The accelerator is not plug-and-play and works with pre-existing structures on both sides. It proposes a basis to accelerate the overall connectivity. The mapping of source and target data structure is to be done on the customer side, since each company has its own business constraints and logic. There are also search rules that need to be maintained by customers. 

Additionally to the core package, an OPEN API generator package is also available so you can easily retrieve your PIM structure and ease the message mapping part.

iFlow Overview

Below is a high-level summary of the iFlows implemented for Material Master data synchronization. Each iFlow corresponds to a logical data area or process step.

Overall process

1. The entry point is the event configuration: the integrator configure and subscribe to the needed event using the “PIM Create Subscriber to Event” and “PIM Create subscription To Event” iFlows. To complete this steps, API providers needs to be set up in the integration suite as a pre-requisite. 
2. Once set up, the PIM event listener collects the messages coming from the event platform and send it in queue. 
3. Data mapping and transformation need to be conducted before synchronization. As the data mapping is very specific to each customer it is expected that customers do this configuration in the “MM_PIM_to_SAP” in the PIM Event Consumer iFlow. 

1/Create the API providers and Proxi 

First, you need to set up the API Provider in the SAP Integration Suite. This creates a public URL, that will be the entry point for receiving event messages. Next, you must configure a proxy to route these events to a specific endpoint within the Integration Suite, listed as API_ENDPOINT in the configuration table below, ensuring they are properly received.

Once the API providers and proxies are in place, the accelerator's “PIM Event Listener” will begin monitoring the designated endpoint. It listens for incoming messages and adds them to a queue. The “PIM Event Consumer” then reads from this queue, performs the necessary data mapping and synchronization, and transfers the data to S/4HANA. This asynchronous, reliable mechanism is mandatory for handling these events.

2/ Security materials creation

To connect both systems, make sure to generate connection settings in the monitor folder of the Integration Suite. We recommend creating:

Once created, those security materials will need to be called in the accelerator, commonly named at SAP package. To do so, change the security materials in the necessary iFlows. 

3/ Create a subscriberID Thanks to “PIM Create subscriber to event” iFlow

A subscriber is a necessary first step to declare itself to the Akeneo Event Platform. The objective of this iFlow is to generate a SubscriberID so you can subscribe to events in the “PIM Create subscription to event” iFlow. 

This iFlow needs to be configured once and deployed once. The subscriber generated need to be copy/paste by hand in the  “PIM Create subscription to event” parameters. 

First, update the content in content modifier, in “configure” “more”, or for better readiness, step by step as follow:

In receiver tab

In more

Check the results in the externalized parameters of the iFlow. 

iFlow visual helper

Example through a temporary PIM

 

 

Then deploy the iFlow. Go into the log, in monitor → Integration and APIs. On the iFlow log, click on "attachments → Subscriber. Retrieve the subscriber ID to paste it in the PIM create subscription to event iFlow.

iFlow subscriberID 

 

 

4/ Subcribe to events with the “PIM Create subscription to event ” iFlow

The objective of this iFlow is to subscribe to the event you need to receive from Akeneo Event Platform. To do so, fill in the parameters, starting by the configure → more tab:

In more

Subscription list

List the subscriptions in “PIM_SubscribedEvent” parameter

 

 

5/ Configure the PIM Event listener to receive events

Click on the HTTPS arrow, fill in the connection address with the API_ENDPOINT you created  in step 1 to receive events. No other parameters need to be fulfilled.

API 

 

 

6/ Configure the PIM Event consumer. 

 A/ Configure the iFlow

In sender

In receiver

In more

B/ Conduct the mapping between  SAP ERP and Akeneo PIM structure

To conduct the mapping, the SAP S/4Hana structure and Akeneo PIM structure need to be present in the message mapping step of the iFlow IFlow Message mapping S4HANA to Akeneo PIM. To generate Akeneo PIM structure file, generate it by using the Akeneo OPEN API package and then download it in the message mapping of package.

Generate the structure OPEN API files

The  steps are

• Generate Akeneo Structure: In the Open API Generator package, configure the R_PIM HTTP receiver to use the appropriate PIM_HTTP_Query (e.g., family=t-shirts). Run the iFlow.
• Download and Save: The output will be a JSON or XML file representing your Akeneo structure. Download this file and save it locally.
• Load into Mapping iFlow: Go to the S4HANA_to_AkeneoPIM iFlow.
• Open Message Mapping: Click on the MM_SAPS/4_TO_AKENEOPIM block.
•  Import Target Structure: On the left-hand side, import the Akeneo structure file you just saved.

The integrator will also need to manually obtain or generate the SAP S/4HANA structure to use as the source file in the mapping step.

Visual helper for mapping update

 

 

 

Conduct the mapping

The flow is all set! You can manually do the mapping and transformation between the two systems.

C/Deploy the iFlow

Upon successful connectivity and mapping, the flow will create and update mapped attributes.