Working with SAP Concur ICS: Bridging Flexibility and Integration for Travel and Expense Management

In the dynamic world of enterprise travel and expense (T&E) management, integration is everything. Organizations using SAP Concur often want more than just out-of-the-box functionality, they need custom solutions that align with internal processes,   compliance frameworks, and enterprise systems like SAP ECC or SAP S/4HANA. That is where SAP Concur ICS (Integrated Customer Solution) comes in. 

Phoenix Business Consulting has worked closely with SAP Concur ICS across multiple projects, and in this blog, I want to share what it is, why it matters, and some practical considerations if you’re thinking of building or supporting custom extensions on the Concur platform. 

1. What Is SAP Concur ICS? 

 SAP Concur ICS (Integrated Customer Solution) is a framework provided by SAP Concur to allow certified partners and select customers to build custom integrations and extensions that connect Concur with other enterprise applications. ICS is especially useful when standard connectors do not meet the organization’s needs or when deeper or more tailored data flows are required. 

ICS allows us to access, transform, and exchange data securely between SAP Concur and systems like SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, Oracle, Workday, and even proprietary in-house applications. Whether it is syncing travel requests, expense reports, cost center validations, or budget reservations, ICS helps organizations achieve tighter control and smarter automation. 

2. Why Use ICS Over Standard Integrations? 

 SAP Concur provides a rich set of APIs and a standard suite of connectors. However, there are several reasons why enterprises prefer or require ICS-based custom integrations: 

• Unique Business Logic: Companies often have complex approval workflows, policy compliance rules, or financial validation processes that standard connectors cannot manage. 

• On-Premise ERP Systems: Organizations still running SAP ECC or hybrid systems often need specific logic for cost centers, internal orders, WBS elements, or fund reservations none of which is easily managed by default APIs alone. 

• Advanced Data Mapping: ICS allows detailed mapping and transformation of data structures to match what your backend ERP expects. 

• Security and Governance: With ICS, integrations can be tailored to align with internal security, audit, and compliance requirements. 

3. Our Experience Working with ICS 

In one of Phoenix Business Consulting’s recent projects, we built a tool called “Budget Check” using SAP Concur ICS to validate real-time budget availability in SAP ECC during travel request report creation and real time Budget Document changes during expense report creation. This was a textbook example of how ICS empowers enterprise control over spending decisions. 

 Using SAP Concur’s APIs, we accessed travel request data and passed it through our custom middleware, which then called SAP ECC via RFC to check budget availability. If funds were available, a reservation was created ensuring the trip was financially viable before approval. ICS provided the flexibility and authentication mechanisms to make this integration dependable and secure. 

 Other common use cases we have implemented using ICS include: 

• Automated employee master sync from SAP HCM to Concur 

• Integration of corporate credit card feeds with custom reconciliation logic 

• Validation and filtration of Cost Objects before Master data replication 

• Validation of GL accounts and cost objects from SAP before expense submission 

• Custom compliance alerts or warnings during request and expense creation with budget availability as a base 

4. Key Components of an ICS Implementation 

 Working with ICS usually involves the following building blocks: 

1. Concur APIs: These include RESTful endpoints for accessing data like travel requests, expense reports, user profiles, cost objects, etc. 

2. Middleware/Integration Layer: This could be developed in tools like SAP CPI, Dell Boomi, MuleSoft, or even lightweight services using Node.js or Python, depending on the use case. 

3. Authentication: ICS solutions typically use OAuth 2.0 for secure, token-based access to Concur APIs. 

4. Monitoring and Logging: A robust ICS solution includes proper logging, error handling, and monitoring so that issues can be identified and resolved proactively. 

5. Challenges and Tips 

 While working with ICS is powerful, it comes with its own set of challenges: 

• API Rate Limits: Be mindful of Concur’s API rate limits, especially during large data syncs. 

• Data Transformation: Matching Concur’s data model with ERP structures can be tricky and often requires thoughtful mapping. Especially when managing complex data like HR data from SAP HCM. 

• Testing Environment: Ensure you have access to SAP Concur’s sandbox environment for development and thorough testing before going live. 

• Error Handling: Build resilient error-handling routines especially when dealing with asynchronous or batch processes. 

• Documentation: Concur’s developer portal is a great resource but always evaluate endpoints individually to understand their exact response formats and edge cases. 

Conclusion 

SAP Concur ICS is more than just a technical integration tool it is a strategic enabler. For enterprises managing global travel and expenses, ICS allows teams to embed financial governance and operational efficiency directly into the user journey. Whether you are trying to connect legacy systems like SAP ECC or ensure airtight budget compliance before travel, ICS provides the tools to build integrations that are dependable, secure, and tailored to your unique needs. 

If you are considering extending or customizing your SAP Concur environment, investing time in understanding ICS and partnering with experienced professionals can yield long-term efficiency and control. 

By: David Szymanski, SAP Concur Consulting Manager and Senior Architect at Phoenix Business Consulting