Automate with Confidence: Integrating SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) with Workload Automation

Let us begin with understanding SAP Business Technology Platform, it is all about along with our SAP Business Technology Platform  plug-in, and how it benefits our workload automation users. To empower your Workload Automation environment, download the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) plug-in available on Automation Hub.

​In today’s fast-paced business environment, maintaining optimal inventory levels is crucial for operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, manually monitoring inventory across SAP systems can be a time-consuming and error-prone process. Enter the SAP Business Technology Platform plugin for Workload Automation, a powerful tool designed to automate inventory data retrieval from SAP Business Technology Platform systems via OData services. This plugin enables businesses to streamline inventory management, identify low stock items, and ensure timely reordering—all within the centralized control of HCL Workload Automation.

The SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) plugin is a valuable addition to Workload Automation, designed to seamlessly integrate with and orchestrate services running on SAP BTP. SAP BTP is a comprehensive, open, and business-centric platform-as-a-service (PaaS) that brings together data management, analytics, application development, automation, and integration capabilities. This powerful combination allows you to extend your enterprise automation to cover critical SAP processes, custom applications, and innovative solutions developed on SAP BTP, providing end-to-end visibility and centralized control.
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Key Features:

• SAP BTP Service Orchestration: Seamlessly connect Workload Automation to your SAP BTP tenant to trigger and monitor jobs, applications, and services deployed on the platform.
• Job Scheduler Integration: Directly interact with the SAP BTP Job Scheduling Service to run and monitor predefined jobs, offering centralized control over your SAP BTP batch processes.
• Application & Process Automation: Trigger and manage custom applications, microservices, and process automation flows (e.g., those built with SAP Build Process Automation or integrated with SAP Integration Suite) running on SAP BTP.
• Status Monitoring and Logging: Gain real-time visibility into the execution status of SAP BTP jobs and services directly from Workload Automation, with detailed logs for diagnostics and auditing.
• Parameterization and Dynamic Control: Pass runtime parameters to SAP BTP jobs or services, allowing for dynamic and data-driven execution based on specific business conditions or external events.
• Error Handling and Alerting: Configure Workload Automation to detect failures in SAP BTP processes, trigger automated recovery actions, and send alerts to relevant teams for swift resolution.

 
Use Cases:

• Hybrid Landscape Orchestration: Integrate and automate business processes spanning traditional on-premises SAP systems (like SAP S/4HANA or ECC) and cloud-native extensions on SAP BTP.
• Custom Application Lifecycle Management: Orchestrate the deployment, execution, and monitoring of custom applications developed on SAP BTP (e.g., using ABAP Environment, Cloud Foundry, or Kyma Runtime).
• Intelligent Process Automation: Trigger and monitor automation bots (e.g., those built with SAP Build Process Automation) on SAP BTP as part of larger end-to-end business workflows.
• Data and Analytics Pipeline Management: Orchestrate data ingestion, transformation, and consumption workflows leveraging SAP BTP services like SAP HANA Cloud, SAP Datasphere, or SAP Analytics Cloud.
• Integration Flow Management: Trigger and monitor integration flows (iFlows) deployed on SAP Integration Suite within SAP BTP to connect SAP and non-SAP applications.

 
Example Workflow: Automated Vendor Invoice Processing and Payment
The SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) plugin can enable the automation of complex vendor invoice processing and payment workflows, integrating various SAP BTP services. The workflow starts with Workload Automation monitoring an incoming channel (e.g., an SFTP folder or email inbox) for new vendor invoices.
Upon detecting a new invoice, an SAP BTP Application (e.g., built with SAP Build Process Automation or a custom Fiori app) is triggered by Workload Automation. This application handles initial invoice scanning (if needed), data extraction, and preliminary validation against purchase orders. An SAP Integration Suite iFlow (on SAP BTP) is then triggered to integrate the validated invoice data into the core SAP S/4HANA system. Following this, another SAP BTP service (e.g., an API call to a credit check microservice or a finance application) performs an automated payment approval check.
Based on the approval status, Workload Automation orchestrates the next steps: either triggering the payment run in SAP S/4HANA (potentially via another SAP BTP service or direct integration) or triggering an SAP BTP Process Automation flow for manual review and exception handling if issues are detected. The workflow always concludes with updating relevant status dashboards and financial logs within SAP BTP and Workload Automation for complete auditability.

Getting started with the SAP Business Technology Platform plugin.
Begin using the SAP Business Technology Platform Plugin. Perform the following steps:
Connect to SAP Business Technology Platform Log in to the Dynamic Workload Console and open the Workload Designer. Create a new job definition and select the SAP Business Technology Platform Plugin.

• Environment Variables: Configure the following environment variables on the agent to establish the connection:
  • destinations: A JSON array defining the OData service endpoint (e.g., [{"name":"NorthwindNoAuth","url":"https://services.odata.org/V2/Northwind/Northwind.svc/","authentication":"NoAuthentication"}])
  • SAP_SYSTEMS: A comma-separated list of SAP system names (e.g., Northwind).
  • SAP_SYSTEM_CONFIGS: A JSON object mapping each SAP system to its configuration (e.g.,  {"Northwind":{"destinationName":"NorthwindNoAuth","odataEntity":"Products","stockField":"UnitsInStock","nameField":"ProductName"}}).
• Connection Parameters: In the job definition:
  • destinationName: The name of the destination (e.g., NorthwindNoAuth).
  • odataEntity: The OData entity to query (e.g., Products).
• Test Connection: Click the Test Connection button to verify that the OData service URL is accessible, and the configuration is correct.

Define the Action
In the Action tab, specify the details of the inventory synchronization operation:

• sapSystem: Select the SAP system to synchronize inventory from (e.g., Northwind). This must match a system defined in the SAP_SYSTEMS environment variable.
• lowStockThreshold: Specify the threshold for identifying low stock items (e.g., 5). Items with stock levels at or below this value will trigger alerts.
• odataEntity: Provide the OData entity to query for inventory data (e.g., Products). If not specified, the default entity from SAP_SYSTEM_CONFIGS can be used.
• stockField: Specify the field name in the OData response representing stock levels (e.g., UnitsInStock). If not specified, the default field from SAP_SYSTEM_CONFIGS can be used.
• nameField: Specify the field name in the OData response representing item names (e.g., ProductName). If not specified, the default field from SAP_SYSTEM_CONFIGS is used.
• alertOnLowStock: Enable or disable low stock alerts by setting this to true or false. When enabled, the plugin logs alerts for items below the threshold in the job output.

Add/Save and Submit/Run your Job.
Once the job is defined, add/save it and submit/run it to the current plan. Add the job to a job stream to automate your inventory synchronization process flow. You can monitor the job execution in the Monitoring View.
Monitor Job Execution
Track the job’s progress in the Monitor Page. If the job completes successfully, the status will update too “Successful.” Check the job log for details, including the number of items fetched and any low stock alerts.

Why choose the SAP Business Technology Platform Plugin?
The SAP Business Technology Platform Plugin empowers businesses to automate inventory management workflows, saving time and minimizing errors. By integrating with Workload Automation, you can centralize and streamline operations, ensuring scalability and efficiency. Whether you are monitoring retail stock levels, optimizing supply chains, or managing manufacturing inventory, this plugin is your gateway to smarter, automated inventory synchronization.

Job Log Details:

In Conclusion:
 
The SAP Business Technology Platform plugin for Workload Automation provides a powerful bridge, enabling organizations to seamlessly integrate and orchestrate their critical business processes across the hybrid SAP landscape. By extending centralized control and visibility to SAP BTP services, this plugin empowers businesses to leverage the full potential of their SAP investments, drive innovation, and achieve greater operational efficiency in their digital transformation journey.

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​Divya P - Senior Software Engineer at HCL Software
Works as a Plug-in Developer and L3 support in Workload Automation Plug-in Factory team. Proficient in Java, Git, Maven, Docker, and SQL.
In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with family, visiting nature places and travelling.

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Ernesto Carrabba, Product Manager, HCL Clara, HCL HERO and HCL Workload Automation 
Ernesto Carrabba is the Product Manager for HCL Clara, HCL HERO and HCL Workload Automation. Ernesto is a very dynamic product manager with experience in building and launching IoT products, combined with a master's degree in mechanical engineering and study researches on Augmented and Virtual Reality

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