Learn how to set up and optimize SAP LeanIX - SAP Signavio integration with best practices for mapping and synchronization.
Introduction
This guide offers high-level guidance for integrating SAP LeanIX and SAP Signavio along with best practices in the context of RISE with SAP transformation. For a detailed guide to set up the integration between SAP LeanIX and SAP Signavio, see SAP Signavio Integration.
Step 1: Create a Technical User in SAP Signavio
First, create a technical user in SAP Signavio with an API license. SAP LeanIX uses this user to authenticate the connection with SAP Signavio. For a detailed guide, see Configuring the Integration.
- Set up the user in your environment. Ensure the user has a valid email address and uses your organization’s domain.
- Invite this technical user to your productive SAP Signavio workspace.
- Request an API license via a support case in https://help.sap.com/docs/link-disclaimer?site=https%3A%2F%2Fme.sap.com under component BPI-SIG-CA-API. Request the assignment of an API license to the technical user instead of the Enterprise Plus license. For more details, see https://help.sap.com/docs/signavio-process-manager/sap-signavio-process-manager-api/user-access-and-licensing?locale=en-US.
Step 2: Enter credentials in SAP LeanIX
Once the technical user has been created and the appropriate permissions and API access are in place, you can use these credentials to authenticate the connection from SAP LeanIX to SAP Signavio. For detailed instructions, see https://help.sap.com/docs/leanix/ea/configuring-integration?locale=en-US#setup-in-sap-leanix.
Step 3: Map Fact Sheets and Dictionary Items
Configure how processes from SAP Signavio should be mapped to SAP LeanIX. You can map the process hierarchy either bottom-up, top-down, or simply synchronize based on a specified list of SAP Signavio directories. By default, processes are synced to the business context fact sheets in SAP LeanIX, and the direction is always from SAP Signavio to SAP LeanIX. For a detailed guide, see Mapping SAP Signavio Processes to Fact Sheets.
Configure how applications, business capabilities, organizations, and other fact sheet types are mapped to corresponding SAP Signavio dictionary Items. This mapping is bidirectional; however, we recommend using SAP LeanIX as the source of truth. For a detailed guide, see Mapping Fact Sheets and Dictionary Items.
Hint
- To maintain consistent and meaningful data flow between SAP Signavio Process Manager and SAP LeanIX, import only published processes.
- For better control and clarity, select a specific folder in SAP Signavio for import rather than synchronizing the entire workspace.
Step 4: Map Dictionary Item Fields to the Fact Sheet Fields
Field mapping allows you to map dictionary item fields from SAP Signavio to corresponding fields in SAP LeanIX fact sheets. For detailed guides, see Mapping Process Attributes to Fact Sheet Attributes and Mapping Fact Sheets and Dictionary Items.
Set up the integration configuration by following the recommended best practice provided below.
Best Practice: Synchronizing Custom Attributes
To maximize the value of the SAP Signavio and SAP LeanIX integration, create and synchronize custom attributes when a default attribute in one system does not exist in the other, or define new custom attributes in both systems as needed. This enables you to synchronize key details, such as lifecycle phase, dates, related fact sheets, business criticality, subtype, subscriptions, and tags.
First, define custom attributes clearly and consistently in both tools, then ensure accurate field mapping in the integration setup.
To do in SAP Signavio Process Manager
- Go to Settings → Manage Notations / Attributes.
- Navigate to the process type or dictionary object, for example, IT System, where you want to add custom attributes.
- Configure your custom attributes as needed: add new ones or remove any that are no longer required. For a step-by-step guide, see https://help.sap.com/docs/signavio-process-modeler/workspace-admin-guide/custom-attributes?locale=en-US.
These attributes will be available for synchronization with SAP LeanIX when you configure the corresponding mapping in the integration settings.
Hint
Recommended data types for SAP Signavio custom attribute definition:
| SAP LeanIX Fields | SAP Signavio Data Type |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle phase (for example: active, phase out, end of life) | Single-line text |
| Lifecycle dates (for example: active from date) | Date |
| Related Fact Sheets (for example: related business capabilities for an application) | Multi-line text |
| Attributes (for example: business criticality) | Single-line text |
To do in SAP LeanIX:
You can create the corresponding fields in SAP LeanIX to support the synchronization of custom attributes from SAP Signavio. You can either create matching custom fields or make existing ones visible on the relevant fact sheets in the meta model configuration. For a detailed guide, see Meta Model Configuration.
Follow consistent naming and attribute types to avoid issues with mapping during integration.
To do in the integration settings:
In the SAP LeanIX and SAP Signavio integration configuration, map the corresponding fields using the field mapping setting. For a detailed guide, see Mapping Process Attributes to Fact Sheet Attributes and Mapping Fact Sheets and Dictionary Items.
For example, you can synchronize lifecycle phases from SAP LeanIX to corresponding custom attributes in SAP Signavio.
This ensures a unified, up-to-date view across both tools and enables synchronization of relevant attributes.
Best Practice: Aligning Processes and Applications to Organizational Structure
In transformation initiatives, it is critical to associate processes, applications, and projects with organizational structures such as domains, departments, business units, or legal entities. This ensures accountability, ownership, and alignment across both business and IT perspectives. It enables you to analyze transformation impacts, responsibilities, and gaps at the structural level.
To achieve this, you first define organizational attributes in both tools, then map them so that data is synchronized consistently.
To do in SAP Signavio:
Create a custom attribute on BPMN diagrams or process elements, such as Using Legal Entity or/and Owning Business Unit, depending on the insights you want.
To do in SAP LeanIX:
No setup required. By default, you already have business units and legal entity subtypes in meta model v4. If needed, you can create custom fact sheet subtypes under the organization fact sheet type.
To do in the integration settings:
Map the fact sheets and fields from SAP LeanIX to custom organization attributes of SAP Signavio. Ensure that naming and value formats are consistent for reliable synchronization.
Result:
Once integrated, organization unit information appears directly in SAP LeanIX fact sheets and the inventory. You can filter, group, and report on processes or applications by legal entity or business unit. This provides ownership clarity, domain-specific insights, and visibility into gaps or overlaps across your transformation landscape.
Best Practice: Synchronizing Processes, Value Streams, and Customer Journeys
By default, the processes from SAP Signavio are synced to the business context fact sheet type. We recommend that you map the process to fact sheet subtypes through field mapping settings in the integration setup.
There are two approaches, depending on whether processes in SAP Signavio are classified only as processes or also as value streams, customer journeys, and more.
Approach A - Single Classification
If SAP Signavio contains only processes, map them to the process fact sheet subtype in SAP LeanIX.
To do in SAP Signavio:
No setup required as long as there are only processes to be considered.
To do in SAP LeanIX:
No setup required. By default, you already have a process subtype fact sheet in the meta model v4.
To do in the integration settings:
- Navigate to the field mapping settings for the business context fact sheet.
- Choose Static Text for the mapping type.
- Select Subtype from the SAP LeanIX field dropdown.
- Select Process from the SAP Signavio dropdown.
Approach B - Multiple Classification
If you have multiple classifications in SAP Signavio, such as processes, value streams, or customer journeys, you can map them to the appropriate fact sheet subtype in SAP LeanIX. Do this only if they are configured at the attribute level in SAP Signavio.
To do in SAP Signavio:
Create a custom attribute named Subtype on diagrams and define selectable values, such as value stream and customer journey.
To do in SAP LeanIX:
No setup required. By default, you already have appropriate fact sheet subtypes in the meta model v4.
To do in the integration settings:
- Navigate to the field mapping settings for the business context fact sheet.
- Choose Simple for the mapping type.
- Select Subtype from the SAP LeanIX field dropdown.
- Select the custom attribute category from the SAP Signavio dropdown.
- In the Value Mappings settings, map the SAP LeanIX subtypes to the matching SAP Signavio custom dictionary category item.
Result:
The fact sheet subtype in SAP LeanIX is statically set to Process in approach A, and dynamically set in approach B, based on the process type. This allows you to filter, group, and analyze processes by subtype, giving you targeted views and better insight into your transformation scope.
Best Practice: Tagging of Processes in SAP LeanIX
To better classify and analyze processes across SAP Signavio and SAP LeanIX, you can synchronize custom categories from SAP Signavio into SAP LeanIX as tags. For example, you might track whether a process is As-Is or To-Be, and then use this tag to filter reports in SAP LeanIX.
To do in SAP Signavio:
First, create the category you want to synchronize:
- Define a custom dictionary category
- Go to Settings in SAP Signavio Process Manager.
- Select Define Notations / Attributes.
- Navigate to the Dictionary tab and add a new category, for example, Process Type.
- Define dictionary items in the new category
- Go to the Dictionary tab in SAP Signavio Process Manager.
- Configure your dictionary entries as needed: add new ones or remove any that are no longer required, such as As-Is or To-Be.
To do in SAP LeanIX:
In the Tagging settings, create a tag group, such as Process Type, and create matching tags for each category item from SAP Signavio. Keep the naming consistent with SAP Signavio for easier mapping. For a detailed guide on creating tags, see Tagging.
To do in the integration settings:
- Navigate to the field mapping settings for the business context fact sheet.
- Map the SAP LeanIX tag group to the custom dictionary category in SAP Signavio.
- In the Value Mappings settings, map each SAP LeanIX tag to the matching SAP Signavio custom dictionary category item.
Result:
Once synchronized, you can easily filter or group processes in SAP LeanIX by tags. By this, you can easily compare, for example, As-Is and To-Be processes in reports.
Lesson Summary:
- Establish a secure connection by creating a technical user in SAP Signavio with an API license and authenticating it in SAP LeanIX.
- Configure the mapping of fact sheets and dictionary items between SAP LeanIX and SAP Signavio to ensure consistent data synchronization.
- Synchronize custom attributes to capture key details like lifecycle phase, business criticality, and related fact sheets across both systems.
- Align processes and applications to organizational structures by mapping relevant attributes to ensure accountability and ownership.
- Classify and analyze processes by synchronizing custom categories from SAP Signavio into SAP LeanIX as tags for improved reporting and filtering.