Understanding Problem Statement
“Nothing is impossible” if we think in positive way. Yes, there will be many hurdles to achieve final goal.
Solutioning in customer digital transformation landscape is very complicated day by day as, many customers want to leverage their skills set and systems to be get connected with new age cloud technology. To achieve this there are many middleware’s need to be incorporated in solution map. Middleware are the backbone of every interface that uses exchange of data across multiple systems.
As my personal journey with SAP ARIBA skill set as procurement domain expert with many customers there were always a common question comes from across all “Is there a possibility to integrate my Purchase Requisitions from my non-SAP system in to SAP ARIBA ??” Answer to this question is “Yes”.
There are ways and considerations which will change as per customer landscape and existing system compatibility. This blog can be treated as reference to an approach details and build need to work by individual implementation consultant.
We have observed if non-SAP application can be connected to other tools than SAP ARIBA then why not SAP ARIBA. It will certainly possible. So, I will explain understanding on solution that we build on well known telecommunication customer for Procure to Order operation (PR, PO, GR)
Assumption –
It is team effort, so we required a skillful resource on project SAP ARIBA, SAP CPI or PI/PO ad SAP ABAP, SAP Ariba support team (Activation of API).
Prerequisite for the process –
Import Requisition(s)
Export Response for Import Requisitions Task Status Asynchronously
Import Receipts from an External Application
High Level Process flow is shown as below
Let us now discuss the above flow in details
We are discussing the encircled part of solution. There are 3 steps in this E2E solution as
1) Create PR in non-SAP system and send it to SAP ARIBA
2) Retrieve the PR status and SAP PO number and send back to non-SAP system
3) Create the goods receipts in non-SAP and import them into SAP ARIBA system.
Create PR-
Non-SAP systems connected to SAP ARIBA via SAP CPI and as a starting step they will be sending the purchase requisitions into SAP ARIBA via Import Webservice. WSDL structure is available in SAP ARIBA will be get used to send the data fields between the system over the interface.
With end point that we define in SAP ARIBA and HTTPS credentials we maintain transmission will happen from transformation layer of CPI to SAP ARIBA. Response will be sent back from SAP ARIBA with SAP ARIBA generated Purchase Request number to non-SAP system. Now as an end user from business we have got Ariba generated Purchase Requisition number.
PR Status/ Order-
Approvals are optional in SAP ARIBA, can set or cannot set, once purchasing requisitions are approved and requisition in “ORDERED” status. There were 2 actions happen with Ariba Purchasing Requisitions in background first, SAP ARIBA create a internal number for PO( usually starts with EPXXX) and second it will flow to connected SAP S4 or ECC system and get response back to SAP ARIBA with SAP ECC specific PO number.
Status of Purchasing Requisition will be get pulled back by using “Approval API” of SAP ARIBA from developer.ariba.com portal.
Similarly, from ARBCIG_POHISTORY table of SAP S4 or ECC we can pull the EPXXX PO number and S4 specific PO number by using webservice call (Custom development is needed with ABAP).
Both Purchase Requisition status and PO number will be get retrieved as a one call made from non-SAP systems to SAP CPI.
Create Goods Receipts –
Unlike the Purchase Requisition we must need to add the endpoint to receive the GR data from external applications into SAP ARIBA via webservices in Ariba configurations so that this will get consumed in SAP CPI.
Non-SAP system buyer or recipient need to create GR into their system and need to pass thru same details as GR number, PO number and Received Quantity, date from interface to SAP ARIBA. Once It reaches to SAP ARIBA it will follow the same standard CIG enabled path to integrate the same GR with SAP S4 or ECC and response from SAP S4 or ECC will be send back to SAP ARIBA.
As this is last step in solution input to this interface will be used as (underlined words from above 2 steps) EP PO number and Ariba PR number.
All these steps we discussed above are real time interfaces.
Volumes should be considered while designing the solution.
Error handling -
As a part of standard WSDL structure and standard JSON format, it is possible to show the same errors as a part of response from SAP ARIBA into non-SAP system. Those can be easily monitored in SAP CPI, SAP ARIBA and addressed. Standard error links are shared in Reference.
Summery -
In order to address the most common question from customer that without having much changes in process still they can able to achieve the integration of Non SAP system for requisitions import in to SAP ARIBA system.
Please share your feedback if you like the blog.
Reference-
Please read more blogs on similar topic -
https://blogs.sap.com/tags/73554900100800000194
Please refer answer on community question from below link on same topic-
https://answers.sap.com/tags/73554900100800000194
“Nothing is impossible” if we think in positive way. Yes, there will be many hurdles to achieve final goal.
Solutioning in customer digital transformation landscape is very complicated day by day as, many customers want to leverage their skills set and systems to be get connected with new age cloud technology. To achieve this there are many middleware’s need to be incorporated in solution map. Middleware are the backbone of every interface that uses exchange of data across multiple systems.
As my personal journey with SAP ARIBA skill set as procurement domain expert with many customers there were always a common question comes from across all “Is there a possibility to integrate my Purchase Requisitions from my non-SAP system in to SAP ARIBA ??” Answer to this question is “Yes”.
There are ways and considerations which will change as per customer landscape and existing system compatibility. This blog can be treated as reference to an approach details and build need to work by individual implementation consultant.
We have observed if non-SAP application can be connected to other tools than SAP ARIBA then why not SAP ARIBA. It will certainly possible. So, I will explain understanding on solution that we build on well known telecommunication customer for Procure to Order operation (PR, PO, GR)
Assumption –
- WSDL or Technical JSON structure are customer specific so not discussed in detail in this blog
- Field mapping with non-SAP to SAP Ariba system will also differ from customer to customer so not discussed in this blog.
- There might be many other success stories for the scenario but as a System Implementation partner, It’s an achievement that we have deployed E2E scenario in business Procurement area.
- This blog is written from more Functional, or process point of view and not technical setup of SAP CPI is explained.
- Solution that we discussed is only limited to “Create/ new” operation for its lifecycle and no EDIT or Change nor GR reversals are considered as a part of this interface to keep solution easy and simple. However, this would be possible with little extra efforts and extra time.
It is team effort, so we required a skillful resource on project SAP ARIBA, SAP CPI or PI/PO ad SAP ABAP, SAP Ariba support team (Activation of API).
Prerequisite for the process –
- Master data (commodity code, company code, plant, users etc.) must be in sync with non-SAP system and transformation layer system and in SAP ARIBA and SAP S4 or SAP ECC system.
- Transformation logic for field mapping must be decided and communicated to get it sent from interface.
- Configuration in SAP CPI and SAP ARIBA (Core Administration>Integration Manager>Endpoint Set up and mark the task Import PR and Import GR on Webservice mode) must be there.
Import Requisition(s)
Export Response for Import Requisitions Task Status Asynchronously
Import Receipts from an External Application
- API must be activated within SAP ARIBA realm so ready to consume.
- Requisitions with Item category “M” or Material based Requisitions are considered for this interface.
High Level Process flow is shown as below
Let us now discuss the above flow in details
We are discussing the encircled part of solution. There are 3 steps in this E2E solution as
1) Create PR in non-SAP system and send it to SAP ARIBA
2) Retrieve the PR status and SAP PO number and send back to non-SAP system
3) Create the goods receipts in non-SAP and import them into SAP ARIBA system.
Create PR-
Non-SAP systems connected to SAP ARIBA via SAP CPI and as a starting step they will be sending the purchase requisitions into SAP ARIBA via Import Webservice. WSDL structure is available in SAP ARIBA will be get used to send the data fields between the system over the interface.
With end point that we define in SAP ARIBA and HTTPS credentials we maintain transmission will happen from transformation layer of CPI to SAP ARIBA. Response will be sent back from SAP ARIBA with SAP ARIBA generated Purchase Request number to non-SAP system. Now as an end user from business we have got Ariba generated Purchase Requisition number.
PR Status/ Order-
Approvals are optional in SAP ARIBA, can set or cannot set, once purchasing requisitions are approved and requisition in “ORDERED” status. There were 2 actions happen with Ariba Purchasing Requisitions in background first, SAP ARIBA create a internal number for PO( usually starts with EPXXX) and second it will flow to connected SAP S4 or ECC system and get response back to SAP ARIBA with SAP ECC specific PO number.
Status of Purchasing Requisition will be get pulled back by using “Approval API” of SAP ARIBA from developer.ariba.com portal.
Similarly, from ARBCIG_POHISTORY table of SAP S4 or ECC we can pull the EPXXX PO number and S4 specific PO number by using webservice call (Custom development is needed with ABAP).
Both Purchase Requisition status and PO number will be get retrieved as a one call made from non-SAP systems to SAP CPI.
Create Goods Receipts –
Unlike the Purchase Requisition we must need to add the endpoint to receive the GR data from external applications into SAP ARIBA via webservices in Ariba configurations so that this will get consumed in SAP CPI.
Non-SAP system buyer or recipient need to create GR into their system and need to pass thru same details as GR number, PO number and Received Quantity, date from interface to SAP ARIBA. Once It reaches to SAP ARIBA it will follow the same standard CIG enabled path to integrate the same GR with SAP S4 or ECC and response from SAP S4 or ECC will be send back to SAP ARIBA.
As this is last step in solution input to this interface will be used as (underlined words from above 2 steps) EP PO number and Ariba PR number.
All these steps we discussed above are real time interfaces.
Volumes should be considered while designing the solution.
Error handling -
As a part of standard WSDL structure and standard JSON format, it is possible to show the same errors as a part of response from SAP ARIBA into non-SAP system. Those can be easily monitored in SAP CPI, SAP ARIBA and addressed. Standard error links are shared in Reference.
Summery -
In order to address the most common question from customer that without having much changes in process still they can able to achieve the integration of Non SAP system for requisitions import in to SAP ARIBA system.
Please share your feedback if you like the blog.
Reference-
- Import of Requisitions Using Web Services | SAP Help Portal
- Conditions When Receipt Import May Fail | SAP Help Portal
- Requisition Import Limitations | SAP Help Portal
- Goods receipts | SAP Help Portal
- Document Approval API | SAP Help Portal
Please read more blogs on similar topic -
https://blogs.sap.com/tags/73554900100800000194
Please refer answer on community question from below link on same topic-
https://answers.sap.com/tags/73554900100800000194
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