In the modern enterprise environment, user convenience, data security, and streamlined workflows are critical. SAP Concur, a leading solution for managing travel and expense (T&E), is widely used by organizations to automate and control spending. To enhance user experience and ensure secure access, integrating SAP Single Sign-On (SSO) with Concur is a strategic move.
This article discusses the benefits, architecture, and implementation of SAP SSO for Concur, focusing on how it boosts security and efficiency for T&E processes.
SAP Concur is a cloud-based solution that helps organizations manage travel bookings, expense reporting, and invoice processing. It is often integrated with core SAP ERP systems like SAP S/4HANA or SAP ECC for real-time financial visibility.
As a SaaS application, SAP Concur relies heavily on secure, scalable identity management, making it a prime candidate for SSO integration.
SAP Single Sign-On (SSO) enables seamless and secure access to SAP and non-SAP systems using a single user credential. When applied to SAP Concur, SSO ensures that employees can log in once (typically using their corporate credentials) and access Concur without being prompted to enter a separate username and password.
This is commonly achieved using SAML 2.0 (Security Assertion Markup Language), a widely accepted protocol for federated identity management in cloud applications like Concur.
Employees often use Concur while on the go — booking travel, uploading receipts, or submitting reports from mobile devices. With SSO:
SSO enables organizations to enforce corporate authentication standards such as:
This reduces the risk of phishing and unauthorized access, especially critical for applications handling financial data.
SSO with Concur allows IT teams to:
With centralized access and secure authentication, companies can better comply with regulations like:
SSO helps streamline audit trails and demonstrate control over sensitive systems.
The SSO integration between SAP Concur and an enterprise identity provider follows a SAML 2.0-based federated authentication model:
| Challenge | Best Practice |
|---|---|
| Mismatched user IDs | Standardize email formats across systems |
| Inconsistent authentication policies | Align IdP policies with corporate security standards |
| Mobile access issues | Test SSO integration on mobile devices and apps |
| User adoption | Communicate the benefits and provide training resources |
Using SAP SSO for Concur Travel and Expense is a smart move for enterprises seeking to improve security, user experience, and operational efficiency. With SAML 2.0-based integration, employees enjoy seamless access while IT maintains centralized control over authentication. As travel and expense management becomes increasingly mobile and cloud-based, SSO is a key enabler of secure digital transformation in SAP environments.
Keywords: SAP SSO, SAP Concur, Travel and Expense Management, SAML 2.0, Identity Provider, Single Sign-On, SAP Identity Authentication, Enterprise Security, Cloud Integration