SAP ERP HCM
Bring your people data from SAP ERP HCM into MuchSkills. Your SAP ERP HCM administrator gives MuchSkills read-only access, and we map the fields and run the sync. The set-up is part of your MuchSkills implementation.
- Who
- Your SAP Basis and HR authorisation team, with our CTO
- How it connects
- Custom set-up, part of your implementation
- Sync
- Every 5 hours, or on demand with Sync Now
- Access
- Read-only
How to
How it works
MuchSkills reads from SAP ERP HCM on a schedule. New starters, leavers, manager changes and department changes arrive at the next sync, with no manual work on either side. Nothing is written back to SAP ERP HCM.
SAP ERP HCM runs in your own data centre, so your SAP team publishes a read-only OData service through SAP Gateway and makes it reachable over HTTPS. MuchSkills reads that service and nothing else.
Before you start
- A SAP ERP HCM administrator on your side, or your SAP ERP HCM implementation partner.
- A list of who should be in MuchSkills: everyone, or a selection by country, company, department or worker type.
- Your field names. SAP ERP HCM installations name custom fields differently, so have your field list to hand for the technical session.
Steps
In SAP ERP HCM
Your SAP Basis and HR authorisation team will recognise these transactions. Every SAP ERP HCM system is configured differently, so they decide the exact service and roles. SAP ERP HCM documentation
- Create a user for the integration. In user maintenance (SU01), create a user with the user type System. It cannot log on with SAP GUI and its password does not expire.
- Expose the people data as a read-only OData service. Your SAP team publishes a service through SAP Gateway with the fields listed below and activates it in /IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE with Add Service.
- Give the user read-only roles. Create a role from the SAP Gateway user templates /IWFND/RT_GW_USER and /IWBEP/RT_MGW_USR. Add the authorisation object P_ORGIN (HR: Master Data) with authorisation level R (read) for the infotypes the service reads, and nothing that allows changes.
- Limit it to the people in scope. Restrict P_ORGIN by Personnel Area, Employee Group or Employee Subgroup, or assign a structural profile in OOSB, so the user can only read employees who should be in MuchSkills.
- Make the service reachable over HTTPS. Publish it through SAP Web Dispatcher or your own reverse proxy, and allow access only from the addresses agreed with MuchSkills. Choose an X.509 client certificate or a password for the integration user.
- Note the connection details. The service address, in the form
https://yourhost/sap/opu/odata/sap/yourservice, the integration user, and its certificate or password.
With MuchSkills
- Send us the connection details. The credentials and connection details from the steps above, your field list and your scope, through a secure channel we agree.
- Join the technical session. Your SAP ERP HCM administrator and our CTO map the fields and test the connection together.
- Check a first sync. We sync a handful of people or one department. You check their names, managers, departments and any tags in MuchSkills.
- Widen the scope. We switch the sync on for everyone in scope. From then on it runs every 5 hours.
Check it worked
- Team/Org › Members lists the people in scope.
- The people in scope have an invitation to create their MuchSkills profile.
- Managers see their direct reports in My Circle.
Benefits
What you get
- SAP ERP HCM stays the source of truth. People data is entered once, in SAP ERP HCM, and MuchSkills follows.
- A skills layer on your HR system. Skills, certifications and project history sit next to the people records you already trust.
- Clean data for planning. Reporting lines, departments and tags arrive ready for filtering, gap analysis and Team Builder.
Important to know
Important to know
What syncs. Only name and email are required. Sync as many of the other fields as you can, because each one makes MuchSkills more useful.
| Field | Needed | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| First and last name | Required | Profiles, search, every view |
| Required | Matching and sign-in. Must be the address people sign in with | |
| Job title | Recommended | Profiles, roles, Discover |
| Manager | Recommended | Reporting lines, My Circle, reports. MuchSkills maps it from SAP ERP HCM automatically |
| Department | Recommended | Departments and filters |
| Employee status | Recommended | Deactivating leavers |
| Location or country | Recommended | Filters and scoping |
| Profile photo | Recommended | Profiles and the org chart |
| Worker type | Recommended | Filtering, for example employee or contractor |
| Absence | Recommended | Availability in Team Builder and My Circle. Dates and percentages only |
| Other fields | Optional | Any field can become a filterable tag, for example legal entity, team or cost centre. Agree them with us first |
Data MuchSkills does not accept. These are blocked when data arrives and never stored, even if the source includes them: age or date of birth, salary or other compensation data, performance ratings, and political, religious or health data.
Who is included. Limiting what the integration user can see in SAP ERP HCM is the preferred way, so nothing outside your scope leaves your system. The fallback is a country filter in MuchSkills; records outside it are ignored and not stored. Your security or compliance team decides which fits your rules.
Leavers are deactivated, not deleted. Project history and certificates stay on record.
Our IP addresses. MuchSkills always connects from the same two addresses: 13.51.77.53 and 16.170.107.61. If SAP ERP HCM or your network limits access by IP address, add both to the allow list.
Common errors
Troubleshooting
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Some people are missing | They are outside what the integration user can see in SAP ERP HCM, or outside the scope filter | Check the integration user's permissions and the scope |
| Managers are missing or wrong | The manager is outside the scope, or has no manager set in SAP ERP HCM | Check that every manager is in scope and that reporting lines are filled in in SAP ERP HCM |
| A person appears twice | Their SAP ERP HCM email differs from the address they signed up with | Align the email in SAP ERP HCM, then contact support |
| The connection is refused | SAP ERP HCM or your network limits access by IP address | Add 13.51.77.53 and 16.170.107.61 to the allow list |
| The sync stopped | The service user's certificate or password changed, or the service was moved | Renew the access in SAP ERP HCM and send us the new details securely |
Frequently asked questions
SAP ERP HCM is not listed in MuchSkills, or shows as Contact us. Can we still connect it?
Yes. SAP ERP HCM is connected as a custom set-up rather than from a form, because every installation is configured differently. Email support@muchskills.com or use the chat, and we book the technical session.
Do we need middleware or an integration platform?
No. MuchSkills reads directly from SAP ERP HCM over HTTPS. Your team only creates the read-only access described on this page.
Can we leave out some countries, companies or groups?
Yes. The preferred way is to limit what the integration user can see in SAP ERP HCM, so only people in scope ever leave your system. If that is not possible, MuchSkills can filter by country as records arrive and ignore the rest without storing them.
Can we test with a few people first?
Yes. The first sync can be limited to a handful of people or one department. You check the result, then we widen the scope. There are no separate test tenants.
How often does it sync?
Every 5 hours. An Owner or Admin can also run a sync at any time with Sync Now.
What happens to people who leave?
They are deactivated at the next sync, never deleted. Their project history and certificates stay on record, which matters for compliance.
Do you import absence reasons?
No. If you sync absence, MuchSkills takes only the dates and the percentage of time away. Reasons such as sick leave are never imported.
How do we send the credentials safely?
Through a secure channel we agree with you in advance, such as a password manager share. Never by plain email.