SAP Retail Integration scenarios with iVend POS

[Former Member]

This article discusses various options available to integrate SAP Retail with iVend Retail using Process Integration server (PI Server) with or without POSDM.

Large enterprises spread across multiple geographies and having hundreds of stores tend to have complex retail operations. Not only do they need a robust ERP to support their financial and other business processes, but they also need a fairly comprehensive and agile Retail System so that the updates to their retail policies – be it a simple price update is communicated across the retail environment well in time and with utmost ease.

Large Retail Enterprises have a challenge to manage business complexities on one hand and on the other require their retail application to be extremely intuitive, easy to use and configurable – all from the central location.

The retail data, which is collected and collated at the Head Office, is then integrated into SAP ERP. There are 2 broad ways of integrating this data into SAP ERP

With SAP PI Server connecting directly into SAP ERP

The integration with SAP ERP steps up to address the challenge of keeping it simple and at the same time allowing tremendous flexibility with the power of SAP ERP – thereby making the Retail Operations extremely agile and responsive to the constant changes in the Retail Operations.

iVend Retail integrates with SAP ERP running IS Retail (Industry Solution Retail). The entire landscape is designed to utilize the best practices inbuilt in the IS Retail for Head Office processes and extend them via iVend Retail to the entire Retail environment.

With SAP PI server connecting directly into SAP ERP along with SAP BI / POS DM

The decision to use either of the approaches depends on the nature of the retail business and also on the ERP environment that the Retailer would prefer. This is a decision that is normally taken during the business blue printing stage.

iVend Retail is configured with SAP ERP at the central location – typically the Head Office. The entire retail operations are connected to iVend Enterprise – the central Head Office component of iVend Retail. The stores connect to iVend Enterprise over an Internet connection and the application is so designed that even if the Internet connectivity between the store and the Head Office breaks, the stores continue to carry out transactions. This is brought about by the selective replication of data across all stores, which is carried out by iVend Enterprise.

Mentioned below are the Outbound and Inbound transactions from the SAP ERP system.

OUTBOUND DATA – from SAP ISR to iVend Retail

Masters

Countries and States	Currency and Exchange Rates
Employees	Tax Codes
Manufacturers	Product Groups & Discounts
Vendors	Brand
Stores	Articles, Assemblies, Kit, Gift Certificates
Upselling Information	Alternate Items
Pricing and tax	Quantity Discounts
Customer Groups & Customers	Shipment Types

Transactions

• Purchase Order – Raised in SAP – Receive on iVend
• Stock & Inventory Movements (STOs to store and inventory movements done within SAP)

INBOUND DATA – from iVend Retail to SAP ISR

Transactions

Regular Sale	Store Expenses
Regular Sale with fulfillment	Store Requisitions
Sale with Delivery from DC	Stock Adjustments
Credit Sales	Good receipts
Advance booking	Returns to Warehouse
Refund and Exchange	Physical Inventory

Master Data

Customers