SAP CRM Architecture Overview

Feb 6, 2009 Collective Elite

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Executive Summary

The presentation provides a brief overview of SAP CRM technology required

to fulfill the requirements for a CRM implementation. The standard CRM

framework approaches provides the flexibility and extensibility to fit the specific

business process and business scenarios for every implementation.

The design concept and the implementation summary for the frameworks,

including data modeling, data synchronization, business object, business

transaction, business process and web-based user interface, are discussed.

In additions, based on the referenced implementations, solutions to centrally

control the complex business logics and integrate the various devices into

SAP are described for further brainstorming.

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Content

1. Overview

2. SAP CRM Frameworks

Data Modeling

Data Synchronization

Business Object

Business Transaction

Business Process

Web-based User Interface

3. Solutions for

Complex Business Logic

Flexible Device Integration

4. Discussion

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Overview

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Overview – SAP CRM

CRM supports you with conversion of your

service strategy

End-to-end, Industry Specialized Process

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Overview – SAP CRM Service

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Overview – SAP CRM Landscape

Firewall *Optional Component

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Overview – SAP CRM Web UI Architecture

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Overview - Summary

• SAP CRM’s architecture is a framework-based design to provide the flexibility and

extensibility from the data modeling layer to the user interface layer.

• SAP CRM uses various frameworks to provide the interactions and

communications among different business applications within CRM or between

CRM and external systems.

• SAP CRM Web UI requires data binding among the business logic and the data

modeling, and the visualization, known as MVC (Model-View-Controller).

• SAP CRM is a SAP system providing web-based UI with a consistent user-oriented

design for both look-and-feel and navigation.

• SAP CRM uses BI as its standard reporting tool.

• Enhancement and development in SAP CRM require strong object oriented

backgrounds in both Abap stack and Java stack.

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SAP CRM Framework - Data Modeling

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Data Modeling – Requirement

• Need a single entry point for data model extension. That means, the extension of

data model by adding new fields can be automatically populated into the related

data tables, business logic, user interface, and the integration points to the external

systems, e.g., BAPI, Middleware, BI, search engine.

• Need to consistently adjust the data model extension for the data bindings from

database tables to user interfaces, and among various business applications.

• Need to automatically adjust the extended data models for different types of CRM

user interface technology, e.g., SAP GUI, BSP, PC UI, ICWinClient, ICWebClient,

and Web UI with minimal development efforts.

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Data Modeling – EEW Concept

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Data Modeling – EEW Structure

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Data Modeling – Implementation

• Custom specific data model can be extended to all related master data and the

transaction data in SAP CRM.

• The extended data model will be automatically adjusted for other dependent

structures and database tables.

• The extended data model can be accessible and configurable from the visual

design tools of CRM’s Web UI.

• Development is required to handle the data access, query, persistency, and validity

check at the Business Object Layer.

• Some developments may be required to consistently handle the enhancement to

other integration components, e.g., middleware.

• Changes into EEW should be controlled by a selected senior expert to avoid

system failures or transport issues.

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SAP CRM Framework – Data Synchronization

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Data Synchronization – Requirement

• Need to support initial data load from ECC or other external systems.

• Need to support bi-directional or one-directional data synchronization for the delta

changes.

• Need to support different technologies for data synchronization between CRM and

other external systems.

• Need to assure the data consistent and the data integrity between CRM and ECC

for the extension of data models.

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Data Synchronization – Middleware

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Data Synchronization – Communication Methods

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Data Synchronization – CRM Offline Scenario

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Data Synchronization – Implementation

• The middleware is the SAP standard solution to handle the delta changes for

master data and transaction data between ECC and CRM.

• Middleware provides functionality for object management, administration,

monitoring, and recovery.

• Other technologies can also be used for the initial load and the delta

synchronization depending on considerations for the sync frequency, the data

volume, the security considerations, the existing 3rd party tools and the

implementation efforts.

• For offline scenarios (Internet not accessible), the Interactive Form and the mobile

solution can be used to manage the offline scenario and synchronize with server

when connected to Internet.

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SAP CRM Framework - Business Object

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Business Object – Requirement

• Need a representation of business content for the visual presentation .

• Needs the flexibility to model objects and relationships among them.

• Needs to decouple business objects from the database layer to increase the

reusability of the business objects.

• Need a design tool to configure and model the business object easily.

• Need a tool and a framework for data binding into the database tables and the

layout binding to the presentation layer.

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Business Object – Concept

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Business Object – Data Binding

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Business Object – Implementation

• CRM Web UI requires data represented in the form of a business object defined

within Business Object Layer (BOL).

• The business objects and their relationships follow the concept of Entity-

Relationship (ER) diagram. Each entity is then represented by a structure.

• Every entity, fields, and relationships have unique identifier to locate the object

within Web UI framework.

• Navigation from one object to another should be modeled in BOL.

• Development is required for the data binding if the data model is extended.

• Development efforts are higher for non-standard BO due to the complexity to work

with BOL, Genial, and the advanced custom container and controller.

• Depending on the use cases and requirements, it is possible to adapt generic BSP

applications into Web UI framework.

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SAP CRM Framework - Business Transaction

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Business Transaction – Requirement

• Need to provide a smooth and simple process for one business transaction to

convert into another business transaction with minimal implementation efforts.

• Need to provide a configurable business transaction environment that can to fit in

various customer specific business scenarios with minimal implementation efforts.

• Need to have the same services available and shared for all types of business

transactions, including those created during an implementation.

• Need to provide the central integration and data synchronization services between

CRM and other external systems to assure the data consistency.

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Business Transaction – Concept

Example

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Business Transaction – One-Order Framework

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Business Transaction – Implementation

• One-order framework is the functional and technical foundation for majority of SAP

CRM’s business transaction data.

• The framework provides consistent maintenance UI, business logic, Application

Programming Interface (API), performance improved index, and basic services

such as partner determination, organization determination, status determination,

date determination, text determination, output determination, attachment service,

archiving, and integration to various engines, e.g., IPC, tax engine, billing engine,

search engine, etc.

• The framework provides central services for transition from one transaction type to

another one, such as copy control and document flow to establish the complete life

cycle of a business scenarios cross different transaction types.

• The One-order framework provides various BAdI for enhancements.

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SAP CRM Framework - Business Process

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Business Process – Requirement

• Need to provide the interaction and communication cross different business

transactions and different business objects.

• Need to have generic tools to customize and define the interactions and

communications under various conditions, e.g., change status/date, provide alert,

email information, etc.

• The triggering mechanism must be sufficiently flexible for different triggering

conditions, including the supports for both manual and automatic processing.

• Business rules may be required to have more complex access control that are not

supported by Authorization, e.g., channel management.

• Access control must be consistent among standard Authorization, additional

business rules and search engines.

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Business Process – Concept

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Business Process – Implementation

• SAP CRM has provided tools for the business process control at different levels.

Workflows for approval based inter-process communication,

Actions for automatically or manually triggered the subsequent processes, and

Events for automatically triggered the subsequence processes for transaction

data based on one-order framework.

• SAP Access Control Engine provides a development framework to control the

transaction access based on custom specific business rules.

• SAP Search Engine TREX can manage the information security to synchronize the

access control with CRM server.

• SAP Web Service can be used as a separate business process integration approach

to other SAP or non-SAP applications using standard http or web service.

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SAP CRM Framework - Web-based User Interface

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Web UI Framework – Requirement

• Need for a consistent look-and-feel and navigation patterns that can be learned by

any user intuitively with minimal training.

• Need a visual tool that can simplify the layout design for UI contents and navigation

behaviors.

• Need to decouple presentation layer, business logic layer and data model layers to

improve the reusability of CRM functionality, hence, more flexible and configurable

UI.

• Need to allow views of multiple business transactions or business objects on the

same screen.

• Need to provide web-based UI to allow access from any internet enabled machine.

• Need to improve personalization capability to improve the usability.

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Web UI Framework – Layered Design

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Web UI Framework – Development Process

Requirement Tool Software Development

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Web UI Framework – Design Pattern

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Web UI Framework – View Concept

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Web UI Framework – Model Concept

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Web UI Framework – Controller Concept

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Web UI Framework – Implementation

• Web UI provides a visual tool to control the layout content for different roles of

users.

• Web UI provides tools to access existing Business Objects through configuration.

• Navigation and interaction among various UI components can be configured and

enhanced within the Web UI framework.

• Business roles can be define and configured to control the visibility and

accessibility of different CRM functionality.

• The data binding among the model, the view and the controller requires a

consistent design and creation of the Business Objects.

• More personalization functionality is available including drag-and-drop capability for

various views.

• Views and view sets are reusable components for UI layouts.

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Solution for Complex Business Logic

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Complex Business Logic – Requirement

• Complex business rules are identified on the following areas

Complex configuration and pricing rules,

Complex dispatching/routing rules for field technician,

Complex financial rules for asset valuation, rental/lease calculation, and

Complex calculation rules for equipment survey and cost analysis.

• Hard coded approach can be used if the business logic do not change over time.

There is no easy-to-use tool in CRM that can allow modifications of complex

business logic on a daily or weekly base.

• Most complex business logics are managed by business users. Currently, there is

no standard UI tool to model and control any complex business logic easily.

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Complex Business Logic – Design

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Complex Business Logic – Implementation

• For a business process where the SAP tool is available, the business logic should

be modeled using the tool, e.g., content/rule based routing in Email Response

Management System, or IPC.

• For a business process where the business logic do not change over time,

enhancement through hard codes can reduce the implementation efforts.

• For a business process where the business logic changes frequently, the approach

proposed here may be considered.

• The referencee implementations of the solution have go-live for

TMHU (Toyota Material Handling Unit) in US for complex asset valuation and

financial rules for leasing, and

LeasePlan in Australia for complex contract restrictions, input validation

checks and financial rules.

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Solution for Flexible Device Integration

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Flexible Device Integration – Requirement

• Need to support a large variety of external integration points among SAP systems,

non-SAP systems and devices.

• Need to continuously support the integration for existing devices and systems, and

the future ones.

• Need to support inbound and outbound processes.

• Need to support push and pull mechanisms.

• Need to support additional business logic to trigger subsequence processes inside

SAP (inbound), or cross multiple devices/systems (outbound).

• Need to support easy integration of future SAP enhancements and new

functionality.

• Need to consider performance issues.

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Flexible Device Integration – Design

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Flexible Device Integration – Implementation

• Using the approaches of the integration hub and the plug-in frameworks to

integrate multiple devices, multiple systems, and multiple functionality inside a SAP

system.

• Using SAP BAdI to design the plug-in framework can minimize the integration

efforts by plug-in once, reusable continuously.

• The idea is to reduce the integration points from NxM into N+M, where N is the

total integrated devices and M is the total integrated functionality.

• The stability can be maintained with minimal implementation efforts no matter how

many new devices or functionality are plugged in.

• The decision control can provide the code-free process control among the N+M

components.

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Discussion

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Discussion - Effort Estimation

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END

Discussion - Q&A