TPG PSLink® – A Leading Middleware Product for Multi-Directional Data Exchange in the Project Environment

Companies have a major need for the integration of SharePoint with SAP or other ERP systems as well as with Microsoft PPM (Microsoft Project Server / Project Online). For over 20 years, TPG PSLink has been a proven middleware product for the data exchange between different enterprise systems. It also supports a bidirectional integration of SharePoint with SAP and many other systems. The product’s high configurability ensures that the middleware product is implemented very quickly.

  • Leveraging ERP / SAP integration usually concerns sharing master data, structures and cost or budget information.
  • With projects, it is usually about synchronizing project information with SharePoint lists or documents.

The following four use cases explain the customer needs – and further use cases are likely.

YOUR BENEFITS

Integration of SharePoint, SAP, Microsoft PPM and other Systems

  • Seamless integration of SharePoint and SAP into the overall Microsoft PPM solution
  • Interlinking of all types of lists (in the sense of project or task details) via SharePoint (checklists, to-do lists etc.)
  • Add / assign documents from other sources
  • Easier master data administration
  • Better allocation of permissions for “simple” admin jobs
  • Eliminate multiple date entries
  • Collate information for reports
  • Adaptable to companies’ individual processes

Use Case 1:
Master Data in SharePoint and Sharing Them with Other Systems

One of the most frequent use cases is simple master data management in SharePoint. Examples from various customer projects include:

  • Relevant countries
  • Locations
  • Business units
  • People responsible
  • Customer-related data that is important for use in projects
  • Programs for selection within projects
  • Any reasonable category definition

Many companies also manage mapping tables with values from different systems (e.g. cost categories from SAP with cost resources from Microsoft PPM).

In some cases, SharePoint can act as a “stopover”. Here, users can edit and add master data (e.g. project opportunities from Microsoft CRM or resources from Microsoft Dynamics AX) and update the data in other systems (e.g. Microsoft PPM).

Using TPG PSLink Microsoft SharePoint Connector, this type of list can be read from the source systems and transferred to the target systems (e.g. lookup tables for Microsoft PPM fields).

This also has a considerable advantage from the permissions perspective. The existing permissions for the relevant SharePoint sites and lists are sufficient, so there is no need to grant admin rights in the PPM or ERP system.

Use Case 2:
Tracking the Status of Work Packages in SharePoint

The completion of work packages is one thing, and timesheet reporting by project team members is quite another. The latter shows the hours people worked and helps calculate internal costs.

However, the posted hours do not necessarily show the completion status of a work package. Instead, the person responsible for the work package has to report separately on its completion status and provide other progress information.

This can be resolved by the TPG PSLink Microsoft SharePoint Connector, which can make work package information available in SharePoint. Afterwards, the data people enter in SharePoint can be imported into the PPM tool or the ERP system (e.g. SAP) .

Use Case 3:
Link Checklists in SharePoint or Other Systems

Many projects are carried out based on stage-gate models, resulting in gates that need to be verified using checklists. Users must be able to check off all the relevant gate’s checklist points before they can move on to the next phase or the next step within a phase.

However, these checklists are not part of the project schedule plan. Although they are linked to the project plan milestones, they are still seen as separate lists.

With the aid of the TPG PSLink SharePoint integration with SAP and PPM systems, you can achieve the following benefits:

  • Using SharePoint templates, checklists for a project in the PPM or ERP system can be created and assigned automatically
  • They are updated with information from the project plan (e.g. milestone deadlines)
  • Checklist updates are synchronized with project milestones and phase-related fields in the PPM or ERP system (e.g. phase milestone marked as completed, change of status etc.)

This procedure can also facilitate the permissions process for people providing checklist feedback.

Use Case 4:
Consolidate Various SharePoint Lists in SQL for SSRS Reports

Project-related data that goes beyond the actual schedules is often stored in a variety of thematic SharePoint sites. It is important to be able to collate this data to facilitate the production of an overview report.

The TPG PSLink Microsoft SharePoint Connector can collect and save this type of information in SQL tables, on demand and / or at specific times.

Synchronization of Information from SharePoint

SharePoint Objects      Data Sharing
Lists
  • Create, Read, Update, Delete
  • Update lookup tables for SharePoint fields
Documents
  • Upload and download documents
  • Document metadata

Extensive Configuration Options and Testing Mechanisms

TPG PSLink® ensures the consistency of data being shared across the systems involved.

Compatibility: 

Common questions regarding TPG PSLink middleware

Find answers here

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