At Figaf we use most of the time developing interfaces using SAP PI (Previous Exchange Infrastructure XI). The biggest reason to use SAP Process Integration (PI) anywhere is that it is rather quick to develop and get an interface up and run. This makes it quite ideal for prototyping. Within a day it is possible to have an interface running and start to test the flow. Sure it may take longer time to get everything up and running but overall it is quite easy to make it work for the first iteration. It is possible to get to try out some of the interface soon and you will then be able to test your ideas.
Another great advantage of SAP PI is designed for business integration. All the different components necessary for integrations is there, and there is not a need for a high level developer education. The focus is on the business process and not on how to create code. The mapping is the only place where you need to write code, but most of the mappings is can be done using the drag and drop mappings. Then the focus is on which business values is mapped between the two systems, and it can be done by business process experts (BPX).
In some cases you will need to work on areas where you will have to write code. If it is something you only need to do it some time you can outsource this code development or get some coaching on how to write the specific code.
The focus for the whole development process is therefore on how to get most business value added in the shortest amount of time.
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