Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Building SAP Connectors: A Guide to Strategic Planning and Execution

Companies building SAP connectors often underestimate the scope of the project, failing to account for complex data mapping, authorization checks, and bidirectional syncing. Additionally, over-customization can lead to a bloated connector that's hard to reuse and maintain. To avoid these mistakes, teams should properly scope the project and flag custom logic early, building a proof-of-concept for critical data flows before diving into development.

Ask Aime: Over-customized SAP connectors lead to bloated and hard-to-reuse software.

Building SAP connectors can be a complex and challenging endeavor, often underestimated by companies. These connectors serve as the bridge between various systems, including SaaS platforms, mobile apps, and third-party systems, and SAP's robust enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. However, the intricacies of SAP's deep business logic, evolving standards, and complex ecosystem can lead to costly mistakes if not properly addressed.

One of the most common pitfalls is underestimating the scope of the project. Teams often assume that building an SAP connector involves merely connecting endpoints, without fully understanding the depth of data mapping, authorization checks, and bidirectional syncing required. For instance, syncing customer data might seem straightforward, but it often involves custom fields, multiple sales data tables, approval flows, and regional tax logic [1].

Over-customization is another significant issue. Developers can get pulled into supporting every Z-table, custom field, and one-off process in a client’s system, leading to a bloated connector that is hard to reuse and maintain. This can turn a 6-week project into a 9-month maintenance marathon [1].

Proper testing is often overlooked, with teams running only a few unit tests and assuming everything will hold up. However, SAP environments vary widely, and real-world conditions can reveal issues such as timeouts, failed transactions, and authorization errors. A comprehensive testing strategy that includes stress tests, security tests, and data validation is essential [1].

Another critical mistake is the lack of SAP expertise on the team. SAP has a steep learning curve, and without hands-on experience, teams can waste time on simple missteps or build something that breaks at go-live. Involving an experienced SAP technical consultant early can save significant time and resources [1].

Security and licensing considerations are often overlooked as well. SAP has strict security requirements, and failing to account for SSO configurations, token expiration, and access control can lead to significant issues. Additionally, understanding SAP licensing implications is crucial to avoid surprise costs [1].

Proper versioning and change control are also essential. SAP environments can differ slightly across development, testing, and production. Without proper versioning and synchronization, unexpected behavior or data corruption can occur. Using source control and setting up CI/CD pipelines can help manage these issues [1].

Finally, disconnected stakeholders can lead to misaligned expectations and late-stage changes. The team building the connector should involve SAP functional consultants early, especially those who understand the source data, business rules, and edge cases. Clear ownership for data mapping, transformation rules, and validation logic should be defined, and regular checkpoints between development, QA, and business teams should be established [1].

By avoiding these common pitfalls and following best practices, companies can build robust and efficient SAP connectors, accelerating their delivery and business outcomes.

References:

[1] https://community.sap.com/t5/enterprise-resource-planning-blog-posts-by-members/common-mistakes-companies-make-when-building-sap-connectors-and-how-to/ba-p/14145970

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