Integration Add-on 3.0 for SAP HCM and SuccessFactors: Service Package 1
The first service package for the third packaged integration for integrating SAP HCM and SuccessFactors – Integration Add-on for SAP ERP Human Capital Management and SuccessFactors Business Execution 3.0 Service Package 1.0 – was released on SAP Service Marketplace on October 16th 2014. The packaged integration introduced variable pay integration between SuccessFactors Variable Pay and SAP ERP HCM. A brief overview of all of the packages and the strategy for integration can be found in my blog SAP HCM and SuccessFactors Integration Packages: a brief overview.
The Package
The packaged integration enables employee history and changes to employee history to be transferred from SAP ERP HCM to SuccessFactors Variable Pay. The second part of the process – transferring variable pay results back to SAP ERP HCM so they can be processed in Payroll – is due in a later Service Package. Like most process-based packaged integrations, this packaged integration only uses middleware. Currently only SAP Process Integration (PI) is supported, but support for SAP HANA Cloud Integration (HCI) is also planned. More specifically, PI version 7.11 SP12 or above is required. The figures below demonstrate the process and data flow for this scenario.
Once the remaining integration is provided – which is planned for add-on 3.0 SP2 – then the full process flow will look like this:
The add-on includes a number of new features and functionality:
- Report RH_SFI_SYNCH_VAR_PAY_DATA and transaction HRSFI_VARPAY_DATA to extract variable pay data from SAP ERP HCM
- Report RH_SFI_SYNCH_VAR_PAY_METADATA and transaction HRSFI_VP_METADATA to import metadata from SuccessFactors Variable Pay
- Report RH_SFI_CLEANUP_VAR_PAY_REPL and transaction HRSFI_VP_CLN_REPL to clean up internal tables after exporting data
- Middleware content
- Authorization role SAP_HR_SFI_VARIABLE_PAY
- New IMG entries under the Integration Scenario for Variable Pay Data node in the Integration Add-On for SAP ERP HCM and SuccessFactors BizX node
The screenshot below shows the selection screen for report RH_SFI_SYNCH_VAR_PAY_DATA.
The screenshot below shows the selection screen for report RH_SFI_SYNCH_VAR_PAY_METADATA.
Important Notes
There are several important notes regarding the operation of the integration:
- SAP PI version 7.11 SP12 or above is required – previous add-on’s have supported a lower level of SAP PI
- SAP PI connectivity add-on 1.0 SP01 or above is also required
- SAP Gateway 2.0 SP07 is required
- SAP Note 1814200 is required
- Inactive users eligible for variable pay that are transferred from SAP ERP HCM to SuccessFactors are not accepted by the SFAPI, although it is planned to resolve this in the 1411 release
Configuration and Setup
Configuration in SAP is performed within the IMG under Personnel Management > Integration Add-On for SAP ERP HCM and SuccessFactors BizX > Integration Scenario For Variable Pay Data. The node can be seen in the screenshot below.
The following customizing activities need to be performed:
- Configure details of the variable pay program in customizing activity Maintain Variable Pay Program Information
- Import metadata from SuccessFactors Variable Pay in customizing activity Import Metadata from SuccessFactors HCM Suite
- Map the Variable Pay template ID to a fieldset in customizing activity Assign SuccessFactors HCM Suite Objects to Field Sets – this can be done multiple times if there are more than one Variable Pay template ID *
- Map SAP ERP HCM fields to SuccessFactors Variable Pay fields in customizing activity Map SuccessFactors HCM Suite Fields and SAP ERP HCM Fields *
*Note that this activity is not transportable
Once this configuration has been completed then the add-on is ready to use. To use the add-on, simply run and/or schedule report RH_SFI_SYNCH_VAR_PAY_DATA (also accessible via transaction HRSFI_VARPAY_DATA).
Summary
The latest support package adds the first half of process integration to the packaged integrations for SAP ERP HCM customers who want to perform Variable Pay planning processes in SuccessFactors. Although it does not yet transfer the resultant process data back to SAP ERP HCM for payroll processing, this is planned for a later service package. The integration has some technical differences from previous integrations and these should be thoroughly reviewed and compared to the existing landscape, if any.
Hi Luke!
Thanks for very helpful blog.
What is your experience - how flexible is this data extraction report RH_SFI_SYNCH_VAR_PAY_DATA?
Our eligibility-rules are complex. It seems that the only place to handle this logic is here, I mean in the employee history interface between SAP and SF. But it is hard to find out (just by reading documents) can we use the standard interface or do we have to build something "tailor-made" for this.
Another thing - it looks like it is not possible to run this report so that the output is directed to a flat csv-file. Have I understood this one correctly?
We need the employee history only once a year. Handling data transfer with PI sounds
a little bit heavy. (We are not currently using PI, though it is coming soon - a long story...) And if we can't build 100% proof eligibility logic, there might be need to manually manipulate some of the employee history data before it is uploaded to SF VarPay.
(Some background to that eligibility-"logic":
eligibility may depend on how long you have been employed, in which part of the Group you are, have you moved from one part to another, have you left the company, why you left, are you rehired / how many days you were outside of the Group, have you been absent, how long you were absent, what was the reason of absence,...)
Br
Teemu
Hi Teemu,
Did you have a look at customizing activity Maintain Variable Pay Program Information for defining your eligibility etc? Also, have you checked in SuccessFactors whether it can support your type of eligibility?
The packaged integration only supports SAP PI or SAP HCI - it does not support flat-file output.
Best regards,
Luke
Hi Luke
Our consultants responsible for implementing Variable Pay told us SuccessFactors don't give support in this case. Those guys are experienced and competent and so far they seem to have known what they are talking about.
At the moment we have version 2.0 of this Integration Add On. So I haven't been able to check that customizing activity. I guess 3.0 (SP02) will be installed, we just have to decide when... If it don't help us in this case, we don't need to hurry.
Thanks for your help.
Br
Teemu
Hi Teemu,
Your implementation consultants are correct that SuccessFactors don't give support, but they should be raising the ticket with SAP under component PA-SFI-TM.
Best regards,
Luke