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Overcoming SAP Data Challenges in Microsoft Fabric with Xtract Universal & CDC
When introducing Microsoft Fabric, Zehnder Group International AG faced the challenge of efficiently integrating SAP S/4HANA data into a modern data lakehouse architecture using incremental data extraction. With Xtract Universal and its CDC component, the company successfully built a stable, high-performance, and flexible solution for SAP data extraction.
Customer & Challenge
The Zehnder Group offers world-leading solutions for comfortable, energy-efficient, and healthy indoor climate management. The Group's products and services cover heating, cooling, ventilation, and air purification. It develops and manufactures its products at its own facilities in Europe, China, and North America. Around 3,600 employees work for the Group, which is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
Zehnder has long used Qlik as its data analytics solution for group-wide reporting based on a KPI model. To optimize data management, Microsoft Fabric was to be introduced as a central data hub in the form of a data lakehouse – unifying data integration, transformation, and storage before making data available in Qlik.
During the Fabric rollout, Zehnder initially relied on Microsoft's designated CDC connector for SAP data extraction. However, this connector became unavailable following a last-minute change by Microsoft. "That was a cold shower – not just for us, but for many companies using MS Fabric," explains Yosdeny Velazquez Delgado, Application Manager BI at Zehnder Group International AG.
As an alternative, Zehnder spent several weeks testing an SAP-side approach using CDS Views and OData Services. "What was critical for us was the ability to work with Change Data Capture – transferring only the changes. That's exactly what we couldn't achieve satisfactorily with this approach, because no true Change Data Capture logic was possible, meaning large volumes of data always had to be processed instead of just the changes," says Yosdeny Velazquez Delgado.
"Xtract Universal makes our daily work easier. It extracts data from SAP efficiently, transfers only the changes to Microsoft Fabric, runs stably in the background, and requires no maintenance. That's exactly how it should be."
Solution with Xtract Universal
Since that path didn't lead to the desired outcome, Zehnder launched a structured evaluation phase covering four specialized SAP data extraction solutions, including Xtract Universal.
The focus was not only on technical criteria such as performance and feature set, but also on implementation effort, support, and collaboration with vendors. It quickly became clear that many solutions looked suitable on paper but turned out to be significantly more complex in practice. "With some tools, it was already difficult just to get started with implementation. Coordinating appointments, explaining requirements, setting up additional proof-of-concepts – it was time-consuming, and communication was sometimes challenging. It took a long time before you felt understood or received any support," Yosdeny Velazquez Delgado recalls.
Xtract Universal stood out positively in direct comparison. "We installed the trial version, extracted a few tables, and it simply worked. Even extending the free trial period was no problem," Yosdeny Velazquez Delgado confirms. "Support was there when we needed it, but without pressure. We could evaluate at our own pace."
Another advantage was the solution's flexibility: Xtract Universal integrates well into existing architectures and could largely be implemented by the internal team. "We wanted the tool to adapt to our architecture, not the other way around. And that's exactly what happened," says Yosdeny Velazquez Delgado.
A technical challenge arose later in the process. Zehnder runs SAP S/4HANA in a RISE with SAP environment in the private cloud, which initially caused communication issues between components. Theobald Software responded promptly with a support ticket, identified the root cause within two days, and delivered a new release within a week that enabled data extraction to work as intended.
"We hadn't even signed a contract at that point, and yet Theobald Software jumped on the issue immediately. I found that truly remarkable," Yosdeny Velazquez Delgado emphasizes.
The Table CDC component of Xtract Universal played a central role in the decision. It enables incremental extraction of SAP data by transferring only the changes.
At the end of the evaluation phase, Yosdeny Velazquez Delgado described the decision as clear-cut: "We evaluated all the solutions – technically, in terms of support, and in terms of communication. Xtract Universal came out ahead by a wide margin."
Outlook
UiPath plans to extend its use of Xtract Core with incremental extraction and scheduling capabilities to further enhance automation.
“We see Theobald Software not just as a technology provider, but as a strategic partner on our journey toward the next generation of process automation. We would recommend Theobald Software anytime – not only for the technology but also for the collaborative partnership,” says Miller.
Conclusion: A Strong Partner for Strong Results
With Xtract Core, SAP integration has gone from a constraint to a competitive advantage for UiPath. The partnership with Theobald Software has simplified, accelerated, and strengthened UiPath’s SAP connectivity — building the foundation for advanced, data-driven process optimization.