Exploring ERP Canvas

ERP Canvas enables you to connect to the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system to send updates and extract data to remote tables and extraction tables for use on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

Overview of ERP Canvas

ERP Canvas functions as a platform within ServiceNow, offering a unified data model for ERP systems. ERP Canvas enables you to manage tables that contain both standard and custom fields grouped within ERP models. You can send updates to and extract data from ERP tables on the system of record and store it in a remote table or an extraction table, depending on the size of data sets and refresh needs.

• Remote tables get their records from running an associated script against an external data source.
• Extraction tables retrieve large amounts of data once a day using a scheduled query, and use transform tables to process data for use on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

In addition to retrieving data, ERP Canvas can also update the ERP system using a BAPI (Business Application Programming Interface).

The unified data model of the ServiceNow AI Platform ensures seamless integration of ERP data into the ServiceNow AI Platform, enabling users to access and use business data with efficiency and ease. ERP Canvas streamlines ERP data management, making it accessible and actionable within the ServiceNow AI Platform and ServiceNow instances.

Note:

ERP Canvas doesn't replicate data into the ServiceNow AI Platform. It mirrors data that lives in the ERP system of record, and remains protected there.

ERP Canvas workflow

1. Have your administrator use the Connections and Credentials app to configure credentials to connect to the ERP system of record. For more information, see Configure the ERP Canvas credentials and connection.
2. Create an ERP system in ERP Canvas using the connection and credentials alias that you configured. For more information, see Create an ERP system in ERP Canvas.
   Note:

   The rest of the workflow steps are in ERP Canvas. Build your ERP systems, ERP models, and tables in a development instance, and then promote them to a production instance when you're ready. For more information, see Managing app deployments using Pipelines and Deployments.
3. Clone or create an ERP model that scans the specified ERP module in the system of record for available tables and fields. Note the tables and fields in the ERP model for use in extraction and remote tables, as well as for mapping parameters to read and update the system of record. For more information, see Clone an ERP model in ERP Canvas.
4. Create read and update operations to connect to the ERP system by adding tables, mapping fields, and building table joins to include additional data in the ERP model. For more information, see the following topics:
   • Managing how models read and update the ERP system
   • Add joins between ERP tables
5. Work with remote tables to make them available for use as a data source, such as when building apps in App Engine Studio. Remote tables get their records from running an associated script against an external data source. For more information, see the following topics:
   • View and edit ERP remote table details with ERP Canvas
   • Customize fields for an ERP remote table in ERP Canvas
   • Query a remote table using ERP Canvas
6. Work with ETL extraction tables to regularly scan the system of record and extract data to a staging table. Extraction tables retrieve large amounts of data once a day using a scheduled query, and use transform tables to process data for use on the ServiceNow AI Platform.
   • Create as many separate extraction tables as needed, such as one for each supported country. For more information, see Extracting and transforming data in ERP Canvas.
   • You must first create the table transform map that connects the source table (on the system of record) to a Glide table on the ServiceNow AI Platform. For more information on creating table transform maps, see Create a transform map.
   • Extraction processes are configured in the ServiceNow app that uses them. For example, Workflow Studio.
   • After the extraction process is run, use import sets to map imported data into ServiceNow AI Platform tables. For more information, see Import sets.
7. Build flows in Workflow Studio to specify details for when you query or update the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. For more information, see Building flows to read or update the ERP system.
8. Move the ERP systems, ERP models, tables, operations, and flows to a production environment when they are ready. For more information, see Managing ERP development pipelines in ERP Canvas.
9. Use the ERP data that is now available as the data source when building apps on the ServiceNow AI Platform, such as:
   • App Engine Studio: For more information, see Create a data model for your application.
   • Flows in Workflow Studio: For more information, see Configuring Flow Designer.
   • Playbooks in Workflow Studio: For more information, see Getting started with Process Automation.
   • Table Builder: For more information, see Data in Table Builder.
   • UI Builder: For more information, see Dynamically expose data in UI Builder pages (advanced feature).
   • Workspace Builder: For more information, see Configure a record page for a workspace in Workspace Builder.

Benefits of ERP Canvas

Table 1. ERP Canvas key benefits

Benefit	Feature	Role
Configure connections to the system of record	Working with ERP systems in ERP Canvas	sn_erp_integration.erp_admin
Build ERP models to create read and update operations and organize mirrored ERP data	Building and managing ERP models to work with ERP data	sn_erp_integration.erp_admin
Work with and query remote tables to view ERP data on the system of record	Using ERP remote tables in ERP Canvas	To modify remote tables: sn_erp_integration.erp_admin To read remote tables: sn_erp_integration.erp_user
Access standard remote tables	Standard remote tables for ERP Canvas	sn_erp_integration.erp_user Additional, table-specific roles are required. For more information, see ERP Canvas roles.
Configure extraction tables to regularly pull custom data from the ERP system	Extracting and transforming data in ERP Canvas	sn_erp_integration.erp_admin

Additional resources for ERP Canvas

Learn more about ERP Canvas	ServiceNow resources
ERP Canvas is a ServiceNow app that enables you to simplify the use of ERP data from the system of record, such as SAP.	App Engine for ERP Overview on ServiceNow University Note: You must log in to ServiceNow University to access this resource.
	ServiceNow Community site
	Video: Unlock the full potential of your ERP system

• Next steps after extracting data from your ERP system using ERP Canvas
  After you identify and extract ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) data with ERP Canvas, you can use that data on the ServiceNow AI Platform as the data source for products and apps.
• Managing ERP development pipelines in ERP Canvas
  Move your ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, ERP models, tables, operations, and flows from a development instance to a production environment when they're ready.
• Identifying ERP candidates to replatform with ERP Canvas and ERP-CM
  ERP Canvas enables you to connect to your ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system of record, and to organize its data.
• ERP Canvas custom field example
  ERP Canvas helps you quickly identify custom ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) apps and fields in the system of record to easily access their data on the ServiceNow AI Platform. The ERP system can have both standard and custom fields that are accessed by ERP Canvas.
• ERP Canvas and security
  In addition to role-based security and access control, ERP Canvas protects personally identifiable data in other ways.