S/4HANA Business Partner - Customer-Vendor Integration

[Ajeet]

Setting up Business Partner S/4 HANA

(Updated on 23th Aug 2021 )

This blog is based on S/4HANA 1511 release , however most of the concept of the setting up the business partner remains same for all the subsequent releases of S/4HANA i.e upto SAP S/4HANA 2020

This blog is aimed to give you most of the information you want to know for setting up Business Partner for new implementation or System conversion from ECC to S/4HANA.

There are redundant object models in the traditional ERP system in which  the vendor master and customer Master were used and with aim of principal of one SAP has simplified this approach and has introduced BP as mandatory target object in S/4HANA.

Business Partner is now capable of centrally managing master data for business partners, customers, and vendors. With current development, BP is the single point of entry to create, edit, and display master data for business partners, customers, and vendors

 

Customer/Vendor Object Model Limitations

• Only one single address


• No relation between a vendor and a customer for the same real world entity (no role concept)


• No time-dependency

Business Partner – SAP Strategic Object Model

• General data are shared across different roles


• One business partner could perform multiple roles, e.g., customer and vendor (supplier)


• One business partner could have multiple addresses


• Time-dependency object attributes and relationships


• Provide harmonized architecture


• Customer/Vendor Integration (CVI) component ensure the synchronization between the Business Partner object and the customer/vendor objects

Dependencies/Pre-requisites

Business partner has been mandatory with S4 Hana Enterprise Management version i.e 1511 and 1610 & old transactions related to Vendor and customers have become obsolete.

It´s recommended but not mandatory that BuPa ID and Customer-ID / Vendor ID are the same.

The Business Partner Approach is not mandatory for the SAP Simple Finance 1503

Check and activate Business Functions

CA_SUPPLIER_SOA

CA_BP_SOA Switch 'VENDOR_SFWS_SC1' and switch 'VENDOR_SFWS_SC2' have to be active for the vendor contact person’s data to be synchronized with BP contact person’s data



The appropriate specific transaction like XD01,XD02, XD03 or VD01, VD02, VD03 / XK01, XK02, XK03 or MK01, MK02, MK03 etc. are not available in SAP S/4HANA Enterprise management Version i.e. 1511 and 1610

Currently mass maintenance for customers and vendors via transaction MASS is not available.

Before you begin the BP conversion from an SAP ERP system to an SAP S/4 HANA system, you have to answer the questions Whether the Business Partner ID and Customer-ID /Vendor ID should be the same in the S/4 HANA System?

Business Partner Master Data Setup Process

Open Fiori App Manage Business Partner Master Data 

With this app you can manage business partner master data. You can create, change, search, display, and copy business partner master data. You must have assigned the business role Master Data Specialist - Business Partner Specialist SAP_BR_BUPA_MASTER_SPECIALIST 

Lets see how to setup one time customer and vendor master using this Fiori App.

1. Setup BP General Data

 

Select General Business Partner Role and Grouping, here this grouping is linked with customer/ vendor Number range and this Grouping is key in linking the Vendor/Customer & BP groups as well as number ranges which is explained below in detail.

Table BUT000 will be updated once General BP role is completed.

 

2. Setup FI Vendor

 



BP Role FLVN00 FI Vendor extension enables Invoice to be posted directly in FI.

Here vendor master table LFA1 and LFB1 will be updated.

FI document can be posted but cannot create PO as purchasing data is not yet extended so for extending purchasing data use ROLE  FLVN01

Table LFM1 will be updated once the BP Role is extended to Supplier BP Role

Once BP is extended to Purchase Organization using BP Role FLVN01 the vendor can be used PO can be created.

 

Setting up Customer

 

Table KNA1 will be updated once BP Role is extended to FI Customer and Finance can start posting directly in FI for example FB70 etc.

Extend Customer to Sales Area

BP Role FLCU01 is extended to sales area.

 

 

Table KNVV updated with Sales view details and henceforth Customer can be used in sales area.

Extend Customer to Credit Segment

 

Table UKMBP_CMS_SGM updated

Note- S4 Hana credit Management setting should be enabled to check the credit limits for customers

Maintaining Tax details

You can add customer Tax  details in Identification tab of BP which will enable you to enter tax details with tax category and tax number and once you save this detail in BP the same you can see in KNA1 table , you can check whether these tax categories exists in table V_TFKTAXNUMTYPE  & V_TFKTAXNUMTYPEC  & also check field BP status that these tax number fields are optional/mandatory not hidden..

 

 Customizing

Business Partner Customizing

Activate the PPO Request for the synchronization object Business Partner

Cross-Application Components--> Master Data Synchronization --> Synchronization Control--> Synchronization



Active Synchronization between Customer/Vendor and BP is active



 

Define BP Roles

Assign BP Role to BP Role Category

Cross-Application Components--> SAP Business Partner-->Business Partner--> Basic Settings --> Business Partner Roles-->  Define BP Roles



This setting is already available in standard delivered system for standard roles.

Account Group /Number Range Mapping

I am explaining below with an example of requirement for setting up One Time Vendor and One Time Customer Account and as a summary we need to setup Vendor/Customer Account group & assign number ranges to respective Vendor/Customer account group as it was required in classic ERP environment.

Additionally BP grouping is mapped with Vendor/Customer account group

 

Define Account Groups Vendor

Financial Accounting (New)--> Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable--> Vendor Accounts--> Master Data--> Preparations for Creating Vendor Master Data



Assign Number Ranges to Vendor Account Groups



Similarly for Customers we need to define Account Group and assign number range to Customer account groups.

 

Define Number Assignment for Direction BP to Vendor/Customer

Cross-Application Components--> Master Data Synchronization-->Customer/Vendor Integration --> Business Partner Settings --> Settings for Vendor Integration --> Field Assignment for Vendor Integration--> Assign Keys

Define Number Assignment for Direction BP to Vendor

Define BP Number Range and assigning to BP Grouping

Cross-Application Components--> SAP Business Partner--> Business Partner--> Basic Settings -->Number Ranges and Groupings

Define Number Ranges-BP



Define Groupings and Assign Number Ranges



 

Create Number Ranges for Vendor/Customer

Financial Accounting (New)--> Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable--> Vendor Accounts--> Master Data --> Preparations for Creating Vendor Master Data

Create Number Ranges for Vendor Accounts

 



Similarly create Number Ranges for Customer Accounts.

 

How to maintain Field Status ?

Refer SAP KBA Note 2565164 to know how to maintain field Status for BP

This will enable to start work with new Business Partner in S4 Hana Enterprise Management Environment.

Do you want to know how to convert existing Vendor/Customers while doing system conversion from ECC to S/4HANA ?

Very detailed information for deep dive you can refer this CVI cookbook link from Christoph Dutz, Michael Foo and Alexander Roebel which focuses on BP conversion from ECC to S4HANA

https://support.sap.com/content/dam/SAAP/SAP_Activate/S4H.0781%20SAP%20S4HANA%20Cookbook%20Customer%...

Also refer SAP note 2265093 which explains the conversion process of existing customer /vendors to business partners in detail - must refer the atttached PDF within this note you will find following very useful information :-

CVI_MIGRATION_PRECHK

This report performs the necessary business checks for customer and vendor master data if you are intending to migrate to SAP S/4HANA. This report gives an upfront overview of master data consistency that is required for conversion to business partner master data

CVI_UPGRADE_CHECK_RESOLVE

You can use this report to perform the necessary checks per client. It also provides Customizing resolution program, where you can find out missing customizing entries and the solution to create/correct these entries for each client.

PRECHECK_UPGRADATION_REPORT

This report performs the necessary checks for Business Partner before upgrading to S/4HANA. The prechecks that the report executes are listed here:-

• BP roles are Assigned to Account Groups


• Every Account Group BP Grouping Must be Available


• Customer Value Mapping


• Vendor Value Mapping


• CVI Mapping


• Contact Person Mapping


• Checking Direction from Customer to BP


• Checking Direction from Vendor to BP

MDS_LOAD_COCKPIT

You can use this report for the following purposes:-

• Synchronize the customer/supplier data into SAP business partner during conversion from S/4HANA to S4/HANA


• Create or update a corresponding SAP business partner for the customer and supplier data for general data, addresses, role data, bank details and so on

MDS_PPO2

You can use this report for the following purposes:-

• View the error state of Business Partner, Customer and Supplier synchronization


• Set the error log statuses to Completed after resolving the error

Do you want to know how to handle custom fields added in customer/vendor master in ECC during conversion to S/4 ?

In SAP Business Suite (ERP 600 and Enhancement Packages), customer master data and vendor master data transactions such as FD01, FD02, FD03, XD01, XD02, XD03, FK01, FK02, FK03, XK01, XK02 and XK03 have been enhanced by customers with additional fields using BAdI. In the customer and vendor master dialog transactions, these fields were integrated by adding additional sub-screens to the existing screens.

Moving to a SAP S4HANA release, traditional customer/vendor master transactions are made obsolete and replaced by the business partner transaction BP. Because of this, all extension-specific fields have to be integrated into the business partner.

PDF document attached with OSS note 2309153 provides a guideline how customers can transfer the enhancements they have made in the customer/vendor transactions to transaction BP, so that a maintenance of these fields remains possible after the upgrade to a S4HANA release.

https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2309153

Brought to you by the S/4HANA RIG

Thanks

Ajeet Agarwal

Product Expert- SAP S/4HANA RIG- APJ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ajeet]

 

Hi Aniket

You will have to use BP group as well Customer/Vendor group and align the field status for both.

 

Thanks

Ajeet

 

 

[former_member446237]

Hi Ajeet,

In customizing, there is no setting to configure field attributes / control via BP groups and Account Groups - at least I could not find it. The only settings I could find is the following:

Cross-Application Components > SAP Business Partner > Basic Settings > Field Groupings > Configure Field Attributes per Client / BP Role / Activity / BP type

This does not solve my problem. Can you guide me please how Field control can be implemented with BP groups?

Thanks,

Ankit

[venu_ch8]

 

Hello Ajeet,

Presentation of BP is very wonderful in terms of keeping knowledge in the mind.

Simply superb of documentation,please keep update this type of hana documents....

Thanks a lot....

[Former Member]

Dear Vikash,

 

Please let me know the answer for the above query posted by you if at all you have managed to find it.

I am also having same query..

 

Regards,

Kunal

[Ajeet]

For further deep dive you can refer this CVI cookbook link from Christoph Dutz, Michael Foo and Alexander Roebel which focuses on BP conversion from ECC to S/4HANA

https://support.sap.com/content/dam/SAAP/SAP_Activate/S4H.0781%20SAP%20S4HANA%20Cookbook%20Customer%...

[Ajeet]

 

Hi Ankit

If this is not the case I would suggest to raise an OSS message for the same.

Regards

Ajeet

[former_member550217]

Hi Ajeet,

Thanks for nice blog !

Do you have any idea why SAP has given additional attributes for role FI Customer , whereas we don't have any additional fields for vendor.

Also, Is BDT only solution to add custom fields in std. BP transaction or do we have any BADI etc..as in our case we successfully added fields in FLVN01 - Vendor but data is not updating in LFA1, but its updating in BT000. How is this two tables related in backend, is there some fields or .........

 

[le5lee]

 

Regarding the comment in your blog...

"The appropriate specific transaction like XD01,XD02, XD03 or VD01, VD02, VD03 / XK01, XK02, XK03 or MK01, MK02, MK03 etc. are not available in SAP S/4HANA Enterprise management Version i.e. 1511 and 1610

Currently mass maintenance for customers and vendors via transaction MASS is not available."

In the simplification guide for 1511 it includes this disclaimer for the MASS transaction. In the 1610 guide this statement is NOT present.  

We are currently using version 1610 and transaction MASS is not restricted, it is available.

However, we noticed that when making a mass change to LFM1 for INCO terms (using the LFA1 object) there were unexpected side effect updates to BP general data, specifically the Communication and Tax data. This data was not selected, only INCO1 field was targeted.

We submitted this to SAP, however...I am wondering aloud to the blogger...is the MASS transaction still considered "NOT available"  per your blog...OR is it available (and considered stable) since the disclaimer is no longer printed in the 1610 simplification guide.

 

[Ajeet]

Hi Leslee,

You are right now  MASS is available for BP this was in roadmap. and for the issue you are facing wrt INCO please work with OSS team to get further help on this.



To add the functionality of mass maintenance of Customers & Suppliers using XD99 and XK99 please implement the below notes if this note is not already exists:

2346269 - Mass Maintenance Functionality of Customers/Suppliers using XD99 and XK99

 

[Former Member]

Dear Ajeet,
thanks for this excellent blog and for sharing this link to CVI cookbook.

When I follow the link, the pdf opens up. Everything fine. On page 44 it says that there is a sample code embedded in a text file. Unfortunately, this does not work. Maybe the embedded text file is missing? The same is true for page 26 and the CVI number range worksheet.
Could you please ask your colleagues from SAP S/4HANA RIG to share these sample files with us?

Thank you! Kind regards, Tamara

[former_member213901]

Hi Ajeet,

I have created the BP with number  67  and saves ,after i selected  the role FLCU01, system proposed the number for customer 125 automatically under customer general data ,since i have used the internal number ranges .

My question is, where is the control that ,BP and  customer number will pick different .?

What is the function of BP number ,where i will use this ,i have BP 67 ,Customer 125 and Vendor 126 ,Where i have to use  BP 67

 

Please suggest .Thanks.

 

[Ajeet]

Hi Rampe

I have explained this number range concept which is required taking one example of one time vendor and the same settings are needed for customers also. mandatory steps would be :-

• Setup Vendor Group


• Create Number Ranges for Vendor Accounts


• Assign Number Ranges to Vendor Account Groups


• Define Number Assignment for Direction BP to Vendor ( Here BP grouping is linked with Vendor/Customer group and this BP grouping is used when you create a BP)


• Define Number Ranges-BP


• Define Groupings and Assign Number Ranges

Number range would pick up based on these settings and selected BP grouping while creating BP

[Ghanshyam]

Nicely explained!

[Former Member]

Nice document. Nothing new in S/4 HANA, all these functionalities are already available in ECC from a decade now.

[former_member239682]

Hi Ajeet,

Regarding the cookbook that you have specified, please could you upload/send me the txt file used to check master data which is inserted in the pdf document (page 44 from this cookbook)?

Thanks for your support,

Dani.

[former_member276626]

Hello, Ajeet:

 

First thank you for sharing this document. It is very helpful.

In this document, you mentioned that Table KNA1 will be updated once BP Role is extended to FI  customer.

But I am wondering if KNA1 table can be updated when the BP general data is created without entending FI customer data.

Our SAP is now connecting to SAP GTS system for compliance checking. There is background job in SAP ECC which is reading the KNA1 table for any new customer master data or master data change. and some custmer doesn't have FI data in our SAP. In this case, if we move our SAP to S4Hana platform, these customers without FI data can't be updated in KNA1 table and can't be transferred to GTS system.

Regards

[former_member241670]

Hello Ajeet,

first of all thank you for the helpful document.

I have configured the CVI in an ECC and converted the existing vendor to Business Partner without any problems. Now i have the problem, that the converted vendor is also a customer but the converted BP has only the roles FLVN00 and FLVN01. Do we have to link the customers to vendors manually with editing the BP and adding the roles for the customer and the necassary dates or would the CVI have to do that?

Thanks a lot.

Regards

[Former Member]

Hi,

I have problem when creating Customer and Vendor with BP. I give u some example, I want to create Customer SDCCCC and Vendor SDCCCC they are have same BP number. after create customer, i create for vendor and the error appear like this :

"Business Partner already exists"

I create in different BP role (Bp role Customer & Vendor). and im using External numbering. please someone guide me.

Thanks,

Padham

[former_member218524]

Hi,

After creating BP, again use BP transaction select the BP number and Select Supplier or customer role in "Create in BP role".

Regards,

Aparna

 

[former_member219044]

 

Hi, great document

But my scenario is slightly different, and I have been looking for a solution but not too much info.

In my case we are live with lot of data and a new company code has been created to do the payment for all other company codes. The business partner already exits in some existing company code, so it would be just adding that same business partner to the paying company but have no idea how to do it in mass for S/4 1610

 

Thanks,

 

Pilar C.

[jmalla]

Hi Ajeet,

So the older approach of customer change pointers generating DEBMAS IDocs no longer works with S/4?  We are configuring the customer replication - the change pointer configuration, ALE distribution model, and the partner profile is all set - but the IDocs are not getting created from running RBDMIDOC program.

Regards,

Jay

[former_member9572]

Hi SUdarshan,

COuld you find a solution for Multiple Ship-to's for a BP?

 

Regards

Hari

[former_member330246]

Dear Farhan, please, post a question about this issue in order to guarantee that another colleagues will know the solution. Let’s to avoid do questions on blog comments; when we create
a question, we release the solution for future colleagues with same problem.

Thank you, Fausto Motter

[Ajeet]

Hi Jay

Please refer OSS note 2559670  , DEBMAS is still available but you need to change the way it was replicating in ECC.

[jmalla]

Thanks for the information.  I will check out the note.  We did get Debmas IDocs to get generated.

[Former Member]

Hi Ajeet,

 

So According to best practices which is the best way to ingerate s4 hana for BP creation,

Idoc, LTMC etc??

if possible kindly share you email id.

 

BR,

Ahmed

ahmedkhan29789@gmail.com

[former_member579598]

Ahmed, thank you for sharing this.

Would you have any info on how to trigger CREMAS IDoc outbound when the BP is changed?

I activated change pointers for CREMAS, but I see in table CDHDR a BUPA_BUP change pointer, and this is not triggering the CREMAS outbound.

Rgds,
Derek

[Ajeet]

Hi Ahmed

For the initial load for new implementation projects LTMC is the standard tool available in S/4HANA to create BP.

Thanks 

[former_member313854]

Hi Derek,

Have you assigned the required Table/field to the message type (CREMAS) in Tcode: BDCP2? If yes, is it triggering the change log in the table BDCP2?

[Former Member]

 

Hello Ajeet,

Thank you for your excellent post.

Brief about my requirement: We have separate instances for SAP ERP HCM and S/4 HANA on Premise. Using ALE I have integrated  HR Mini Master with Basic Infotypes (0000, 0001, 0002, 0006, 0105, 1000, 1001).

Now Using the HR Mini master I have to setup Business Partner for Employee role. Do you recommend internal number range or external number range. It would be great help if you can share configuration steps for setup Business partner for Employee Role.

 

Thank you,

Ramakrishna.

[former_member338769]

In the CVI cookbook  from Christoph Dutz, Michael Foo and Alexander Roebel, on page 44 there is a mention of master data check report that can be executed to check for any master data (not configuration) inconsistencies. There is also a link to a sample report that the cook book advises to use to create a customized report.

Unfortunately, the embedded file cannot be open.

Is there another place I can get hold of it?

I have searched SAP Support portal for it, but cannot find it there.

 

Thank you

[Ajeet]

If you want to understand how to setup field status for BP, please refer SAP KBA 2565164

Thanks

[former_member597584]

Hi Ajeet,

Great work and nicely explained. I have few questions and if you can help clarify few concepts.

Let's say we have both customers and vendor which need to be migrated from non-SAP to S/4HANA. We are going to load customer first and then vendors. My questions are

1. What is recommended in case if we do business with a customer who is our supplier also? Create two different BP's with separate role or Create on BP with two roles? I know the answer can be "Whatever suits business need is better” but in that case please take a look at question # 2.


2. What if a customer is also vendor and now, we are going to have one BP and assign both roles to it?  How do we manage this? By managing in mean, if we execute the first load using the migration object "Customer” and created BP with role of customer and now we want to update this BP/customer and add role Supplier? Do I need to run a load again? And if YES, the BP already created earlier, how do we enhance it?


3. We want to use an external number range for all the customer and vendors getting uploaded to S/4. As you mentioned about that we can use the "Same Number" check which can help us get the same number for BP & Customer or Vendor. My question is, how during the migration run, system should use internal or external number range and use numbers from our pre-defined number ranges?

 

Will really appreciate if you can help me with above questions.

Thank you

Sajjad

[former_member191777]

Very well explained Ajeet . Thank you

[former_member555620]

Hi,

thank you for the useful document. I've just started to working in s4/hana 1610 on premise edition and in step 2 when I want to extend BP to FI vendor and select BP role FLVN00, company code tab is not displayed. It is hidden. I only see the data related to BP role-000000 (address, Could you please tell me what am I missing?

Best regards,

[dkle]

Customer/Vendor Object Model Limitations

You should add that they also share the same communication block (e.g. mail, telephone).

This is the reason why we canceled the consolidation. See note 2670582.

[dinesh_rai]

Hello Ajeet,

I have scenario where apart from regular customer our client has Super Customer : Super Customer

Can customer role - 1000 in S/4 can have 4000 - Bank Accounts role ?

[former_member219747]

Hello Ajeet,

Awesome blog and really very helpful 🙂

I had one question- I read you have  mentioned-

Customer/Vendor Object Model Limitations

Only one single address

Could you explain this bit more?

Thanking in advance!

Best Regards,

Mrityunjai

[Ajeet]

Hi Mrityunjai

With std Custome and vendor master you could maintain only one address however with BP you can define different address types by doing some configuration settings.

Path :SPRO-Cross Application Components-SAP Business Partner-Business Partner-Basic Settings-Address Determination-

1. Define Transactions

2. You need to define Address Types

3. You need to assign Transaction to Address Type

When ever you are creating multiple address entries while creating BP, It will reflects under BP Address Overview Screen.

Further you can also refer SAP note 2706243 

Thanks

[former_member326126]

Hi Ajith and SAP World

Just wanted to share my 2 bits.

If anyone facing 100’s of error entries during CVI and struggling to perform delta load for them. Kindly check below note and optionally also my idea of deleting BP table entries from se14.

https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2384595. --> Also include logic for the two tables but021_FS and but0is.

The z report attached in above note does not delete the entries due to the way the logic is written, you need to ask an abaper to review the code make changes to the logic to have entries deleted from database.

I would suggest a shorter way is to make all corrections found in transaction /SAPPO/PPO2 after running mds_load_cockpit for all entries, then delete all BP table entries from se14.

Follow these steps:

Run Transaction SE14 --> enter a table name found in note attachment --> select tables --> click on edit --> select delete data --> select direct/background --> click activate and adjust database.

Repeat above step for all table names from note and including the CVI*LINK* tables.

Next initialize BP Number Range NR status to 0 and re-run mds_load_cokpit for all entries for a quicker resolution.

Both ways (delete program from note or se14 way) can be done, depends on number of error entries, as I found doing delta load quite difficult after first run.

Thank You.

[Ajeet]

Thanks Tarun for sharing this useful information which may be helpful for many of our colleagues/ customers and partners.

Regards

Ajeet

[former_member824692]

Hello! Please, could you answer, How to make the field CREATION_GROUP mandatory? Tnahks!

[Pavel_Lobach]

Hello Narkez,

We've been recently looking for the same topic. Please, look through the comment section of the following blog post: How to find BP grouping from Business Partner | SAP Blogs (https://blogs.sap.com/2021/04/01/how-to-find-bp-grouping-from-business-partner/). I believe it could help you.

Best regards,

Pavel

[giorgio_mazzeo]

Hello, did you find a resolution for this problem? I am facing right now the same issue, after S/4 upgrade. Thanks, Giorgio