Integrating iObeya with SAP to improve operational efficiency

In the fast-paced business environment, companies constantly seek ways to streamline operations and improve collaboration. iObeya, a leading visual management software, and SAP, a widely used enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, are two powerful tools that, when integrated, can significantly improve operational efficiency. This article delves into the story of integrating iObeya with SAP, showcasing the benefits and the process involved.

A manufacturing organization faced significant challenges in keeping their digital visual management boards up-to-date with the latest data from SAP. The manual process was time-consuming and prone to errors, leading to inefficiencies and communication gaps.

After integrating iObeya with SAP, the company saw immediate improvements. Their visual management boards were automatically updated with real-time data from SAP, eliminating manual operations and reducing errors. This led to enhanced collaboration across teams and faster onboarding of new business units. The flexible integration allowed end-users to adapt the visual management boards to meet their evolving needs, further improving operational efficiency.

Businesses using SAP often face several challenges that can hinder their efficiency and collaboration.

Keeping visual management boards up-to-date

Business objects and data managed in SAP need to be accurately reflected in visual management boards. Manual updates are time-consuming and prone to errors.

Single source of truth

It's crucial to maintain a single source of truth for all business activities in SAP while also using visual management boards to enhance operational efficiency.

Flexible and configurable integration

Different business units have varying needs, requiring an adaptable integration solution that allows end-users to modify their visual management boards as necessary.

Integrating iObeya with SAP involves a collaborative and multi-step process to ensure a seamless connection between the two systems:

1. Requirement definition and validation: The customer's users defined the requirements and validated the functionalities that were identified.
2. Technical support from IT department: The customer's IT department provided the data source technical information enabling the connection, detailed the data model of the business objects and data to be imported, and managed the infrastructure to host the integration and configuration files.
3. Integration development by KPC: As the integration partner and recognized iObeya expert, developed the integration and provided technical support.
4. Support from iObeya team: The iObeya team supported KPC by providing guidelines, developing API services, and ensuring the integration scenario was well-defined between the partner and the customer.
5. Testing and validation: IT department and selected group of users conducted thorough testing to ensure the integration works flawlessly and meets the business requirements.
6. User training and onboarding: IT departement and iObeya champions provided training to end-users to help them adapt to the new system and make the most of the integrated solution.

The integration of iObeya with SAP offers numerous benefits:

• Removing manual operations: End-users no longer need to manually update visual management boards with data already available in SAP, saving time and effort.
• Reducing data input errors: Automation eliminates the risk of errors that can occur during manual data replication between systems.
• Faster onboarding and adoption: New teams and business units can quickly automate the updating of their iObeya boards, lowering the barrier to effective visual management.
• Empowering user autonomy: End-users can adapt and evolve the integration as their visual management practices change, providing them with greater flexibility and control.

The first version of the integration between iObeya and SAP was developed and deployed in less than two months. The connector now comprises three modules and supports more than 200 configurations deployed in production. This integration has not only streamlined their operations but has also significantly enhanced their ability to collaborate and manage their business activities more effectively.