Methods, systems and computer program products for integrating carrier services into an enterprise

• US 7,912,810 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kagermann, Heinz, Babu, Suresh, Wittmann, Barbara, Kuntz-Mayr, Christiane
• Primary Examiner(s): LU, CHARLES EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US11/399,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20060293911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/706, 707/694, 707/607, 705/1, 705/1.1
• US Class Current: 707/607
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0834 Choice of carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer readable media are provided for integrating carrier services. In one implementation, carrier services are integrated into an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system utilizing an integration platform. The integration platform may include a first, second, and third components. The first, second, and third components may interact to utilize within the integration platform services offered by ERP vendors and carriers by discovering, setting up, testing, running and updating these services. As result, typical business scenarios, such as a order-to-cash process, may be enhanced.

Claims

1. An integration platform for integrating carrier services with an enterprise-scale business process that is supported by modules of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system of an enterprise, comprising:

a discovery component including a processor that provides general Web services, which perform functions related to the enterprise-scale business process, and specific Web services, which perform functions of a Web service offered by a specific carrier, wherein the general Web services are provided by a third party different from the enterprise and the carrier;

a connect component including a processor, provided by at least one of a plurality of carriers, that publishes specific Web services, which perform functions of a Web service offered by the carrier to the discovery component, wherein the functions performed by the specific Web services offered by the carrier include ordering information related to a product offered by the enterprise; and

an enterprise component including a processor, deployed by the enterprise, that;

receives a request to discover a specific Web service,

sends the request to the discovery component,

retrieves, in response to the sending of the request, a specific Web service published by the connect component, wherein the retrieval of the specific Web service includes querying the requested service from the connect component and other connect components,

combines a general Web service with the retrieved specific Web service into an enterprise service, wherein the combined enterprise service is represented by a composition definition defining Web service calls stored in a database table and processed by a service,

activates, within the ERP system, the enterprise service,

invokes the enterprise service, and

executes the general Web service and the selected specific Web service to obtain the ordering information related to the product offered by the enterprise.

2. The integration platform of claim 1, wherein the enterprise-scale business process is an order-to-cash process.

3. The integration platform of claim 1, wherein the enterprise component retrieves only the specific Web services for which it has been granted authorization.

4. The integration platform of claim 1, wherein the enterprise and connect components comprise an integration and application platform and a business process platform wherein the integration and application platform provides, through the business process platform, a foundation upon which modules that comprise the enterprise-scale business process within the ERP system are run.

5. The integration platform of claim 4, wherein the enterprise, connect, and discovery components are connected through the use of an integration broker that runs within the integration and application platform.

6. The integration platform of claim 4, wherein the discovery component is further adapted to enable the discovery of carriers and their services.

7. A method of developing an integration platform for integrating carrier services with an enterprise-scale business process that is supported by modules of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system of an enterprise, comprising:

providing, using a discovery component which includes a processor, general Web services, which perform functions related to the enterprise-scale business process, and specific Web services, which perform functions of a Web service offered by a specific carrier, wherein the general Web services are provided by a third party different from the enterprise and the carrier;

publishing, using a connect component which includes a processor provided by at least one of a plurality of carriers, specific Web services, which perform functions of a Web service offered by the carrier of the vendor to the discovery component, wherein the functions performed by the specific Web services offered by the carrier include ordering information related to a product offered by the enterprise; and

using an enterprise component which includes a processor deployed by the enterprise to;

receive a request to discover a specific Web service,

send the request to the discovery component,

retrieve, in response to the sending of the request, a specific Web service published by the connect, wherein the retrieval of the specific Web service includes querying the requested service from the connect component and other connect components,

combine a general Web service with the retrieved specific Web service into an enterprise service, wherein the combined enterprise service is represented by a composition definition defining Web service calls stored in a database table and processed by a service,

activate, within the ERP system, the enterprise service,

invoke the enterprise service, and

execute the general Web service and the selected specific Web service to obtain the ordering information related to the product offered by the enterprise.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the enterprise-scale business process is an order-to-cash process.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the enterprise component retrieves only the specific Web services for which it has been granted authorization.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the enterprise and connect components comprise an integration and application platform and a business process platform wherein the integration and application platform provides, through the business process platform, a foundation upon which modules that comprise the enterprise-scale business process within the ERP system are run.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the enterprise, connect, and discovery components are connected through the use of an integration broker that runs within the integration and application platform.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the enterprise component plugs the Web services into an order-to-cash business process of the enterprise using specified plug in points of said modules and combines the Web services or Web service calls into one enterprise service.

13. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium including program instructions for performing, when executed by a processor, a method of developing an integration platform for integrating carrier services with an enterprise-scale business process that is supported by an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system of an enterprise, the method comprising:

providing, using a discovery component, general Web services, which perform functions related to the enterprise-scale business process, and specific Web services, which perform functions of a Web service offered by a specific carrier, wherein the general Web services are provided by a third party different from the enterprise and the carrier;

publishing, using a connect component provided by at least one of a plurality of carriers, specific Web services, which perform functions of a Web service offered by the carrier of the vendor to the discovery component, wherein the functions performed by the specific Web services offered by the carrier include ordering information related to a product offered by the enterprise; and

using an enterprise component deployed by the enterprise to;

receive a request to discover a specific Web service,

send the request to the discovery component,

retrieve, in response to the sending of the request, a specific Web service published by the connect component, wherein the retrieval of the specific Web service includes querying the requested service from the connect component and other plurality of connect components,

combine a general Web service with the retrieved specific Web service into an enterprise service, wherein the combined enterprise service is represented by a composition definition defining Web service calls stored in a database table and processed by a service,

activate, within the ERP system, the enterprise service,

invoke the enterprise service, and

execute the general Web service and the selected specific Web service to obtain the ordering information related to the product offered by the enterprise.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the enterprise-scale business process is an order-to-cash process.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the enterprise component retrieves only the specific Web services for which it has been granted authorization.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the enterprise and connect components comprise an integration and application platform and a business process platform wherein the integration and application platform provides, through the business process platform, a foundation upon which modules that comprise the enterprise-scale business process within the ERP system are run.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the enterprise, connect, and discovery components are connected through the use of an integration broker that runs within the integration and application platform.