Difference Between Master Data and Transaction Data in SAP

[Bhavesh1509]

Hi Team,

In this Blog, we will see difference between Master Data and Transaction Data in SAP.

Master Data	Transaction Data
Definition: Master data in SAP comprises the core, foundational data that remains relatively stable and provides essential information about entities, objects, or elements used in business processes. Master data serves as a reference point for transaction data.	Definition: Transaction data, on the other hand, represents the actual business activities and events conducted within an organization. It captures the specific details of individual transactions or operations.
Characteristics: Stability: Master data is generally long-lasting and relatively static. It doesn't change as frequently as transaction data. Essential: It represents critical business entities, such as customers, vendors, products, materials, employees, and organizational units. Shared: Master data is typically shared across multiple business processes and transactions. Examples: Customer master data (for storing customer details), Material master data (for storing information about products/materials), Vendor master data (for storing vendor information), and Employee master data (for storing employee information) are common examples.	Characteristics: Dynamic: Transaction data is dynamic and subject to frequent changes as business processes are executed. Transactional: It includes records of business transactions, such as sales orders, purchase orders, invoices, deliveries, and production orders. Specific: Transaction data is specific to a particular activity or event and often includes timestamps. Examples: Sales orders, purchase orders, invoices, production orders, and delivery notes are examples of transaction data.
Maintenance: Master data is maintained centrally, and updates to master data records are relatively controlled and subject to approval processes.	Relationship with Master Data: Transaction data often references master data. For example, a sales order may reference the customer's master data, and a purchase order may reference vendor master data.
Examples: Customer Master Data: Contains information about customers, such as name, address, payment terms, and credit limit. Material Master Data: Stores details about products or materials, including descriptions, units of measure, and procurement information. Vendor Master Data: Holds information about vendors or suppliers, such as contact information and payment terms. Employee Master Data: Includes data about employees, such as names, positions, and organizational assignments.	Life Cycle: Transaction data has a defined life cycle, starting with its creation, followed by processing, and often ending with its archiving or deletion.

 

Conclusion :

Here we get clear idea about difference between master data and transaction data.