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SAP API Plugin
Do you want your SAP to be ready for digital within a couple of days? But is your SAP not able to deliver the right API data points to digitalize your business?
The fully integrated solution for growth
SAP API Plugin in 30 seconds | Why use the SAP API Plugin?
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Quick Time to Market
Map SAP objects via delivered configuration screens
In order for the SAP API Plugin to work, you need to use the delivered configuration features to map the delivered data objects to the correct SAP objects (configuration mapping needs to be done for):
- Inventory and ATP
- Orders
- Realtime B2B pricing
- Payment handling and methods
- Customer to SAP Objects
- Contacts roles and options
Configuration is easy
Map inventory and ATP Available to Promise
If you’re interested in your inventory stock and which data should be pushed by the SAPAPI Plugin, we can offer this insight. By configuring this to the ‘reserved shelf’ you can see combined stock values from different warehouses, the stock from the country of your online buyers, as well as shipping details and much more.
The mapping features of this web service can be further explored under ‘Get Price and Stock’.
Quick Time to Market
Configure your realtime B2B Pricing
Configure the right values for the ‘Order Simulate business process’. Through this, you can push product lines and their amounts to receive accurate pricing, discount, and stock for each order line of the customer. Interestingly, this service can also push order discounts, VAT, additional surcharges, shipment chargers and much more as a real time service. The conditions are mapped to your digital software so all possible conditions can be applied to the simulation.
Configuration is easy
Get your customers ready for digital
With SAP it is possible to store customer data in over six possible ways. The configuration feature of the SAP API Plugin allows map it into your logic and used object. Secondly, you can configure which customer(s) may purchase online by using the checkbox web shop customer. Thereafter, the customer feature can additionally connect related companies and holdings, which can be exported and connected to each other.
From this, mapping will lead to the webservice and data as highlighted in Get Customers, Get Customer Addresses, Set Customer Addresses and Set Customer.
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Quick Time to Market
Set payment methods per customer
The webservice “Payment methods”is able to send the allowed “Payment method for digital channel per customer. The feature allows to configure the payment method for each customer which maps these to the SAP Objects.
Additionally, it also delivers features to approve the customers payment preference, which is explored further in “Get Order Payment”.
Go digital: let's go
Configure your delivery information
This webservice is able to send the correct an accurate 'expected' delivery routes, dates and times for specific customers.
This mapping will lead to the webservice & data as described in - Get Delivery Days
21 APIs become instantly available
The SAP API Plugin is a piece of SAP software that ensures that a number of specific API data points (otherwise known as webservices) are installed into the default SAP API. After installation, 21 webservices become instantly available which are suitable for digital commerce.
B2B commerce
Accurate B2B (Customer specific) pricing calculations are created as a webservice in your SAP
Accurate information of order baskets including price, VAT, discounts and surcharges can be requested via this created webservice
A webservice is created to deliver the "Accurate expected delivery information" in order to use your endpoint when a customer wants to know when a product or orders can be delivered or are available
Accurate inventory ATP (available to promise) calculations and information can be requested via the created webservice, which is able to deliver information in real time.
The data for "accurate customer specific products" is created as a data source
Service portal
Use custom service RMA to get information on all your returns. This webservice has the ability to be created as an add-on service.
Customers would like to get insights for the exact status of their order and the expected delivery date. This webservice is able to deliver important information for deliveries (shipment details) of customers instantaneously
This webservice is able to deliver the details of all customer(s)on a real time basis
In order to digitalize the buying processes of your business and create an omnichannel experience for your customers, your SAP delivers the payment methods of each customer via this webservice so logic can be created via the connected system or portals
Receive and save all invoice information and data instantaneously or on request
Product catalog
Retrieves a list of categories from SAP and supports hierarchy
Delivers you file with all product information so you are able to create a catalog
Delivers you an export file, based on a schedule job, where all attribute groups and attributes are available, so you can use these in combination to the products and categories to set up a nice catalog including facetted searching
Retrieves a list of sku's of customer specific products, which can be used to create a specific catalog for each customer
Get images and files.
Customer portal
Get loyalty points
You can digitalize the process of unpaid orders or invoices through a serviceportal or mail. In order to ensure this, your SAP should be able to deliver the data of the open number of invoices in addition to the selected payment method of each customer
Companies and contacts / multiple user roles
The SAP API Plugin is able to generate data to retrieve information about the returns as a realtime web service or generate data files. The returns are part of additional information and are not exclusive to standard delivered services
Accurate and realtime B2B Price and B2B basket/ order information including price, VAT, discounts and surcharges can be requested via this created webservice
Learn more about pricing, installation process, prerequisites and
Using the SAP API Plugin
Read our blogs, videos and information offered in resource centers using the SAP API Plugin.
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Future-dead. In this complex combination of integrations, it is not possible to add and connect new software to existing software without having a long and expensive IT project
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Install within 3 days
Step 1: Transport SAP ABAP Stack to your SAP
The implementation of the SAP API Plugin software is easy and is done in a matter of days. The SAP API Plugin will be installed on the SAP back-end through a transport of an ABAP stack in the Y-range. It can be installed on SAP directly or be placed on the HCI (HANA Cloud Integration). But other things should be done; like configuring the firewall, VPN connection, and to map all the data points (webservices) to your SAP Objects via the delivered configuration features.
Install within 3 days
Step 2: Use configuration features
The SAP Plugin adds configuration to your setup, but will not alter any existing configuration. In order for the SAP API Plugin to work, you can use the configuration features to map the delivered 21 data objects to the correct SAP Objects; for e.g. (configuration mapping needs to be done for)
- Payment handling and methods
- Customer to SAP Objects
- Contacts roles and options
- Up sell and Cross sell products
Install within 3 days
Step 3: Supporting custom workflows
If you have features or processes beyond the standard of SAP ECC it is possible to adapt the connector to support them. You can also make adjustments to the delivered data points, or add custom data points if these are needed. This will however increase the Time-to-market and needed Budget.
Install within 3 days
Who can install the SAP API Plugin?
Technically the SAP API Plugin can be installed by Alumio experts or by you, if you have an experienced SAP HANA (R/3 or ECC) administrator or developer in house or by your SAP Partner. We recommended that at least a SAP Consultant from Alumio is present during the configuration, so this part is done in the right manner. The SAP Connector can also be installed by Alumio experts.
Case Studies
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How we achieved more significant customer experiences with Gazelle
Gazelle Bridges the gap between Manufacturers and Consumers
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are hesitating, do not worry - we are here to explain everything you might want to know. Let us help! Can't find the answer that you're looking for? Contact us.
The Alumio SAP API Plugin is delivered including configuration features/ interface, where the mapping of data can be done using customizations tables in SAP.
To map the data, you need your own consultant or we can provide you with a SAP expert. Someone with knowledge of the database tables/ structure of SAP and knowledge of your digital processes, so the data, such as of prices/ inventory/ digital orders/ payments/ customers and so on and so forth can be mapped to the right data in SAP. Note: No logic will be added or changed in SAP
No, the SAP (ECC, R/3, S4/HANA) connector adds configuration to your setup however, will not alter any existing configuration.
Please also check FAQ Question: Can you explain the Technical Design principles of the SAP API Plugin
Yes, you can. For communication with Digital, SOAP and XML are used as a direct service from the SAP API Plugin. When the SAP API Plugin is used together with the Alumio iPaaS, a multitude of systems can be connected.
The SAP Connector supports the following ‘out of the box’ versions (other SAP versions can be supported with a minimum amount of work). · SAP S/3 ECC 6.X running on NetWeaver 7.3 or higher · SAP R/3 · SAP S|4HANA. The other pre- requisites are the same as SAP HANA (R/3 or ECC) itself. However, if you want optimal performance, we advise you (in case of the SAP R/3 or ECC version) to have an internet connection with at least 20 Mbit per second upload bandwidth. Additionally, look at CPU, Memory and Hard Disk performance if you run into performance issues. Is there a pre-requisite of how our SAP system needs to be set up? For example, does it need to be setup as an IS-Retail system or can the connector work with core SAP? No, just the standard SAP is okay. Our API Plugin is also compatible with additional add-ons, but it’s not mandatory. The more add-ons you have the more complex the SAP mostly is.
Alumio's SAP Plugin will be installed on the SAP back-end system via a standard transport of an ABAP stack.
The development and customizing is tracked /monitored very strictly as the whole transport bulk is copied over into a separate SAP system. All transport and adapter objects begin with: YBITE3_***. Each development will start with YBITE3_ so it becomes clear that the development of the templates are related to another. Each development is accompanied with a description, so it is easy to understand for new SAP system why this development is created. Since multiple SAP system will re-use the development, source fields certain need to be derived from Z-mapping- tables.
The data to the SAP API Plugin is exchanged in XML format. Alumio's iPaaS or your digital endpoint, a customer or supplier sends XML requests to the SAP API Plugin. SAP processes the data using internal business logic and send XML responses back. If you also use Alumio's iPaaS platform, the communication will be done via REST API (via JSON).
The adapter is based on SAP Baseline / best practices with the following principles:
We recommend a dedicated Site-to-Site VPN, connecting the adapter to the webserver on which the e-commerce platform is runs.
Design principle and specifications:
Separation of responsibilities > single responsibility
Operations on different layers
Representation of objects
Transformation/conversion services
Objects do not handle/process themselves
What would be a typical time to market to set up a working SAP API Plugin
Step 1: Transport SAP ABAP Stack to your SAP
Implementation of the SAP API Plugin software is easy and is done in a matter of hours. The SAP API Plugin will be installed on the SAP back end through a transport of an ABAP stack in the Y-range. It can be installed on SAP directly or be placed on the HCI (HANA Cloud Integration). However, other things should be considered and carried out, like configuring the firewall, VPN connection, and the mapping of all the data points (webservices) to your SAP Objects via the delivered configuration features.
Step 2: Use configuration features
The SAP Plugin adds configuration to your setup but will not alter any existing configuration. In order for the SAP API Plugin to work, you can use the configuration features to map the delivered 21 data objects to the correct SAP Objects; for e.g. (configuration mapping needs to be done for)
Step 3: Dealing with custom requests.
If you have features or processes beyond the standard of SAP HANA (R/3 or ECC) it is possible to adapt the connector to support them. You can also make adjustments to the delivered data points or add custom data points if these are needed. This will however increase the Time-to-market and needed budget.
The SAP API Plugin (for ECC, R/3, S|4HANA) has 21 standard ‘plug and play’ interface webservices. The webservices are made to exchange the data from and to any other customer, supplier, system or endpoint.
The API Plugin/ connector contains more the 21 well documented data points, or so call webservices.
Realtime services that launch your company towards full digitalization
1. Get Price and Stock; This API point (webservice) works real time as a service to send data such as customer specific product price and stock for a quantity and unit, based on pull request. Each call can be used to pull multiple products for specific customer prices (and stock).
2. GetOrderSimulation; This realtime webservice is working via the 'Order Simulate business process'. You can push product lines and amounts to this webservice to receive the correct price, discount, stock for each order line for this customer. data from a customer. This service will also push the order discount, vat, additional surcharges, shipment charges subtotals and totals as a realtime service. Conditions in ERP can be mapped to your digital software so all possible conditions can be applied to the simulation.
3. Set Order; Webservices can receive orders. Set Order creates an order in SAP and is able to send the SAP ERP Order number as a return.
4. Set Order Payment; Is a Webservice which can receive the payment of an order. This service allows payments through external parties such as Creditcard, iDeal and PayPal. When an online payment for an order is approved by the Payment Service Provider, this service changes the status of the order in SAP (as can be configured via the delivered configuration features).
5. Set Contact; This realtime API Data point Set Contact creates or updates contacts (users) or appropriate roles (rights) from companies. The roles can be mapped via the delivered configuration features to SAP Roles.
6. Set Customer; This Realtime webservice is able to create or update customers in SAP. Our configuration features allow you to set a default customer template which is used to set the standard values for new customers.
7. Get Delivery Days; Delivers information of the expected delivery routes, dates and time of a customer on a real time basis.
8. Get Quote; Delivers details of a quote of a customer on a real time basis.
9. Get Quote Overview; Delivers an overview of the main information of all the requested quotes (realtime service).
10. Get Invoice; Delivers details of an invoice of a customer on a real time basis.
11. Get Invoice Overview; Delivers an overview of the main information of all the requested invoices (realtime service).
12. Get Deliveries; Webservice, or so-called API Data point, which delivers details of a delivery (shipment information) of a customer on a real time basis.
13. Get Deliveries Overview; API/ Webservice, which delivers an overview of the main information of all the requested deliveries (shipments).
14. Get Order; This webservice, delivers the details of an order of a customer on a real time basis.
15. Get Order Overview; This webservice delivers an overview of the main information of all the requested orders on a real time basis.
16. Set Customer Addresses; An API Data point, which is able to receive a new or updated customer address (main, shipment or invoice address) (real time).
17. Get Customer Addresses; An API Data point, which is able to receive a new or updated customer address (main-, shipment- or invoice addresses) which works on real time basis.
Some push services, to prevent heavy load on SAP infrastructure, for data which is needed to be send via a real time service;
18. Get Products; get products is a batch file containing all enabled products in the ERP including attributes, images, etc. Can be used with a Product Information Management system as well. Its batch process can be schedule via the configuration.
19. Get Customers; a push mechanism is creating an XML-file on periodic moments. This file contains all companies and their contacts that are enabled in the ERP system.
20. Get My Products; Delivers a file, as batch scheduled process, with a list of products, generated from previous orders. These products can also include products not available to other customers.
21. Get Categories; Delivers all the category information on a scheduled push mechanism.
Optional
There are also additional webservices available as add-ons. These webservices are not delivered as part of the normal SAP API Plugin. Some of the optional webservices are:
To receive all the insights and details about each webservices, please download our SAP API Plugin factsheet.
