SAP Integration

Best Practices
A Complete Guide
Technologies

Methods

Integration Tools

Use Cases
 Table of Content
Introduction to SAP
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Empowering non-SAP applications by connecting with SAP

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What is SAP Integration?

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Understanding the SAP Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP Business On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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SAP S/4 HAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP EC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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SAP ECC on HAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP Business All-inOn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP Business ByDesign

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Technologies SAP runs on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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ABAP, Database, NetWeaver, .Net, ABSL/BODL

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SAP Integration: Typical Information Exchange

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Some SAP Integration Use Cases

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Popular SAP Integration Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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File Exchang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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DI / HANA Service Laye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP Integration via IDOC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP Integration using RFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6

ByD Web Services

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SAP Integration Best Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Understanding connection protocols to us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Reviewing documentation of specific method to cal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Reviewing in-direct user polic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Some SAP RFCs need explicit Commit

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SAP Integration Tools

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Powerful SAP Integration Platform: APPSeCONNECT

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Why Integrate with SAP? Business Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Integratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP and Digital Commerce Integratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP and Payment Gateway Integratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SAP and Mobility Solution Integration

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Frequently Asked Questions on SAP Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

1
 Introduction

SAP is a powerful application which can transform the way an organization does business.

It is highly configurable and can support many processes and their variations out of the

box. However, it still cannot do everything. SAP integration with non-SAP systems is often

needed for efficient business operations.

This is so because SAP forms the core of the enterprise and has data which other

applications would need to work with. Hence, even though other applications are

deployed, SAP remains the central core of the IT landscape for any customer.

“77% of world’s transaction revenue touches

an SAP system. 98 of the top 100 valued
brands are SAP customers.”

w w w . s a p . c o m

Empowering non-SAP applications

by connecting with SAP

Almost all big enterprises run on SAP.


In the current era of digital economy, it becomes

essential to have other applications talk to SAP.

Usually SAP has centralized information which is used

for planning, operations, supply chain and financials.

Integrating other applications with SAP leads to

information exchange which then helps the applications

execute their functionality.

Also, apart from organization’s core master and

transaction data, SAP has various checks and business

rules defined. There is no point re-building the same in

the other application.

2
 What is SAP Integration?

In this section, we will focus on how to achieve SAP Integration and have information that
can flow between the various applications within the IT landscape of the company. We will
also look at SAP integration methods and associated best practices.

Understanding the SAP versions you need to integrate with

Many a times, people get confused due to so many SAP terminologies and versions. So,
before we start, it may be good to know which SAP version we are talking about. Though the
given list is not complete, usually, you would end up with either of the mentioned versions.

SAP Business One SAP S/4 HANA

This is SAP’s ERP offering for small and mid-segment
market. It is a .NET based application which caters to
Operation and Financial needs of the company. It has
built-in functionalities for reporting and compliance,
analytics and much more. Usually, SAP Business One runs
either on MS-SQL database or HANA.
minutes.
This is the latest release of SAP ERP and it can run
only on HANA database. With this release, SAP has
simplified their core database architecture. This
together with in-memory processing enables
business to do complex business computation within

SAP ECC SAP ECC on HANA

Most of the companies running on SAP are running on
SAP ECC. It is the offering for a large enterprise.
Companies with large volume, complex business
processes and operating in multiple geographies go for
SAP ECC. It is built on ABAP stack.
Similar to SAP Business One on HANA, ECC on HANA
simply means an ECC installation which is running on
HANA database.

SAP All in One SAP Business By Design

These are same as SAP ECC but are configured to work This is an on-demand version of SAP which can be
for a specific industry vertical (for example a deployed either on public or private cloud. The
manufacturing or a pharma company). Since they are platform is suited for small to mid size companies
pre-configured, it helps the company save with low to medium customization needs.

implementation cost.

Apart from the versions listed above, SAP also has industry solutions for various industry
verticals. For example, industry solution retail (IS-Retail) caters to various needs of a typical
retail company including merchandising, assortment and listing.

3
 Technologies SAP runs on
KNOWING WHAT TECHNOLOGY LAYER YOU NEED TO INTERACT WITH

ABAP

Database

NetWeaver

SAP ECC and S/4

S/4 Runs on HANA.
SAP has a

instances run on
ECC can run on
NetWeaver stack

ABAP stack Oracle, MS-SQL and

that help serve as

DB2. However many

Web application

customers are
server and also with

moving to HANA SAP integration.

.NET

ABSL/BODL

SAP Business One

SAP Business ByDesign has
runs on .NET stack.
C-like programming

It can run on
languages which

MS-SQL or HANA
compiles into ABAP.
databases

SAP Integration:

Typical Information Exchange

Customer Master Transaction In f or m ation

Customer basic details, Transactions like Sales Order,
Customer Master
Shipping locations, tax purchase order, Quotations,
information Invoices

Material Master
Material Master
Business C hec k s
Material basic details, Few of the checks are credit
prices, tax information. etc availability, available-to-
promise inventory levels

For example, if you have a customer order portal, you might want
to check whether the inventory exists in the warehouse or not.
Instead of building this check in non-SAP applications, it is of
tremendous value to integrate third party applications with SAP
and leverage these checks from a central application.

4
 Some SAP Integration Use Cases

EMPOWERING INCREASING

SALES TEAM CUSTOMER BASE

92% 23%
reduction in Digital commerce

contact to quote integration with SAP

By integrating SAP with sales application Integrating SAP with Commerce

like Salesforce and SugarCRM. salesperson applications and market places

can confidently quote without having to

can lead to new channels of order.

check prices or product availability.

Popular Integration methods used for connecting

SAP with third-party applications.

File Exchange

01 If you are dealing with older applications (example mainframes) in the

landscape, it is most likely that you would be limited in the integration options.

File exchange and processing becomes the only possible way to integration. In

this method, a file is generated within the source system and is kept in a specific

directory. A middleware (example SAP Process Integration or SAP PI) then picks

up the file and processes it, if required, and posts it to the destination folder

where the destination application can pick it up and process the same. SAP can

support generation of file as well as processing of an inbound file.

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 02 DI / HANA Service Layer

For integrating SAP Business One, DI services are required which exposes
the SAP Business One objects.

In case the SAP Business One installation is on HANA, then the HANA
Service Layer is needed. Having this layer makes the underlying objects
in SAP Business One accessible for integration.

03 Integration via IDOCs

IDOCs or intermediary documents are another way to exchange

information to and from SAP. If you are more aware of web
technologies, consider IDOCs as XML.

IDOCs consists of neatly defined data segments with parent and child
nodes. There are specific steps to configure inbound and outbound IDOCs
and we will cover it in the subsequent article.

04 Integration using RFCs

If you are looking at a real-time SAP Integration scenario, RFC (Remote

Function Call) is probably the best way to go. In this case, certain
functions are enabled for remote call.

One such function could be for example sales order creation. Third-party
applications can integrate with SAP using these RFCs for a real-time
communication and business process validation (example price
computation, minimum order check etc.).

05 ByD Web Services

Business ByDesign has rich Web Service APIs which can help integrate
SAP ByDesign with third-party application. The process involves two steps
– authentication followed by the required operation. The application also
supports ODATA integration for business objects and reports.

In the next sections, we will be exploring the best practices

for SAP integration in detail. After going through this ebook,
you will get a thorough understanding of how to strategize
plan and execute such an assignment.

6
 BEST PRACTICES

SAP synchronization with other applications:

Great! So, now that we are much more informed about our SAP integration, let us look

at things to keep in mind while connecting SAP with your desired platforms. If you

keep the following points in mind, you will end up having a robust solution at hand.

Understanding connection 
 Reviewing documentation of specific

protocols to use

method to call

Each integration approach has some benefits and SAP has many predefined IDOCs and RFCs which can

limitations. File exchange works best where the other be used out of the box. If you are not aware of them,

application doesn’t support any other sophisticated it is best to engage an SAP Integration expert to

communication protocols. With additional security help you out.

measures, it is also useful for exchanges with

government and banking systems. Usually file It is usually not recommended to create custom

exchanges can be done as a background job in non- objects without understanding SAP’s default solution

business hours so that it doesn’t affect the end users’ and making sure that the custom development

live work on the application.

actually adds to the value.

IDOCs are useful when we need to communicate with a However, if the decision to create custom objects is

business partner who accepts / sends information as taken, the framework must have complete

per industry standards (example EDIFACT / ANSI). modularization so that specific functions can be

They could be used for transaction processing (example executed independently without having to code them

Orders, Invoice and more) as well as exchange of every-time.

Master Data.

RFCs are useful when an immediate response from SAP

is required. This could be related validations or

creation of transactions within the application. Though

real-time, this can add up to system load if many

parallel RFCs calls are lined up in the application.

Reviewing in-direct user policy

Some SAP RFCs need explicit Commit

If you are connecting SAP with a third-party If your architecture required using RFCs for

application, your end customer may be liable to pay connecting the applications, you may want to check

SAP for in-direct use. It would be good to advise the whether additional database commit function is

customer to check their commercial agreements and required. This is required, since many standard BAPIs
check with their SAP partner to validate on how they need to be explicitly commi tted to database before
are going to be charged. you can see the actual transaction.

7
 SAP Integration Tools
SAP provides Java-based interaction layer called SAP PI. However, many organizations
prefer to use pre-configured / packaged integration solutions as they make their
integration process easier and faster. These platforms are scalable and robust integration
solutions that can handle the growing data and complexity of organizations.

Powerful SAP Integration Platform : APPSeCONNECT

APPSeCONNECT, a modern and intelligent integration platform makes it easier to launch

defined integrations of SAP with Shopify, Magento, Amazon marketplace and more.

With pre-configured integration packages, APPSeCONNECT helps users launch their

integration faster. It automates and streamlines all processes and data around SAP and
offers a high level of customization and scalability to suit all business needs.

Wondering which SAP integration solution is the best for you?

Reach out to us for a free assessment at sales@appseconnect.com

8
 Why Integrate with SAP?

Business Cases:

There are many business cases when SAP needs to be integrated with
other applications. Let us look at some of the popular ones.

SAP and Customer Relationship SAP and Payment Gateway

Management (CRM) Integration Integration
SAP and CRM integration is needed by salesperson Often, companies take the credit card
on the ground to access inventory, pricing and information to eliminate the risk of non-
customer information from the ERP to help them payment.

draft accurate quotes.

Integrating payment gateways within SAP via

SAP Salesforce Integration by APPSeCONNECT
ensures this works seamlessly. The SAP Salesforce
This
connector provides best-in-class, API-led integration
and dives deep into automating the business
processes it encompasses. Explore how SAP
Salesforce integration can streamline your business
processes and enhance productivity.
SAP and Digital Commerce
Integration
The D igital Commerce / eCommerce market is
gaining high momentum. Companies are
transforming the methods in which they used to
APPSeCONNECT can reduce outstanding
receivables and improve cash application.
is especially useful while dealing with new or
one-time customers. Explore SAP Payment
Gateway integration now at APPSeCONNECT.
SAP and Mobility Solution
Integration
Mobile applications make data accessible on
the go. Though SAP F iori is a great solution for
SAP users, hybrid applications which can talk to
SAP and non-SAP applications are in great
demand and give be tt er user experience.

acquire orders earlier. Even B 2 B customers are

expecting B 2 C experience while executing By leveraging APPSeCONNECT ’ s real-time
procurements.

integration for SAP, this flow of information

can be seamlessly automated between the
W ith APPSeCONNECT ’ s SAP eCommerce applications.
connector users can integrate their systems
seamlessly with platforms like Magento, Shopify,
W ooCommerce, BigCommerce, etc. to achieve
automated sync of data and processes between
the applications.

These non-SAP applications extend

SAP ’ s reach with rich functionality.
These are so essential for enterprise
digital transformation.

On the other hand, such third-party

applications need data from SAP since
it has critical information required for
them to function properly.

9
 Frequently Asked Questions

On SAP Integration

Let us look at some FAQs as far as SAP Integration is concerned.

Why integration with SAP is so often needed?

SAP is usually the system of records for an enterprise. When a new application comes into the
picture, it would either get information from SAP, send information to it or both. SAP is also
one of the most popular ERP applications. Hence, it is often interfaced and integrated with.

What protocols are used for SAP Integration?

It largely depends on the SAP version you are using. SAP S/4 or ECC leverages RFCs and IDOCs,
SAP Business One uses DI Server or DI API and SAP Business ByDesign uses ODATA integration.

Can SAP consume external APIs?

Yes. SAP can consume Webservices. It needs step by step configuration and programming and you
must be well-versed with the authentication and other methods issued by the third-party solution.

Can SAP integrate using XMLs?

SAP sends outbound information using IDOCs which can easily be converted into XML. However,
sending XML information to SAP requires a program which can process the information.

How much time and effort can SAP integration take?

Integration with SAP can take a varied range of time. A simple integration could take 2 weeks and
more complex ones can take up to a year to achieve.

How much does it cost to write an SAP integration?

Usually, SAP integration consultants can charge anywhere from $40 – $150 per hour.

Depending on the complexity the prices can vary.

10
 How to integrate eCommerce application with SAP?
Digital Commerce is the new reality. Making SAP talk to eCommerce applications such as
Shopify, Magento and BigCommerce can be very fruitful for business growth. With integration
platforms like APPSeCONNECT, you can connect the systems seamlessly and online orders can
be synced with SAP for fulfilment. Also, any logistics information like tracking number, carrier,
etc. can be shared with customer by sending it from SAP.

Integrating SAP with eCommerce applications also ensure that right products, inventory levels
and promotions are present on the Web Shop.

Can SAP be integrated with market place like Amazon?

Yes. Amazon provides rich APIs which can help you publish merchandise on the marketplace.
You can download orders from Amazon into SAP including fees and other surcharges.

There are however, finer difference in FBA and FBM models when it comes to fulfilment. In the
former case, the order is shipped from Amazon’s warehouse whereas in the latter the delivery
happens from Merchant’s own warehouse.

Key aspect of such an integration is enabling accurate and faster financial reconciliation.

How to integrate payment gateways with SAP

Credit Cards provide payment guarantee. SAP can be integrated with the gateway in a secure
manner. It can authorize and charge credit cards at the required events.

How to integrate Procurement applications?

If you are using an external payment application, it can be integrated with SAP using a
combination of RFCs and IDOCs.

Purchase requisitions, orders and approval processes can be integrated with SAP for automatic
information exchange.

How to do plant maintenance applications integration?

There are many solution which help field engineers with handling maintenance requests or
notifications as well as work orders on the go.

Integration with SAP can help applications pull and push information from & to respectively.

11
 How to do Travel and Expense Integration?
Employees make business trips and submit their bills for reimbursement. These approvals
happen in SAP. Travel and expense integration helps streamline and automate this process and
eliminates the need for double data entry.

What is API integration in SAP?

SAP provides BAPI (Business Application Programming Interface). These BAPIs can be called
from an external third party solution and contain the following main parameter

Import (Input to the BAPI

Export (Output from the BAPI
Changing (Can serve both as import and export
Tables – Same as Changing, only difference is that it can have multiple rows.

Is integration with SAP at database level?

No, it is not a good idea to touch the information at database level. We must always go via
specificed protocols supported at the application layer. SAP provides RFC_READ_TABLE to
query information from database table. However, this is not recommended to be used in
production environment.

What are business cases for Cloud versus Hybrid integration?

The benefit of cloud integration is that you do not need to install any software on your
environment. The information is exchanged between SAP and the middleware which is hosted
on the cloud. However, in case of hybrid integration, business data never goes out of your
environment. The transformation rules and data mapping is, howver, done in the cloud.

Integration platforms like APPSeCONNECT offers you both hybrid and cloud integration
options. This gives you full control on your integration with flexible mode of integration
deployment - on cloud or on premise / hybrid.

12
Connect SAP with other
applications and automate
your business processes
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