From process-centric to data-driven: unlocking your SAP data with EDA
For decades, integrating with SAP has been a rite of passage for enterprise architects, a complex and often painful endeavor. As a foundational system of record for countless organizations, unlocking the data within SAP is critical, yet the path to doing so is littered with technical hurdles and constantly shifting standards.
But what if the biggest challenge isn't the technology itself, but the way we think about it?
In our latest Talking Event-Driven podcast, we spoke with Gustavo Estrada, CEO of Onibex and a veteran with over 20 years of experience in the SAP ecosystem. He shared his journey and provided a crucial insight: to truly succeed with event-driven SAP integration, you must shift your focus from the process to the data.
The labyrinth of SAP integration: a history of chasing technology
Anyone who has worked with SAP knows the story. The methods for getting data in and out have evolved continuously, creating a complex landscape for developers to navigate.
As Gustavo explained, the journey has been long:
- It started with RFCs (Remote Function Calls) and BAPIs, requiring custom Java or .NET code.
- Then came IDOCs, a classic but rigid method for data exchange.
- The introduction of a web application server brought SOAP web services, which took years for companies to fully adopt.
- With the HANA database came OData APIs, a move towards modern JSON-based integration, but with its own rapid version changes that could deprecate APIs mid-project.
- Now, we're seeing the introduction of GraphQL.
This constant churn forces teams into a perpetual "catch-up mode." The focus inevitably becomes mastering the latest technical mechanism, but this obsession with the how masks a deeper, more fundamental problem.
The core challenge: a process-centric mindset
The real difficulty in integrating with SAP isn't the technology, it's the culture and design philosophy behind it. SAP is, by its nature, process-centric, not data-centric.
For 50 years, SAP experts have been trained to think in terms of use cases and processes. When a new integration is required, the conversation starts with:
- "What is the specific business process we need to support?"
- "What functional requirement are we trying to fulfill?"
- "Which view or data source is needed for this specific task?"
The data is an afterthought, tailored to the immediate requirement. This approach has led to thousands of point-to-point integrations, but it has failed to create a library of reusable, well-understood data assets. Organizations know how to execute a sales order process, but they've rarely stopped to ask: "What, precisely, is a sales order data entity for our company? Where does it begin and end?"
This is the critical mindset shift required for EDA. Event-driven architecture puts data first, modeling it for multiple purposes. Not just for one operational task, but for analytics, machine learning, and future integrations you haven't even thought of yet.
Building a reusable data foundation
To bridge this gap, Gustavo advocates for creating a "data core", a structured, multi-layered approach to transforming raw system data into valuable, reusable assets. This involves:
- Raw Data: Events captured directly from the source system (SAP) based on business occurrences.
- Foundational Data Assets: This is where the raw data is cleaned, standardized, and modeled into atomic, canonical data entities (e.g., the definitive "Customer" model for your organization).
- Logical Data Assets: These are the consumable "data products" built from the foundational assets, tailored for specific use cases like an interface contract for Salesforce or a data feed for a Snowflake dashboard.
By focusing on building these foundational entities, you stop reinventing the wheel with every integration. You create a single source of truth that can be reused across the entire organization, dramatically increasing agility and consistency.
Conclusion: data strategy is the end game
In today's digital economy, agility is paramount. Companies that treat their data as a first-class citizen, the "digital natives",are the ones that can innovate faster, embrace AI, and outmaneuver the competition.
Implementing an event-driven architecture with SAP is more than just a technical project to connect two systems. It’s a strategic move to transform your organization into a truly data-driven company. It forces you to think critically about your data, establish clear governance, and build a foundation that will serve you for years to come.
Navigating the shift from a process-centric to a data-centric culture is a complex technical and organizational challenge. If you're looking for an expert partner to help you build this foundation, we're here to help.
