- SAP Managed Tags:
Objective
This post is for everyone who considers integrating with the Ariba Network using SAP ECC 6.0 (non S/4HANA). It should help to find a smooth start and to avoid some major obstacles and give some guidance to beginners.
What to consider?
ERP Integration Suite Add-on vs. SAP Cloud Integration Gateway (CIG)?
Be aware that current announce end of mainstream maintenance for the Ariba Integration Suite 1.0 is 31.12.2019. Please check SAP PAM for most up to date information.
SAP announced in the open sap course (see resources) that the Cloud Integration Gateway (CIG) will replace the Integration Suite Add-on (Week 3 - Unit 3: Setting Up Cloud Integration - 00:05:23).
"CIG will replace the Business Suite add-on completely going forward, following the same logic as outlined before: Everything packaged in CIG – upgrades, bugfixes, innovations delivered in the cloud by SAP and SAP Ariba – and of course monitoring is provided by CIG." (by Rolf Weiland)
At the time of the creation of the blog, there is only very few information on the CIG available. The help page exists already but does not contain any information yet. On ariba.com you find a little presentation on CIG for Buyers.
Update (03/16/2018): Ariba Cloud Integration Help Page
What's the right choice?
This question came up my mind and the answer is not easy, I think. Moreover, it could only be a subjective one. From my point of view, the "old" ERP Add-on is missing some essential features (e.g. no tax on item level, no sold-to party in the invoice, etc. These features have to be implemented by every customer itself). As the end of maintenance is already announced and it is in less than 2 years, it is questionable if SAP will develop any further improvements (or even make corrections, not just workarounds).
On the other hand, there is not (yet) much information on the CIG available. Moreover, it does not yet support cXML (at least that is what I was told). But this solution seems to be much closer to what SAP is doing in S4/HANA regarding Ariba Integration.
So, if I had to make the choice again, I would wait a little more to what the future will bring.
Also see: Presentation Integrating SAP Ariba Cloud Solutions with SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA that can be downloaded via this link!
Update 11-12-2018: SAP released a roadmap note regarding Ariba
Error handling - FEH or AIF?
First of all, I recommend you to check these to blogs, as they helped me to get into this topic.
As SAP AIF is another add-on I checked availability on SAP PAM first. End of maintenance support is currently announced for 31.12.2020 so this would fit with the Ariba add-on. Nevertheless, it is one more add-on to care about when "converting" to S/4HANA.
Update 04-26-18: SAP told us that AIF is a strategic product and that it will also stay strategic with S4/HANA. It is also used for example for the RTIR Solution in HU which consists of AIF and eDocument-Service (a cloud solution).
Resources
- SCN --> check blogs by joe.dutra (wrote 10+ blogs, especially from buyer point of view) and vijay.vital ... and last but not least my other blogs on Ariba!
- SAP --> e.g. SAP help for Ariba Integration Suite and first information on CIG for example at ARIBA CLOUD INT SAP ERP 1.0 ( go to SAP Software Download Center - By category - SAP CLOUD SOLUTIONS - ARIBA CLOUD INT SAP ERP and click on "Info" tab...as there is the only information available at the time of the creation of this post)
- DSAG (German equivalent of US ASUG) user meetings or Ariba Live (next up in Las Vegas)
- Procurement Transformation with SAP Ariba and SAP S/4HANA on open.sap.com This course will be held again, soon!
- SAP Ariba Live Highlights Amsterdam
Known Bugs / Limitations
- If you receive a 406 http error message "not accepted" when trying to send documents, this is most likely due to fact that flag "Optimized XML transfer" is set in OADP_OUT. Deactivate optimization and this should be fixed.
- If you receive a 400 http error message saying some like this:
When sending an OrderConfirmation this is most like due to "known limitation". Here is what SAP support says:
"The issue is related to inconsistent Timestamp sent out to ariba
network. Since there is a difference of timestamp between purchase
order and sales order, in the other word, the buyer and seller. This
is a known function limitation in SAP. Unfortunately, we don't have a
standard solution to resolve this issue as of now. It means that the
timestamp is not stored anywhere in the inbounding process at seller's
side.
However, there is a workaround for this issue. This workaround is also
implemented by other SAP customer previously. Since ariba network does
not check the existence of order date field, meaning that it accepts a
empty value of order data. In your customized code, please set the
order date to " ".
[...]
According to our BNS-ARI-TRF colleague, the orderDate attribute of the
OrderReference element is optional. If skipping theorderDate by not
filling it with value works, this can be a potential standard solution.
Please understand this is a known limitation, and we apologize for any
inconvenience caused by this limitation."
Update (02-22-2018): Pilot note by SAP released 2605010 - Ariba OrderConfirmation Error
- If you receive message 011 ARBERP_MAP_SD for an incoming (sales) order, this could be due to the fact that you set a delivery block for sales orders created by Ariba in customizing AND the system wants to create a delivery directly when saving the order (this could be set up in customizing (flag V_TVAK-LISOF in customizing of sales order types) or be done in an userexit). In this case, the Ariba Add-on does not recognize that a sales order was created. See class CL_ARBERP_BUS2032_ORDR_IN method call_application_interface.
if lt_return is not initial.
*
field-symbols <fs_bapi_message> type bapiret2.
loop at lt_return assigning <fs_bapi_message>.
move-corresponding <fs_bapi_message> to ls_arbfnd_bapiret2_msg.
if <fs_bapi_message>-number eq lc_so_number_provided.
ls_order_number-object_key = <fs_bapi_message>-message_v2.
append ls_order_number to et_object_key_int.
endif.
The system uses message V1 311 (&1 &2 has been saved) to recognize if a sales order was created or not. But in this case, message V1 261 (&1 &2 has been saved (no delivery created)) would be issued for example.
Update: 03/09/2018: SAP provides a solution for this issue with note 2615860! - Another (in my point major) limitation is that the add-on does not support Tax on item level! This has to be programmed by the customer, also this is a normal and very common request in the European region. I am already writing a blog (with coding examples) on this...stay tuned or contact me via message!
- In our version, there is a missing entry for outbound text mapping. Therefore we were not able to maintain text mapping for order confirmation (outbound). Check table ARBERP_I_DFTXT for cXML message type CONF and direction OUT. I copied the corresponding entries for IN direction. --> Define Text Mapping for Outbound Messages (SPRO)
- If you receive a 400 http error message saying some like this for outbound delivery:
# Error:Line number 30 is invalid Please contact support with the
Error Reference Number: ANERR-30000000000000001206801546 for more
details#
--> Check note 2645931 - The item number sent out by shipping notification does not match with buyer purchase item ...
We already created in Incident with SAP Support, to change the validity of the note also to lower Ariba releases.
- Also, consider note 2646615 - Incorrect tax code determination in SD Outbound Invoice
- And note 2620934 - ShipFrom / ShipTo Not Sent in Outbound Invoice cXML
Lesson learned
- Choose your pilot customer/supplier carefully and try to find one who is using an up to date version of Ariba (and the corresponding cXML version). The benefit is, that the provided cXML documents should meet the current cXML specs and there shouldn't be many extrinsic fields for elements which weren't included in former cXML specs but now are included.
- Don't hesitate to use the Community for best practices, information and if problems occur. If this does not solve your issue, an incident with SAP support needs to be created.
I hope this blog was helpful for you. Please feel free to ask questions. Moreover, I invite you to share your opinion and solutions!
Best regards,
Mark
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