3232504 - Unable to create EricContext due to null object loaded from local variable 'key'

You are facing an issue when running HCM ELSTER scenario using PI/PO system as middleware.

When capturing the relevant traces as per SAP Note 1514898 - Troubleshooting SAP Process Orchestration / Integration, you will see an error similar to below:

Caught java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to create EricContext due to: while trying to invoke the method java.lang.Object.hashCode() of a null object loaded from local variable 'key'
at com.sap.fin.xi.elster.eric.EricContext.buildContext(EricContext.java:176)
at com.sap.fin.xi.elster.eric.EricContext.<init>(EricContext.java:115)
at com.sap.fin.xi.elster.eric.ERiCModule.process(ERiCModule.java:212)
at com.sap.fin.xi.elster.ElsterHCMSendModule.process(ElsterHCMSendModule.java:30)
at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor876.invoke(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
...

• SAP NetWeaver
• SAP Process Integration/Orchestration
• Elster 2.1 

Process Orchestration 7.50, PI 7.50, PO 7.50, NetWeaver, XI, SAP, PI, PO, ELSTER, HCM, modul, RFC, SOAP, sender channel, receiver channel, EricContext,  Unable to create EricContext, Object.hashCode, null object, local variable 'key' , KBA , BC-XI-CON-ELS , HR/FI Elster Module for PI , Problem