Easily integrate SAP with SharePoint InfoPath and Workflow · SAP with Nintex Workflow using...

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1 Easily integrate SAP with SharePoint InfoPath and Workflow Challenge: How to make SAP and SharePoint technology work together using existing SAP and Microsoft infrastructure Today SAP is the backbone of thousands of enterprises around the world and most large corporations run SAP. Microsoft Office is used in virtually every front office. Various other Microsoft technologies are widely used in these enterprises. SharePoint adoption is popular and gaining wider acceptance and momentum with each new release. Many business processes are suitable for SharePoint and InfoPath forms are used to capture the data and Workflow engine provides suitable routing and approval process as required. While data capture and approval is performed in SharePoint, some of the steps need to begin or end in SAP. The lack of effective or native SharePoint with SAP integration challenges the adoption of critical business processes in the SharePoint world. There are companies and solutions that have attempted to solve this integration challenge. One of the common drawbacks of these solutions is the desire to reinvent the wheel (read forms and workflow). Having duplication or tweaks to standard technology prevents one from walking the path that rest of the world travels. Amazon is filled with books that will explain what happens over the long term when you have customized solutions while standard offerings can do the job just as well. In a nutshell, the challenge is: How to enable SharePoint users to effectively use SharePoint, InfoPath and Workflow, and interact with SAP without leaving the SharePoint environment while using most of the existing Microsoft and SAP technology that has been put in place. Innowera Background: Technology for SAP user enablement Innowera applications are well known for integrating Microsoft Excel and other popular databases with SAP systems. It is estimated that Process Runner LITE is the fastest growing and most widely used SAP Excel software in the world today with thousands of downloads. Innowera expanded its technology offering with the announcement of Integration Technologies at Sapphire Orlando 2012, providing ways to integrate with mobile, web and other popular business applications such as SharePoint, InfoPath forms, Workflow etc. This document presents the options of SAP user enablement, in general, and explains SAP- SharePoint specific options in detail. There is a need for SAP user enablement at two distinct levels. One for mass processing of data in SAP where you have hundreds to thousands of records that need “mass processing” (i.e. creates/updates) with speed and efficiency, Other is to process an object or a single record individually, or “record processing”, e.g. create a material master or block a vendor master record for payment in SAP. Innowera offers powerful and widely used Process Runner technology for “mass processing” of SAP data from Excel and popular databases (see this 90 second video to quickly learn about Process Runner). In general “record processing” tasks are executed in SAP GUI which is considered the delivered gold standard and is the most widely used interface in the SAP world. However, in the new era of web, mobility and SharePoint, Innowera offers many ways to work directly from these new generation technologies into SAP – enabling users to be productive and agile at every level. This table shows various scenarios and tools that can be used for mass or single record processing in SAP: Innowera confidential document should not be further distributed without prior permission.

Transcript of Easily integrate SAP with SharePoint InfoPath and Workflow · SAP with Nintex Workflow using...

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Easily integrate SAP with SharePoint InfoPath and Workflow

Challenge: How to make SAP and SharePoint technology work together using existing SAP and Microsoft infrastructure

Today SAP is the backbone of thousands of enterprises around the world and most large corporations run SAP. Microsoft Office is used in virtually every front office. Various other Microsoft technologies are widely used in these enterprises. SharePoint adoption is popular and gaining wider acceptance and momentum with each new release. Many business processes are suitable for SharePoint and InfoPath forms are used to capture the data and Workflow engine provides suitable

routing and approval process as required. While data capture and approval is performed in SharePoint, some of the steps need to begin or end in SAP. The lack of effective or native SharePoint with SAP integration challenges the adoption of critical business processes in the SharePoint world. There are companies and solutions that have attempted to solve this integration challenge. One of

the common drawbacks of these solutions is the desire to reinvent the wheel (read forms and workflow). Having duplication or tweaks to standard technology prevents one from walking the path that rest of the world travels. Amazon is filled with books that will explain what happens over the long term when you have customized solutions while standard offerings can do the job just as well. In a nutshell, the challenge is: How to enable SharePoint users to effectively use SharePoint, InfoPath and Workflow, and interact with SAP without leaving the SharePoint environment while

using most of the existing Microsoft and SAP technology that has been put in place.

Innowera Background: Technology for SAP user enablement Innowera applications are well known for integrating Microsoft Excel and other popular databases

with SAP systems. It is estimated that Process Runner LITE is the fastest growing and most widely used SAP Excel software in the world today with thousands of downloads. Innowera expanded its technology offering with the announcement of Integration Technologies at Sapphire Orlando 2012, providing ways to integrate with mobile, web and other popular business applications such as SharePoint, InfoPath forms, Workflow etc.

This document presents the options of SAP user enablement, in general, and explains SAP-SharePoint specific options in detail. There is a need for SAP user enablement at two distinct levels. One for mass processing of data in SAP where you have hundreds to thousands of records that need “mass processing” (i.e.

creates/updates) with speed and efficiency, Other is to process an object or a single record individually, or “record processing”, e.g. create a material master or block a vendor master record for payment in SAP. Innowera offers powerful and widely used Process Runner technology for “mass processing” of SAP data from Excel and popular databases (see this 90 second video to quickly learn about Process

Runner). In general “record processing” tasks are executed in SAP GUI which is considered the delivered gold standard and is the most widely used interface in the SAP world. However, in the new era of web, mobility and SharePoint, Innowera offers many ways to work directly from these new generation technologies into SAP – enabling users to be productive and agile at every level. This table shows various scenarios and tools that can be used for mass or single record processing

in SAP:

Innowera confidential document should not be further distributed without prior permission.

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Scenario/Tool Mass Processing (100s of records)

Record Processing (one at a time and natively from the tool

directly in to SAP)

Enabling Innowera Technology

Excel Yes Yes Process Runner

Databases Yes Yes Process Runner DB

SharePoint Yes* Yes

Innowera Web and Mobile Server

Forms/InfoPath No Yes

Workflow Support Yes Yes

Run from Web (with or

without SharePoint) No Yes

Run from Mobile No Yes

XML/Flat/External file Yes Yes Process Runner CMD

*Typical scenario is where SharePoint is used as storage/workflow approval for mass processing data sheet. For example, 30K operation changes are stored in Excel and routed for approval via SharePoint workflow, eventually to be processed in SAP.

What is unique about Innowera’s solution is that it leverages and maximizes existing SAP and Microsoft investments that you have already made. Innowera has stayed away from re-inventing the wheel, and has provided the missing link using our very deep Process Runner technology in this new world of mobility

and “webification”.

SAP Integration to SharePoint and InfoPath Forms (with or without Workflow):

If you use SharePoint, InfoPath or workflow - or they are in your roadmap - Innowera can integrate them and SAP with the following attributes:

Providing web forms (or InfoPath-fillable forms) that can interact directly with SAP from SharePoint. For example, you want to implement a material master creation process or want employees to request an absence via a form in SharePoint and have corresponding objects updated directly in SAP.

Innowera allows InfoPath forms to natively consume thousands of SAP transactions, Business APIs (BAPIs), RFCs or query or extract and display data from SAP tables and table joins. You can also use any customization (such as Z/Y programs, screens, tables, user exists) to your SAP system.

These forms can be workflow controlled if desired. All standard SharePoint workflow features like

email approvals, notification and monitoring, delegation, reminders, mobile integration etc. are available.

Innowera technology also facilitates using SharePoint for mass processing of business records where these records can be stored (and workflow controlled if desired) in SharePoint. Consider

you have thirty thousand operations to be changed due to cost center reorganization in SAP. A data file can be prepared and routed in SharePoint for appropriate review and approval first. Process Runner can directly read this data file and process it in SAP – allowing you to use SharePoint as a change management system.

If SharePoint or InfoPath system uses SQL, Oracle or another popular database as a backend to

store the data, Process Runner DB can directly use that backend database and interact (upload or download) with SAP.

You can further empower data owners to design and run forms and workflow directly from SharePoint by extending it with industry-leading technology for SharePoint such as Nintex.

Innowera technology provides a simple but highly integrated business process-oriented solution that is native to SharePoint and maximizes the use of your existing investments and infrastructure in SAP

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and Microsoft technologies by making them work together.

Integration Options:

The Innowera solution includes three distinct options to easily and efficiently integrate SAP with SharePoint, InfoPath and Workflow:

Option 1: Integrate InfoPath forms with or without Workflow and SharePoint with SAP using Innowera

Web Server

Option 2: InfoPath Forms SQLSAP using Process Runner DB

Option 3: InfoPath Forms and SharePoint SAP with Nintex Workflow using Innowera Web Server

These options can be in use independently or can co-exist.

Following is a brief overview of each option:

Option 1: Integrate SharePoint, Forms and Workflow with SAP using Innowera Web Server

Sample of workflow controlled InfoPath Web Form that directly posts changes in SAP transaction. In the

example below, an XK02 transaction process was created by Process Runner and published to Innowera Web Server. An InfoPath form was built by drag-n-drop process to consume the web service and published to SharePoint. A user filled in that web form and it was routed for approval using SharePoint workflow. Finally, it was posted in SAP directly from the SharePoint webform (screen shot below on left). Vendor in SAP now shows that its blocked for the payment (screen shot on right):

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Execute various processes in SAP from SharePoint using Innowera Web Server

Use SharePoint Designer and Visio for SharePoint Workflow design for quick and easy workflow builds – no additional investment is required and you will benefit as these technologies evolve with each new release

Use Process Runner to Design SAP processes and automatically create InfoPath Forms that can interact with SAP. Forms can consume thousands of SAP transactions, Business APIs (BAPIs), RFCs or query or extract and display data from SAP tables and table joins as web services that Process Runner builds and publishes to Innowera Web Server for you automatically. You can also use any customization (such as Z/Y programs, screens, transactions, tables, user and customer exists) that

has been made to your SAP system.

This form can be published as a web form running on the SharePoint site, or be sent in an email, or just used as a standard InfoPath fillable form sitting on your network. With all these methods of distribution, it will interact with SAP when you use Innowera Web Server.

This option maximizes usage of your existing investment in SharePoint, InfoPath for forms, and workflow design and deployment. With this option, Innowera technology allows you to interact with SAP transactions, Business APIs and tables directly from InfoPath or SharePoint.

Option 2: InfoPath Forms SQL SAP using Process Runner DB

Process Runner DB usage eliminates the need for an additional server

Simpler, non-technical solution that delivers desired performance

Process

Runner

Solid red arrows show run time interaction while other arrows show design time interaction

Process Runner DB

InfoPath DB

Form Template

Solid red arrows show run time interaction while other arrows show design time interaction

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This approach extends the first option with one of the industry’s best workflow solutions. If sleek, powerful, business ready workflows that can be designed and managed from within SharePoint is what you are looking for then Nintex workflow integrated with the Innowera solution for SAP may be your answer.

Use MS-SQL, Oracle, My-SQL, MS-Access or even TXT file

Can be scheduled and can execute with SQL Stored procedures, triggers etc.

Leverage InfoPath and SharePoint’s connectivity with SQL as a front end to run the data capture process (with or without workflow) and use the database’s performance to perform SAP uploads or downloads

This approach allows using SharePoint to run the front end process while integrating SAP using the backend database. This approach could be ideal if you already have the front end process nailed down and the only problem remaining is to transport the data back and forth to SAP and you do not want to redesign the whole process again just for SAP integration. This approach could also be suitable when volume and performance are important factors in your design.

Option 3: InfoPath Forms and SharePoint SAP with Nintex Workflow using

Innowera Web Server

This option includes the benefits of Nintex Workflow:

Industry-leading workflow and forms for business

Integrated with the Innowera platform to link Nintex and SAP

Nintex workflow benefits including an easy-to-use tool, browser-based graphical Workflow

Designer, and more than 100 ready-to-use actions

Reusability, tracking, security, management, deployment and rule/role extensions

Makes SharePoint workflow easier to manage and monitor across entire farms

and Nintex Forms:

Works as an extension to InfoPath. Tighter integration and 100% browser-enabled Designer when Nintex Forms are used in

conjunction with Nintex Workflow

Ideal for easily and quickly creating user interfaces for SharePoint assets (lists, document properties, content types, workflows, and tasks).

Possibility to publish to the cloud with Nintex Live

Process

Runner

Solid red arrows show run time interaction while other arrows show design time interaction

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Nintex workflow designer: Powerful with over 100+ custom actions, Easy as it works in SharePoint browser eliminating need to distribute and manage software and brings role based security that is integrated with SharePoint:

Lync Integration: Approve directly from email or even Lync!

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Workflow Status Report: Graphics status report to see exactly where it is.

Localization and Templates:

Today, Nintex workflow is available in the following languages and comes with tons of templates:

Concluding notes: Today SharePoint has become a formidable business system. More businesses and departments will adopt SharePoint in the coming time. InfoPath Forms allows capturing and automating business processes while SharePoint serves as a canvas that holds the information and routes the workflow for it. Integration of SharePoint, InfoPath Forms using workflow and integrating them with SAP will bring business benefit and put those businesses ahead of others who are not ready for it. Innowera offers missing pieces of this puzzle while allowing you to use your Microsoft and SAP investments to

the fullest. With Innowera’s approach, your upgrade path to SharePoint 2013 (or 2016) is open and unrestricted while it will integrate these systems as if they were designed as connected. If you are looking forward to world class workflow tool that is available within SharePoint, use Nintex and integrate with Innowera to talk to SAP. Nintex technology typically is licensed per server so you are not paying per user, besides, it comes in many localized language making adoption of

workflow designing by business even easier. Visit www.innowera.com or contact us at [email protected] to schedule a demo or to learn more.

*no per user forms and/or workflow license fee charged by Innowera, unless you are using Innowera technology to connect with SAP.

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