DIY Developer Guide: Building Custom Integrations for SAP Business ByDesign

Overview

This DIY Developer Guide for SAP Business ByDesign provides a complete framework for building secure, scalable, and reliable custom integrations. SAP Business ByDesign is a cloud-based ERP platform offering comprehensive web services (SOAP and OData APIs) to support connections with CRM systems, financial platforms, logistics providers, and more.

Whether syncing financial data, managing customer records, or automating order processing, mastering SAP Business ByDesign integrations strengthens operational workflows and data consistency.


Prerequisites for SAP Business ByDesign Integrations

  • SAP Business ByDesign tenant access (test or production)
  • Communication Arrangement setup with credentials (User ID and Password)
  • Familiarity with:
    • OData services and SOAP web services
    • XML and JSON data formatting
    • OAuth 2.0 or Basic Authentication (depending on service)
  • Tools: Postman, SOAP UI, SAP Business ByDesign API documentation, SDKs (optional)

Step 1: Authentication for SAP Business ByDesign Integrations

SAP Business ByDesign supports Basic Authentication for SOAP and OData APIs.

Authentication Example (Basic Auth Header):

Authorization: Basic base64(username:password)

Always use HTTPS to ensure secure communication.


Step 2: Endpoint Discovery and Data Mapping for SAP Business ByDesign Integrations

Common API Resources:

  • Customer and Supplier Management
  • Sales Orders and Purchase Orders
  • Financial Accounting (Invoices, Payments)
  • Inventory and Logistics Management

Process:

  • Explore SAP Business ByDesign OData and SOAP API collections.
  • Map external system fields carefully to ByDesign business objects.

Important considerations:

  • Required vs. optional fields
  • Data binding and key references (e.g., linking sales orders to customers)
  • Proper date, currency, and ID formatting

Step 3: Building Integration Flows for SAP Business ByDesign

Integration Patterns:

  • Inbound (to ByDesign): POST and PATCH for creating and updating records
  • Outbound (from ByDesign): GET for retrieving business data

Example: Creating a Sales Order (SOAP Request):


  
  
    
      
        
          12345
        
        
          PROD001
          10
        
      
    
  

Example: Retrieving Customer Records (OData Request):

GET /sap/byd/odata/v1/cust_customerCollection

Step 4: Error Handling and Pagination for SAP Business ByDesign Integrations

Error Handling:

  • Capture HTTP error codes and SOAP Faults with detailed messages.
  • Implement retries for transient errors (timeout, network issues).

Pagination:

  • For large datasets in OData, use $top and $skip parameters.

Example:

GET /sap/byd/odata/v1/cust_customerCollection?$top=100&$skip=200

Step 5: Testing and Validation for SAP Business ByDesign Integrations

  • Use Postman and SOAP UI for endpoint and payload validation
  • Validate correct field mappings, object relationships, and business rules
  • Perform bulk testing for high-volume transactions

Step 6: Deployment and Security of SAP Business ByDesign Integrations

  • Deploy integrations securely in cloud or private environments
  • Store credentials in vaults or secret management solutions
  • Enforce HTTPS for all API transactions
  • Enable logging and error tracking for operational insights

Step 7: Maintenance and Monitoring for SAP Business ByDesign Integrations

  • Monitor API version updates and schema changes
  • Set up real-time alerts for failed transactions or service downtimes
  • Regularly audit integration performance and health metrics

Optional Enhancements for SAP Business ByDesign Integrations

  • Middleware orchestration (SAP CPI, MuleSoft, Boomi)
  • Real-time notifications via event-driven architectures
  • Admin dashboards for business process monitoring
  • Custom audit trails for compliance and operational reporting

Summary

Mastering SAP Business ByDesign integrations allows businesses to automate ERP processes, streamline data synchronization, and enhance operational efficiency. This DIY Developer Guide for SAP Business ByDesign delivers the complete steps to build secure, scalable, and effective custom integrations.


Apiworx is dedicated to helping eCommerce businesses scale faster than ever possible before by streamlining and managing complex OmniChannel data flows, we save our customers time and money, allowing them to scale their businesses faster and more effectively.  We focus on automation and integration of often-overlooked back-office systems and processes such as order and inventory management.   We work with major partners in the industry and build best-in-breed automation and integration solutions.