The "Preferred" area within the SAP Ariba Supplier 360° profile is specifically designed for managing a supplier's preferred status for designated purchasing categories. Its primary functions are to provide visibility into the current status and to manage the lifecycle of that status. Therefore, users can view detailed information about the current preferred category status (e.g., Approved, Pending, Expiration Date) and can also initiate workflows to request a change, such as making a supplier preferred for a new category or renewing an existing designation.

A. Run a report that displays all suppliers for that category.

This is a general reporting or search function, typically performed in the reporting or supplier search areas, not within the specific "Preferred" tab of a single supplier's profile.

B. Launch a sourcing event for that category that includes the supplier.

Launching a sourcing event is a core function of the SAP Ariba Sourcing solution. This action is not initiated from the supplier's preferred status management area.

1. SAP Ariba Help Portal: Supplier qualification and preferred category management guide

Section: "Viewing preferred category status": This section details how users can navigate to the "Preferred" tab in the supplier 360° profile to see a list of categories for which the supplier is preferred, along with the current status, start date, and end date. This directly supports answer C.

Section: "Requesting preferred category status": This section describes the process where authorized users, such as category managers, can initiate a request to grant a supplier preferred status for one or more categories. This workflow is a key action in the preferred area and supports answer D.

2. SAP Ariba Help Portal: About preferred supplier category status

This documentation overview explains that the feature allows category and supplier managers to "track and manage preferred suppliers for specific categories." It outlines the lifecycle from request to approval and expiration, reinforcing that viewing status (C) and requesting changes (D) are the central activities. The document does not mention launching sourcing events or running cross-supplier reports as a direct function of this specific area.