C_ARSUM Ariba Supplier Management Practice Question
Exhibit
log_event: { "status": "FAILED", "reason": "MANDATORY_FIELD_MISSING", "field": "DUNS_NUMBER", "project_type": "REGISTRATION" }Refer to the exhibit. A new supplier registration attempt failed. What is the most likely cause based on the error log?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers often assume registration failures are caused by supplier network timeouts instead of checking template-specific mandatory field validation requirements like the DUNS number.
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
✓
The registration template requires a DUNS number.
The log shows a 'MANDATORY_FIELD_MISSING' error for the 'DUNS_NUMBER' field during a registration project. This means the registration template requires this field, but the user or the API did not provide it. This is a common data quality control measure, as the DUNS number is a globally recognized identifier necessary for financial and legal validation in corporate procurement, ensuring master data accuracy and consistency.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The DUNS database is currently offline.
Why it's wrong here
If the database were offline, the error would typically be an 'EXTERNAL_SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE' or a timeout error. The 'MANDATORY_FIELD_MISSING' status indicates that the system-level validation logic found an empty value in a required field and blocked the submission before ever attempting to query an external service.
- ✓
The registration template requires a DUNS number.
Why this is correct
The log explicitly states that the field 'DUNS_NUMBER' triggered a mandatory field error. This means the template configuration has been set to require this specific data point to proceed, and the submission failed because the data was missing or empty in the request payload.
- ✗
The supplier is already registered in the system.
Why it's wrong here
Duplicate registration attempts typically trigger a 'DUPLICATE_FOUND' or similar conflict error message. The provided log specifically highlights the lack of a mandatory field, which is independent of whether the record already exists in the system or if this is a genuinely new supplier.
- ✗
The user lacks permissions to edit the registration project.
Why it's wrong here
Permission issues are usually logged as 'ACCESS_DENIED' or 'UNAUTHORIZED'. The error 'MANDATORY_FIELD_MISSING' points clearly to a data validation failure. Even if the user had full permissions, the submission would still be blocked if the required mandatory data was not provided in the request submission.
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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
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