C_ARSUM Ariba Supplier Management Practice Question
A supplier manager needs to onboard a new supplier whose legal name matches an existing supplier record but whose tax identifier differs. The manager wants to prevent duplicate records while still capturing the new legal entity. Which action should the manager take in SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating any legal-name match as an automatic duplicate, when the tax identifier is a distinguishing attribute that the duplicate check evaluates alongside the name.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Proceed with registration and rely on the duplicate check using legal name and tax identifier.
Duplicate checking in SAP Ariba compares identifying attributes such as legal name and tax identifier. When the tax identifier differs, the new supplier is treated as a distinct legal entity even if the name matches. Proceeding with registration lets the duplicate check surface the similarity for review without blocking a legitimate onboarding, which is the correct balance between data quality and business continuity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Block the registration until the existing supplier record is archived.
Why it's wrong here
Archiving the existing supplier would disrupt active sourcing and transactional relationships tied to that record. The existing supplier is a valid, distinct legal entity, so there is no justification for archiving it merely because a new supplier shares a similar name. Blocking registration this way prevents legitimate onboarding and does not reflect how duplicate checks are designed to work.
- ✓
Proceed with registration and rely on the duplicate check using legal name and tax identifier.
Why this is correct
SAP Ariba duplicate checks evaluate combinations of identifiers such as legal name and tax identifier. Because the tax identifier differs, the system can allow the new registration while flagging the name similarity for review. Proceeding with registration and letting the duplicate check evaluate both fields is the intended way to capture a genuinely distinct legal entity without creating an unintended duplicate.
- ✗
Merge the new legal entity into the existing supplier record and update the tax identifier.
Why it's wrong here
Merging would overwrite or conflate two distinct legal entities, which is incorrect because they have different tax identifiers. Merging is intended for true duplicates, not for separate legal entities that happen to share a name. This action would corrupt supplier master data and could cause compliance and payment errors downstream.
- ✗
Create a new supplier record and link it as a parent-child relationship to the existing supplier.
Why it's wrong here
Parent-child relationships model corporate hierarchies, such as a headquarters and its subsidiaries, not duplicate prevention for distinct legal entities. Linking the new record as a child would not address the duplicate-detection concern raised by the matching legal name, and it could confuse reporting. The tax identifier difference is what distinguishes the entities, so hierarchy linkage is not the right control.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official SAP exam blueprint
This C_ARSUM practice question is part of Courseiva's free SAP certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the C_ARSUM exam.