Groupware Integration Guide (SAP Library - Groupware Integration Guide)

Groupware Integration Guide

Purpose

You can exchange data such as business partner data and CRM activities between the CRM server and a Groupware server using Groupware integration.CRM Middleware provides a framework, using the Groupware Adapter, that facilitates the seamless integration of the CRM server with the Groupware server.

A user of Groupware solutions normally performs the following tasks:

● Maintains Contacts

● Sends and receives e-mail messages

● Creates personal tasks

● Uses the calendar for managing appointments with employees and business partners

The activities and business partners created in an application of the mySAP CRM solution are provided to groupware users. The business partner and activity are represented as a contact and an appointment or a task (on the Groupware server) respectively.The Groupware Adapter transforms both objects to the Internet standards for Groupware objects, vCard for contacts and iCalendar for tasks and appointments.

Caution

This Groupware integration is server-based and is not to be confused with the client-based Groupware integration that is offered with CRM Mobile. Due to synchronization problems, you cannot use Groupware integration between the CRM server and the Groupware server at the same time as client synchronization between CRM Mobile and Groupware. You must choose one of these implementation options.

You can find more information on client synchronization between CRM Mobile and Groupware in the Help Portal under integration of the mobile client calendar with Groupware: (http://help.sap.com/saphelp_crm50/helpdata/de/74/49af3ab73dc363e10000000a114084/frameset.htm).

You can find a comparison of these technologies under Comparison of the Different Groupware Integration Technologies.

The following text explains the set-up of Groupware integration: This guide is aimed at system administrators and the project implementation team.

Implementation Notes

● You use SAP CRM 4.0 or SAP CRM 5.0

● You have installed Microsoft Exchange 2000/2003 or Lotus Domino 5.0.x/6.0.x/6.5.x

● You have installed the SAP MapBox. You can find further information in the MapBox installation guides under http://service.sap.com/instguides ® mySAP Business Suite Solutions ® mySAP CRM ® mySAP CRM 2005 ® CRM Core and Standalone Components or mySAP Business Suite Solutions ® mySAP CRM ® SAP CRM 4.0 ® General and Technical Installation Guides

● You have installed the SAP Groupware Connector and one or more SAP Groupware Connector proxies. You can find further information in the Installation Guide as well in the Administration Guide for the SAP Groupware Connector under http://service.sap.com/instguides ® mySAP Business Suite Solutions ® mySAP CRM ® mySAP CRM 2005 ® CRM Core and Standalone Components or mySAP Business Suite Solutions ® mySAP CRM ® SAP CRM 4.0 ® General and Technical Installation Guides

Integration

Groupware integration is facilitated by the following components:

● Groupware Adapter

The Groupware Adapter on the CRM server supports the conversion of messages. It is based on the SyncPoint technology. BDoc messages are converted to standard Groupware formats (iCalendar and vCard) An XSLT mapping framework is used, the SAP MapBox and the payload interface (SOAP-based messaging interface for the exchange of data between the CRM server and the Groupware Connector). iCalendar and vCard are the Internet standards for the display of Groupware calendar objects and contacts. Predefined mappings are delivered for Groupware integration.

Note

You can find detailed information on settings and the configuration of the Groupware Adapter in SAP Note 959294 – Groupware Adapter Customizing and User Guide.

● SAP Groupware connector

The SAP Groupware Connector executes message synchronization between the CRM server and the Groupware server. A messaging interface is performed here based on XML-SOAP.

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

Business Scenarios

● Activity Management

○ Transfer of activities (business activities and tasks) from CRM to Groupware as well as the transfer of appointments and tasks from Groupware to CRM; data exchange between the CRM server and the Groupware server in both directions.

○ Transfer of attachments to activities from CRM to Groupware as well as the transfer of attachments to appointments and tasks from Groupware to CRM.

○ Additional information, such as linked opportunities and business partners, in an HTML file, which identifies the opportunity that resulted from the appropriate activity.

● Business partner management

There are two different technical scenarios for the exchange of business partners:

○ The bidirectional exchange of business partners (CRM) and contacts (Groupware), between the CRM server and Groupware public contact directory

Note

This scenario is based on the Groupware Adapter 01 (mBDoc) site type. For further information, see:

■ Differences Between the Site Types

■ Synchronization of Business Partner Data with Groupware

○ Transfer of contact person and business partner data from CRM to the private contact directory of individual users in Groupware. However, the data sent to the individual Groupware users is restricted based on the subscriptions defined in the Administration Console.

Note

This scenario is based on the Groupware Adapter 02 (sBDoc) site type. For further information, see:

■ Differences Between the Site Types

■ Synchronization of Business Partner Data with Groupware

The integration of business partner data (CRM) to the private contact directory in Groupware is in one direction (from CRM to Groupware).

● Workforce Management (WFM)

Replication of appointments and tasks from project resource planning to the Groupware system

Restrictions

You can find a list of Groupware integration restrictions in SAP Note 938591.

Example

● A CRM user creates activities for a business partner that should be processed by employees using a Groupware solution. The employees accept the corresponding task requests in their groupware client and create customer appointments based on the contacts (business partner data) provided to them.

● A user in Project Resource Planning uses the resource search to find appropriate and available resources for a requirement.WFM Core sends the results of the search to the application. The resource manager then creates an assignment by staffing a project role (to which the requirement is attached) with a resource. This assignment can be transferred to Groupware as a task to the resource’s mailbox.