SAP EIC: Integration Is Becoming a Bottleneck in the Transformation

The reality for many SAP customers has changed fundamentally in recent years. Virtually no company runs SAP systems exclusively. Instead, ERP solutions must communicate with cloud applications, industry-specific business processes, production systems, logistics platforms, and in-house developments. At the same time, digitization initiatives, automation projects, and data-driven business models are constantly giving rise to new integration requirements.

The number of interfaces and their strategic importance are growing steadily. This trend is being amplified by the ongoing S/4 transformation. Many companies will continue to operate their existing landscapes in parallel with new cloud services for years to come. This is giving rise to hybrid architectures in which data and processes must be exchanged across different platforms. Integration is becoming a central element of enterprise architecture and is no longer just a technical discipline operating in the background.

Compliance vs. the Cloud

There is another factor to consider: Not every application or process can or should be migrated to the cloud. Particularly in regulated industries, the public sector, or manufacturing, there are still requirements for on-premises data storage and process execution. Compliance mandates, data protection requirements, or operational necessities often make purely cloud-based approaches impossible. Many companies therefore need integration scenarios that support both cloud and on-premises systems.

This is precisely where the SAP Edge Integration Cell comes into play. It connects the SAP Integration Suite with a local instance of the integration logic, thereby bridging the gap between cloud services and existing infrastructure. Companies can continue to run integration processes within their own environment while simultaneously accessing SAP BTP features. The benefits are particularly evident in production environments. Manufacturing companies are increasingly reliant on the continuous availability of data streams. Production facilities, logistics systems, and SAP applications must constantly exchange information. If network disruptions or failures of external connections occur, business processes must not come to an immediate standstill. Modern integration platforms must therefore not only transport data but also provide resilience. Local processing, caching, and the ability to operate temporarily independent of cloud connections are becoming key requirements.

Keep the Core Clean

Furthermore, the role of integration is changing as part of application modernization. Many companies are developing new applications outside the SAP core according to the „Keep the Core Clean“ principle. Custom extensions, digital services, and industry-specific functions are increasingly being built on cloud-native platforms. This is driving the need for an integration layer that reliably connects SAP and non-SAP environments. The discussion surrounding the Edge Integration Cell highlights a trend that goes far beyond simply replacing PI and PO. Companies are modernizing not just individual interfaces, but their entire strategy. In hybrid and distributed IT landscapes, the integration architecture plays a decisive role in determining how quickly companies can introduce new processes, make data usable, and implement digital business models. In addition to the technology itself, support during implementation and operation is also crucial. Using Red Hat OpenShift as the platform, EIC environments can be deployed quickly. Experience from numerous projects shows that it typically takes only three to six weeks from project start to a fully operational SAP Integration Suite.

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