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SAP Business Connector

SAP Business Connector. Integrating R/3 to Global Web Deployment Using XML and Business Connector. Presenter contact info. Dan Perron dperron@crpsolutions.com 303 694-7576. Learning Objectives. Can SAP Business Connector (BC) be used to do robust Enterprise Application Integration?

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SAP Business Connector

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  1. SAP Business Connector Integrating R/3 to Global Web Deployment Using XML and Business Connector

  2. Presenter contact info Dan Perron dperron@crpsolutions.com 303 694-7576

  3. Learning Objectives • Can SAP Business Connector (BC) be used to do robust Enterprise Application Integration? • What skills are needed to perform BC Integration? • What business issues might be expected in a global deployment? • Is this a platform for future-looking projects?

  4. Some background & timeframes • Project kickoff was late 2001 • Design work done without R/3 technical expertise • eDistribution designed to work with or w/o connectivity to R/3 backend system • Many batch extract processes to populate master data in “middle office” (BroadVision application) • Functions below would call R/3 (if available) via BC • BC already in use for other functions in target country

  5. The business problem • “Distributors need to be able to create orders, check status, and verify price, availability, shipping and delivery data – real time – any time.” • Six types of interfaces • Sales order simulation (similar to quote) • Sales order entry • Material availability check • Delivery note detail • Packing List detail • Order Status check

  6. Business challenges • US (Square D) vs. France (Schneider Electric) • “Business-owned” vs. “Hold-my-hand” • Local language support • Meeting times & locations • Communications – even routine email a challenge • Training and local administration • Distributors vs. direct sales efforts

  7. Technical/system challenges • 30 SAP systems running 5 versions in 18 countries • Distributed data centers & network management • SAP vs. Legacy Systems • Custom vs. off-the-shelf functionality • Availability issues in overseas systems • Synchronous design • In-house managed vs. outsourced support & ops • No EAI focus

  8. Technical/system challenges (cont.) • Platform for solution: modified BroadVision apps • HTTP calls to BC; RFC BAPI to R/3 • SAP Versions: 3.1I, 4.0b, 4.5b, 4.6b, 4.6c • Multiple SAP BC installs local to target country • Target Countries: Spain, China, UK (plus non-SAP) • Others France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Singapore, Japan, Czech Republic, US & Russia

  9. Conceptual process flow

  10. Step-by-step process • Receive XML File: Receive the BroadVision XML file into the Business Connector in a format that the BC can understand. • Map XML file to SAP RFC-XML format: Map the data from the BroadVision XML to the SAP RFC-XML format. • Execute appropriate BAPI in SAP: Perform the Remote Function Call (RFC) to SAP sending the appropriate data that was mapped in step 2. The RFC will return a return code and return message that tells the status of the transaction. • Format fields: Some of the resulting data needs to be formatted so that it can be imported into BroadVision. This step is actually a loop that changes all SAP fields to the BroadVision format. • Map resulting RFC-XML to BroadVision XML Format: Map the data returned from SAP to the XML format expected by BroadVision • Send XML file to BroadVision: Send the resulting XML to BroadVision

  11. Issues encountered • Initial connectivity challenges • HTTP Post calls to BC with XML doc passed • Difficult to trace & debug • Standard BAPIs became custom ones midstream • BC upgrades midway • R/3 access to host countries difficult to secure • Restart schedules required coordination • CTS / TMS for rollout? • Upgrade support for BC stops after 4.7 • No clear migration path to XI at last check • Initial implementation very simple in config; some hard-coding

  12. Successful implementations • Spain – fall 2002 • China – mid-2003 • UK – Dec 2003 • Projects schedule generally more constrained by change management & training of local business community than on BC or web solution development

  13. Current state – October 2004 • Additional rollouts outsourced to French IT company • Turned over all docs to them Feb 04 • No further deployments thus far(last deployment was UK – Dec 2003)

  14. Key Learnings • Don’t try to make a silk purse out of BC(Not robust EAI solution; simple integration only) • Standard iDOCs & BAPIs far preferable • R/3 DDIC, web development, and XML skills are key • Design solution around standard R/3 transactions rather than trying to modify / customize SAP • Async rather than Sync interfaces where possible • Strong business leadership needed to deploy • Need upgrade / migration path to XI

  15. 1613 Dan Perron dperron@crpsolutions.com 303 694-7576 Session Code:

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