Describing the SAP Integration Strategy

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to outline the SAP integration strategy to explain the integrated process flow across the SAP CX solutions

Terms and Solution Names

Before we deep dive into integrating SAP Sales and Service Cloud with SAP S/4HANA, let's clarify some terms and have a look at the bigger picture (SAP's integration strategy) in this lesson.

Solutions used in this course:

  • SAP Sales and Service Cloud is the nowadays commonly used name for SAP's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution with the former name SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C) which was split into SAP Sales Cloud and SAP Service Cloud solutions. It is part of the Customer Experience (CX) portfolio.
  • SAP Cloud Integration is the commonly used name for SAP's cloud-based integration platform that enables businesses to connect and integrate various applications and systems. The official name is Cloud Integration, capability of SAP Integration Suite or in short Cloud Integration.
  • SAP S/4HANA is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and the successor of SAP ERP/ECC. There are different offerings of SAP S/4HANA, as follows:
    • SAP S/4HANA without any additional suffix refers to the on-premise suite with SAP GUI access that offers the full flexibility known from SAP ERP/ECC.
    • SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition is similar to the on-premise suite, but hosted by SAP or certified partners on dedicated infrastructure. SAP GUI access is still available.
    • SAP S/4HANA Cloud or SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition is a fully cloud-based SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) solution that is hosted by SAP and can be entirely operated from the web browser. SAP GUI is not available anymore and configuration works differently in comparison to the on-premise suite and cloud private edition.

Note

This course focuses on Integrating with SAP S/4HANA on-premise, meaning either the full on-premise or the private cloud offering, and most of the tasks are carried out using SAP GUI. If you are running SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, only parts of this course apply. In this case, you should look for other resources like these other SAP Learning videos for Integrating SAP Sales and Service Cloud with SAP S/4HANA Cloud using SAP Cloud Integration:
  1. Introduction
  2. SAP S/4HANA Cloud Configuration
  3. SAP Cloud Integration Configuration Part 1
  4. SAP Cloud Integration Configuration Part 2
  5. SAP Sales and Service Cloud Configuration Part 1
  6. SAP Sales and Service Cloud Configuration Part 2
  7. Executing Material and Business Partner Replication
  8. Executing the Sales Quote Follow-Up Scenario

SAP Integration Strategy

As we can see from the namings of the solutions mentioned previously, the focus lies on the cloud. This is also reflected in the SAP Integration Strategy, which is visualized in the following graphic:

Diagram illustrates the Cloud ERP's role in enhancing business processes, integrating AI, and supporting industry-specific solutions.

SAP S/4HANA, as the Cloud ERP, serves as the core, forming the foundation for a range of ecosystem solutions. Among these solutions is the CX suite for customer relationship management, where SAP Sales Cloud and SAP Service Cloud are located. The SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) powers the integration between these solutions. Together, these solutions seamlessly collaborate to support the lead-to-cash process, which will be explored further in the upcoming lesson.

Integrated Process Flow – Lead to Cash

The lead-to-cash process refers to the end-to-end journey of converting a potential customer into a paying customer and managing the subsequent sales and revenue generation activities.

The following graphic shows the process in more detail with explanations:

Process diagram detailing sales stages from initial contact to cash collection, highlighting key actions and transitions.

Multiple SAP Customer Experience solutions are involved to streamline the various stages of the Lead to Cash process. They manage all aspects of the customer experience, from the initial interaction to order fulfillment and service delivery. Drive and realize revenue along the customer journey.​

Flowchart displaying stages and SAP Applications for attracting customers, managing sales, fulfilling orders, and collecting payments.

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