Migrate SDM supplier access to the Supplier Portal

Summary

Move your existing suppliers from legacy Supplier Data Manager (SDM) access links to the new Supplier Portal, with dedicated supplier accounts. Replace separate links for each supplier and workflow with a shared sign-in page, Supplier Organizations, and individual user accounts, while continuing to collect product files through your SDM workflows.

 

Overview

A Supplier Portal is the collaboration space where your suppliers sign in to submit files and enrich product data. You can think about it as a dashboard for your suppliers.

A Supplier Organization represents a supplier company and connects its users to the Supplier Portal they must use.

 

Key changes

Feature Legacy Supplier Access New Supplier Portal
Supplier access A dedicated Supplier Access link for each supplier and each SDM workflow. A single access link to an Akeneo-hosted login page for the Supplier Portal.
User access Suppliers follow a direct link without needing an SDM account. Anyone with the link can access SDM workflows. You invite individual users to a Supplier Organization. Users activate their accounts and authenticate before accessing the portal.
Workflows You configure accessible steps on each Supplier Access. You assign workflows and their last accessible step to the Supplier Portal. This is automatically applied to all suppliers accessing the same Portal. Suppliers choose a workflow when more than one is available.
File submission Suppliers upload product files and optional media. Same behaviour. The selected SDM workflow continues to control processing and accessible steps.
Instructions You can configure common instructions and supplier-specific instructions, documents, and videos in SDM. Workflow guidelines remain in SDM and are shared by all suppliers using that workflow. Supplier-specific guidelines for each workflow are not supported.
Welcome and branding Supports only custom instructions, no branding.

Configure the portal with your branding, such as logo, hero image, color, welcome text, plus workflow guidelines.

Before you get started

  1. Confirm that Akeneo PIM is connected to SDM and you can link your existing workflows successfully.
  2. Ask your PIM administrator to ensure your role includes Manage supplier organizations. To configure automatic merging, your role also needs Manage staging catalog settings.
  3. Prepare each supplier company's name, Internal Supplier ID (optional), default Channel and Locale, and each user's first name, last name, and email address.
  4. Choose your list of suppliers to migrate and agree a cutover date. Review any unfinished submissions before disabling legacy links.
  5. (Optional) Prepare branding for your Supplier Portal. A PNG, JPG or WebP logo of 2 MB or less, and a hex color with good contrast on white.

 

Migrate your supplier access

1. Create one portal and connect your workflows

  1. Go to System > External access > Supplier Portals in Akeneo PIM.
  2. Click Create.
  3. Enter a portal Label and click Create.
  4. Enter the portal Welcome text on the General tab.
  5. Select an SDM Workflow under Assigned SDM Workflows.
  6. Select the Last accessible step suppliers can complete.
  7. Click Add to assign additional workflows when needed. See Connect a Supplier Portal to SDM workflows.
  8. Click Save.

Choose File upload, no workflow steps if suppliers only need to send files. Otherwise, select the final processing step they should complete. When only one workflow is assigned, its upload form opens directly; with multiple workflows, suppliers choose the appropriate workflow first.

Different Supplier Organizations accessing the same Supplier Portal will not see each other's data.

Example: two suppliers using two workflows previously required four dedicated access links. They can now use one Supplier Portal, with a separate Supplier Organization for each company and individual accounts for its users.

 

You only need to create one Supplier Portal for a group of suppliers. This is different to the legacy SDM Access Link solution.

Create additional portals only when supplier groups need different workflow access or different portal branding. See Set up a Supplier Portal.

 

 

2. Review guidelines and branding

Open each relevant project in SDM and review its Instructions page. Keep the workflow's shared submission instructions, reference documents, and video up to date. Configure accepted media settings, workflow titles, and descriptions in SDM, not in the PIM Supplier Portal.

Review supplier-specific content

The new Supplier Portal does not support supplier-specific guidelines for each SDM workflow. Review any tailored guidance before cutover and decide which content can be shared at workflow level.

 

The portal's Welcome text is separate from the workflow's submission guidelines. Edit it on the portal's General tab in the PIM.

For visual branding, use Supplier Portals > Settings to configure the shared login page's logo and hero image. Use an individual portal's Branding tab for its logo and branding color after sign-in. Login-page branding applies to all suppliers, even if you create several portals.

See Customize your Supplier Access for the legacy configuration and Understand Supplier Portal branding options for the new configuration.

 

3. Create a Supplier Organization for each company

  1. Go to System > External access > Supplier Organizations.
  2. Click Create.
  3. Enter the organization's Name.
  4. Enter your Internal Supplier ID.
  5. Select the portal you created under Supplier Portal access.
  6. Select the required Default channel.
  7. Select the required Default locale.
  8. Click Create.

Repeat for each supplier company, assigning the same portal to organizations that need the same workflows. Make the assignment from the Supplier Organization: the portal's Attached Organizations field is read-only. See Create and manage Supplier Organizations.

Use your existing supplier reference as the Internal Supplier ID where applicable. See Using your Internal Supplier ID in SDM.

 

  1. Open the Supplier Organization the user must join.
  2. Open the Users tab.
  3. Click Create User.
  4. Enter the user's First name, Last name, and Email.
  5. Click Create to send the invitation email.
  6. Repeat for each collaborator who needs access.
  7. Return to Supplier Portals and click Copy access link above the portal table.
  8. Share the copied URL and your cutover instructions with the invited users.

Ask suppliers to follow their invitation email and complete account setup before the cutover. They then use the shared access link to sign in. Akeneo opens the portal assigned to their organization; users belonging to multiple organizations choose which organization to access.

Sharing the URL for your Supplier Portal alone does not create an account. Each supplier user has to accept the invite received via email and create their Akeneo account before they log in. They will not be able to log in by resetting their password.

See Invite supplier users to a Supplier Organization.

 

 

5. Configure how supplier files enter your catalog

To receive supplier files without adding a manual Staging Catalog review step, select Auto merge for supplier uploads:

  1. Go to System > External access > SDM Staging catalog in the PIM.
  2. Select Auto merge for Files uploaded by suppliers.
  3. Review Files uploaded to SDM by your team separately.
  4. Click Save.

With Auto merge, products processed through an SDM workflow merge automatically into the Primary Catalog. Choose Manual merge instead if your team needs to review incoming products in the Staging Catalog first.

Both settings use Auto merge by default. Check your current configuration rather than assuming it has not changed. A setting change affects future merge decisions only.

File uploads and direct product enrichment are different. Products assigned directly to suppliers in the PIM do not pass through an SDM workflow and always require manual review before merging. The Auto merge setting above applies to products processed through SDM workflows.

 

See Manage SDM Staging Catalog settings.

 

6. Test with a pilot supplier

Before disabling any legacy links, ask a pilot supplier to activate their account and submit a representative file through the new portal. Check that:

  • The user can sign in and access the correct organization and portal.
  • The expected workflows and shared submission guidelines are available.
  • The supplier can upload a product file and optional media, where enabled.
  • The supplier can complete the intended workflow steps, or finish in the portal for an upload-only workflow.
  • Your team receives and processes the job as expected, including any owner and notification requirements.
  • Supplier references and product identifiers are mapped correctly.
  • Processed products follow your selected Auto merge or Manual merge behavior.

Resolve issues before moving the remaining suppliers to authenticated access.

 

When users have activated their accounts and your pilot succeeds, disable the old links to enforce authentication:

  1. Open the relevant project in SDM.
  2. Go to the Supplier Access tab.
  3. Find the supplier's legacy access link.
  4. Select Disable access link.
  5. Repeat for the legacy links you are retiring across your workflows.

Suppliers who open a disabled legacy link are redirected to the new dashboard, where they sign in with email and password. If you want to require authenticated access, include every relevant legacy link in your cutover.

Disable, do not delete, for the documented redirect. Disabling a link enforces authentication through the new Supplier Portal. Deleting a Supplier Access is permanent and immediately removes access to that legacy portal.

 

See Manage legacy Supplier Access links.

 

8. Continue receiving supplier files

The entry point changes, but suppliers still send product files to your SDM workflows. Share these instructions with your suppliers:

  1. Sign in through the shared Supplier Portal access link.
  2. Open Upload.
  3. Choose the appropriate workflow if more than one is available.
  4. Review the Submission guidelines.
  5. Drag one product file into Import a product file, or browse for it.
  6. Review the job name in Choose a name.
  7. Add media if Import media files (optional) is available.
  8. Click Import and Continue.

Supported product files are XLS, XLSX, XLSM, XLSB, CSV, and XML, up to 50 MB. When media is enabled, suppliers can add PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, and PDF files up to 500 MB each. Media filenames must be unique within a submission.

If accessible processing steps are configured, the SDM job opens in a new tab. For File upload, no workflow steps, the upload finishes in the Supplier Portal without opening an SDM job page.

Media remains optional. When preparing files that reference media, keep the product identifier and media filenames, including extensions, in the product spreadsheet so the files can be associated with the correct products.

See Upload product files from a Supplier Portal. For the previous supplier experience, see What does my supplier see from their dedicated access?.

 

Check that your migration is complete

  • Your portal exposes the correct workflows and accessible steps.
  • Each supplier company has a Supplier Organization assigned to the correct portal.
  • Supplier users have received invitations and can sign in.
  • Shared guidelines and branding have been reviewed.
  • A representative file has been processed successfully with the intended catalog merge behavior.
  • The legacy links you want to retire are disabled and their redirects have been tested.
  • Suppliers have the shared access link and know how to submit their next file.

After migration, manage access through each Supplier Organization's Users tab. To revoke a user's membership, select Remove from organization. This also revokes a pending invitation for that organization, without removing the user's memberships in other organizations.

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