SAP Integration Suite

SAP Integration Suite: Superglue for the Modern ERP

Integration across multiple SAP and non-SAP solutions is the most mentioned challenge in several recent SAPinsider research reports, including the Application Strategy and Development for SAP S/4HANA and Cloud benchmark reportreleased in February 2022. Yet, with the demand for rapid rollout of applications, companies cannot afford to let integration be a hurdle for digital transformation.

An earlier SAP Integration Landscape Benchmark Report from fall 2021 found that companies were integrating an average of 11 solutions with SAP. With the proliferation of multi-modal and multi-device access, integration demands an entire team, governance, and a sophisticated set of technologies. The above-mentioned report also found that 71% of respondents were using SAP’s integration tools.

SAP Integration Suite: Superglue for the Modern ERP

Integration across multiple SAP and non-SAP solutions is the most mentioned challenge in several recent SAPinsider research reports, including the Application Strategy and Development for SAP S/4HANA and Cloud benchmark reportreleased in February 2022. Yet, with the demand for rapid rollout of applications, companies cannot afford to let integration be a hurdle for digital transformation.

An earlier SAP Integration Landscape Benchmark Report from fall 2021 found that companies were integrating an average of 11 solutions with SAP. With the proliferation of multi-modal and multi-device access, integration demands an entire team, governance, and a sophisticated set of technologies. The above-mentioned report also found that 71% of respondents were using SAP’s integration tools.

Understanding this challenge, SAP has been strengthening its integration capabilities through the SAP Integration Suite, which is part of the SAP Business Technology Platform.

SAP Integration Suite is an EiPaaS offered for multi-cloud environments with more than 1,500 prepackaged integration flows in the SAP API Business Hub, workflow connectors to third-party cloud apps, and governance.

SAP Integration Suite enables four models of integration for a connected enterprise

1. Out-of-the-box integration enables SAP-to-SAP integration seamlessly using prebuilt integrations in the SAP API Business Hub
2. Open integration enables SAP-to-SAP, SAP-to-partner, and SAP-to-any-vendor integration using prebuilt connectors for many third-party applications
3. Holistic integration provides a wide range of ways to integrate data, processes, users, and Internet of Things devices.
4. AI-driven integration uses artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to simplify development of integration scenarios.

With its breadth in various business solutions, SAP has encapsulated key business processes such as lead-to-cash, source-to-pay, recruit-to-retire, etc., with integration packs, APIs, and governance models. Several SAP clients have solved some fundamental integration challenges through the SAP Integration Suite.

In conjunction with the SAP Integration Suite, SAP has developed a technology- and solution-agnostic framework called SAP Integration Solution Advisory Methodology for conducting assessments based on an integration maturity model. This framework helps organizations identify the tools they need, the skills they lack, the governance model they need, and the blueprints and architectures they can reference from a technology perspective.

Best-in-class SAP clients often have deployed and enabled integration platforms from SAP, Boomi, SUSE, TIBCO, and Stonebranch. In addition, they have enabled integration of best practices and governance so that new applications and updates can be rolled out in an agile manner.