Anaplan integration with SAP: A Must Have!

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Sanya GuptaMarketing Consultant
Data Alchemy can give decision making the golden touch.

26-September-2023

Financial Analytics
Anaplan
EPM

Table of Content

Need of Synergy: Anaplan and SAP Integration
Integrating Anaplan with NetWeaver-based SAP Solutions: A Technical Insight.
Integrating Anaplan with SaaS-based SAP Solutions: A Technical Insight.
Polestar Anaplan Connector: Wormhole
What sets Polestar’s Wormhole Apart
Wrapping Up

If you are reading this blog, the chances are that your organization uses SAP and either already uses Anaplan or is evaluating Anaplan and you want to know how to integrate the two platforms.

We know that you’re convinced with the foundation of Anaplan & are interested in exploring how businesses can seamlessly incorporate it alongside SAP.

In this article, we'll dive deep into the realm of Anaplan-SAP integration, uncovering its need, benefits, methods, and potential to transform your business operations.

Need of Synergy: Anaplan and SAP Integration

When SAP, a powerhouse in enterprise resource planning, joins forces with Anaplan, a leading connected planning platform, the potential for business transformation is unparalleled. This integration bridges the gap between strategic planning and operational execution, paving the way for informed decision-making and streamlined processes.

Employing Anaplan for strategic planning, and performance analysis, and employing SAP for plan execution. This alignment demands close this integration, and fortunately, there are proven pathways with effective integration solutions available for this purpose.

Here are some pointers justifying the need: -

Anaplan, a planning software, relies heavily on ERP platforms like SAP for its full functionality. Without an ERP foundation, Anaplan lacks access to essential transactional, financial, and operational data, limiting its ability to perform effective planning and analysis. In short, Anaplan can't reach its potential without the data provided by ERP systems like SAP.

SAP typically covers a wide range of business domains, from procurement to HR to finance. Anaplan's strength lies in advanced planning and analytics.

SAP can be used for budget planning and decision-making, while Anaplan can handle budget control, forecasting, and scenario analysis. Integrating the two allows for a seamless flow of financial data between systems, ensuring accurate and real-time budget tracking.

SAP commonly serves as the financial cornerstone of enterprises, managing critical financial operations, accounting, and regulatory compliance. Anaplan complements this foundation by offering advanced features such as forecasting, modelling, and scenario analysis. When combined, they facilitate holistic financial planning and analysis, preserving financial accuracy and integrity.

As we delve into the technical nuances, you'll uncover how this evolution empowers businesses in an interconnected world.

Discover options for integrating Anaplan with:

NetWeaver-based SAP Solution
SaaS-based SAP solution.

Integrating Anaplan with NetWeaver-based SAP Solutions: A Technical Insight.

Combining Anaplan and NetWeaver-driven SAP solutions demands strategic alignment.

NetWeaver, residing on servers within organizations or through cloud giants like GCP, AWS, or Azure, is always encircled by firewalls.

While NetWeaver stores data in databases, accessing direct databases isn't advised. Instead, the optimal route is accessing SAP data via NetWeaver's application layer, facilitated by Remote Function Calls (RFCs) or Business Application Programming Interfaces (BAPIs).

In essence, integrating Anaplan with NetWeaver-based SAP solutions requires more than links; it establishes a secure, systematic path for data exchange. By navigating NetWeaver's application layer, data integrity and security stay intact, exemplifying seamless integration.

As we explore further, you'll grasp the technical intricacies driving this convergence.

Option	Description	Pros	Challenges
Anaplan Connect	Anaplan Connect is a command line-item interface tool that you install on a Linux or Windows server inside the firewall. Anaplan Connect can either extract data from the underlying database using JDBC or simply pick up a file that has been exported from SAP onto the file system. It then calls the Anaplan API to pass the file to Anaplan and call an import action.	Anaplan Connect is included with your Anaplan subscription	No scheduling functionality is included with the tool making seamless process orchestration with graceful error handling complex to achieve. It is not best practice to access SAP data directly from the database making the JDBC approach undesirable. The alternative of using an export file then decouples the process of exporting from SAP and the process of importing into Anaplan. Anaplan Connect must be hosted on a Windows or Linux server
Cloud ETL Tool	There are various cloud-based integration tools such as Informatica/ Anaplan HyperConnect, Dell Boomi, Snap Logic, and Mulesoft.	Standard connectors for both SAP and Anaplan available with some tools Sophisticated process orchestration/scheduling	Cloud ETL tools represent an additional cost, both in terms of the licence/subscription, but also in terms of the additional skill set needed to implement and support integration solutions on an ongoing basis. To access SAP data in an on-premises scenario these tools typically rely on software being installed on a server inside the corporate firewall. In some cases, this software is controlled from outside the firewall, a situation that some organisations are uncomfortable with from a data security perspective.
SAP PI or CPI	SAP PI or CPI SAP PI and CPI are SAP's ETL tools.	Being SAP tools, SAP PI and CPI have comprehensive SAP connectors making extracting data from SAP relatively straightforward. Sophisticated process orchestration/ scheduling	No standard Anaplan connector so calls to the Anaplan API must be configured. This is complex technically, leading to high implementation and ongoing support costs.
Anaplan Cloudworks	Cloudworks provides native integration with AWS S3, GCP Big Query and Azure Blob file storage. Files can be imported or exported from Anaplan.	Integration between the hyperscaler platform and Anaplan is simple to set up and maintain. If the organisation has a datalake strategy based on a hyperscaler platform and already has their SAP data stored there, this solution can leverage that data strategy.	Whilst moving data between Anaplan and the hyperscaler cloud storage is simple, getting data from an on-premise SAP solution into those storage destinations is less straightforward. Scheduling in Cloudworks is simple to set up but not able to control up- or downstream processes in the hyperscaler platform. This means that scheduling/orchestration typically needs to be controlled in the hyperscaler platform which can be technically complex.

Figure - options for integrating Anaplan with on-premises NetWeaver-based SAP solutions

Integrating Anaplan with SaaS-based SAP Solutions: A Technical Insight.

Based on the specific SAP SaaS product in consideration, there could be an opportunity for integration with Anaplan through a publicly accessible API. The provided table illustrates SAP offerings with extensively documented APIs open for utilization by external applications.

Option	Description	Pros	Challenges
Cloud ETL Tool	There are various cloud-based integration tools such as Informatica/ Anaplan HyperConnect, Dell Boomi, Snap Logic and Mulesoft.	Standard connectors for Anaplan available with some tools On a case-by-case basis those tools may have standard connectors with the SAP SaaS product in question as well Sophisticated process orchestration/scheduling	Cloud ETL tools represent an additional cost, both in terms of the licence/subscription, but also in terms of the additional skill set needed to implement and support integration solutions on an ongoing basis.
SAP CPI	SAP CPI is SAP's cloud based ETL tool	Being an SAP tool, SAP CPI has excellent connectivity with many SAP products making extracting data from SAP relatively straightforward. Sophisticated process orchestration/scheduling.	No standard Anaplan connector so calls to the Anaplan API must be configured. This is complex technically, leading to high implementation and ongoing support costs.
Hyperscaler + Anaplan Cloudworks	Cloudworks provides native integration with AWS S3, GCP Big Query and Azure Blob file storage. Files can be imported or exported from Anaplan.	Integration between the hyperscaler platform and Anaplan is simple to set up and maintain. If the organisation has a datalake strategy based on a hyperscaler platform and already has their SAP data stored there, this solution can leverage that data strategy.	Whilst moving data between Anaplan and the hyperscaler cloud storage is simple, getting data from the SaaS SAP solution into those storage destinations is less straightforward. In some cases, the hyperscaler may provide native connections to the products in question (e.g., Azure Data Factory provides connectors to several SAP products). Scheduling in Cloudworks is simple to set up but not able to control up- or down-stream processes in the hyperscaler platform. This means that scheduling/ orchestration typically needs to be controlled in the hyperscaler platform which can be technically complex.
Code-based solution	Most programming languages (e.g., Python, Java) can support the consumption of APIs. A programmatic approach involves calling SAP APIs to export data and calling the Anaplan APIs to import that data, and vice versa.	This approach provides the most control over the way that the integration works. This approach is most suitable for companies who are already using this approach to other integrations and already have a team of skilled engineers who are proficient in the development of API-based integrations.	This approach is the most labour- and skills-intensive approach. The cost of implementation and ongoing support is likely to be highest when taking this approach. The code needs to be hosted somewhere, typically on a server.

Figure - Options for integrating Anaplan with SAP's SaaS products.

Polestar Anaplan Connector: Wormhole

As previously spoken about the power of Anaplan integrations with APIs, we’re taking it to the next level with our Polestar Anaplan wormhole. 'Wormhole' is a modern Anaplan connector for bi-directional data flow across 90+ systems.

Polestar enabled integration within just six simple steps. Companies can achieve end-user-driven integration with Anaplan, connecting it with databases, Excel spreadsheets, and data warehouses (including SQL, MySQL, Snowflake, Oracle, Excel, SAP, and many more), and even write data from Anaplan to data systems.

Automate your workflow by leveraging the connectivity of Anaplan

Our expertise brings seamless integration capabilities with Anaplan.

Explore Now

What sets Polestar’s Wormhole Apart

Looking for a comprehensive datasheet? Unlock Datasheet.

Wrapping Up

What sets Polestar’s Wormhole Apart

Hope you also got the solution of how you can integrate Anaplan with SAP

To leverage Anaplan to its fullest potential, extensibility, and its integrations come into the picture. With Anaplan and its multiple integration models, you can leverage the “Connected Planning” approach and stop relying on data only from spreadsheets.