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| Case Study |
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Large audio manufacturer uses SAP XI to solve integration complexity |
By leveraging Patni's expertise in SAP Netweaver, a leader in the high-end audio products market simplified the complexity of its technology infrastructure by replacing multiple integration technologies with SAP XI
The Client
The client is one of the largest manufacturers of high-end audio products catering to a diverse number of industries.
The Challenge
Driven by the objective of enhancing customer satisfaction, the client consistently tried to raise the bar for its customer service levels. This required the client to have a seamless enterprise architecture for responding proactively to customer needs. While the client had SAP as its ERP backbone, peripheral systems like the Web-based order management application that interfaced with SAP were connected through third-party integration technologies. The order management application is triggered into action when a customer accesses the client's website to place orders. This
application subsequently passes the information in XML form to a VB based application which posts the order into the SAP system.
Interfacing the Web order application with SAP through third-party integration technologies meant that any enhancements to SAP or the Web Order Application had to be followed by testing and reconfiguring related systems. Further, data issues such as duplication of messages, message persistence in case of network breakdown, needed to be handled manually. To eliminate these concerns, the client wanted to:
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Standardize on the technology integration layer that would be used for connectivity between all systems |
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Eliminate the need for "point-to-point" connectivity between systems |
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Achieve a central monitoring of message flow, instead of having to monitor several systems. |
The Solution
As Patni had proven it's expertise in many projects for the client, it enjoyed a strategic relationship with the client. As an extension to this relationship, Patni was invited for helping the client resolve its integration challenges. Patni analyzed the existing architecture for scalability, ease of maintenance and cost of ownership. The analysis showed that the point-topoint architecture was not extensible as every change in related applications required subsequent efforts in developing interfaces. The need of the hour was a middleware solution that could help the client in decoupling of interfaces to specific applications and reduce system dependencies.
After evaluating different integration technologies, Patni concluded that in a SAP landscape, the SAP Exchange Infrastructure (SAP XI) offered the most compelling option for the client for reducing the time and cost of integration efforts. SAP XI was chosen as the middleware solution as it could help the client in reducing the level of manual monitoring and maintenance of custom built interfaces through standardized interfaces and automated data mapping facilities. Patni designed and configured the XI system to streamline the data transfer between the Web order application and the SAP R/3 system. The team from Patni also made a thorough analysis of the process flow, exceptions that could occur and the interfaces involved to create a design that was most suited to the client. This design ensured exceptions to be raised with appropriate mails sent to the respective application owners for reducing manual monitoring
Solution highlights include:
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Using the Business Process Management tool to handle exceptions in the process and raise appropriate alerts |
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Using Advanced Java functions within the Message Mapping tool, to facilitate simpler Map design. This provides ease of maintenance for any future enhancements
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Using Configuration Wizards to carry out configuration on the fly, thereby reducing the time to build the interfaces |
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Using the Runtime Work Bench (RWB) test tool to test various scenarios, avoiding the need to manually create test data. This also ensures ease of testing for all scenarios. |
The Technology
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ERP: SAP R/3 |
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Middleware: SAP XI |
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The Benefits
As SAP XI comes with pre-configured integration content, the client has gained significant benefits. Some of these benefits include:
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Reduced maintenance costs: As the client replaced multiple integration technologies with SAP XI, it gained immediate cost savings by reducing
associated maintenance costs. Additionally, the client gained the capability to utilize its manpower more effectively.
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Enhanced message monitoring functionality: As SAP XI provides auto handling of persistence of messages, it has enabled the client to monitor and restart failed messages. This has also eliminated the possibility of redundant/duplicate data into the system along with related efforts to identify the same. As all messaging is routed through one system, the client needs to monitor only SAP XI instead of having to monitor four systems: (Web Application system, XML parser application, VB based application) in the existing set up
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Enhanced flexibility: The ability to modify applications and add new functionalities without impacting other systems and businesses gave the client tremendous flexibility in reacting to dynamic changes in the market.
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