How to prepare for SAP implementation? How to develop an IT infrastructure? Advice from BCC experts, customers’ experience, guides and case studies.
GUIDE
Prepared in 2007 r. | Hits: 1036 | Average rating: 4
Everywhere, where integration plays a significant role, especially |in businesses with complex IT landscape, SAP Exchange Infrastructure (SAP XI) may significantly reduce the costs of infrastructure.
SAP XI is a component of the SAP NetWeaver integration environment which facilitates integration of systems within the company and enables communication with business partners.
SAP XI is an XML-based platform for integrating applications. As an important component of SAP NetWeaver, it is closely integrated with SAP applications, and owing to the use of common standards SAP XI is open to non-SAP components.
No more spaghetti
Traditional approach to integration assumes establishing a connection between two systems. This is how the environment, where applications are connected on a 1-1 basis, is created. With numerous systems, the network of connections is growing, and so are the costs of generating and maintaining such connections ("integration spaghetti”).
With SAP XI, applications can be connected to the central integration platform. SAP XI centrally controls flow of processes in all the connected systems.
As a result, many connections become redundant. Instead of technological “spaghetti” and “system patchwork”, we have an elegant, transparent image of integration which is more efficient, effective, and also – easier and cheaper to maintain.
Mapping Savings
One of the integration costs is mapping preparation. As compared to the “old” approach with transformation of incoming and outgoing messages, application of one XML format enables reduction of the required number of mappings.
Example: 4 applications send messages containing the material master data, 6 applications receive these messages; each has a specific entry interface. If the messages are mapped separately for each interface, the number of mappings will total 24 (6*4). If (as for SAP XI) the “common” XML format is applied to the material, the number of mappings will be reduced down to 10.
How does it work?
SAP XI supports the integration landscape by sending the SOAP-XML messages based on defined interfaces. It offers a clear integration landscape thanks to the central repository of the integration information. It supplies unified service for A2A and B2B scenarios.
SAP XI supports communication between SAP systems with the use of own formats, based on the proxy mechanism. It features adapters for communication using RFC, IDoc and non-SAP protocols (such as flat files, JMC queues, HTTP prompts, third-party applications and industry standards). It defines all the integration objects using Internet standards (such as WSDL, XSD).
SAP XI is built based on proven and scalable SAP Web Application Server (SAP WAS) architecture – the same that mySAP ERP and products from SAP NetWeaver family are based on.
SAP XI and SAP Business Connector
SAP Business Connector (SAP BC) has proved its value as a mature and stable product. It is successfully used by many customers and still turns out to be an efficient integration environment whenever fast solutions are required.
If faced with a more complex integration landscape, migration to SAP XI will bring invaluable benefits.
Migrate to SAP XI
SAP XI should be used wherever integration is of key importance. If e.g. the previous ERP system was integrated with other systems of the company and mySAP ERP is to maintain these connections, then SAP XI should be considered.
SAP XI is indispensable with such solutions as mySAP CRM, mySAP SRM, SAP MDM, which as a standard use SAP XI for integration with other SAP systems.
It is worth noting that the decision to move to SAP XI does not have to mean disposing of all the previous integration solutions in one revolutionary move. Migration to SAP XI may be gradual.
SAP XI with BCC
BCC, as SAP NetWeaver Expert Partner, provides comprehensive services related to SAP XI, from preparation of migration, through training, support during SAP XI launch and development, to outsourcing of the SAP XI environment administration.
BCC supports the largest SAP XI projects in Poland, e.g. migration of several interfaces from SAP Business Connector platform to SAP XI (Polkomtel), integration with external logistics operators (Ferrero Polska, Polkomtel), as well as development and administration of SAP XI, as an integration platform in communication between various SAP, SAP CRM and non-SAP systems (a food sector company).
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E-shops are becoming increasingly popular as an effective, safe and convenient sales channel. Encouraged by successful “retail” shops, also the stores operating in the B2B model are growing more and more dynamically. SAP E-Commerce is a tool dedicated for companies that already use SAP ERP or SAP CRM and want to develop own relations with business customers through the trade in the network.
GUIDE | Author: Paweł Jędrasiewicz (BCC) | Rating: 5 | Hits: 3550
Imagine a day when we come to work, sit at the computer, log on and open a web browser. In the window, we select the links to the systems we need – SAP, BI, CRM, administration application, e-mail, internal network… And there was not one question about the login and password.
GUIDE | Author: Artur Pająk (BCC) | Rating: 4 | Hits: 3255
Industry-specific applications, barcode technologies or RFID, connections with systems of suppliers and customers... – in every large company, in addition to SAP ERP, non-SAP applications are also in use. SAP PI ensures an efficient and secure communication between them, and also creates conditions for the effective administration and development of an integration platform.
GUIDE | Authors: Radosław Ruciński (BCC), Grzegorz Głowacki (BCC) | Rating: 4 | Hits: 4301
Get rid of the files of paper requests, orders and other forms and switch to interactive, user-friendly forms accessible to all employees of your company. Using Adobe Forms offers numerous benefits, however, the key advantage is direct import of data from the form to the SAP system.
GUIDE | Author: Andrzej Bartosiewicz (BCC) | Rating: 5 | Hits: 2270
When we hear the term “master data management” and the associated quality assurance objectives concerning the quality of data in IT systems, a question that might come to our minds is “Haven’t we just done that by implementing the ERP system and the data warehouse?” However, the more systems you have, the more versions of the same data are maintained according to templates. Their consolidation and unification is ensured by Master Data Management.
GUIDE | Author: Aleksandra Rutkowska (BCC) | Rating: 4 | Hits: 3544
Almost 223,000 incoming invoices and 4 million A/R invoices a year. Dealing with 55 thousand customers and the 6 companies of the Group – the 140 employees of the Financial Accounting Center of the Grupa Żywiec are really busy people. Increasing the work quality, efficiency and the drive for a precise calculation of the service unit costs as the basis for internal settlements between companies – these are the basic challenges for the solution responsible for the performance monitoring and calculation of premiums for the FAC employees.
CASE STUDY | Author: Marcin Adamczyk (BCC) | Rating: 4 | Hits: 7479
It is commonly believed that only 50% of marketing expenditures are effective. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell which 50% and when. A system solution has been launched in Kompania Piwowarska to facilitate the identification of the right half.
CASE STUDY | Authors: Agnieszka Kreis (Kompania Piwowarska), Witold Drożdżyński (BCC) | Rating: 4 | Hits: 9812
HAI, the Dutch supplier of Real-Time Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence (EMI) solutions, is strengthening its market standing thanks to its cooperation with BCC. The development of the HAI*QPM software by BCC in the SAP NetWeaver technology was successfully completed by a ‘Powered by SAP NetWeaver’ certification by SAP AG.
CASE STUDY | Author: Marcin Gałczyński (BCC) | Rating: 4 | Hits: 4553
All the case studies and guides were published in the Better Business (Lepszy Biznes) - BCC magazine for SAP professionals.
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