- SAP Managed Tags:
- Introduction
- What are ‘transaction and screen variants’?
- Behavior of F-58 & FBZ4 ‘Payment with Printout’
- Business Scenario
- Solution & system configuration
- User Handling/Testing
- Conclusion
- Introduction
In almost every project there is a need to restrict access to a certain set of T -Codes for a certain group of users or specific roles are assigned with specific authorization to a group of users and this is all achieved by involving Basis colleagues.
Similarly, a business might have a requirement to hide or display some fields or make some fields required on a certain screen or simply a requirement to change a standard screen layout. Where, enhancements or user exit solutions are implemented to meet such requirements.
Most of the clients face issues of using a standard program displaying unnecessary standard fields on the user entry screen which are not required by a business or some standard fields should be hidden or only certain fields should be displayed or a certain field should be made required for a certain group of end-users.
SAP offers functionalities of ‘transaction variant’ &‘screen variant’ which can be used by functional consultant without involving Basis colleagues to adjust the layout of a standard screen depending on the need of a business.
- What are ‘transaction and screen variants’?
Transaction variant can consist of multiple screen variants and every screen variant has fields to control as per the need. Transaction variant is assigned to a certain transaction.
Transaction variant functionality allows the consultants to do the following:
- Maintain default values
- Hiding and changing of field
- Attributes can be hide and changes
- Menu function can be invisible , deactivate , display and required.
- Hiding entire screens
Screen variants are valid cross client but client specific transactions can be applied. It contains values for only one screen but can be assigned to multiple transaction variants.
Screen variant functionality allows the consultants to do the following:
- Maintain default values in field
- Hiding and changing of field
- Attributes can be hide and changes
- Behavior of F-58 & FBZ4(Payment with Print out)
In order to post a Payment with Printout, a user can use two different transaction codes:
F-58 and FBZ4.
FBZ4 runs on the program ‘SAPMF05A’ with screen variant ‘130’. Whereas, F-58 runs on the transaction which has default values of FBZ4. i.e.F-58 calls FBZ4 on the back to post the payment transaction.
| F-58 | FBZ4 |
| - FBZ4 skips the initial screen of check details when executed; but in F-58 the screen of check detail appears. | |
| - In FBZ4, the field of document type ‘BLART’ is a required entry which is not default. But in F-58 the field of document type ‘BLART’ is set to ‘KZ’ (Vendor payments) by default. | |
For these reasons, the functionalities of transaction & screen variant can be used for T-Code FBZ4; because it is run on the above mentioned standard program.
- Business Scenario
A client has a far-stretched business. An accounting staff is present at multiple locations to record incoming vendor invoices and outgoing vendor payments relevant only for their region. Whereas, supplier/vendor master data is maintained centrally at a head office level. In the course of business, it’s quite possible that a same vendor is supplying same product and at a same price to different locations of the client.
The regional accounting staff uses the T-Code ‘F-58’ for the payments with check print.
If the use of the program “Payment with Printout” is not restricted for regional accounting staff then it enables the end user working at a regional location to make mistakes of posting a payment for a wrong open item and probably have access to the data of all the open items of a given vendor.
The client wants to restrict the authorization for accounting staff working in regional offices so that they are able to post outgoing payment only for the known invoice relevant to their region.
- Solution& system configuration
As screen of F-58 doesn’t allow the authorization restriction based on user id, the two possible options to achieve the result could be:
a) requesting the Basis to modify the program and restrict the use
b) use the functionality of transaction and screen variant to restrict the access to the Tcode F-58 for a user only by entering a known document number
The solution (b) can be configured in the system by following the below mentioned steps.
| Step 1: Execute the T-code ‘SHD0’ and use transaction code ‘FBZ4’ in the transaction code field available on the screen. We use this T-code because ‘F-58’ is already a variant/parameter transaction of the program ‘FBZ4’.In simple words, ‘F-58’ calls ‘FBZ4’ on its backend. |  |
| Step 2: Write the T-code ‘FBZ4’ in the transaction code field for field settings and click the ‘create button’ to control the field settings. Create a group for the transaction variant and assign the user(s)to it. ‘FBZ4’ screen is displayed after entering into the screen. |  |
Step 3: The required details are entered. A screen with the header details appears after entering into the screen variant and pressing enter. Move on to the next screen for the document number fields. Here we have to deal with the Field ‘RF05A- XP0S1’. But it cannot be changed in the standard, so we go on the next screen and select the radio button in additional selection. |  |
| Step 4: Select the buttons ‘Choose’, ‘Post’ and ‘Process Open Items’ and deactivate these buttons from menu function button to hide or make display only on the screen of ‘FBZ4 or F-58’ The selected/desired buttons are now deactivated and we do not have these options available to use by the user. |  |
| Step 5: Now we have to make the field ‘document number’ mandatory in additional selection. We are specifying it by entering document numbers which is currently not mandatory. After pressing enter the screen variant ‘0129’ Program ‘SAPMF05A’ is displayed where we are making the Fields (RF05A-SEL01 & RF05A-SEL02)mandatory. Save and Exit. |  |
Step 6: Activate the Variant |  |
- User Handling/Testing
Run the T-Code F-58.
Now the regional end-user doesn’t have any option to go and check all the supplier line items because the button have been deactivated. i.e. ‘Process open items & Post’.
But to check vendor liability the end-user will select the ‘other selection’ option from Edit in menu bar and will give the relevant document number against which the payment has to be recorded.
The screenshot shows that document number is now a mandatory field.
- Conclusion
A desired level of user authorization, restricted access and customized screen layout is achieved without the use of Basis. Hence the business requirement has been fulfilled.
Co-author: Salman Ali Akbar
https://www.linkedin.com/in/salmanaliakbar/
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