Building and managing ERP models to work with ERP data

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Building and managing ERP models to work with ERP data

    ERP models in ServiceNow act as templates that define how to access, read, and update data from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as SAP. These models represent the logical structure of ERP data by defining entities, attributes, operations, and relationships. Built and managed within the Zero Copy Connector for ERP, ERP models enable integration between your ERP system and the ServiceNow AI Platform, supporting data retrieval, updates, and workflow automation.

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    Key Features

    • ERP Model Structure: Each model connects to ERP tables on the system of record and includes remote tables, extraction tables, and read/update operations, creating a comprehensive data set.
    • Standard and Custom Models: Zero Copy Connector provides standard ERP models (e.g., SAP Material Stock, SAP Purchase Document) that can be cloned and customized. You can also create new ERP models tailored to your business needs.
    • Data Staging Area: Models function as staging areas containing all potential fields for ERP data, facilitating mapping between ERP fields and ServiceNow tables or workflows.
    • Operations and BAPIs: Models support defining one read and one update operation using BAPIs (Business Application Programming Interfaces), enabling remote procedure calls to interact with the ERP system.
    • Table Joins and Parameter Mapping: Supports joining multiple ERP tables and mapping input/output parameters to control data flow between ERP and ServiceNow.
    • Workflow Integration: Retrieved ERP data can be used within ServiceNow Workflow Studio to automate processes beyond the Zero Copy Connector environment.
    • Model Management: You can export and import custom ERP models between instances using update sets, facilitating model migration and reuse.
    • System Properties: Enabling model customization requires setting the snerpintegration.enableModelModification property, accessible via system properties.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Enable seamless integration of ERP data into ServiceNow AI Platform for enhanced data analysis and automation.
    • Customize ERP data models to reflect unique business processes and data structures without altering original field names.
    • Utilize predefined operations and BAPIs to read and update ERP data securely and efficiently.
    • Leverage ERP data in ServiceNow workflows to automate tasks and improve operational efficiency.
    • Manage large ERP data sets through extraction tables and scheduled data pulls for timely insights.
    • Facilitate model reuse and deployment across different ServiceNow instances via export/import capabilities.

    ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) models function as templates for sets of tables that give you access to ERP data. Use model management to create read and update operations that access the ERP system with specified inputs and outputs to map fields for use on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

    ERP models represent data sets and create a staging area

    An ERP model represents the logical structure and organization of data coming from the Enterprise Resource Planning system. ERP models define the entities, attributes, read/update operations, and table join relationships that capture and represent business processes and data elements in the ERP system. When you first open Zero Copy Connector for ERP, you view a list of the ERP models for your instance.

    Zero Copy Connector for ERP provides a standard set of ERP models, such as SAP Material Stock and SAP Purchase Document. You can also build new models. For a list of standard ERP models, which you must clone to modify, see Standard ERP models and extraction tables for Zero Copy Connector for ERP.

    The ERP model serves as a blueprint for configuring, customizing, and integrating the ERP system to meet your business requirements. An ERP model functions as a staging area that contains all potential fields you can add to remote and extraction tables, and read and update operations. You can then use the tables and queried data as a data source on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

    You can also build flows in Workflow Studio to use retrieved ERP data for processes or tasks outside of Zero Copy Connector for ERP. For more information, see Building flows to read or update the ERP system.

    You can view the list of existing ERP models or add a new one to create a custom data set. After you add a remote table, you can manage models to map input and output parameters, update the ERP system using BAPIs (Business Application Programming Interface), and create table joins. You can also create extraction tables that regularly pull large amounts of filtered data from the ERP system. Another option is to use a custom ERP action in Workflow Studio to use queried ERP data in other ServiceNow AI Platform processes.

    You can create as many ERP models as needed, though you can't edit their field names.

    How ERP models are structured

    Each model is linked to ERP tables on the system of record, as well as remote tables and ERP extraction tables on the ServiceNow AI Platform. You can connect the same table to multiple, different ERP models.

    ERP models are connected to an ERP system, one ERP system for each model. The connected ERP system:
    • Enables access to field and table information.
    • Helps coordinate data synchronization, sharing, and collaboration, enabling seamless integration and operation between the ERP model and the ERP system.

    ERP models in Zero Copy Connector for ERP encompass remote tables from the system of record, as well as APIs and ERP extraction tables and read/update operations, to create a holistic data set. For example, you can have one ERP model for sales orders and another for inventory.

    Note:

    After installing Zero Copy Connector for ERP, an admin or a user with the sn_erp_integration.erp_admin role must enable the sn_erp_integration.enableModelModification property so users can customize ERP models. After enabling the sn_erp_integration.enableModelModification property, Zero Copy Connector for ERP retrieves all tables and BAPIs (Business Application Programming Interface) to use when managing models. System properties are maintained in the System Property table [sys_properties], which you can access using the module navigator, or by directly typing sys_properties.list in the Navigator Filter.

    Managing models to read and update ERP systems

    After you create or clone an ERP model, you can specify how Zero Copy Connector for ERP reads and writes to the ERP system using the ERP model manager page. When managing models, you have the option to use a BAPI, which is a remote procedure SAP function call that's similar to an API.

    Each model can have only one read and one update operation defined.

    For more information, see Managing how models read and update the ERP system.