Successful SAP Integrations

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Critical Pillars of Successful SAP Integrations

Introduction:

The Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP software market is one of the oldest running major business software sectors that still has fanfare from across the world.

In fact, studies show that by 2026, there will be a USD 78.41 Billion worth of market size for the ERP software segment.

When we talk about ERP, the first major name that comes into the minds of any business leader would be SAP. A pioneer in the ERP space and boasting of having clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to new-age startups under their belt, SAP has been immensely successful in empowering hundreds of thousands of businesses to streamline their business processes through state-of-the-art ERP solutions.

SAP ERP alone isn’t what drives an organization’s business operation forward. A multitude of enterprise systems ranging from CRM used by Sales & Marketing to HRM platforms used by the HR, etc. is what keeps the organization up to date with their operational processes. When a comprehensive solution like the SAP ERP is implemented, it is important to have a roadmap for seamless integration with other business systems too along with the integrations roadmap. However, SAP integrations are not without their share of unique challenges. The major challenges that many enterprises have encountered when they integrate critical enterprise applications with SAP ERP are:

Non-SAP systems do not fare well in SAP’s own integration methods
Cost overruns often occur because of inconsistencies in configurations
The requirement of personnel with specific skills often leads to delayed integration

This creates a need for pointing out what enterprises need to succeed in their SAP ERP integration efforts with other business systems. Let us examine the critical pillars needed to succeed in an SAP integration exercise for any organization to fully leverage the benefits of implementing an SAP ERP in their business operations:

Preparing for the integration

Very often, SAP implementations cover the entire length and breadth of an organization. Because of the widespread impact, the number of interface or integration points with other business systems will be remarkably high. It is important to involve all teams and departments within the organization in a collaborative effort to identify workflows and processes within individual departments whose data or information source will be impacted when SAP ERP is integrated into the business’s technology ecosystem. By curating this list of interfaces and APIs that will be interacting with SAP ERP, it will be easier to have a validation checklist for proper interoperability at different application interfaces.

Selecting the right tools

Taking into account the wide scope or the length and breadth of impact a platform like SAP ERP has in a business, it will be easier for the organization to have a powerful middle layer or integration layer that will support faster integration of existing and future business applications with the core SAP ERP system. Additionally, there are several established connectors that help smooth out interfaces of interoperability between SAP and Non-SAP business systems. Having the right guidance for integration will allow businesses to identify and deploy the right tools and connectors to ensure that their SAP Integration efforts are planned while keeping in mind the need for future expansions and capability additions.

Process Management

It is likely that there will be several business processes that will require a rethink once SAP ERP is implemented within the organization. During integration with other critical enterprise applications, it is important to have a clear understanding of the processes that will be impacted, and guidelines to mitigate these challenges in process change must be propagated within the company to help streamline the integration without any disruptive effects. End-users of different business systems need to be made aware of the changes they are expected to witness in their daily operations after their key technology assets are integrated with the SAP ERP system.

Supervised Integration

Integrating SAP with complex business systems is no easy task. It will be nearly impossible for businesses whose primary forte is not technology, to have at their disposal, the wide arsenal of skillsets needed to ensure a successful integration of SAP ERP with other core enterprise systems. Knowing the nuances of the interfaces being integrated, the standards and limitations of each platform, custom developments needed for interoperability are just a few of the elements that will lead to a successful integration exercise. It is advisable to have a strategic technology partner to monitor and advise on such a core enterprise technology integration program.

When done right, SAP ERP has the potential of transforming your business into its most competent avatar. From enabling seamless operational efficiency to smoothing out friction in business processes, there is a lot that the system brings to the table. Having a successful SAP integration is a key priority for business leaders as there is a need for the business to leverage value not just from the SAP solution but from a combined ecosystem of digital enterprise applications for which SAP needs to be seamlessly integrated.