Meat&More steps up integration with SAP Integration Suite

As organizations mature, integrating applications, processes, and data becomes increasingly complex. With over 90 interfaces running on SAP and its Process Orchestration (PO) integration software sunsetting by 2027, Meat&More knew it had to act. Together with Flexso, the company started transitioning its interfaces to SAP Integration Suite (IS), enabling seamless, event-based integration between SAP and its broader Azure ecosystem.

MM Groepsfoto Centrale 20171004

About Meat&More

Founded in 1990 as a small family business specializing in processed meat, Meat&More has grown into a leading, vertically integrated group with 180 retail outlets, +1,600 employees, and a varied product range. The 60,000m² headquarters in Aalter serves as the central hub for production, logistics, and support activities. From this state-of-the-art facility, Meat&More supplies all Buurtslagers butcheries and Bon'Ap stores throughout Flanders.

From SAP PO to Integration Suite

In 2023, Meat&More completed its brownfield migration to S/4HANA. When SAP announced that it would end support for Process Orchestration – its software for integrating and automating business processes – by 2027, Meat&More reached out to Flexso to help find an alternative.

"PO's successor, SAP Integration Suite, seemed like the logical next step," notes Dimitri Deflo, SAP Manager at Meat&More. "We approached Flexso to conduct a migration assessment. Based on their expertise, they recommended transitioning a few interfaces to SAP Integration Suite instead of fully migrating. This meant we had to redesign the interfaces from scratch on the Business Technology Platform.

"A transition is more expensive in the short term, but offers significant long-term advantages as we leverage the latest technologies and follow SAP best practices."

Dimitri Deflo - Domain Architect at Meat&More

Towards an integrated labeling process

It wasn't long until Meat&More kicked off the first integration project with Flexso. Named after the printers used to label all products, the Bizerba project focused on streamlining the labeling process. "Previously, the master data needed to create labels was scattered across various SAP and third-party apps," Dimitri explains. "Manually maintaining this data in multiple locations was very time-consuming and made the labeling process prone to errors."

"We went for a clean core approach. All label data is maintained in S/4HANA. Event-based integration via Integration Suite allows changes to be passed on to Azure right away."

Kristof Cappellen - SAP BTP Solution Architect at Flexso Digital

"We opted for a clean core approach," says Kristof Cappellen, SAP BTP Solution Architect at Flexso Digital. "We extended the data models in S/4HANA and introduced event-based integration. SAP Integration suite acts as the bridge between S/4HANA and Azure, which runs the app that controls the printers. In just three to four months, we transitioned all 34 printers to the new setup."

Bizerba: before vs. now

Before:

  • Scattered data
  • Lots of manual work
  • An error-prone process

Now:

  • All data centralized in S/4HANA
  • Easier to maintain and fewer errors
  • Event-based integration: changes to the data in the ERP are instantly and seamlessly passed on to Azure
  • Option to create client-specific labels

Integrating +90 interfaces with SAP Integration Suite

The Bizerba project marked just the beginning of the collaboration between Meat&More and Flexso. "We have over 90 interfaces running on SAP," says Dimitri. "Our plan is to transition them one by one to Integration Suite, moving away from IDOCs and SQL databases and fully embracing event-based integration. Beyond 'labeling', we've already transitioned 'retail pricing', with 'articles' next in line."

Meat More Integration

Have an integration project in mind yourself?

As a trusted SAP partner, we specialize in delivering high-quality SAP Line of Business solutions and leveraging the full potential of SAP BTP. Backed by a strategic position within the Cronos Group and strong partnerships with industry leaders like Microsoft, AWS, and Google, we are uniquely placed to guide you toward a smart, end-to-end architecture.

Powered by Flexso Digital: experts that transform ideas into innovation

Smart integration, custom extensions, apps that provide extra automation… we do it all!

Think outside the box to optimize your business processes.
Get to know us

Written by

Kristof Cappellen

Kristof Cappellen

Get inspired by our customers