Which SAP interfaces are there? RFC, BAPI, ALE, IDoc, EDI, BDoc and ABAP RESTful APIs

• RFCs make function modules callable from other SAP and non-SAP systems. BAPIs bundle RFCs into business objects such as the sales order.
• ALE exchanges business data between SAP systems and uses IDocs as standardised data containers to do so.
• EDI connects SAP with external partners via standards such as EDIFACT or ANSI X12.
• ABAP RESTful APIs are the newer way for Fiori and UI5 applications to exchange data with SAP.

RFC

RFCs, or Remote Function Calls, make function modules callable from other SAP and also non-SAP systems. This allows specific functions to be executed externally.

BAPIs

BAPI stands for Business Application Programming Interface. Here, various RFCs are grouped together based on business objects such as a sales order. This makes it possible, for example, to create, change or delete sales orders from other SAP and also non-SAP systems.

ALE

ALE, or Application Link Enabling, is a mechanism for exchanging business data between SAP systems. So-called IDOCs are used for the transfer.

IDOC

IDOC stands for Intermediate Document and is a standard structure, in other words a container, for exchanging data between SAP systems and also external systems. IDOCs are generated, for example, when outbound ALE or EDI processes are executed.

EDI

EDI stands for Electronic Data Interchange and ensures standardised data exchange between SAP systems and external partners via standards such as EDIFACT or ANSI X12. IDOCs have to be converted to and from EDI messages in the process.

BDOC

BDOC stands for Business Document and provides a container with which data can be exchanged in the CRM environment.

ABAP RESTful APIs

ABAP RESTful APIs provide a new way for web applications based on SAP UI5 or Fiori to exchange their data with an SAP system.

What interfaces are needed for: end-to-end processes in SAP

An end-to-end process (E2E) is a workflow that lies between a customer's need and the company satisfying it. In SAP there are such processes ranging from logistics to human resources. The two most important in logistics:

• Lead to Cash on the sales side: from customer interest to the product being sold and paid for, divided into Contact to Lead, Lead to Opportunity, Opportunity to Quote, Quote to Order and Order to Cash.
• Source to Pay (also Procure to Pay) on the purchasing side: from finding suppliers and contract management to ordering, goods receipt and payment, divided into Source to Contract, Plan to Forecast, Procure to Receipt and Invoice to Pay.

For these processes to work seamlessly end to end, two things are crucial. First, an automated exchange of all documents such as purchase orders and invoices, in other words connecting business partners via EDI. Second, optimised inventory levels: it is no use receiving sales orders if they cannot be fulfilled for lack of goods. This is what inventory optimisation systems such as EazyStock take care of, determining forecasts, order proposals and inventory parameters such as safety stocks.