Seamlessly Bring SAP Ariba Procurement Data into Retool Using CData Connect AI

Retool enables the rapid creation of custom internal tools using a low-code or no-code approach. By integrating SAP Ariba Procurement into Retool with CData Connect AI, you can access live data from SAP Ariba Procurement in real time, enabling you to build more efficient apps and streamline workflows.

This guide walks you through the simple steps to connect SAP Ariba Procurement to Retool via CData Connect AI using OpenAPI or the Virtual SQL Server API. You can securely connect to your SAP Ariba Procurement data, ensuring seamless integration and real-time updates, empowering you to create smarter apps and enhance operational efficiency. Let's get started!

Configure the SAP Ariba Procurement Connectivity for Retool (in CData Connect AI)

Overview

Here is an overview of the steps:

1. Configure: (Optional) Set up your SAP Ariba Procurement data source in CData Connect AI, add a Workspace, add assets to your Workspace, and generate a Personal Access Token (PAT).
2. Connect: Link Retool to CData Connect AI using OpenAPI or the Virtual SQL Server API.
3. Explore: Use your connected data to build smarter apps and explore advanced integrations.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following before starting:

1. An active SAP Ariba Procurement account and credentials.
2. A CData Connect AI account. Log in or sign up for a free trial here.
3. A Retool account. Sign up here.

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Connect to SAP Ariba Procurement from Connect AI

CData Connect AI uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.

1. Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection
👁 Adding a Connection

2. Select "SAP Ariba Procurement" from the Add Connection panel
👁 Selecting a data source

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to SAP Ariba Procurement.

   In order to connect with SAP Ariba Procurement, set the following:

   • ANID: Your Ariba Network ID.
   • ANID: Specify which API you would like the provider to retrieve SAP Ariba data from. Select the Buyer or Supplier API based on your business role (possible values are PurchaseOrdersBuyerAPIV1 or PurchaseOrdersSupplierAPIV1).
   • Environment: Indicate whether you are connecting to a test or production environment (possible values are TEST or PRODUCTION).

   Authenticating with OAuth

   After setting connection properties, you need to configure OAuth connectivity to authenticate.

   • Set AuthScheme to OAuthClient.
   • Register an application with the service to obtain the APIKey, OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret.

     For more information on creating an OAuth application, refer to the Help documentation.

   Automatic OAuth

   After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

   APIKey: The Application key in your app settings. OAuthClientId: The OAuth Client Id in your app settings. OAuthClientSecret: The OAuth Secret in your app settings.

   When you connect, the provider automatically completes the OAuth process:

   1. The provider obtains an access token from SAP Ariba and uses it to request data.
   2. The provider refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.
   3. The OAuth values are saved in memory relative to the location specified in OAuthSettingsLocation.
   👁 Configuring a connection (Salesforce is shown)
   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add SAP Ariba Procurement Connection page and update the User-based permissions. 👁 Updating permissions
   

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect AI through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect AI. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect AI app to open the settings page.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give the PAT a name and click Create. 👁 Creating a new PAT
   
4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

Configure SAP Ariba Procurement Endpoints for Retool

After connecting to SAP Ariba Procurement, create a workspace for your desired table(s).

1. Navigate to the Workspaces page and click Add to create a new Workspace (or select an existing workspace). 👁 The Workspaces page.
   👁 Adding a new Workspace.
   
2. Click Add to add new assets to the Workspace.
3. Select the SAP Ariba Procurement connection (e.g. SAPAribaProcurement1) and click Next. 👁 Selecting an Asset (Salesforce is shown).
   
4. Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm. 👁 Selecting Tables (Salesforce is shown).
   
5. Make note of the OpenAPI URL or the Virtual SQL Server URL for your workspace, e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/openapi/v3/{workspace_name}...

With the connection, PAT, and Workspace configured, you are ready to connect to SAP Ariba Procurement data from Retool.

Connect Retool to SAP Ariba Procurement in CData Connect AI

Now that you've configured your SAP Ariba Procurement connection in CData Connect AI, it's time to integrate it with Retool.

Retool can be connected to SAP Ariba Procurement in CData Connect AI via either OpenAPI or the Virtual SQL Server API. Choose the method that best suits your workflow:

Connect via OpenAPI

To connect using the OpenAPI specification, follow these steps:

1. On CData Connect AI, from the left-hand side, go to Workspaces then select a Workspace.
2. Click the View Endpoints, and under the OpenAPI, copy the OpenAPI URL for the workspace. Keep the default options. See OpenAPI section for more information. 👁 Copying OpenAPI URL in CData Connect AI
   
3. Login to Retool and then go to the Resources tab, click Create new > Resource.
4. In the Select a resource type search bar, and search for OpenAPI.
   👁 Retool Resources Screen
   👁 Retool OpenAPI Resource
   
5. Click OpenAPI. The Configure OpenAPI screen appears. Enter the following information to configure the OpenAPI connector:
• Name: The Connection Name to identify the connector on Retool.
• Specification URL: The OpenAPI URL you copied from the Workspace in CData Connect AI. Paste the URL here.
• Forward headers when fetching OpenAPI spec: Check this box.
• Under the URL parameters, keep the key-value pair unchanged.
• In the Headers section, write the key as Authorization and in the value, write Basic.
• For the Basic connection value, Retool requires a base64-encoded version of your CData Connect AI username:PAT combination (where PAT is the token you generated earlier). Use a tool like this to encode the value. For example, [email protected]:12345 encodes to dGVzdEBjZGF0YS5TIzNDU=. Copy this encoded value and paste it into the value field after Basic with a space.
• Username: Enter your CData Connect AI username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect AI interface. For example, [email protected].
• Password: Enter the PAT you generated on the Settings page.
👁 Configuring OpenAPI Resource in Retool

6. Click Test connection to test your connection configuration. Once you have a successful connection, click Create resource.
7. Create the app in Retool in which to integrate your data.
8. Click Create resource query. 👁 Resource Query Screen for OpenAPI in Retool
   
9. Select the new resource you created, and view the endpoints that are available. 👁 Resource Query Screen for OpenAPI in Retool
   
10. You can now build your app with your live SAP Ariba Procurement data. 👁 Resource Query Screen for OpenAPI in Retool
    

Connect via Virtual SQL Server API

To connect using the Virtual SQL Server API, follow these steps:

1. Login to Retool, then go to Resources. Click Connect New at the top-right and select Resources.
👁 Retool OpenAPI Resource Search

2. Enter Microsoft SQL in the search bar, click the resulting option, and enter the following details:
👁 Microsoft SQL Resource Searched in Retool

• Name: A name for the connection to CData Connect AI.
• Host: tds.cdata.com.
• Port: 1433.
• Database Name: Enter the Connection Name of the CData Connect AI data source you want to connect to (for example, Salesforce1).
• Database Username: Enter your CData Connect AI username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect AI interface. For example, [email protected].
• Database Password: Enter the PAT you generated on the Settings page.
👁 Microsoft SQL Resource Details in Retool

3. Click Test Connection. If the connection fails, you might need to whitelist CData Connect AI IPs for Retool and other data sources. Check out the documentation here.
4. If it succeeds, click Create Resource.
5. Your connection is now set up, and you can build your app with live SAP Ariba Procurement data.

Build Retool Apps with Your Live SAP Ariba Procurement Data

Now that you have integrated SAP Ariba Procurement with Retool using CData Connect AI, it's time to utilize your live data to its full potential. Let's build a simple app:

• Step 1: Set Up the Table (on home screen)
  • Create a New App in Retool.
  • Select your SAP Ariba Procurement connection.
  • Add a Table component and bind it to SAP Ariba Procurement's data.
  👁 New App in Retool
  
• Step 2: Add Filters (on top-right)
  • Add a Dropdown to filter by Opportunity Stage.
  • Add a Text Input for searching Account Name.
  👁 App Building Screen in Retool
  
• Step 3: Display Key Metrics (below Table)
  • Add a Text component to show Total Amount of filtered opportunities.
  • Use a query to sum the Amount for filtered data.
• Step 4: Add Visuals (top-right or side panel)
  • Add a Bar Chart to visualize opportunities by Stage.
  • Add a Line Chart to show Expected Revenue over time.
• Step 5: Test and Deploy (top-right)
  • Test filters, search, and charts.
  • Deploy the app and share the link for access.

With these steps, you've successfully created a dynamic app to manage and visualize your Salesforce opportunities. Enjoy exploring your live data and leveraging it for better insights!

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