SAP Business One EDI Custom Integration - Overview for Programmer by Andrew Karasev

SAP B1 ERP and MRP application could be easily integrated with your Electronic Document Interchange channel, either for outbound (when you are ordering products from your vendors) or inbound (when your customers places their orders in EDI code). This publication is written in technical manner and ideally it should help your with your SAP Business One VAR, consultant, developer, reseller selection. Similar approach could be tried in SB1 integration scenarios. We will not describe SAP BO SDK programming techniques here and will try to give you highlights on the solution, which doesn't require additional software licenses cost

1. EDI as fixed length fields format. This is traditional EDI, when you have document header, lines and trailer. All the fields have predetermined fixed length and position

2. EDI as XML. This is new trend, where XML does the same job as fixed length format, mentioned above. If your EDI channel requires XML, you are probably more flexible in the tools and coding methods selection

3. Outbound EDI. You should either research SB1 tables structure, which is described in SAP Business One SDK. Another option is to enable system information in SB: View -> System Information. If it is enabled, open your Purchase Order and place the cursor over the field you want to export in EDI code - in the left bottom corner you should now see the table and the field names. To format your records in fixed field length manner, use CAST or CONVERT SQL clauses. Save your EDI export in the text file - you should consider deploying DTS (Data Transformation) package to extract records and save the file. For XML you have robust support in MS SQL Server 2005 or 2000

4. Inbound EDI. Here we recommend DTW or SAP Business One Data Transfer Workbench. However you do not use here CSV files (also often referred as Excel templates). Here you deploy ODBC source to MS SQL Server. From MS SQL side you should prepare views or SQL stored procedures. Again, deploy DTS package, which will first move your EDI file into SQL staging tables. Then from these tables, use View to prepare the results for Workbench. To avoid linking and configuration problems, in your SQL view - have field names to be the same as in Workbench Excel template for the same object, you are intending to integrate

About the Author

Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum LLC, help@albaspectrum.com, http://www.albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577 , subdivision of M2-D2, SAP Business One VAR and Reseller in Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, California, Texas. Please visit our info portal Pegas Planet: http://www.pegasplanet.com Local Service in Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, Houston

SAP Business One VAR newsflash: Remote Support by Andrew Karasev

If you business is located in USA or Canada countryside, where local SAP B1 consulting practices are limited and not easy to find, modern remote access technologies, such as web sessions, skype, remote desktop connections, VPN - allow you to get instant and very efficient support from SB1 nationwide support call center and software development factory. In this publication we will review remote support scenarios. Ideally this paper should help you with your SAP BO partner, reseller and consultant selection

1. User training. Here the best technology is web session, where our consultant shares with your trainees the same computer monitor and you can see her or his face, captured by video camera on the laptop - in the case if you are using skype VOIP telephony

2. Integration and Customization projects. In this scenario the best approach is to install SAP Business One Data Transfer Workbench with SQL Server management Studio one of the test servers in your office with open remote desktop connection (over the Virtual Private Network or VPN). On the same machine you should enable our SB1 SDK programmers to upload their customization versions for deployment and testing




3. Initial Data conversions. In Sap B1 traditionally this is Data Transfer Workbench routine, where you prepare CSV files, based on DTW templates

4. New modules implementation. It is often desirable to come out onsite to shake hands and meet people face-to-face, see your facility and discuss implementation goals and tactics

5. New Licenses sale. Nationwide support partners can sell SB1 user licenses nationwide and internationally in most of the cases

About the Author

Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum LLC, help@albaspectrum.com, http://www.albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577 , subdivision of M2-D2, SAP Business One VAR and Reseller in Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, California, Texas. Please visit our info portal Pegas Planet: http://www.pegasplanet.com Local Service in Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, Houston

SAP Business One Consultants Atlanta, Chicago Newsflash: ODBC integrations by Andrew Karasev

If you plan to do ongoing data integration in SAP B1 without deploying SB1 SDK programming, try to research SAP BO Data Transfer Workbench ODBC source option. This small publication should help you in SAP B1 partner, reseller selection - at least you should be able to ask the right questions about your SAP Business One VAR expertise

1. Initial Data conversion. Data Transfer Workbench has set of CSV templates and all you need to do is to fill them in Excel, paying attention to required and in necessary add values to optional fields. And good news is the fact that most of SAP B1 consultants are familiar and reasonably good with initial data conversion and migration and will help you with filling CSV templates

2. Ongoing data integration. Here, you should find people who are familiar with advanced Workbench techniques. For example, if consultant is saying you that she or he will help you prepare your ongoing integration files in Excel - this is probably not the answer you need to accept

3. ODBC source. Here you use the following technique. Create SQL view, which will prepare your data for import in exactly the same format as discussed above CSV template. ODBC source can work with text file, however the limitations of Text driver may lead you to importing source files into MS SQL Server staging tables. One of the limitations of ODBC source based integration is the fact, that SAP doesn't support scheduled run for it

4. Workbench integration scheduled run. You can create batch file, where you call your XML integration saved file with -s parameter, please read Workbench help. If you like scheduled run for really complex integration, where you would have to deploy ODBC sources, please consider to deploy SQL data import, massage via SQL stored procedure or view and then export it to CSV files - the best tool to do the job is likely Data Transformation Services (DTS) package

About the Author

Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum LLC, help@albaspectrum.com, http://www.albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577 , subdivision of M2-D2, SAP Business One VAR and Reseller in Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, California, Texas. Please visit our info portal Pegas Planet: http://www.pegasplanet.com Local Service in Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, Houston.

Benefits of Using SAP and ERP for your Business by Reggie Andersen

Most people are realizing that SAP solutions have become extremely important o such businesses as international businesses. This is due to the companies that are part of the fortune 1000 as they have the ERP solutions in place and they get those from the SAP. So what exactly does SAP stand for? That is simple; it is an acronym for systems, applications and products in data processing.
So what exactly are the benefits of using ERP and SAP enhancement packages? It is becoming known by most all companies that they really do need to have these ERP and SAP enhancement services in order for things to run smoothly. If you get an enhancement package in place, you can expect to have your systems more flexible where third party applications are concerned. ERP does this by committing to different business scenarios so that they can improve the practices of the business networks.

Some companies find that they have problems with their end-to-end processes. That is where you can implement SAP ERP to sharpen your core function with the end-to-end process. It is safe to say that businesses really do need to have an enhancement package in place in order to be able to do what they need to do. It will help them to automate their enterprise and they will be able to keep their operational processes up to date with the ever-growing industry.
It is said that SAP can help to execute ERP solutions in over 25 areas of industry. That is quite an accomplishment. It is also said that SAP will be very popular in helping companies in such places as Africa and Asia. SAP ERP is round the world in more than 85 countries, which turns out to be more than 43,000 clients worldwide. Those numbers are expected to grow as more and more enterprises jump on the SAP ERP bandwagon. Companies love the fact that they get real time updated information so they can keep their edge and stay ahead of the game.

There are many types of businesses that benefit from implementing SAP ERP solutions. If you feel that you can benefit from implementing SAP ERP solutions, then you need to check out what it can do for you. The best thing that you can do for your company is to make an educated decision. Knowledge is power and power is knowledge. Talk with your IT department to see what your options are and where you need the most help. SAP ERP can help you to keep your network as it should be. You want to make sure that you are doing what is best for your business and this will help you make is solid and safe

About the Author

Reggie loves the ERP software momentum. Check out his: http://www.erpsap.com ERP SAP.

Software Development Companies in India by Neeraj Arora

IT services in India mainly focus on software development, Information Technology Consultancy, Web design and development, Offshore Outsourcing, Business process outsourcing, Knowledge process outsourcing, Enterprise Resource Planning Development and Implementation, Multimedia and custom software applications.

Expansion in global business has lead to a volume increase in the services requirement. Marketing challenges of the export houses need effective inventory management with quality. Software development companies in India possess expertise in the development of inventory based application and ERP solutions to implement the same for cost reduction, quality increase and profitability.

Retail Industry today needs support in retaining customers and also in ensuring customers to repeat their business by staying competitive. Indian Software development companies have proven expertise and experience in development of transaction based web application and e-commerce sites and client server applications.

Manufacturing sector and services sector is a major hub in the global business arena. Production Planning, automation of order to cash and procure to pay cycles play a significant role in global competitiveness and focused quality service. Software development companies in India excel in services offered in the areas of application development and Enterprise Resource Planning, development and Implementation.

Wireless mobility and automation systems need handling of security issues with user friendly interface and faster access through latest technology adaptation. To stay in tune with the latest demand in product development, Indian Software development companies provide design and development of Embedded Systems, wireless product and application development for blue tooth, IRDA etc.

Software development companies in India work as extended arms as offshore units to leading organizations to provide 24 X 7 development and support activities, cost effective resource management and flexible skilled manpower availability.

Many Indian IT companies extend outsourcing services with core expertise in Business to business, Business to customer, Banking, Finance, Real Estate domains and verticals like Insurance, Oil & gas, GIS etc.

Software development companies in India possess in depth core expertise in application development in .NET, Microsoft Technologies, Java based development, SAP, Oracle ERP and CRM solutions and various latest cutting edge technologies under different operating systems and platforms with options of multiple backend and database technologies. Development services are also offered in web application designing and redesigning, PHP, AJAX development, Ruby on Rails, content management solutions through Joomla and Drupal.

About the Author

Article written by Mr. Neeraj Arora, Marketing Director of Himalayan IT Solutions offers Software Development India and SEO services India.

Roundtable: the Crisis and Shared Services - an Asian Perspective (Part 1) by Jamie Liddell

As 2008 draws to an end, the signs for the global economy in 2009 are, to say the least, inauspicious. But this downturn won’t affect all geographies equally - and this holds true for the shared services and outsourcing space as much as for the wider economy. In order to get a better-defined picture of how different parts of the world are reacting differently to the biggest shock to the financial system since the Wall Street Crash, the Shared Services & Outsourcing Network convened a series of regional roundtable debates. The first - getting the view from Asia - took place at the end of November and was chaired by Deloitte’s Hugo Walkinshaw; as the transcript shows, for mature SSOs at least while the impact of the crisis has yet to play itself out fully, there are certainly opportunities strewn amongst the challenges... Attending were: Hugo Walkinshaw (chair) Principal Shared Services Asia Leader Deloitte Chen Theng Aik SVP & Head Asia Pacific Operations DHL Rodrigo Martins General Manager GBS Asia General Electric Erik Moller Nielsen GM Global Service Centres (Philippines) Maersk Hugo Walkinshaw: In terms of how specifically your SSC is adding value - and I’d like to ask Rodrigo to kick us off on this one - what differences are you seeing as a result of the current climate in terms of new things you’re being asked to tackle, or things that were going a little slowly or were not so pronounced that are suddenly coming to the surface? Rodrigo Martins: We are actually seeing an increased interest from businesses in joining our shared services organization. In challenging times like these, the value that a shared services group brings to the table is even more evident. From all angles you look at our group there is value - from the high quality of being an organization specialized in processes that are critical to running a business (no less important under the current economic conditions, by the way), from a cost savings standpoint given the scale in which we operate, and from our ability to provide services utilizing our infrastructure of people, processes and platforms already in place. For all of these reasons I see a general increase in demand for our services. It is also important to notice that we are constantly concerned with productivity, constantly looking for improving quality and efficiency in everything we do, and in times like this it is even more important. On a more tactical level, we have been providing our businesses with more and more tools and analysis that make it easier for them to control and better manage their cost base. From our perspective we are helping our customers, the GE businesses, and from their perspective this is a value-added service that they are receiving from us. Hugo Walkinshaw: So most of that is essentially focusing more, and putting greater emphasis, on things that are already current. Maybe there are a few conversations there around should this business unit, or this process, come in or go out, and the current conditions are basically forcing the pace on those decisions? Rodrigo Martins: Exactly that; more of the same, at least for our organization. I believe businesses see the value in what we are doing so they want to come on board more and more. They see that we have scale and that we are capable of rendering good service at a competitive cost and that is good value for them at the end of the day. Hugo Walkinshaw: And in terms of being asked to provide wholly new things, or to go in new directions: are you seeing any of that yet? Rodrigo Martins: I don’t see that in GE. Probably because being an established shared service organization we already have most, if not all, typical shared services offerings. We do have one service, which is relatively new to our group in Asia, Customs. This service helps businesses deal with imports and exports around the world. But the service is not new; it was introduced a few years ago in the Americas and is now being rolled out globally. Chen Theng Aik: Because of the state we’re at now, we’re still contemplating our migration of activities to the SSCs in the higher-cost Asian countries. Our officers have been told to watch headcount, and headcount replacement, very carefully, and it’s getting tougher for the business units, so there is a lot more interest for two reasons. One is, pure wage arbitrage and our ability to continue to leverage that, so there’s increased interest in moving more activities over to us, and what was traditionally considered taboo - not to be transferred over to shared services - could now all be on the table. With our SSC in Malaysia, there’s a large wage arbitrage from the higher-cost Asian countries. Point number two is that because things for the businesses are getting tougher and tougher, their headcount is being looked at very carefully, so any volume increase, or even replacement after resignations, is also getting tougher and tougher. When they have their own headcount freeze, or headcount restrictions, it becomes more attractive to migrate over to us. We end up being asked to do more work which would traditionally have been carried out within their home-country organizations. Hugo Walkinshaw: So a bit more of a burning platform for country MDs to have to deal with, to accelerate the transition timetable. Erik Moller Nielsen: I’d like to echo what Chen just said, and actually Hugo you just used the words we use: it’s a "burning platform". We’re looking at anything and everything, and we see a widening of the scope and depth of what we’re being asked to handle. For example in the back-office support for SAP, we are increasing the percentage of the end-to-end finance process that we’re handling in the service center, and we have a Six Sigma project going on now to take it up to 70 per cent. But we’re also being asked to look at almost more things that we can handle at the moment from claims settlement to quite sophisticated KPO work, so we’re moving up the value ladder, for sure, at the moment. We definitely see more offshoring coming our way. Hugo Walkinshaw: Well it’s definitely good news that at least someone’s busy in these times… The only things I’d add to what you guys have said is that, firstly, specifically within our shared services environment - and this plays a little bit towards Rodrigo’s point initially - we are making much greater and more frequent use of the SSC for almost daily operational data, as everything is moving so fast and swinging so hard in terms of decision-making around recruitment, costs and so on. We’re putting a lot more emphasis on the basis of ad hoc management information coming out of the center. I’ve noticed that we’re partnering much better with the center and that they’re being forced to be much more reactive and responsive about producing data. Secondly, looking at companies that haven’t gone to shared services yet, I think we’ve initiated five new shared services feasibility studies in the last eight weeks, so I get a sense that out there those companies who haven’t yet taken the plunge - or who have taken the plunge and now have European or US centers - are now looking to Asia as an offshoring location, with a real sense of urgency and momentum. We’re also seeing a lot of interest from large local companies who are, I guess, cash-rich and who are looking to make this kind of reorganization and structural investment while things are slowing down and they’ve got time on their hands. So even for the people who aren’t in shared services there’s definitely the sense that this is the way to go as a response around control and cost. SSON: It seems as though there’s a bit of a cross-section of the space here: on the one hand we’ve got Rodrigo who’s doing a great deal more of the same sort of thing, and on the other we’ve got Erik who’s actually instituting a whole load of new processes. Hugo, to what extent are the companies approaching you to investigate launching new shared services initiatives planning a broader, wider shared services than might have been the norm over the last few years? Hugo Walkinshaw: I think it’s people who’ve been sitting on the fence about even starting shared services, and have been going down the route of "our culture is not to do that, and not to offshore, and not to make redundancies" and I think they’ve been forced off the fence by the economic conditions. I think it’s people taking the plunge and realising they need to do some desperate measures, rather than a move towards a broader, more sophisticated footprint. I think the reason there’s been a bit of disparity thus far on the panel is a reflection of where we all are on the shared services journey. My takeaway actually is that what’s keeping us busy is doing things we were expecting to do, and hoping to do, had planned to do, or were already doing a little bit - but doing them at a much greater pace. I don’t think there are a lot of brand new initiatives - yet - coming up in the shared services space. Erik Moller Nielsen: I would absolutely echo that. I think this is the push that has come lately, to push in the development that was happening slowly anyway. Some people in the organization (and we have a mature SSO, about eight to ten years and six sites in operation) were looking at the SSCs at having been set up to provide maybe rather basic processes, and being maybe a nice-to-use but not a need-to-use, but in the current climate with business volumes going down this is a resource they want to tap into, if not for anything else other than the labor arbitrage initially - but then we know that once it’s been shifted over to us we can optimize the process down the road. We’re being asked now to look at data mining, market analysis, and we’re going to be setting up a group of fifteen in January just to look at that, and there are many many other things coming our way, so it’s all positive - and keeps us really busy. Hugo Walkinshaw: Those particular bits at the end - the data mining and market analysis - are not things which your everyday shared service center traditionally does, so I think your comment about going up the value chain is spot-on. You may, I suppose, already have had that in your sights on the value-chain, though, and this is just accelerating your decision rather than being a brand new idea that’s come about as a result of the crisis. So let’s move on, then: in terms of priorities for the next six months, can everybody name their top one or two? Erik, what’s going to be your main focus for the next two quarters? Erik Moller Nielsen: It will be on the talent side, because now we are looking for different people on some of these issues; for example with the claims settlement we’re looking at, we need to find people with a legal background. Initially it’s an HR challenge; secondly it’s about site-capacity and site planning (and we’re well into that). Thirdly - and going with the site capacity - it’s workstation utilization: how can we push it up so that we use each desk more than once, maybe even more than twice every 24 hours? In that connection, our challenge is that most of our work is really time-sensitive and urgent, with turn-times down to half an hour, but we are hoping that we can convince our internal customer that he can save a lot of money if we can extend the turn-times on some of this work and therefore do it at night - it means we save costs and don’t have to expand the sites. Hugo Walkinshaw: That’s an interesting dynamic; if you’ve got unutilized capacity at certain times of the day or night, then obviously it’s a more cost-effective solution to use that rather than adding floors and increasing the overall cost. I guess you’re in the right part of the world to be running 24/7 shifts.

To continue reading this article, see Roundtable: the Crisis and Shared Services - an Asian Perspective (Part 2)

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About the Author

Jamie Liddell has worked in journalism since he was a 17-year-old cub reporter for The Tico Times, Costa Rica’s highly regarded English-language weekly newspaper. Holding an MA in English from Clare College, Cambridge University, Jamie comes to the Shared Services & Outsourcing Network from the world of overseas property publishing where he worked on the industry’s best-selling publications for the UK and Ireland.

Four Ways to Manage Your Mindset During a Recession by Marcia Yudkin

Crash! Crash! Crash! It’s instinctive to pull your head down and duck for cover when foreclosure, credit crunch and banking crisis missiles are landing all around you. But contrary to what the media are telling you, the #1 determinant of your prosperity is not "the economy" but your own attitudes and behavior.

If you hunker down, retract your marketing and let fear drive your daily actions, your business will contract. Guaranteed! If you remain standing, keep your balance and steer intelligently around today’s slightly changed marketing landscape, you’ll do fine.

The following tips show you how to maintain the mental balance that enables you to navigate through a recession confidently and profitably. Manage your mood swings and the rest becomes easy.

1. Ration your news watching. Some say that the unofficial motto of the news media is "If it bleeds, it leads." In other words, it’s their job to forcefully tell you about all the bad news. Television news, in particular, can not only inform you, but infect you with fear from an unbalanced view of what’s happening that may not match what’s true in the world that most impinges most on you. You may find reading the news in a print newspaper less alarming than listening to the news on radio or TV.

2. Stay positive. Notice what you’re saying to yourself, and develop a positive, feel-good affirmation to replace negative statements. During mid-2008, I had a lean couple of months and noticed I had been saying things like, "I don’t really need much money." I replaced that with an affirmation developed in conversation with my business coach: "I have the luxury of being able to do whatever I like, and money flows to me effortlessly from that." Was it an accident that my cash flow improved? You decide.

3. Drop unpleasant customers. Yes, I mean it. You need all your wits about you to be creative and resourceful. Anger and resentment sap your energy. Refer the disagreeable clients to a colleague who is feeling desperate. And who knows - they may get along just fine.

4. Play. Spend time doing something that makes you happy - whether that’s playing with your kids, riding your Harley, playing your favorite music at full blast or skimming rocks on a nearby pond. Feeling crazily, unreasonably joyful for even a little while helps you attack business problems with an optimistic perspective. According to research by University of California at Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons and others, counting blessings rather than focusing on burdens increases your health and general well being. I wouldn’t be surprised if it increases your earnings, too.

Now you can understand why it is a huge mistake to retract your advertising and stop spending on customer outreach. Instead, continue the marketing efforts that worked in the past. Revive those that previously worked but you stopped because you got tired of them. And think about ways to tweak your marketing messages so they appear especially relevant to those suffering from the economic downturn.

Make sure clients are happy with your products and services and fix any quality issues. Consider reasons why, in good times, people remain on the fence about buying from you, and take away those doubts and objections. It’s also a great time to join forces with other business owners to share ideas on how all of you can remain recession-resistant.

To paraphrase a famous saying of Eleanor Roosevelt, "Nothing can pull your business down without your consent." You have a choice about what attitude and actions to take. If you refuse to adopt the mindset of those running around right now like Chicken Littles, you will be able to look back on the era of gloom and doom with a smile on your face and a big bankroll in your pocket.

About the Author

Master marketer Marcia Yudkin, author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity and 10 other books, has been selling information in one form or another since 1981. This article is excerpted from her report, "33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession," available as a free download from http://www.yudkin.com/recess.htm

Five Tips to a More Effective Software Selection by Soft Resources

Whether you are looking to select and implement an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), HR/Payroll, or any other system for your organization, you should keep in mind the following tips to make your software selection process more effective.

1) Create a Long List - If a software package is not on your Long List, it will never be selected! Include as many viable software products as possible at the beginning of the process. You will want to include both general ERP software vendors as well as vendors that focus on your particular vertical industry. Vertical market software will frequently offer greater functionality for a specific industry than the general vendors. Many organizations fall into the trap of just looking at a few of the name brand vendors without considering others that are not as well known but have great products for the right situation.

2) Focus Requirements on the Differentiating Criteria - Although you may have hundreds or even thousands of functional requirements, the criteria that make the difference between elimination and selection of a software vendor can usually be listed on two to three pages. We call these key requirements "Differentiating Criteria." Use these criteria to eliminate software from your Long List quickly and objectively. This will save you a lot of time and help you focus on your most important requirements.

3) Select the Value Added Reseller/Implementation Partner - Many of the major mid-market software vendors sell their software through local and national Value Added Reseller’s (VARs) including Microsoft, Sage, Infor, Epicor, and others. These VARs will demo, sell, and implement the software. Because they are independent of the software vendor, there may be many VARs in your geographic area that sell the same product. They each have strengths and weaknesses. In fact, the selection of the right VAR can make or break the success of your implementation.

Larger tier 1 and tier 2 vendors such as SAP, Oracle, and Lawson offer direct implementation services, but also have independent implementation partners that you can use. Some of these partners can be more experienced in your industry and have lower billing rates than the vendor’s own implementation team. Make sure that you consider all of your implementation options.

4) Hold Scripted Demos - When you get to a short list of about 3 software vendors, you should use a scripted software demonstration process. The scripted demo forces the software vendor or VAR to modify their demo to show how they will solve your specific business needs. It also allows you to evaluate the vendors on an equal basis. Make sure to leave time for the vendor to show some of the bells and whistles that may be of interest.

5) Negotiate the Contract - When you make your final software decision, you will sign three contracts with the vendor: Software License, Implementation Services, and Maintenance. If you select a software product that uses the Software as a Service (SaaS) model you will have a Service Level Agreement (SLA). Make sure to negotiate the price, but don’t forget to negotiate the business issues in the contract as well. The software vendors write the contracts to protect their interests; you need to negotiate to protect your interests in the agreement.

About the Author

SoftResources is dedicated to providing unbiased software evaluation consulting and software selection tips to companies, non-profit and government organizations. We do not sell, implement, or receive remuneration from the software vendors for our recommendations in order to provide a thorough and objective evaluation of your software options.

mdm-for-sap-gis-integration.pdf

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SAP MDM Simplified Part - I by Ameya Pimpalgaonkar

From the authors of http://www.madeitsimple.com

- Ameya Pimpalgaonkar - L&T Infotech (Netweaver and MDM consultant) Today we are starting our new series similer to what we had earlier SAP ABAP Simplified series. This time the series is SAP MDM Simplified. We are trying to present the information to the fullest, however, sometimes loop holes do remains. Your support and comments drives us to present more targeted articles for you. Keep visiting MadeITsimple.com

What is MDM?

The MDM system is much more than a simple database application. Rather, it is an integrated system for master data management that uses a database management system (DBMS), but completely bypasses relational DB functions for almost all searching, Sorting, and retrieving of information.SAP Master Data Management (SAP MDM) enables master data on customers, partners and products to be consolidated and harmonized across the enterprise, making it available to all staff and business partners. A key component of SAP NetWeaver, SAP MDM ensures data integrity across all IT systems.

Why you need MDM?

Your company has a heterogeneous IT landscape with multiple systems containing data objects of say, material, customer, vendors, and employees. While communicating material inforamation to vendors and customers, confusions has ensured where the same material has been sent to the same vendor and customer many times. Now because of this, it has been very difficult for your organization to maintain centralized catalogue of products that are searchable by customers.

Further, poor data synchronization between your company’s system has resulted in slow and inaccurate partner and supplier communications. This time indeed you need Master Data Management to alleviate these problems.

MDM Components:

MDM Console:

Allows the system manager to administrate and monitor MDM srver software to create and maintain the structure of the repositories and control access to them. Records are not entered or managed through this.

MDM Datamanager:

It is a combined application where you can search and view data, as well as create new and maintain/edit existing data.

Portal:

It integrates the MDM components and enables web based MDM repository to work on.

Import Manager:

In order to load the data into the MDM system, you need is Import Manager.

Syndicator:

To send the purified, cleaned data back to the original system, MDM syndicator is used.

Rest of the features and components we will study in depth in the next article of this series. So while keep visiting MadeITsimple.com

About the Author

Ameya Pimpalgaonkar works as an SAP Consultant and is also the owner of http://www.madeitsimple.com, a simplifide rsource on CAT & GMAT, SAP-ERP, JAVA, Healthcare, Media, Economy & Finance and much more..

Integrate SAP MDM with Enterprise Portal in 10 minutes by Ameya Pimpalgaonkar

From the authors of http://www.madeitsimple.com

In this article i am trying to focus the integration of SAP MDM i.e. Master Data Management into SAP Portal landscape. You need to load the business package to the portal and configure the connections to the MDM repository and other backend systems. Each iView must be connected to a portal system object derived from the MDM system. An MDM portal system object always references a single, specific MDM repository.

So follwing are the precise setps that one need to perform to get MDM integrated into EP.

Process Flow:

The first thign you have to do is, get the SCA files from SAP market place. If you have S - user id then you can download these files easily, else ask your basis support team.

Following are the pre-requisite:

Pre-requiesites: MDM server : 5.5 SP3 required It is recommended not to change the repository port once configured.

Following are the SCA file names that one can download from SAP Market place. 1) BPMDMTECHN04_0.SCA - Wizards & iview coding required to define MDM repositories. 2) BPMDMAPPLI04_0.SCA - Predesigned roles, iviews, worksets 3) MDMJAVAAPI04_0.SCA Once you are done with the downloading these files, we will deploy them using SDM i.e. Software deployment Manager. Using this GUI one can deploy the components on the portal server. Access this GUI from your portal server by using this url usr’sap’<SID>’JC00’SDM’program’RemoteGui.bat

Import all the files in the same sequence as posted above. Follow the deployment wizard untill deployment succesfull message is displyed.

With this your deployment is finished and you can check if components are ther on your server by accessing portal index.html page. You can access index apge by useing this url http://<;host>:<port>/index.html -> System Information -> Look out for MDM deployed components.

Configurations:

As you have finished the deployment, there are few configuration needed to be set so that you can start using MDM components on Portal.

Lauch Go.bat i.e. Visual Administrator and logon using your administrator credentials.

Go to services -> Connection container -> MDM Factory

Select the Porperties Tab and set the server details and maximum allowed connection i.e. pooling properties.

Now Go to Services -> Monitoring, here you can see the up-to-date information on MDM deployed components. You can also see the errors in the deployments if any.

With this your MDM deployment on portal is completed. In the next article we will see portal side configurations to connect to MDM repositories.

You can see the screen shot document of this process in our forums thred

http://www.madeitsimple.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=18

Regards, Ameya

About the Author

Ameya Pimpalgaonkar is SAP Netweaver Consultant and also owner of http://www.madeitsimple.com - simplified contents on SAP-ERP, Technology, Healthcare, Media, Travel and more.

SAP - Netweaver SOA by Ameya Pimpalgaonkar

originally written by the authors of http://www.madeitsimple.com, SAP - Roadmap is now SOA!

SAP, world’s largest ERP manufacturers, have recently publish a road map and it says future is SOA, so what this SOA all about?

SOA - Service Oriented Architecture is an altogether new feature of SAP where SAP platform would be totally service oriented. All softwares would be converted to the webservices and launched onto the internet. With this no end user will be required to have full SAP implementation, this reduces TCO (Total cost of ownership) by more than 30% !!

For e.g an SAP tool would be developed and installed on developer’s server and developer company will convert this whole tool as a webservice, webservice is the service of a software that is consumed at a client side without actually installing it.

Now quest arises, where can i create SAP webservices?

In case of ABAP which is the programming language of SAP or rather i would say language this is getting a backstage entry with JAVA taking over. In ABAP you can create a webservice by converting your function modules into webservice. This will provide you with the WSDL URL, WSDL URL? what it is?

WSDL stands for Wevservice description language, and URL is the internet link with which the service of your software is consumed over the internet.

Now let me discuss what is Netweaver platform all about.

SAP, more specifically R/3 screens if anyone have seen, are very much technical and does not provide any user support that is why SAP came with some new tools where in developer can make use of web technoligies and languages like JAVA and .Net framework as well. With the invent of this platform, SAP started it’s journey towards openness.

SAP Netweaver is very large, or very vast landsacpe in which many components sit loosely coupled.

SAP MDM is also the newest member of this platform.

Netweaver development is done in the SAP provided tool named “NWDS - Netweaver developer studio�

Major coding languages are Javascript, HTML & CSS for styles, JAVA.

This tool provides perspective which is exclusively designed for JAVA , Enterpise portal ,MI (Mobile infrastructure), MDM.

one can use any of the provided prespective and code.

In the following articles i will discuss about FAQs asked on Netweaver platform. Further we will move towards understnding some of the Netweaver components like Enterprise portal, SAP MDM, Webdynpro, Visual composer and adobe flex.

Ameya Pimpalgaonkar Ameya Pimpalgaonkar is an SAP consultant and is the owner of http://www.madeitsimple.com - simplified resources on CAT, MBA, SAP, JAVA, Healthcare and much more..

About the Author

Ameya Pimpalgaonkar is an SAP consultant and is the owner of http://www.madeitsimple.com - simplified resources on CAT, MBA, SAP, JAVA, Healthcare and much more..

A general idea on SAP Master Data Management by Ronvictor

Working across Sap heterogeneous forums systems at multiple places, SAP Master Data Management leverages accessible IT assets in business-critical data, delivering greatly reduced data repairs charges and very useful for sap business jobs. Moreover, by ensuring cross-system data consistency, SAP Master Data Management speed ups the implementation of business processes for jobs. SAP MDM is a key enabler of SAP Enterprise Service-Oriented Architecture forums.

SAP is at present on its second iteration of MDM software. Facing restricted acceptance of its primary release, SAP changed path and in 2004 purchased a small vendor in the PIM space known as A2i. This code has happen to the basis for the presently shipping SAP MDM 5.5, and for itself, most analysts believe SAP MDM to be more of a PIM than a broad MDM product at this time.

The components & tools of SAP NetWeaver master data management integrates business courses across the comprehensive value chain, delivering features and functions to help: Master data consolidation, Synchronization and distribution of master data , Centralized management of master data, Administration of master data, Management of internal content, Catalog search, Print catalog customization , Multichannel syndication of product catalog content, Business process support and Business analytics and reporting.

There are five normal execution scenarios:

Content Consolidation, Central Master Data Management, Master Data Harmonization, Rich Product Content and Global Data Synchronization With the SAP (MDM), you can:

1. Control customer relationships efficiently through streamlined visibility across various systems 2. Simply allocate master data to assigned systems through automated distribute and subscribe models 3. Lessen the number of part masters maintained worldwide by removing duplicates 4. Analyze and statement on spending by part, supplier, or other master data 5. Negotiate superior sourcing contracts based on analytical insights 6. Lessen supply chain charges by ensuring exact exchange of data involving manufacturers and dispensers or dealers. SAP Master Data Management is the basis for harmonized, reliable information that can be offered to client applications across the enterprise. It offers you a great way to attain information steadiness across your business or jobs and IT landscape. It enables improved decision-making, translating chance charges into gains, and reducing the charge of IT maintenance. SAP Master Data Management allows you to go with information across myriad applications and topographies , whether that details resides in SAP, non-SAP, or legacy applications. Therefore, you can lessen costs, develop decision-making, and attain business goals on jobs. The sap news says that SAP (MDM) increases the sap jobs search and by training this sap certified course education module, it supports and gives more vacancies for permanent sap jobs for all developers or trainers worldwide.

About the Author

Ron Victor is a SEO copywriter for SAP jobs
He written many articles in various topics like SAP news,SAP Forums,SAP Articles For more information visit sap employment
Contact him at ron.seocopywriter@gmail.com