wildcard formats use asterisks around name components such as: *John*Smith*Contracting*.

E. Review the list of search results to determine whether your vendor currently exists within the SAP Vendor Master Data and to obtain the vendor number

Ensure to conduct an exhaustive search for the vendor from the UK Vendor Search tab active master data. If the needed active vendor is not listed, you will use the PaymentWorks platform to send the vendor an invitation for new vendor onboarding.

Performing a search using T-code XK03 with the UK Vendor Search tab, searching by vendor name rather than the vendor number, will always produce active vendors only. Be sure to follow the correct steps using wildcard format on search terms, etc.

The University utilizes a third-party platform to onboard and validate all new vendors before their registrations are accepted and approved for addition to the SAP Vendor Master Data. PaymentWorks is the University’s third-party onboarding platform provider for new vendor registrations and contracted with the University. PaymentWorks is integrated within myUK Enterprise Services tab for convenience. Once they complete a Training Request Plan and the assigned coursework in myUK Learning, authorized users will have the tab and access the platform using Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality.

Authorized users at the department level 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 Procurement Services, a vendor number is assigned within the SAP Vendor Master Data and is ready to use on a procurement transaction.

Using a third-party provider for new vendor registrations has a number of benefits:

• Automatic validation of vendor’s address, tax ID, 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 departmental users 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.

SAP Vendor Master Data 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. The University utilizes PaymentWorks only for new vendor onboarding and vendor address updates when needed.

PaymentWorks is simply a secondary system component for onboarding and validation of new 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 and is integrated with myUK for ease of access convenience. PaymentWorks does not act as the administrator or custodian for the University’s Vendor Master Data.

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. 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. PaymentWorks was selected as the best provider and awarded a contract from a competitive bidding process identical to any other procurement need.

To send a PaymentWorks invitation for a new vendor registration:

1. Access myUK
2. Navigate to the Enterprise Services tab
3. Access PaymentWorks from the link provided in the page
4. Upon arrival at the PaymentWorks landing page, click the Vendor Master Updates tile
5. Select the New Vendors tab
6. From the Show menu at the upper left, change the selection from Requests to Onboarding Tracker
7. Click the Send Invitation button at the lower left of the Onboarding Tracker
8. Enter name and email address (twice) for the supplier to be onboarded. There is an optional field for Personalized Message, if needed.
9. Click the Send button to send the invitation

Be sure to conduct an exhaustive search for the vendor from the SAP Vendor Master Data before sending a new vendor registration invitation. When using T-code XK03, but sure to use only the UK Vendor Search tab to display active vendors. Using any other tab here will provide incorrect research results.

Once you determine the needed supplier does not have an active vendor number in the SAP Vendor Master Data, the next step would be to send the PaymentWorks invitation to initiate the onboarding. Establishing of the vendor in the SAP Vendor Master Data is a requirement before a Shopping Cart or Requisition can be created.

For transactions qualifying as Payment Request Documents, onboarding the new vendor registration before the transaction takes place is important to prevent confusion and ensure the overall transaction processes smoothly and without delay. This ensures the payee clearly understands their responsibilities in the process and in order to receive payment.

PaymentWorks provides each departmental user a dashboard console to monitor onboarding progress of their new vendor registrations. Once the invitation is sent, users can follow onboarding progress as each step is completed from the invitation send to the final progress step of Approved. Please note each departmental user only has access and can view the invitations which they have initiated.

A status of Approved means the vendor onboarding has been completed and the vendor number is being loaded into the SAP Vendor Master Data for use on a procurement transaction such as Shopping Cart, Payment Request Document, etc. The vendor number is typically ready and available to use on procurement documents one-half business day after being approved.

Important: Based on a number of factors, PaymentWorks may or may not reflect the SAP vendor number in its console status bar. It’s important not to wait for PaymentWorks provides the vendor number. A status of Approved is the final official step in the onboarding process. The vendor number can be found in the SAP Vendor Master Data and be available to use on procurement documents approximately one-half business day after being approved.

Both Procurement Services and PaymentWorks have continuous access to status bar progress for all vendors being onboarded University-wide.

Departmental users will see various status indicators as the vendor progresses through their onboarding steps:

• Invitation Initiated - PaymentWorks invitation has been initiated by department
• Invitation Approved and Sent - Invitation approved and delivered by PaymentWorks to vendor’s email inbox
• Invitation Email Opened or Invitation Link Clicked - Vendor has opened invitation email initially and, if indicated, clicked the PaymentWorks link to visit platform.
• Email Verified – Invitation Received - Vendor has completed initial account creation with their email address and established their password. Second email is delivered to vendor’s inbox to log in and complete the registration form.
• Registration In Progress - Vendor is in process of completing registration but has not submitted it yet.
• Registration Submitted – Pending Internal Review - Vendor has completed registration form; registration in process of review by Procurement Services.
• Registration Returned – Pending Resubmission - Registration returned to vendor for possible corrections or other need. Vendor must update and resubmit the form with the corrected information.
• Registration Approved - Registration Approved - This is the final step in the formal onboarding process. The vendor number will be available in SAP Vendor Master Data within one-half day.
• Onboarding Complete - Onboarding Complete - Optional information provided by PaymentWorks; will not show for all registrations. Above status of Registration Approved is the final onboarding step in the formal process.
• Registration Rejected - Registration rejected by Procurement Services and cannot be resubmitted.

If a vendor’s registration is showing “in-progress” and they are not sure what they need to do, they should contact PaymentWorks directly to submit a help ticket. PaymentWorks support will walk the vendor through the registration process, if needed, and vendors are provided this information in their PaymentWorks email instructions. PaymentWorks continues to send reminders to vendors if they have not completed their account creation and onboarding steps.

PaymentWorks users may occasionally see a vendor’s registration with a status of Returned in their dashboard console. Typically, this is due to one of the following reasons:

• The vendor is already in SAP Vendor Master Data with the same information that was provided in PaymentWorks and the registration was not needed.
• The vendor has provided information, such as an address, that needs to be corrected before it can be approved and added to SAP.
• The vendor’s legal name and FEIN #/SSN are invalid or do not match IRS records and must be corrected by the vendor before they can be approved
• The vendor did not validate any ACH information with PaymentWorks.

When a registration is returned, the vendor/individual is given instructions to correct their registration.

A status of Returned does not necessarily represent a meaning of rejection or denial from entry into the SAP Vendor Master Data. Typically, it means the vendor is informed of a needed change or update on their registration. They receive instructions from PaymentWorks or Procurement Services and can login to complete the change and resubmit the registration.

If you have questions regarding a returned registration to a vendor, you should contact vendorhelp@l.uky.edu. It’s important not to directly contact PaymentWorks support.

When a vendor registration is complete, it will show status of Approved. A status of Approved means vendor onboarding has been completed and the vendor number is being loaded into the SAP Vendor Master Data for use on a procurement transaction such as Shopping Cart, Payment Request Document, etc. The vendor number is typically ready and available to use on procurement documents one-half business day after they are approved. Be sure to check SAP T-code XK03 to determine the vendor number.

Important: Based on a number of factors, PaymentWorks may or may not reflect the SAP vendor number in its console status bar. It’s important not to wait for PaymentWorks to provide the vendor number. A status of Approved is the final official step in the onboarding process. The vendor number can be found in the SAP Vendor Master Data and be available to use on procurement documents one-half business day after being approved.

Note: A link will be available (est. May 2023) within the Enterprise Services / PaymentWorks tab and will take you directly to a web-based browser version of the SAP T-code for Display Vendor access. Traditional users of SAP may prefer to use the T-code directly inside the SAP GUI. Both approaches produce the same results and navigation steps are generally identical.

A. Access web-based version of SAP T-code XK03 via the Enterprise Services / PaymentWorks tab (or if preferred, access the T-code within the SAP GUI)

B. Click the Search icon on the right side of the Supplier Search box.

C. The correct tab/panel to use is entitled UK Vendor Search; this typically appears and is the correct search tab/panel. If the UK Vendor Search tab does not appear initially, click on the small folder icon at the top right of the panel and select the UK Vendor Search tab for current active vendors.

Important: There will be multiple tabs here; be sure to use only the tab labeled UK Vendor Search. All other tabs will display incorrect results.

D. Search for your needed vendor using a wildcard format under the name or other search criteria. Wildcard formats use asterisks around name components such as: *John*Smith*Contracting*.

E. Review the list of search results to determine whether your vendor currently exists within the SAP Vendor Master Data and to obtain the vendor number

When a vendor registration is complete, it will show status of Approved.

A status of Approved means the vendor onboarding has been completed and the vendor number is being loaded into the SAP Vendor Master Data for use on a procurement transaction such as Shopping Cart, Payment Request Document, etc. The vendor number is typically ready and available to use on procurement documents one-half business day after they are approved.

Important: Based on a number of factors, PaymentWorks may or may not reflect the SAP vendor number in its console status bar. It’s important not to wait for PaymentWorks to provide the vendor number. A status of Approved is the final official step in the onboarding process. The vendor number can be found in the SAP Vendor Master Data and be available to use on procurement documents one-half business day after being approved.

Note: A link will be available (est. May 2023) within the Enterprise Services / PaymentWorks tab and will take you directly to a web-based browser version of the SAP T-code for Display Vendor access. Traditional users of SAP may prefer to use the T-code directly inside the SAP GUI. Both approaches produce the same results and navigation steps are generally identical.

A. Access web-based version of SAP T-code XK03 via the Enterprise Services / PaymentWorks tab (or if preferred, access the T-code within the SAP GUI)

B. Click the Search icon on the right side of the Supplier Search box.

C. The correct tab/panel to use is entitled UK Vendor Search; this typically appears and is the correct search tab/panel. If the UK Vendor Search tab does not appear initially, click on the small folder icon at the top right of the panel and select the UK Vendor Search tab for current active vendors.

Important: There will be multiple tabs here; be sure to use only the tab labeled UK Vendor Search. All other tabs will display incorrect results.

D. Search for your needed vendor using a wildcard format under the name or other search criteria. Wildcard formats use asterisks around name components such as: *John*Smith*Contracting*.

E. Review the list of search results to determine whether your vendor currently exists within the SAP Vendor Master Data and to obtain the vendor number.

Onboarding time 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. Provided that vendors create their accounts and complete their registrations promptly and correctly, the majority of onboardings are completed within 2-3 business days.

There are four stakeholders in the PaymentWorks new vendor onboarding process:

• Departmental user – sends the onboarding invitation
• New vendor – follows information provided by PaymentWorks to create their account and complete the registration
• PaymentWorks – provides and manages the platform and provides support to vendors during onboarding
• Procurement Services – reviews and provides final approval (or rejection) at conclusion of onboarding process; manages overall process including management of all onboarding processes across other stakeholders.

Procurement Services provides support and resources for departmental users:

• Help email for support and questions related to SAP Vendor Master Data and department needs during the new vendor onboarding process: vendorhelp@l.uky.edu.
• Procurement Services Learning and Training Page: Dedicated Section (D) (Requires linkblue login)
• SAP Vendor Master Data and PaymentWorks Onboarding Frequently Asked Questions (Requires linkblue login)
• SAP Vendor Master Data and PaymentWorks Onboarding Learning Series in myUK Learning – can be booked and taken on demand as refreshers.

PaymentWorks provides all support and resources to new vendors during their account creation and registration processes. Vendors are provided email notifications with all support resources listed.

Important: Please be sure to contact the vendorhelp@l.uky.edu help email for any departmental questions or needs related to SAP Vendor Master Data or the PaymentWorks Onboarding Process. In keeping with separation of duties and to ensure expedient problem resolution, it’s important that departments not contact PaymentWorks directly for support needs.

Each stakeholder in the onboarding process (department, vendor, PaymentWorks, Procurement Services) is identified by and correlates with specific roles in the onboarding process. This is by design and common among business process structure in any organization. By delineating the onboarding into specific parts and assigning specific tasks and responsibilities, it better ensures each stakeholder understands and adheres to their role. This provides checks and balances in the process and reduces the possibility of impropriety or arise of conflict of interest. Adhering to assigned roles and responsibilities also prevents delays in the process and ensures quicker onboarding and assignment of a new vendor number.

It is important that the vendor creates their account and completes the online registration independently from the department. This prevents any appearance of impropriety or possible collusion among department and vendor during the onboarding process. PaymentWorks provides support to the vendor, as needed, but it is important that the department not participate or intervene in the onboarding process with the vendor.

Each stakeholder in the onboarding process (department, vendor, PaymentWorks, Procurement Services) is identified by and correlates with specific roles in the onboarding process. This is by design and common among business process structure in any organization. By delineating the onboarding into specific parts and assigning specific tasks and responsibilities, it better ensures each stakeholder understands and adheres to their role. This provides checks and balances in the process and reduces the possibility of impropriety or arise of conflict of interest. Adhering to assigned roles and responsibilities also prevents delays in the process and ensures quicker onboarding and assignment of a new vendor number.

It is important that the vendor creates their account and completes the online registration independently from the department. This prevents any appearance of impropriety or possible collusion among department and vendor during the onboarding process. PaymentWorks provides support to the vendor, as needed, but it is important that the department not participate or intervene in the onboarding process with the vendor.

It is against University policy for a departmental user to submit a registration on behalf of a vendor or individual. The registration can only be completed and submitted by the vendor/individual. This could be interpreted as collusion or fraudulent in nature and could result in suspension of the departmental user’s vendor master data role and removal of their PaymentWorks tab.

It’s important to send only one PaymentWorks invitation to a vendor to complete a registration. If a consideration arises regarding use of a new or different email address for the same vendor or individual, contact vendorhelp@.uky.edu for guidance. Sending multiple invitations for the same vendor setup creates confusion in the onboarding process among all stakeholders and typically extends the time required for onboarding. It could also erroneously result in multiple vendor registrations and vendor numbers in the SAP Vendor Master Data.

Vendors receive automatic reminders from PaymentWorks to create their account and complete their registrations until they are complete. An invitation can be sent only to one email address. If you have issues related to this or feel the need to send a new invitation to a different person, contact vendorhelp@l.uky.edu for guidance and to request cancellation of the first invitation if needed.

Access to SAP Vendor Master Data and the PaymentWorks tab in myUK is limited to those with the authorized role. To request the role (after 7-10-23), your departmental business officer should submit an SAP Training Request Plan on your behalf. Once the plan is approved, two courses in myUK Learning are required and will be assigned for completion:

1. SAP Vendor Master Data and Onboarding – Concepts

2. SAP Vendor Master Data and Onboarding – Technical

Once both courses are completed and passed, access to SAP Vendor Master Data and the PaymentWorks tab in myUK Enterprise Services is typically provided within 24 to 48 hours.

University employees seeking an 8XXXXX number will not complete an application within PaymentWorks. A customized Employee PERNER Form is available from the Procurement Services website for employees to complete and submit to receive an 8XXXXX vendor number as support for a reimbursement. The 8XXXXX employee vendor number will be available from within the SAP Vendor Master Data once established. When accessing the Employee PERNER Form on the Procurement Services website, be sure to log in first using your linkblue ID and password.

Setup of a University employee as an Imprest (petty cash) Custodian is the sole exception for an employee to be sent a PaymentWorks invitation to register. Imprest Custodians are not common and have unique requirements. The employee must use a campus address and choose “UK Imprest Cash Custodian” as their affiliation with the University. Contact vendorhelp@l.uky.edu if you have questions about establishing an employee as a departmental Imprest Cash Custodian.

To ensure sound management and controls of the University’s SAP Vendor Master Data, vendors who have a long period of no transaction activity with the University are inactivated and blocked from use on a procurement transaction. To qualify for a vendor number, the department should send the vendor a PaymentWorks registration to register anew. The new registration will need sent to a new email address with the vendor.

Beyond transaction inactivity, a vendor may be inactivated or blocked for other reasons such as:

• Address is no longer valid
• Company or individual has had a name change, merger, combined acquisition, etc.
• FEIN/SSN data is incorrect
• Duplicate of another vendor record

Inactive/blocked vendors are not reactivated internally. If a vendor has been blocked or inactivated within the SAP Vendor Master Data, an invitation with a new email address must be sent to the vendor to complete a new registration.

After a period of inactivity (typically 36 to 60 months), a vendor will become blocked from use. If you see the message that a vendor has been blocked from use, send the vendor an invitation through PaymentWorks in order for them to be re-established as an active vendor in our system.

If the vendor has previously registered with UK through PaymentWorks, the vendor will need to provide a new email address to use for the new invitation and the new registration, as reverting back to an email they have already used in PaymentWorks will cause issues with their new registration.

Vendors can also become inactive at any time due to other issues that may arise.

Inactive/blocked vendors are not reactivated internally. If a vendor has been blocked or inactivated within the SAP Vendor Master Data, an invitation with a new email address must be sent to the vendor to complete a new registration.

If a vendor number has become inactive/blocked, their PaymentWorks registration is no longer connected to their SAP vendor number and cannot be used. The vendor will need to provide a new email address to send them a new invitation. The vendor must also ensure to use the new email address to access the new invitation/registration. Reverting to the email address used previously will cause issues with their new registration.

If a vendor number has become inactive/blocked, their PaymentWorks registration is no longer connected to their SAP vendor number and cannot be used. The vendor will need to provide a new email address to send them a new invitation. The vendor must also ensure to use the new email address to access the new invitation/registration. Reverting to the email address used previously will cause issues with their new registration.

Change requests for a current vendor (e.g., address change) are also conducted via PaymentWorks. A previously registered vendor can update their own address within PaymentWorks which will transition into the SAP Vendor Master Data once approved. If a vendor has registered through PaymentWorks and they need to update their address, it’s important to not send them a second invitation for this. Once they have registered with PaymentWorks, the vendor logs into their PaymentWorks account to update their address and submit. If approved, the address update in PaymentWorks is updated in the SAP Vendor Master Data. The address update in SAP Vendor Master Data is manual; there is a short delay from the time the vendor submits the update until it is reflected in the SAP Vendor Master Data.

Please contact Vendorhelp at Vendorhelp@l.uky.edu for the vendor team to check PaymentWorks. They will advise whether you need to send a new invitation or if the vendor/individual needs to update their existing registration.

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 vendorhelp@l.uky.edu for guidance and assistance related to this type of address update need.

A correct and active vendor number is required when completing a procurement transaction such as a Shopping Cart, Requisition, or Payment Request Document identical to other key items e.g., item description, catalog number, price, etc. It is important that the correct vendor number, with accurate address and other information, be used on the procurement transaction. at the initial stage. Make efforts to ensure the address is accurate when the vendor number is assigned to the procurement transaction. If the incorrect vendor number is used, or the vendor record is not correct as to address, etc., the overall transaction will become problematic as it evolves and not complete correctly resulting in delay of goods/services delivery or payment.

Departments typically have up to three roles in most procurement transactions:

1. Creation of initial procurement transaction (i.e., Shopping Cart, Requisition, Payment Request Document).
2. Department approval(s)
3. Creation of the Goods Confirmation/Receipt upon receive of goods (applicable to purchase orders that result from Shopping Carts and Requisitions)

At step one, the departmental user selects the vendor number based on the entity from which is is being ordered. This is typically found on the vendor quote (or invoice, if a Payment Request Document). Many vendors have a single address and both the ordering and remit-to aspects are to the same vendor number. Some vendors have a second remit-to address for payments. Remit-to addresses are frequently managed in the background by other parties in the procurement transaction stream such as Procurement Services or Accounts Payable.

In summary, departmental users primarily work to ensure that the vendor number used on the initial procurement transaction is correct. If additional needs arise related to remit-to addresses later in the transaction stream, other process stakeholder(s) will manage or communicate with the department for any additional needs.

An existing vendor number is not updated to overwrite a street address with a PO Box address. If a PO Box address is needed, that address will have a separate vendor number within the SAP Vendor Master Data. Be sure to search the SAP Vendor Master Data for the specific active vendor number needed.

The University began using the PaymentWorks onboarding application in 2018. Each new vendor in the SAP Vendor Master Data since 2018 has been onboarded via PaymentWorks. A number of long-time, continually used vendors were previously registered in the SAP Vendor Master Data prior to PaymentWorks and may not have a PaymentWorks account. If one of these older vendors needs to make a change to their information, send them an invitation through PaymentWorks identical to a new vendor onboarding.

A vendor can log into their PaymentWorks account at: www.paymentworks.com/df/accounts/login/

A single PaymentWorks registration cannot be used for multiple entities/individuals. The vendor will need to change the information on their registration to their original submission. In order for the entity to register separately as an individual, ask them for a separate email address and send them a new invitation to register as an individual. The vendor will need to ensure to use the second email address to access the new invitation only; it must remain apart and separate from the email and account they used for their company registration.

Procurement Services and Accounts Payable work collaboratively to determine when vendors should be linked for payment purposes. Questions specifically related to payment status should be directed to the Accounts Payable office.

If the student is currently on University’s payroll as an employee, use the PERNER form process to establish an 8XXXXX vendor number for their payment or reimbursement.

If the student is not employed by the University, send them an invitation to register via PaymentWorks. During the registration process, the student should indicate they are a “UK Student” on their PaymentWorks Registration under the “University of Kentucky Status” dropdown selection.

Note: Vendor number usage as described above applies to scenarios related to graduate student payments who may/may not be University employees or any student serving as an Independent Contractor as common examples. Other student payments, such as those supported by a Payments on Behalf of Students (PBS) form, may be eligible to transact on a Payment Request Document (PRD) as a free-form entry for the student name and address. Consult the applicable training and learning resources (e.g., PRD training, etc.) for guidance on student payments that may not require the need for a vendor number. 

Eastern State Hospital (ESH) External Learners are not technically University employees. If they need a vendor number established, send them an invitation through PaymentWorks as normal. The individual should also indicate in the “dba” field on their registration form that they are an ESH employee or External Learner to avoid delays in registration processing. When registering, these individuals will select the “ESH External Learner” selection from the “University of Kentucky Status” dropdown menu on their registration form.

Based on the nature of vendor master data within an organization, attempts at fraudulent activity are common. Typically, these types of emails have details that are common among phishing and scam attempts of which samples can be found here. It is also common for these types of phishing attempts to have content directly related to payment(s) such as request for a specific payment type like ACH or wire transfer. If you receive any types of these email attempts, you can report the suspicious activity or notify vendorhelp@l.uky.edu.

Departments can send any internal vendor related question or matter to vendorhelp@l.uky.edu. The department should refrain from contacting PaymentWorks for questions regarding internal University processes.

Vendors in the process of being onboarded receive direct support from PaymentWorks and are provided instructions from PaymentWorks to receive this support directly in their email communications.

PaymentWorks provides support to vendors during the onboarding process as part of the University contractual agreement. Vendors are provided access to and instructions for PaymentWorks support in all their onboarding communications. Based on separation of duties and independent onboarding required by the vendor, it’s important they seek to fill their support needs directly from PaymentWorks. If needed, departments can also place a request for assistance on behalf of the vendor via the vendorhelp@l.uky.edu help email.

PaymentWorks provides support to vendors during the onboarding process as part of the University contractual agreement. Vendors are provided access to and instructions for PaymentWorks support in all their onboarding communications. Access and instructions to register on the platform are proprietary to PaymentWorks; thus, it is not appropriate or allowable for another party to publish their information in the public space.  In addition, based on separation of duties and independent onboarding required by the vendor, it’s important that they seek to fill their support needs directly from PaymentWorks. If needed, departments can also place a request for assistance on behalf of the vendor via the vendorhelp@l.uky.edu help email.

The following resources are provided for departmental use:

• Help email for support and questions related to SAP Vendor Master Data and department needs during the new vendor onboarding process: vendorhelp@l.uky.edu.
• Procurement Services Learning and Training Page: Dedicated Section (D) (Requires linkblue login)
• SAP Vendor Master Data and PaymentWorks Onboarding Frequently Asked Questions (Requires linkblue login)
• SAP Vendor Master Data and PaymentWorks Onboarding Learning Series in myUK Learning – can be booked and taken on demand as refreshers.