Complete Guide to Top SAP S/4HANA Integration Options

Add-on third-party SAP S/4HANA integration options improve and expand S/4HANA ERP to help you increase productivity. This article explains the benefits of SAP S/4HANA integration and lists and describes top SAP S/4HANA business software integrations. 

SAP S/4HANA: A Quick Overview

SAP S/4HANA is a high-end enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for large companies and their subsidiaries in various industries. It can be used as a manufacturing ERP. SAP S/4HANA can be deployed in the cloud (as the SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition), hosted as cloud-based on-premises, or hybrid using public cloud applications like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud and the S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition or Cloud Public Edition.

S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition is a managed private cloud for your specific multi-entity corporation. 

The SAP S/4HANA ERP system is built on the real-time SAP HANA in-memory database that enables fast processing and big data analytics to discover patterns and trends for decision-making with business intelligence. The SAP S/4HANA data model is a Virtual Data Model (VDM) that extracts data from underlying data tables for better access and user understanding.

SAP Fiori is the modern User Experience (UX) layer for SAP S/4HANA ERP and other SAP ERP products.

About SAP S/4HANA Integration

The SAP S/4HANA ERP system integration platform uses open architecture with APIs to connect add-on software from non-SAP third parties or SAP applications. SAP Integration Suite is an iPaaS (integrated platform as a service) enabling businesses to integrate SAP and third-party applications, services, data, and events for SAP S/4HANA cloud integration and on-premises systems. Middleware can be used as a connector tool.

With its Cloud Integration and API Management functionality, SAP Integration Suite uses endpoints for seamless integration flows and API connectors. Before implementing S/4HANA migration, your business should plan for data migration and data integration mapping. 

SAP provides online technical and business documentation for software developers and administrators integrating with SAP S/4HANA or SAP ERP. SAP S/4HANA ERP system integration uses open architecture with APIs to connect add-on software from non-SAP third parties or SAP applications. A SAP Idoc is a data container used in most SAP applications to transfer message information between two processes in the SAP system and other systems. 

SAP S/4HANA Modules

The SAP S/4HANA ERP system has a unified database with SAP modules for handling business processes, including:

• Financial Accounting
• Controlling
• Central finance (financial reporting and consolidation)
• Materials management
• Supply chain management
• Purchasing
• Production planning
• Quality management
• Sales and distribution
• Project system
• Human capital management (HCM)

Different from SAP S/4HANA, SAP ECC (SAP ERP Central Component) is an on-premises modular system that is one SAP ERP product offering. 

Benefits of Integrating with SAP S/4HANA

8 benefits of integrating apps with SAP S/4HANA include:

1. Expanded functionality: Add different types of software to increase the features available in SAP S/4HANA alone. 
2. Automation: Use AI-driven automation that uses machine learning to streamline business processes, digitize, and improve efficiency and financial controls. 
3. Cost savings: Reduce business costs with efficiency, timely early payment discounts, and reduced hiring needs. 
4. Reduce errors and fraud risks: Compared to manual processes, automation software with payee and supplier validation, automated payment rules, and discrepancies flagging will significantly reduce errors and fraud risks. 
5. Global payments improvement: Make global payments easier and control costs by centralizing payments, making better payment methods and currency conversion choices, and automating and hedging payables. Automate global regulatory compliance for payments. 
6. Enterprise-grade security availability: Reduce system integration risks by ensuring that third-party add-on software has enterprise-grade security. 
7. Unified system: Instead of siloed systems that limit organization-wide visibility and require duplicate manual data entry, use SAP S/4HANA integration to achieve a unified database accessible to permissioned users.
8. Modernizing legacy systems: Digital transformation through SAP S/4HANA integration ensures your business uses a modern system with the latest features, deployment, and automation. Your business won’t need to find programmers to write archaic legacy system code. 

Top SAP S/4HANA Integrations

Top SAP S/4HANA integration options include:

• Tipalti
• Salesforce 
• Shopify
• BigCommerce
• ServiceNow
• Concur

Tipalti

Tipalti-SAP S/4HANA integration uses advanced sync logic, enabling entity-specific sub-ledgers to have real-time syncing. Tipalti AP automation software will sync vendors, invoices, and payment data between Tipalti and your S/4HANA ERP.

Overview

Tipalti AP automation software is real-time cloud software with seamless SAP S/4HANA integration. The Tipalti AP automation ERP software integration digitizes and streamlines workflows to replace manual processes. 

The Tipalti AP automation SAP S/4HANA add-on provides multi-entity, AI-driven, end-to-end optimization for accounts payable process automation. Tipalti is a trustworthy licensed money services business (in the US, Canada, UK, and EU) that makes secure global business payments to suppliers and other payees.

Tipalti offers a unified set of finance automation products for SAP S/4HANA integration that includes:

• AP automation
• Mass payments 
• Procurement
• Expenses (for employee expense reimbursement)
• Tipalti Card
• Advanced FX products (for foreign exchange)
  • Multi-FX
  • FX Hedging

Features

Tipalti AP automation features include:

• Self-service supplier onboarding with a choice of 50+ payment methods
• Supplier validation and tax form collection before the first payment
• Multi-language (in 145 languages) invoice data capture by heading and line items with AI Smart Scan and auto-coding
• Multi-entity, with the ability to configure entity-specific workflows and have entity and consolidated spending and accounts payable views
• 3-way or 2-way PO matching with automated tolerance thresholds
• Automatic routing for approvals
• Automated global regulatory compliance
• Global payments to 196 countries in 120 currencies 
• Optional advanced FX software products
• Instant payment reconciliation
• Automated payment status visibility
• Real-time spend visibility
• Spend queries for business intelligence using TipaltiAIâ„ 
• Simple 1099 and 1042-S tax preparation reports
• Data security and audit trails
• Option to extend to Procurement

Optionally, Tipalti customers can purchase a SaaS subscription to partnered ZenWork Tax1099 software to e-file 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC reports using 12 calendar months of Tipalti payment data. 

Tipalti’s advanced FX products offer competitive foreign exchange rates, a centralized virtual payment account for global payments, and accounts payable hedging.

Pricing

Contact the Tipalti Sales department to request a demo and provide a customized quote for Tipalti’s unified cloud platform of finance automation software products with SAP S/4HANA integration. 

Salesforce

Salesforce is the leader in customer relationship management (CRM) software. SAP S/4HANA offers an optional CRM module, but users may prefer the third-party Salesforce software, which integrates with SAP S/4HANA. 

Overview

Your business can use pre-built connectors, customized code, or middleware for Salesforce-SAP S/4HANA integration. Mulesoft is a Salesforce company that provides the Anypoint Platform for software integration. Other third-party software companies offer integration packages. Consultants offer solutions. 

Salesforce products related to sales and marketing include:

• Sales CRM
• Service
• Marketing
• Commerce
• DataCloud
• Einstein I platform for AI predictions and content

Features

Features of the Salesforce CRM platform are:

• Documenting customer interactions, including contacts, leads, cases, activities, accounts, and opportunities
• Sales teams collaborate and manage their leads, opportunities, and sales pipeline
• Ability to review accounts and retain customers
• Real-time reports and dashboards
• Sales forecasts and AI-driven predictions

Pricing

Salesforce offers enterprise companies different SaaS pricing plans and products that integrate with SAP S/4HANA ERP. Consider contacting Salesforce for a custom quote. 

Shopify

For SAP S/4HANA ERP system integration with Shopify, consider using a third-party Shopify to SAP S/4HANA integration package or another integration solution like Mulesoft middleware. The integration package uses webhooks to sync data in real time. 

Overview

Shopify is an e-commerce solution for online businesses needing customized software tools to conduct business.

With Shopify and SAP S/4HANA integration, syncing is performed between the back office and the Shopify storefront in these areas:

• Products
• Inventory availability
• Sales orders
• Fulfillment
• Customers

Features

Shopify features include:

• Website building tools for online store creation
• Product listings and management
• Localized global selling
• Marketing tools 
• Inventory management, including multiple inventory locations
• Shipping and fulfillment tools and up to 88% shipping discount
• POS Lite for in-person selling

Pricing

Shopify offers different pricing plans for e-commerce businesses with in-person sales and customized pricing for large-volume merchants. Shopify charges payment card transaction fees. 

BigCommerce

Businesses using SAP S/4HANA can integrate the BigCommerce platform using middleware or other connector tools and consider using an integration services provider. The SAP S/4HANA integration syncs the storefront with back-office functions.

Overview

BigCommerce is an eCommerce platform for designing and managing online stores, attracting customers, generating sales orders, accepting customer payments, and fulfilling orders. 

Features

BigCommerce features include:

• Customized online store design and creation
• Product catalog management
• Third-party POS integration choice
• Sales orders, including Buy Now, Pickup in Store
• Inventory management
• Marketing campaigns, promotions, and customer behavior tracking
• SEO tools to optimize the online store in search engines to attract customers
• Customer payment method choices 
• Coupons and discounts
• Real-time shipping quotes
• Product ratings and reviews

Pricing

Big Commerce offers custom pricing for enterprise customers with $1 million+ in online revenue and SaaS pricing plans for businesses with lower revenue levels. It does not charge payment fees for transactions through its platform. 

ServiceNow

ServiceNow offers native SAP S/4HANA integration through the Integration Hub with pre-built connectors and spokes, but your business may choose a custom integration instead. 

Overview

ServiceNow is an intelligent cloud platform with AI agents that automates business workflows in areas including customer service, field service, workplace service delivery, human resources, and IT management. It is positioned above existing systems and data to perform digital transformation. The ServiceNow technology stack is called the Now Platform. 

Features

ServiceNow features include:

• AI agents
• Low-code and no-code tools
• Workflow automation
• Integration Hub
• Service Catalog
• Fieldwork management
• Workforce management
• Dashboards
• ServiceNow Experience U/I builder

Pricing

ServiceNow offers customized SaaS pricing through a sales quote based on the products selected, the number of users, complexity, industry, and geographic location. 

Concur

SAP Concur offers Concur Expense, Concur Invoice, and Concur Travel products as one integrated platform that connects with your ERP and third-party apps. 

Overview

Concur Expense is for employee expense reports. Concur Invoice is for accounts payable automation. Concur Travel is for business travel booking and management. 

Features

Concur Expense features include:

• Automatic receipts capture from photos with ExpenseIt
• Uses data from credit cards, booked travel, and e-receipts
• Compliance with company expense policies
• Exceptions reporting 
• Approval status tracking
• Dashboards and analytics
• Mobile app for automatically generated expense report submission and approval

Concur Invoice features are:

• Digital invoice capture by line item using OCR
• Different invoice coding methods
• Three-way match
• Mobile app for approvals with invoice image and details
• Unpaid invoices screen and invoice accrual list
• Connection to payment provider solutions
• Spend control visibility with dashboards and KPIs

Concur Travel features include:

• Online or mobile app business travel planning and booking 
• Filter airfares by airline, time, price, and sustainability
• Review hotels with images, price, and sustainability
• Book airfare, hotels, and car rentals
• Choose gas, electric, or hybrid car rentals
• Company compliance and built-in rates

Pricing

SAP Concur has custom pricing that depends on the Concur product, number of users, transaction volume, and other relevant factors. Concur Expenses can charge a per-expense report fee. 

How to Choose the Best SAP S/4HANA Integration for Your Business

Perform a software evaluation to select the best SAP S/4HANA integration. Research and review testimonials and customer case studies to determine which add-on software products would improve the ERP. Get demos and custom quotes for software that matches your business needs. 

Third-party software integrations like Tipalti provide seamless integration with SAP S/4HANA, multi-entity real-time functionality, automation efficiencies, global electronic payments, and cost reductions.

The best SAP S/4HANA integration options have a sandbox testing environment to use before going live, as you’ll find with Tipalti’s accounts payable automation/ERP integration.

Conclusion

Finance teams need more time to work on strategic projects that contribute to business results instead of routine, manual processes. Third-party integrations offering automation increase SAP S/4HANA’s capabilities. 

Tipalti AP automation software provides better real-time spend visibility to control costs and enable your business to take lucrative early payment discounts on time. The instant batch payment reconciliation feature can speed up your accounting close. Reducing fraud risks and invoice payment errors will save the business money. The scalable Tipalti software works for multi-entity business expansion in many geographic locations and may reduce hiring needs. Read the eBook to explore how to fill gaps in the last mile of ERP.