Faster Supplier Onboarding and Higher Data Quality Through Coupa SAP MDG Integration
The Business Impact
The Impact Amista Delivered
By implementing a robust and future-proof integration, Amista enabled Johnson Matthey to:
- Eliminate duplicate suppliers across systems
- Establish SAP MDG as the single source of truth
- Automate supplier creation and updates end to end
- Strengthen governance with auditable, role-based workflows
- Scale supplier management globally without performance issues
The result is a streamlined procurement landscape that supports both operational efficiency and long-term growth.
The Original Situation
Johnson Matthey, a global leader in chemicals and sustainable technologies, uses Coupa for supplier onboarding and Supplier Information Management, while SAP Master Data Governance acts as the central master data platform.
Synchronizing supplier data between both systems proved challenging. Coupa and SAP MDG rely on fundamentally different data models, and missing or inconsistent key mappings caused supplier updates to be incorrectly processed as new creations. This led to duplicate records, manual corrections, and reduced confidence in supplier data.
To support their global operations and growth ambitions, Johnson Matthey needed a reliable, scalable and well-governed integration between Coupa and SAP MDG.
Why Amista
Johnson Matthey selected Alluvion, powered by Amista for our deep expertise in SAP Master Data Governance, complex system integrations, and global procurement processes.
- Standard SAP capabilities such as the Data Replication Framework and APIs
- Targeted enhancements for key mapping, validation and workflow logic
- A pragmatic, no-nonsense approach focused on business impact and scalability
Challenges vs. Solution
Coupa represents suppliers using multiple entities, including Supplier Info records, Remit-To details and multiple Supplier Sites. SAP MDG, on the other hand, models suppliers as a single Business Partner representing the legal entity.
We translated Coupa’s richer supplier structure into SAP MDG in a consistent and controlled way:
- Supplier Info records became the main Business Partner
- Remit-To details were mapped to bank data
- Supplier Sites were created as separate Business Partners for ordering addresses, linked via partner functions
Incomplete key mappings caused the system to misinterpret updates as new suppliers, resulting in duplicates and manual rework.
We implemented enhanced key mapping and validation logic that automatically determines whether a supplier should be created or updated. This logic ensures correct linkage between Coupa and SAP MDG records and prevents duplicate supplier creation.
Johnson Matthey required auditable workflows, flexible approval routing and the ability to handle large data volumes without disrupting the business.
- Automatic creation of SAP MDG Change Requests via standard SAP web services
- A dedicated Global Requestor enrichment step for early data validation and completion
- Dynamic workflow routing based on supplier category
- Selective outbound replication of approved supplier data back to Coupa
Thanks to Alluvion, Powered by Amista, we now have reliable supplier data, strong governance, and a scalable integration that supports our global procurement operations.
Lessons Learned
- Standard SAP functionality provides a strong foundation, but targeted enhancements make the difference
- Robust key mapping and validation are essential to avoid duplicate suppliers
- Comprehensive testing is critical in complex master data integrations
- Designing for scalability from day one pays off in global environments
Struggling with fragmented master data or complex procurement integrations?
Customer
Johnson MattheyTechnology used
SAP MDGAbout our client
Johnson Matthey is a global specialty chemicals company focused on sustainable technologies. It develops advanced solutions in catalysis, precious metals and performance materials, helping customers worldwide improve efficiency, meet regulatory demands and accelerate the transition to a low‑carbon economy.