case studies

Data synchronization from SAP to Salesforce to keep up-to-date information about the availability of goods

Client

The client is one of the fastest-growing logistics service providers in the world. It operates in sea logistics, air logistics, road logistics and contract logistics, with a clear focus on integrated logistics solutions.

Industry

Logistics

Challenges

Our client operates Sales and Service Clouds to facilitate the activities of their sales and customer support departments. Complementing these cloud-based solutions, they rely on an on-premises SAP system to manage critical aspects of their operations, including warehouse inventory management and logistics oversight. Additionally, SAP plays a pivotal role in tracking inventory positions, ensuring efficient supply chain management. Furthermore, the client utilizes a distinct financial module within SAP for order placement and payment control, enhancing the overall efficiency of their financial processes. 

The client’s goal ➟ to build an efficient system of transit and data synchronization from SAP to Salesforce and vice versa. When working with opportunities, agents struggled to have up-to-date information about the availability of goods, upon completion of the sale. The delivery and payment mechanism must be launched on time.    

The main challenge was that the SAP part of the client was exclusively intranet and did not have a public API. Access was possible only from the local network.     

The challenge outlined by the client is the lack of a public API for SAP, which restricts access to intranet-only usage. The proposed solution involves implementing MuleSoft as the main connector solution to facilitate data synchronization between SAP and Salesforce. 
 The solution seems appropriate for addressing the challenge because MuleSoft specializes in connecting disparate systems, regardless of whether they have public APIs or not. By leveraging MuleSoft, the company can overcome the limitation posed by SAP’s intranet-only access and establish seamless communication between SAP and Salesforce. 
Additionally, the solution includes specific steps such as data synchronization and event-triggered updates, which directly address the challenge of keeping information up to date between the two systems.  

MULESOFT IMPLEMENTATION includes the next 2 steps:  

🚩 Establishing robust data synchronization between SAP and Salesforce. 
 
🚩 To update SAP data and set up the PushTopic event that is sent every time when the stage of opportunity is changed to a closed one. The RA development team created an intuitive interface of dashboards and order creation, especially for the sales team, which became quick and painless. Mulesoft was converted to be run by docker (soft) from the company’s intranet.    

Solutions

Results

Since the client was already using some Salesforce products, it was necessary to transfer all data from an existing CRM system to Salesforce in order to use the whole data to its fullest and get a profit 

Successful migration of all CRM data to Salesforce, unlocking the full potential of Salesforce’s capabilities. 

Implementation of Pipeline & Forecast Management helps sales teams predict both short-term and long-term performance to make informed business decisions and to plan in line with comprehensive forecasting based on KPIs. The real-time view of forecasts allows for making adjustments at the right time. 

Integration of CPQ Salesforce tool streamlined pricing configuration, enabling rapid and accurate quote generation. Tangible benefits included: 
1. Seamlessly unifying sales and finance processes. 
2. Drastically reducing errors and operational costs. 
3. Accelerating sales cycles. 
4. Simplifying contract creation and quote renewals. 
5. Leveraging discounts effectively. 

Tools & Technologies

Salesforce Sales and Service Clouds, CPQ, MuleSoft, SAP, PushTopic Events, Docker.