SAP Integration Suite: Connect Solutions, Accelerate Integrate, and Empower your Enterprise

[JoeBinkley]

We had a minor frustration for several months in our kitchen. Just as the pandemic upset lives all around the world and we rushed to make sure we had plenty of food at home, the plastic vegetable drawer in our refrigerator broke! 

With a little research, I discovered that the manufacturer of our refrigerator does not sell replacement parts directly to consumers. Instead, there are several online appliance parts distributors. I found one, placed an order, and expected the new drawer would be delivered in a few days.  

Although I was initially informed that the parts would arrive within days, a very nice email kept informing me that, unfortunately, the part would not be available for “about two more weeks”. This cycle repeated until the drawer was finally delivered five months after the initial order.  

This situation gives us a good opportunity to see how integration worked or could have worked better in today’s world. 

First, when I placed the order, the website indicated the part was immediately available and would be shipped in three business days.  It appears that this was not really backed by an integrated process. It looks like the distributors, for most parts, just quote a standard time and don’t distinguish between inventory they own, the manufacturer’s inventory on hand, and what will need to be manufactured. Clearly, better business to business integration could have set expectations from the start. 

 Next, in order to do business online, the distributor needs to be able to process online payments.  That seems to have worked out very well. In fact, I received a text message informing me of the pending charge on my credit card from an “online transaction” within seconds after confirming the order. So, there was some sort of integration process connected to the bank to execute the transaction and the bank then used a notification platform to send a text message. 

Once the goods finally shipped, emails provided a tracking number and status updates. I expect that was generated through an API based interaction with the shipper 

While this is a simple example from daily life, we can agree that integration is vital to connect experiences and results for businesses to thrive. As businesses – and the world - become more complex, a solid technology platform with a robust integration suite is vital to connect customers, products, employees and brand experiences. This is only possible with a strong integration suite that provides the tools for all your integration needs. 

I’d like to introduce you to Jane. Jane is a Solution Architect that has become very competent at integration.  In fact, her team has given her a nickname of “CINTO”, short for “Chief INTegration Officer”. Jane and her company have selected SAP Integration Suite to connect solutions, accelerate integration and empower their business.  

What are some key aspects that make SAP Integration Suite? 

1. Solid and reliable platform that connects SAP and non-SAP solutions; whether they are on Cloud or on-premise. 

1. The Open Connector capability enables standardized and centralized connectivity to over 160 third-party applications. 

1. The Cloud Integration capability provides a framework and over 1700 pre-built integrations for processes connecting SAP solutions to each other, SAP solutions to 3rd party solutions; SAP solutions to business partners and government entities. These integrations are managed and updated by SAP and select partners. 

1. The API Management capability allows companies to develop applications that can consolidate information from different sources and provide a 360-degree view of business in one simple insightful dashboard 

 

These are only a few aspects of how SAP Integration Suite integrates applications on different premises while connecting people, processes, data and devices. As integration is becoming the number one strategic priority for businesses, make sure to meet your companies demand with SAP´s proven integration platform. 

Would you like to find out more? View the complete playlist of Jane's experiences with the suite.