Managing how models read and update the ERP system

After you create an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) model in ERP Canvas, you can specify how it reads and updates the ERP system using parameters.

When creating a read or update operation, you first add the operation and then define operation entities and parameters in the following tabs of the ERP model management page:

• Manage entities is where you specify the table to read or BAPI (Business Application Programming Interface, a remote procedure call that's similar to an API) to use for reading or updating the ERP system.
• Specify inputs is where you define how fields on the ERP system map to parameters to specify how data is queried. You can also define any default values to pass to the ERP system if parameters can't be retrieved.
• Choose output is where you define parameters for how returned data is stored on the ServiceNow AI Platform by specifying outputs.

Read and update operations for ERP system

ERP Canvas contacts the ERP system using read and update operations.

• You can use either a table read or BAPI to read the ERP system.
• You must use a BAPI for update operations.
• You can add either table reads or a BAPI function call to a model for read operations, but not both.
• You can add multiple tables to a table read operation, but you can specify only one BAPI for a function call read operation.

Managing tables and entities for ERP operations

An entity is the foundation of how the operation accesses the ERP system to read or update it. Use the Manage entities tab to define requests and the content of their responses by specifying the BAPI or name of the table.

When you add an entity to an operation, you must specify the following information:

• How ERP Canvas retrieves data from or sends updates to the ERP system.
  • For read operations, you must specify whether you're reading tables on the ERP system or using a pre-defined BAPI to read the system.
  • For update operations, you must use a BAPI.
• The name of the table to read or BAPI to use.

For instructions on adding entities, see Add a read or update operation to a model in ERP Canvas.

Managing operation input parameters

After you specify the operation's tables or BAPI, ERP Canvas automatically populates the Specify inputs tab with the required input parameters.

ERP Canvas uses parameters as part of the method/function call to define and map data that's passed to the ERP system.

• The Output parameters section is where you enter optional default values for parameters that are used to query the ERP system. If no input value is provided when querying the model, the Default value for each parameter is used as a fallback. Default values can also be utilized for mapping constants.
• The Tables (for read operations)/Function call (for BAPI operations) section is where you define and map fields from the ERP system that ERP Canvas sends as parameters in the operation. When you select a field, use the automap functionality to automatically update its Mapped value and add a row for the parameter to the Output parameters section. If you define a Constant as the Type and enter the constant value in the Mapped value field, mapped inputs can act as filter criteria. You can add and nest as many related parameters as needed.

  If you're adding a complex, nested parameter, such as an address that includes several other parameters (one for street, one for city, one for country), ERP Canvas automatically identifies that it needs additional related parameters and creates new, nested parameter rows that you must then populate for the related values. You can nest only parameters with Object or Array as the Data type.

The available data types for parameters are:

• Object
• Array
• String
• Date Time
• Date
• Time
• Char
• Decimal

Use case:

An example use case is running a sales order BAPI to find out what items are in an order. You must specify the order ID as a mapped field in the Tables (for read operations)/Function call (for BAPI operations) section, using the automap option to define which field is referenced in the Mapped value field. After defining all operation inputs and outputs, you can build a flow in Workflow Studio where you can enter the order ID as the parameter in use when the flow runs to call the ERP system.

Another example would be adding a parameter for Order billing dates in the Table fields (for table read operations)/Function call (for BAPI operations) section, and then building a flow in Workflow Studio that enables you to specify a date or date range to retrieve all orders from that time period.

Note:

It doesn't matter what order you define parameters in. ERP Canvas displays optional parameters in alphabetical order when you save.

For instructions on managing inputs, see Manage input parameters for an ERP model operation.

Selecting outputs for a read operation

You must create output parameters to define how the data is mapped to the ERP system and stored on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

For instructions on managing outputs, see Choose output parameters for an ERP model.

Adding retrieved ERP fields to tables

When you add mapped fields or parameters as outputs and successfully read or update the ERP system, each parameter appears as a field that you can then add to a remote table or an extraction table. Manage the fields for the remote table or extraction table to add the retrieved parameters. For more information, see the following topics:

• Customize fields for an ERP remote table in ERP Canvas
• Select fields for an extraction table in ERP Canvas

Building flows to call the ERP system

After all parameters are defined and you've built and run the read or update operation, you can build a flow in Workflow Studio that uses the defined parameters.

Enter any filter criteria by specifying a value when you select the parameter in the Mandatory Field of the flow's action. For more information, see Building flows to read or update the ERP system.