1. Andrej Valjavec, dipl. org. Ljubljanske mlekarne d.d.
eDocuments Exchange in Purchasing-Sales Process
Between Microsoft Business Solutions–Navision
and SAP R/3
Andrej Valjavec, dipl. org. Ljubljanske mlekarne d.d.
Welcome to everybody. My name is Andrej Valjavec and I would like to present my graduate where I have developed a prototype solotion for electronic data exchange between two different organizations using internet and XML based documents.

2. EDI facts EDI reduces costs
Faster and more reliable exchange of information
No manual data retyping
Fewer human errors
Traditional EDI implementations are expensive
New standards – new possibilities
For the beginning I would like to mention some facts about EDI:
Electronic data interchange between two business partners is one of the successful ways to reduce costs on the both sides. With EDI, paper-based documents are swapped with electronic documents and data on these documents are automatically entered into the software program that supports individual business process. This leads in shorter exchange time of business documents without manual data retyping and also reduces possibilities of human errors.
In the past, a few EDI standards were established for electronic data interchange. These old standards are powerful but on the other hand are quite complicated and expensive for implementation and usage. These are the reasons why EDI implementations exist mostly in large companies.
A need for a simpler and cheaper standard, which would be also suitable for smaller companies, has arisen. Internet and XML (Extensible Markup Language) have offered new possibilities for simple and more adaptable way of exchanging different e-documents. XML is simple way to delimit data and present this data in structured format which is easy readable for people and for computers. Standardized programming interface enables developers to easy create different programs that read and write XML documents. These all are the reasons why many connectors for different ERP systems exist today for exporting and importing data in XML format.

3. Scenario
In my prototype I have established data exchange in sales and purchasing process between two different ERP Systems, SAP and Microsoft Business Solutions–Navision. I have used new technologies - XML based documents, Internet and Microsoft BizTalk Server for interconnection of both systems.

4. SAP R/3
SAP is an Enterprise Resource Planning solution intended mostly for large enterprises. The solution consists of different modules that cover individual business processes within an organization.

5. Microsoft Business Solutions–Navision
Microsoft Business Solutions–Navision is also ERP solution but it is intended for small and mid size companies. The core of Navision solution is strong financials – accounting module, different business processes are covered with additional modules that might be added to the core module.

6. Document flow - SAP Sending e-documents from SAP R/3
Receiving e-documents to SAP R/3
SAP R/3 System
SAP R/3 System 1 5
IDoc
IDoc
DCOM Connector
DCOM Connector
Microsoft BizTalk
adapter for SAP 2
IDoc
Microsoft BizTalk
adapter for SAP 4
IDoc
IDoc Handler
AIC 3
IDoc delimeted
stream 3
IDoc delimeted
stream 4
SAP offers several different possibilities for connecting and exchanging data between SAP and other software applications within and across organizations.
In my prototype I have used DCOM Connector, Microsoft BizTalk Adapter for SAP and Microsoft BizTalk Server. DCOM connector enables communication with SAP and therefore enables sending and receiving IDoc documents from and to SAP system. BizTalk adapter for SAP takes care for transformation of IDoc documents to the delimited data stream and sending these data into the message queue. BizTalk Server than pick up data out from the message queue, create output XML file using transformation schemas and send document to the finale destination.
MS BizTalk Server
BizTalk processing
MSMQ 2
IDoc delimeted
stream 5 1
MS BizTalk Server
BizTalk processing 6
XML
file 7
XML
file

7. Navision Commerce Gateway
Navision has developed special module called Commerce Gateway which tightly integrate Navision and BizTalk Server and enables fast and easy implementation of electronic data exchange and simple usage. In my prototype solution Commerce Gateway receives XML file which was sent by Biztalk Server on the SAP side and enter data from that file into the Navision database.

8. Demo
And follow short live presentation.

9. Thank you
Thank you for your attention.