Clarification on BU_PARTNER and BP_PARTNR in SAP S/4HANA

[RahamanEmal]

Dear SAP Community,

According to prevailing literature, such as “Business Partners in SAP S/4HANA®: The Comprehensive Guide to Customer-Vendor Integration” by Jawad Akhtar, Rheinwerk Publishing, 2022", there appear to be no distinct differences between a "Central Business Partner" and a "Business Partner" in SAP S/4HANA. Both terms seem to be used interchangeably to represent the central concept of business partner management in SAP S/4HANA.

However, while exploring an SAP S/4HANA system, I observed the existence of two distinct objects – BU_PARTNER and BP_PARTNR – along with two different transactions – BUCF and BC15. These objects seem to utilize separate number ranges.

Could you kindly clarify the difference between BU_PARTNER (Central Business Partner) and BP_PARTNR (Business Partner) within the context of SAP S/4HANA business partner management?

Thank you in advance for your insights and support!

Best regards,
Emal Rahman