Business Partner integration in saP cPi

BY JALLAJ KUMAR

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR

 Business Partner Integration in SAP CPI
↪In SAP CPI (Cloud Platform Integration), a Business Partner (BP) refers to a
central master data object that represents any person, organization, or group of
persons/organizations with whom a company has a business interest. This concept
mainly comes from the SAP S/4HANA system but is integrated and relevant in SAP
CPI scenarios as well when dealing with data exchange.

In SAP CPI Context:

SAP CPI is used to integrate different systems (e.g., S/4HANA, SuccessFactors, Ariba,
Salesforce, etc.). So, Business Partner often appears when:

 You're transferring master data between systems.

 You're integrating S/4HANA with CRM or SRM.
 You need to sync customer/vendor data in a unified format (BP model).

Key Points about Business Partner:

Term Explanation

Defines how the BP interacts (e.g., Customer, Vendor, Contact

BP Role
Person).

BP Grouping Determines the number range and grouping of BPs.

BP Relationships Links BPs (like Contact person for a Customer).

BP Data CPI integrates and replicates BP data to/from S/4HANA or other

Replication systems.

Example Use Case in CPI:

You build an integration flow (iFlow) in CPI to:

 Fetch Business Partner data from S/4HANA.

 Transform it (if needed).
 Send it to Salesforce or another third-party CRM.

Technologies Involved:

 OData/REST APIs for BP extraction.

 XML/JSON data formats.
 XSLT or Groovy scripting for data mapping and transformation.
 Integration Flow (iFlow) in SAP CPI.

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR

 "Business Partner Integration with Customer and
Supplier using CVI in SAP S/4HANA"

CVI-Customer Vendor Integration

Explanation:

1. Central Data & Company Code Data:

 Central Data (e.g., names, addresses) belongs to the Business Partner.

 Company Code & Sales Area Data is linked to Customer and Supplier records.

2. CVI Complex Interface :

 Acts as the integration layer between the Business Partner model and legacy
Customer/Supplier models.
 Allows bi-directional data flow and synchronization.

3. BP APIs :

 Used to create/update Business Partner master data through integration tools like
SAP CPI.
 Data is saved into the system using these APIs.

4. Customer/Supplier Data Buffer:

 Temporarily stores data fetched using GET operations.

 Works with CVI to determine whether the record is for a Customer, Supplier, or both.

5. CVI Logic :

 Converts Business Partner data into Customer/Supplier formats or vice versa.

 Supports outbound and inbound flows to ensure synchronized master data.

6. Customer/Supplier APIs :

 Handle system interactions specific to customer or supplier roles.

 Final data is stored in respective master databases.

Summary in Context of SAP CPI:

↪When integrating systems (like S/4HANA with external CRMs or ERPs), SAP CPI
uses BP APIs and CVI logic to:

 Read/write Business Partner records.

 Automatically convert and sync to Customer/Supplier roles.
 Ensure data consistency across modules and external systems.

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR

 Related Topics:

 Business Partner Master Data in SAP

 CVI (Customer Vendor Integration)
 BP, Customer, and Supplier Synchronization
 SAP S/4HANA Master Data Model
 BP APIs in SAP
 Data Replication and Synchronization in SAP CPI

1. Business Partner Master Data in SAP

Business Partner (BP) is a central master data object in SAP S/4HANA that replaces
the older Customer (KNA1) and Vendor (LFA1) master records.

 A BP can have multiple roles like Customer, Supplier, or both.

 It contains central data (name, address), company code data, and sales area data.
 Using BP simplifies data management and enables a unified view across modules (FI,
MM, SD).

2. CVI (Customer Vendor Integration)

CVI is a framework in SAP S/4HANA that synchronizes the Business Partner with
traditional Customer and Supplier records.

 It ensures backward compatibility with older SAP systems and processes.

 Whenever you create or update a BP, CVI handles the creation/update of related
customer/vendor records.
 This is vital during system migration and integration.

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR

 Why important?
Legacy systems or modules may still use Customer/Vendor logic, so CVI keeps them
in sync with the modern BP model.

3. BP, Customer, and Supplier Synchronization

 Synchronization ensures that any update in the BP record is reflected in the Customer
or Supplier record, and vice versa.
 The CVI complex interface in the image shows how synchronization flows through
data buffers, conversion logic (CVI), and specific APIs.
 This is important in both inbound (data into SAP) and outbound (data from SAP)
processes, especially in SAP CPI integrations.

4. SAP S/4HANA Master Data Model

 S/4HANA adopts the Business Partner approach as a single point of truth for
business-related master data.
 It merges the once separate models (Customer/Vendor) into a consolidated Business
Partner Model.
 Simplifies integration, reduces redundancy, and improves data accuracy.

Example:
A company doing business with another company as both customer and vendor can now
manage it under one BP record with two roles.

5. BP APIs in SAP

 These are REST/OData/SOAP APIs provided by SAP to create, read, update, or

delete Business Partner data.
 Used in integration tools like SAP CPI to connect S/4HANA with other systems
(Salesforce, Ariba, etc.).
 Example: API_BUSINESS_PARTNER is commonly used.

Use in SAP CPI:

You create an iFlow in CPI → Call BP API → Pass BP data to external system or vice
versa.

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR

 6. Data Replication and Synchronization in SAP CPI

 SAP CPI facilitates real-time or batch-based data transfer between SAP S/4HANA
and external systems.
 CPI handles:
o API calls to BP/Customer/Supplier endpoints
o Data transformation (via Groovy, XSLT)
o Security (via OAuth, certificates)
 Ensures that Business Partner data is consistent across cloud and on-premise
landscapes.

Example Scenario:
Syncing Business Partner master data from S/4HANA to a third-party CRM through
CPI, ensuring customers see up-to-date contact and billing info.

Summary Table

Topic Purpose Tools/Components

Unified business entity in
BP Master Data BP Roles, Central Data
S/4HANA
Sync BP ↔
CVI CVI Logic, Mapping
Customer/Supplier
BP-Customer-
Data consistency CVI, Data Buffers
Supplier Sync
S/4HANA Data
Modern master data model BP approach
Model
Interact with BP
BP APIs OData/REST APIs
programmatically
Integration with external iFlows, Adapters,
CPI Replication
systems Scripts

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR

1. Benefits of Business Partner (BP) in SAP S/4HANA +
CPI Integration
Unified Master Data
– One BP record can serve both Customer and Vendor roles, simplifying data handling.

Centralized Management
– Central data (e.g., name, address, communication) maintained once and reused across roles.

Easier Integration with External Systems

– Through SAP CPI, BP data can be replicated/synchronized with third-party apps like
Salesforce, Ariba, SuccessFactors, etc.

Improved Data Accuracy

– Less redundancy due to the unified model; avoids conflicting or duplicated records.

Scalability
– Works across modules (FI, MM, SD, CRM), and supports future integrations.

Better Control via APIs

– SAP provides standard APIs (OData, REST) to access and manage BP data.

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR

 2. Synchronization in SAP BP & CPI
Synchronization Means: Keeping BP, Customer, and Vendor records in sync using CVI
(Customer Vendor Integration).

How It Works:

 When a BP is created/updated, CVI Logic ensures Customer/Supplier records are

also updated.
 iFlows in CPI use BP APIs to replicate data to/from other systems.

Tools/Tech Involved:

 CVI Logic
 BP APIs (API_BUSINESS_PARTNER)
 iFlows in SAP CPI
 Data Buffers for GET/POST data
 Security via OAuth or certificates

Example:

 Create BP in S/4HANA → CVI updates Customer/Supplier → SAP CPI sends data to

Salesforce CRM.

3. Desynchronization Issues (When Things Go Wrong)

Possible Causes:

 Incomplete mapping in CVI

 Failed API calls in CPI
 Data format mismatch (e.g., date/time, codes)
 Inconsistent BP Role assignment
 Manual data changes outside sync process

Risks of Desync:

 Customer/Supplier data becomes outdated

 Third-party systems display wrong details
 Business transactions fail due to missing master data
 Audit or compliance issues

How to Mitigate:

 Regular BP-Customer/Supplier consistency checks

 Use of Monitoring Tools in CPI
 Validations in iFlows or user exits
 Proper error logging and alerting

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR

 4. Key Features of Business Partner in SAP S/4HANA

Feature Description

Define functions like Customer (FLCU01), Supplier (FLVN01),

BP Roles
etc.

BP Groupings Define number ranges and logical grouping of BPs

BP Relationships Link entities like Contact Person to Customer

BP Central Data Shared name, address, email across roles

Company Code / Sales Area

Role-specific financial and logistics info
Data

Integration with CVI Auto convert BP to/from Customer or Supplier

Support for APIs Seamless access via API_BUSINESS_PARTNER and others

5. Characteristics of BP Integration in SAP CPI

Bidirectional Integration
– Both inbound (e.g., data from Salesforce) and outbound (e.g., data to Ariba) supported

Flexible Data Handling

– Groovy/XSLT scripting to map/transform data

Standardized API Layer

– Uses SAP-standard OData and REST APIs

Error Monitoring & Retry

– CPI offers built-in retry and error alerting

Security Handling
– Authentication using OAuth, Basic Auth, or Certificates

Asynchronous & Synchronous Flows

– iFlows support both real-time and batch data sync

6. Advantages of Using BP in Integration Scenarios

Efficiency – Reduces effort by consolidating multiple records into one.

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR

 Accuracy – Less prone to errors with unified, synchronized data.

Time-saving – Automated sync reduces manual entries and duplicate tasks.

Future-ready – Compatible with SAP’s vision of intelligent enterprises and modular

architecture.

Compliance – Easier to meet regulatory and audit requirements with structured master
data.

Business Continuity – Ensures consistent master data across systems for smoother
operations.

FOLLOW ON LINKEDIN/ JALLAJ KUMAR