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What is the difference between the enterprise management layer and SAP Best Practices?
The enterprise management layer is based on SAP Best Practices (on premise).
However, it is deployed as an appliance (no activation of SAP Best Practices is required) and the content has been adapted and enhanced in many areas.
What is the difference between the enterprise management layer for SAP S/4HANA and for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, extended edition?
The enterprise management layer for SAP S/4HANA is available as a service in the context of Rise with SAP (SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition) or other SAP managed system landscapes as well as on-premise customers (their landscape might be hosted by a hosting provider as well). All scope and service options can be selected. The service also includes a short knowledge transfer session for the customer’s project team.
The enterprise management layer for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, extended edition was available as part of the subscription until end of 2021, but is no longer offered.
How can I choose the functional scope of my future enterprise management layer system?
Each system is built based on customer requirements that are communicated to us via a questionnaire:
- Country scope: you can choose up to 43 countries with full scope and 6 countries with a reduced, Finance-centric scope that covers statutory requirements.
- Group currency: you specify your group currency. Each country (company code) has a local currency in parallel.
- Fiscal year variant: you specify your company’s corporate fiscal year. In addition, you can set a local fiscal year variant for each country in 2 local ledgers.
- The standard scope will be available in each customer system: the ‘always available’ scope items are listed in the questionnaire in green color.
- Scope Options: these are mostly scope items that require an additional software license (or a test license). They can be selected by each customer. They are listed in the questionnaire in orange color
- Service options: these are scope items that do not exist in SAP Best Practices and can only be deployed with the enterprise management layer. They carry a cost and need to be included in the service contract. Currently the following service options are available:
- Intercompany Processes (between 2 countries)
- Cross-plant stock transfers within 1 county of your choice
- Project System for Accounting
- Engineering Projects
- Billing of Projects (within 1 country) for fixed price and resource-related billing
- Intercompany Billing of Projects (between 2 countries) for fixed price and resource-related billing
- Intercompany Billing of Services (for DE and US)
Further reading: Enterprise Management Layer for SAP S/4HANA – Focus Topic: Content | SAP Blogs
Which languages are included? Can I choose the languages I need?
The following 25 languages are always included as system languages:
Arabic, Czech, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Norwegian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
The business content (configuration as well as print forms and master data) is also available in these languages.
Unfortunately, we cannot de-install languages.
How is the enterprise management layer deployed?
The enterprise management layer is primarily positioned for SAP S/4HANA greenfield implementations for new or installed base customers transitioning to S/4HANA.
The system is built in an SAP internal staging area based on customer requirements that are communicated to us in a questionnaire and then deployed in the customer environment via the database backup / restore technology.
Hence, the enterprise management layer can only be deployed as an appliance (or system), it cannot be activated or partially activated based on transports or BC sets, for example. It cannot be combined with a customer’s legacy system nor with already activated SAP Best Practices in a customer system.
However, it can be used as a reference system or sandbox in this use case, for testing and selective, manual copying of business content.
The enterprise management layer is always delivered with multiple clients:
| 100 Config & sample master data | Test and validate the standard business processes during Explore phase |
| 400 Config only | Use for configuration, as the basis for your D-Q-P systems |
| 050 Backup of client 100 | Use as a safety net, to review original status of configuration and master data. Copy it in case you need a fresh or an additional client. |
| 010 Embedded BI / Copy of client 000 | Purely technical client, required for Fiori app functionality. Can be used to set up embedded BI. Copy of client 000. |
Important:
The enterprise management layer provides all configuration relevant for the preconfigured processes (scope items), but not all standard settings from client 000 (‘whitelist’). They can be copied from client 000 or client 010 (preferred) if required.
Further information is available here: Alternative 1: Setting Up a Best Practices Client - SAP Help Portal
How much RAM does the HANA database need?
The initial size of the SAP S/4HANA system with the enterprise management layer will require approximately 200GB RAM. Please be aware that this is only the initial sizing. If you bring in further data or you are creating further clients for any purpose, the size will increase accordingly.
How long does it take to build my the enterprise management layer system?
Once the commercials for the service are finalized, it typically takes between one and three weeks to build the customer system in the SAP internal staging area, depending on scope and availability of resources. We then take the database backup and provide it for restore in the customer landscape, which will also take some time.
Can I start working in the enterprise management layer system before my system landscape is fully functional?
Yes, an image of the enterprise management layer is available in the SAP Cloud Appliance Library for a 30 day trial.
This system is not adapted to customer requirements and comes with all license-relevant scope options. It cannot be used to build the productive system!
More information: Enterprise Management Layer for SAP S/4HANA – Now Available in Cloud Appliance Library | SAP Blogs
We also provide the option to work in the customer-specific, custom-built system within our staging area, at additional cost, calculated on a weekly basis. This is an option if you need a temporary system or a sandbox for a limited time, for a proof-of-concept for example.
In this case, all you need is an internet connection and a Citrix client on your PC.
More information and contact: Please have your SAP contact review our internal information on SAP internal SharePoint to find contact information.
How do I use the enterprise management layer in my project?
We see 2 main use cases:
SAP S/4HANA greenfield implementations for new customers or installed base customers transitioning to SAP S/4HANA.
The enterprise management layer will be leveraged during the Explore or Fit-to-Standard workshops, but also to build the customer’s productive system landscape. In this case, the database backup containing the enterprise management layer (see topic Deployment above) will be deployed in the Sandbox (if available), the Development, Quality and Production systems.
Sandbox or reference system only for those customers that are
- running a Discovery, Proof of Concept project first for evaluation purposes
- running a legacy system and need a reference system with the latest SAP S/4HANA functionality and standard business processes deployed, including preconfigured localization content that might be useful for further rollout in additional countries.
In both use cases, we recommend to first test and review the standard business processes before making any configuration or master data changes.
Recommendation: To personalize the system for the Explore phase, you might want to change the descriptions of the organizational units or materials and business partners for example, but keep the original configuration and master data as such. To be able to follow the test scripts by the letter, you need to have the initial data in place.
Please also refer to SAP Activate methodology: Roadmap Viewer (ondemand.com)
Can I use the enterprise management layer if SAP is not my implementation partner?
Yes, you can. Only SAP can sell the service to a customer, but you can choose a different system integrator for the project.
However, we recommend to include SAP at least in an advisory role to ensure optimal alignment on content and project methodology.
I already have a SAP S/HANA system. Can I still use the enterprise management layer?
The enterprise management layer cannot be combined with an existing system. As you restore a database backup, you would overwrite your existing system.
However, the enterprise management layer can be used as a reference system to evaluate:
- New functionality that you might not be using yet, for example to extend the functional scope or to familiarize yourself with SAP S/4HANA in general
- Localization content for rollout of your legacy system to further countries
You can copy configuration from the EML reference system into your customer system either manually or using BC sets (which can be generated from transport requests).
I have received a system with EML, where do I find additional information?
Find general information on the enterprise management in this blog series: Enterprise Management Layer for SAP S/4HANA – Information Hub | SAP Blogs
Find detailed information such as test scripts for enterprise management layer specific scope items and user guides on SAP Signavio Process Navigator: Link
Use the flow diagrams and test scripts, as well as general accelerators from SAP Best Practices from the SAP Signavio Process Navigator : Link
SAP internal content is available here: SAP Product Content (sharepoint.com)
I have the EML documentation - where do I find configuration documentation?
We provide a EML configuration document for the changes we made on top of the standard configuration coming from the SAP Best Practices, for example for our different ledger setup or for additional or corrected content.
For the underlying content coming from SAP Best Practices, you will no longer find configuration guides in the SAP Signavio Process Navigator. However, you can generate configuration documentation:
- Log on in client 050 of your EML system and follow the instructions:
- SAP Best Practices Administration Guide 2022 and navigate to chapter 'Generating Configuration Information'
- Select the building block from a customer solution (Z_CUST_SOL_OP_S4HANA2022_<CountryCode>V9), you will see the configuration details from the installation data.
If you want to check a building block that is out of scope of the customer solution, you’ll have to upload installation data into a reference solution (or a full copy of a reference solution). We recommend to only do this for one country, as the number of solutions with uploaded content should be kept to the necessary minimum as it causes a high data volume.
Can I change the configuration in the enterprise management layer?
Yes! The enterprise management layer is a standard SAP S/4HANA system (on premise). You can access the IMG with SAP GUI and make the configuration changes or additions you need. We recommend you keep client 050 as-is for future reference though and do not change configuration nor master data there.
Note: The enterprise management layer is always delivered with multiple clients:
| 100 Config & sample master data | Test and validate the standard business processes during Explore phase |
| 400 Config only | Use for configuration, as the basis for your D-Q-P systems |
| 050 Backup of client 100 | Use as a safety net, to review original status of configuration and master data. Copy it in case you need a fresh or an additional client. |
| 010 Embedded BI / Copy of client 000 | Purely technical client, required for Fiori app functionality. Can be used to set up embedded BI. |
Which configuration settings do you recommend I review or adapt before I start testing?
Certain configuration settings cannot be changed once transactional data has been created, in particular in Financial Accounting.
Hence, we recommend you review the standard configuration and adapt it as required in the following areas:
- Check if the fiscal year variant is the same on group level and on a local level for all company codes. You can set a country-specific fiscal year variant on company code level in ledgers YL and YX. The initial setup, we have set the local fiscal year variants to calendar year (K4) for all company codes except for Japan and India (April-March, i.e. V3). You might not need the shadow ledgers YL and YX if you use the same fiscal year variant on group and local level in all countries.
- Check if additional ledgers are needed or if ledgers can be deleted, for example the tax ledgers YS and YX.
- The group accounting principle (A000) is generic and can represent IFRS, US GAAP, etc., depending on customer requirements. You can keep the entry A000, change the description and check and adapt the related configuration, for example in Asset Accounting (useful life, depreciation rules, etc.), foreign currency valuation, etc.
How can I change the chart of accounts / load my legacy chart of accounts?
The enterprise management layer comes with a standard chart of accounts: YCOA.
During the Explore phase, we recommend you work with this chart of accounts to ensure that the business processes work correctly and as described in the test scripts. Using a different chart of accounts and different account numbers would mean that you also need to adapt the test scripts.
To convert the template CoA ‘YCOA’ to your legacy CoA, we offer a tool-based conversion service specifically to EML customers: it is based on a mapping file that needs to be filled out by the customer. Based on this mapping, the account numbers will not only be converted in the CoA, but also in all related configuration tables, for example the account determination for automatic postings. This service is the safest way to convert your CoA.
Recommendations:
- Provide a 1:1 mapping for each existing account to a new account number in the mapping sheet.
- 1:n mapping (1 existing account to multiple legacy account numbers) is not possible. You need to create the additional accounts after the conversion as a copy.
- Run the conversion at the beginning of the Development phase, in your DEV system, in client 400.
- Master data (business partners) and transactional data are not included in this service.
More information and contact: Please have your SAP contact review our internal information on SAP Product Content (sharepoint.com) to find contact information.
I need to change the enterprise structure: what do you recommend?
The same conversion service (see section above) is available for converting the numbers of the preconfigured organizational units. Each country is set up with a full enterprise structure. For example: the company code, plant, sales organization etc. for Germany will have number 1010, for the US 1710, etc.
Based on a mapping sheet, a 1:1 conversion can be performed – existing numbers can be reused in this process. For example: 1710 is to become 1010 and 1010 is to become 2010, etc.
If more organizational units are required per country, you can copy the existing entries using the Entity Copier (transaction ECOP).
The same advantages and recommendations apply as described above for the CoA conversion service.
The alternative is to manually copy the template organizational units to new numbers, delete the original ones, check completeness of copied configuration, complete the assignments as required, etc.
Can I activate additional scope items from SAP Best Practices?
Yes, with many restrictions:
- Perform the activation in an additional, separate sandbox client to make sure that the EML content is not impacted in case the new content is not compatible. Copy the new client from client 050 with profile SAP_ALL.
- Only activate additional scope items if you are still on the same release and feature stack as the original EML shipment.
- Only activate additional scope items if no configuration changes have been made nor transactions posted in the client.
- Do not activate SAP Best Practices scope items for additional countries that were not included in your EML system. You would run into errors during the activation and create inconsistent configuration in those areas where EML content is different from the original SAP Best Practices content, in particular in Finance!
- After the activation, check that the original EML configuration did not get changed by the activation: Check that the group currency did not get changed and that the ledgers and accounting principles are unchanged and no dependent settings have been impacted. You find the documentation of our original settings in the EML Delta Configuration document.
- If applicable, adapt the new configuration settings to the EML specific accounting principles and/or ledgers, for example if you activate Treasury scope items.
Do not activate scope items from SAP Best Practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition!
We can provide more detailed recommendations on request. Please have your SAP contact review our internal information on SAP Product Content (sharepoint.com) to find contact information.
I am missing standard configuration in the enterprise management layer. Why? And how can I complete it?
After thorough evaluation of the preconfigured business processes during the fit-to-standard workshops, functional gaps have been identified and additional, customer-specific configuration is required.
Additional configuration can be added by the customer’s project team, either manually ‘from scratch’ or based on standard SAP customizing settings, commonly known as client 000 customizing.
However, when working in the IMG, not all SAP standard (client 000) customizing is available and hence perceived as missing.
Whitelist’ Approach
In general, with SAP Best Practices and the enterprise management layer, only the configuration that is needed for the scope items that are included in EML will be in the EML clients (typically 050, 100, 400).
Standard (client 000) customizing settings are still available in client 000, and in client 010 of your EML system.
Advantage of the ‘Whitelist’ Approach:
You start with a clean system. When a user looks up available entries (F4), only relevant data is shown. No need to clean up client 000 customizing that is not required.
The New Standard
In many cases, SAP Best Practices do not use the known standard settings from client 000, but new standard settings with different names and which are appropriate for the new SAP S/4HANA functionality.
Examples:
Options for copying standard customizing from client 000 into other clients
Recommendation: Create a non-whitelisted (full) copy of client 000 or use client 010 of your EML system and give users access to this client, instead of letting them work in 000 directly. Always copy client 000 with SAP_CUST profile (or SAP_UCUS, including users), do not use SAP_ALL.
Various options exist and are described in the documentation of the enterprise management layer that is available in the SAP Signavio Process Navigator for EML (Documentation Library):
- Copy individual customizing table entries from client 000 when working in the DEV client 400
- Use transports to move customizing settings from client 000 (or 010) to the DEV client 400
- Merged client setup: Please refer to SAP Note: 2838358-Merged client setup SAP Best Practices / SAP Model Company clients
Always be aware that you might be copying outdated standard content that was applicable to ECC, but is not adapted to the new SAP S/4HANA functionality!
I have added configuration for one country. How can I extend this configuration to the other countries?
Let’s say you have added or changed configuration for plant 1010 and now you want to implement the same configuration for the US plant 1710 and more countries.
You have 2 options:
- Keep the original organizational units, for example plant 1710 for the US and adapt the related configuration based on plant 1010
- Copy plant 1010 with all related configuration to a new plant and not use plant 1710
For option A) you might want to evaluate the use of BC sets. BC sets have a lot of advantages over transports, for example:
- When you created configuration for plant 1010, you created transport requests. These transport requests can easily be turned into BC sets.
- BC sets allow you to selectively package and then activate configuration for certain tables and fields (for example: T001W - Activate requirements planning), records (for example Plant 1010). You can also make fields variable, for example, the number of the plant. This allows you to activate configuration of plant 1010 for plant 1710
- Before activating a BC set you can compare its content with existing content in the tables to ensure you are not inadvertently overwriting existing data.
- When activation a BC set, you can set the to-be entries for the variable fields, for example, the number of the plant. This allows you to activate configuration of plant 1010 for plant 1710.
Are Fiori Apps activated in the enterprise management layer?
Yes, the standard Fiori apps which are required for the scope items included in the EML (and mentioned in the test scripts) are available (UI components: UIAPFI70 and UIS4HOP1).
However, after a system restore or client copy, some post-processing will be required.
We cannot provide a list of all Fiori apps included, please refer to the SAP Fiori Apps Reference Library.
Fiori apps that are not related to scope we cover with the enterprise management layer may need to be activated.
For the post-processing steps, we can provide more detailed recommendations on request. Please have your SAP contact review our internal information on SAP Product Content (sharepoint.com) to find contact information.
Do you provide user IDs, roles, authorizations?
With the enterprise management layer, we provide user IDs for testing purposes. They are described in the EML user guide.
Before working with these user IDs, you need to assign the relevant business roles that are listed in the test scripts.
We use the standard SAP Business Roles (naming: SAP_BR*). These roles determine which Fiori apps you will see on your launchpad.
Our test users have authorization profile SAP_ALL and we do not provide EML-specific authorization profiles. Authorizations need to be implemented during the customer’s implementation project.
How can I load the content of the enterprise management layer into SAP Signavio?
Please use the standard content provided for SAP Best Practices for the solutions (countries) and scope items that are in scope for your project.
Please see SAP Note 3329491 - Consuming Value Accelerators – SAP Signavio Process Explorer
To customers who received their version of the enterprise management layer, we provide flow diagrams in BPMN2 format as well as test scripts for the scope items we add on top of SAP Best Practices.
Do you provide support to the project teams?
The enterprise management layer is based on a standard SAP S/4HANA system and does not include any non-standard functionality or objects.
You can use the standard SAP support channels and receive support for your system.
Please also check our SAP notes:
3296304 - Enterprise Management Layer for SAP S/4HANA - 2022 (PCE/OP) : Additional Information
3423346 - Enterprise Management Layer for SAP S/4HANA - 2023 (Cloud Private Edition / on premise) : Additio...
In these notes, we publish information on corrections that you might want to implement in your EML system, for example configuration changes that we made in our master system after making EML available or SAP notes that need to be applied to repair standard functionality, Fiori apps, etc.
Do you lifecycle the enterprise management layer after I receive it?
We do not provide content (configuration) updates in customer systems after the initial delivery.
We cannot implement configuration changes in systems that we provided previously and that are now running in the customer’s system landscape and where the content has certainly be changed already.
However, we do provide updates on functionality that we are adding or correcting (see the paragraph above):
- Please check our Blog series for updates: Enterprise Management Layer for SAP S/4HANA – Information Hub | SAP Blogs
- Please also check the enterprise management layer documentation library in the SAP Signavio Process Navigator: Link
We keep updating and adding test scripts, in particular for localization topics. These test scripts describe the configuration that you can implement yourself step-by-step in order to deploy the new functionality.
Can I upgrade the enterprise management layer?
The enterprise management layer is based on a standard SAP S/4HANA system and does not include any non-standard functionality or objects.
You can upgrade your system(s) to new feature stacks and releases, like any standard SAP S/4HANA system.
The upgrade will adapt the underlying standard functionality, but not the EML business content (configuration).
We recommend you continue using the SAP Best Practices test scripts of the release the enterprise management was delivered on. Newer documentation could include functionality that is not configured in your system.
How can I update 'my' enterprise management layer with future innovations or statutory requirements?
As we cannot directly lifecycle the EML content in a customer system, there is no way to automatically add content pertaining to future releases of EML. Here's what can be done:
Option 1: If you have a sandbox system, you can ask for a fresh EML build. We will provide a fresh database backup that you can restore in your sandbox. This will overwrite your existing sandbox. In other words, you lifecycle your sandbox and take over the content you need manually.
Option 2: If you only need the next release of EML for a limited time and as a reference system, you can deploy the latest EML image from SAP's Cloud Appliance Library and take over the content you need manually, for example localization updates. However, this image does not include the full scope of EML (not the 6 countries nor the service options such as intercompany processes or project system that we have added on top of the SAP Best Practices).
Option 3: If you want to explore and maybe add new functionality that did not exist in a previous release (for example the Maintenance Service functionality coming with release 2023), you can also try one of these approaches, using standard SAP Best Practices:
- Upgrade your EML system to the new release and create a fresh, empty client. Activate the new SAP Best Practices in this client. Careful: cross-client configuration might be impacted!
- Set up a sandbox system with the new release and activate the new SAP Best Practices.
- In both cases, you can use the new scope items to explore the functionality and take configuration over manually and selectively into your EML system.
Note: It is not possible to activate SAP Best Practices after you upgrade your EML system! Background information here.
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