National Manufacturing and Gas Company (GASCO) required a middleware solution to integrate its various IT applications like ERP and CRM systems with SADAD, a payment service provider in Saudi Arabia. Addvantum implemented an Oracle middleware solution including SOA Suite, WebLogic, and adapters to connect GASCO's systems with SADAD. This allowed GASCO customers to pay bills through SADAD. The solution reduced costs by reusing existing IT assets and was the first middleware integration of applications with SADAD in Saudi Arabia.

1. Profile:
• National Manufacturing and Gas
Company
• Has a host of IT Applications in ERP and
CRM Applications
High-level Scope:
• Required a solution to integrate SADAD,
a payments service provider in KSA, with
its IT applications
• Environment preparation
• Installation and configuration of different
SOA components
• Integration of Oracle EBS with SADAD
• Integration of EBS with Siebel CRM
Solution:
• Weblogic Suite, SOA Suite, Oracle
Applications Adapter, Enterprise Service
Bus, Oracle Enterprise Gateway
Challenges:
• System complexity
• Presence of firewalls and protocols
• Performance tuning
Outcome:
• Reduced upfront costs
• First ever Middleware based solution of
SADAD in KSA

2. Client Overview
National manufacturing and Gas
Company (GASCO) serves consumers via
provision of LPG at the highest efficiency
levels and commitment to protect and
develop the local environment. It transports,
fills and markets LPG (butane and/or
propane). GASCO has a host of IT
Applications in the following areas of
technology:
• An ERP System based on Oracle
E-Business Suite,
• A CRM System based on Oracle Siebel
CRM
GASCO required a middleware solution to
integrate its various IT applications across the
board in real-time, having over 10,000+ users
geo dispersed across KSA.
Scope
The following is a high-level list of activities
performed during the project:
Environment Preparation: Preparation of
hardware resources as per requirements.
• Installation and Configuration of
different SOA components.
• Integration of EBS with Siebel CRM
through Oracle SOA
• Integration of Oracle EBS with SADAD
through Oracle SOA
• Integration of Siebel CRM with SADAD
through Oracle SOA
• Unit Testing
• User Acceptance Testing
• Commercial launch with SADAD services

3. SADAD Payment System (SADAD) was established by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) to
be the national Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) service provider for the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia (KSA). The core mandate for SADAD is to facilitate and streamline bill payment
transactions of end consumers through all channels of the Kingdom’s Banks. SADAD was launched
on October 3rd, 2004.
GASCO essentially required a solution to link SADAD with its internal IT applications. This would provide
a means to connect to SADAD Payment System to enable GASCO’s various customers to pay their
bills using this service.
Addvantum suggested and implemented a host of Oracle middleware applications including
Weblogic Suite, SOA Suite, Oracle Applications Adapter, SOA Management Pack, Web Logic
Management Pack, Enterprise Service Bus and Oracle Enterprise Gateway. The SOA layer consisted
of two main parts, the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Layer and a Service Consumers Layer on one side,
and a Service Providers Layer on the other. Each service in the ESB layer was architected and
implemented with its own tools/components to achieve the intended business and functional
objectives. With the fulfillment of these requirements, applications (Service Consumers and Service
Providers) become eligible to exchange data and information in a real-time transparent manner.
Solution

4. Special contractual/technical requirements
• Execute all installations, operations,
handling and standardization activities
for hardware and software based on
internationally accepted standards and
best practices.
• Confirm stability of database work and
conduct periodic check for trace and
log files and initialization parameters.
• Provide all documents to GASCO
pertaining to the appropriate strategic
plan for integrations and configurations
options.
• Follow up on and monitor all system
components in terms of homogeneity
and functional integration.
Technical installation service procedures
included the following:
• Complete analysis for all systems and
applications in GASCO.
• Compilation of as is and to be
documents based on the
comprehensive analysis and requirement
gathering performed.
• Comprehensive risk analysis and risk
mitigation procedures.
• Integration of working steps for data flow.
• Detailed review of all business processes
and services to be used in project design
and implementation.
• Reutilization of services according to the
governance model in place.
• Comprehensive user acceptance testing
(UAT) in a pre-production environment.
• Security tests for every system before
production rollout.

5. Some of the challenges faced by Addvantum included system complexity which meant that
understanding the exact requirements for integrating/mapping both applications was completely
essential. Network infrastructure availability due to the presence of network and firewall protocols
was an issue that was effectively dealt with. Another issue was that of performance tuning. This was
resolved by making corrections to the Middleware and ensuring it was able to handle the daily load
at the customer’s end. Another unique issue was that of the multitude of services provided by
SADAD. It was difficult to accurately determine how SADAD was performing and more so to ascertain
the best fit of services tailored to GASCO’S needs. Therefore, in order to achieve this, Addvantum
had to test every plausible outcome or the most workable version for GASCO.
Oracle SOA Suite’s architecture helped GASCO lower upfront costs by allowing maximum re-use of
existing IT investments and assets, regardless of the environment they run in, or the technology they
were built upon. Addvantum enjoys the distinction and merit of completing the first ever Middleware
based applications services of SADAD in the Saudi region.
Challenges
Outcomes