What is the best practice on extending Business Partner in S/4HANA with table like data?

[sascha_roehm]

My requirement is to extend the business partner in S/4HANA with custom table data (not single fields) in S4HANA ON PREMISE. Goal is to add multiple classification data to a customer's sales area (0..n). Screenshot below is just a mock-up).

I am reading a lot of stuff, to make sure I do it the right way. Coming from a SAP CRM background and having worked with business partners in the past, I thought this would be pretty straight forward. Just find the alternative/replacement of Application Enhancement Tool (AET) (used in SAP CRM for such purposes) and go ahead. AET (see screenshot below) enables you to create new fields and, more importantly, whole tables that would extend the standard business partner model (UI, DB tables, BOL, BDocs) in SAP CRM.

Now, I am seeing a lot of different things on extensibility:

• Custom Fields, for obvious reasons, only adds single fields to a business context (nice blog Adding Field in standard Fiori apps of S/4HANA with Custom Fields and Logic from Masaaki Arai)
• Custom Business Objects is able to add tables (create complex data with root and child nodes, OData services, ...)
• BDT seems to be directed to single fields and extension of GUI transaction BP (two very nice blogs from Andi Mauersberger: SAP S/4HANA Business Partner Toolset (BDT) at Business Partner and SAP S/4HANA Business Partner Field Enhancement)

I think the best fit would be in-app extensibility Custom Business Objects. This comes really close to AET from SAP CRM. It creates custom tables and CDS views, offers creation of an OData service and custom logic for determination and validation. The only thing it does not do, is create an association to the standard business partner.

Field type 'Association to Business Object' only offers very few standard business objects in its value help (see screenshots below).

Is there a best practice on how to extend SAP business partner in S/4HANA with table like data? Maybe somebody had a similar requirement and can help me out where to start.

Best regards Sascha

[sascha_roehm]

The open improvement request (Custom business object association with standard business object 'SAP Business Partner') for this at SAP is in 'Status: Planned (Long-term)' and 'Decision: Next update in Q1/2024'.

Today (Q1/2025!), I had a 15 minutes meeting with SAP where they promised to look into the topic and update the improvement request.

Best regards Sascha

[GitteGreibe]

Hi @sascha_roehm 

Did you find a solution to your request?

If yes, can you then still use mass change Fiori apps for the Business Partner without destroying your data in your add-on table?
And does the app 'Manage Business Partner Master Data' still work for you without getting your data in your add-on table deleted?

We have tried to extend the business partner with a new field in the unloading point table. Unfortunately, that did not go well hand-in-hand with mass change app's and the 'Manage Business Partner Master Data. So we have rolled back to standard again.  

BR Gitte Greibe

[sascha_roehm]

Hi @GitteGreibe

there is no solution yet. After raising this a ticket to SAP, I was told to create an improvement request. That improvement request is in status 'Planned (Long-term)'.

It probably will get more attention, the more people vote for it.

Custom business object association with standard business object 'SAP Business Partner'

Best regards

Sascha

[GitteGreibe]

Hi @sascha_roehm

I have put my vote in 😊

Best Regards, 
Gitte. 

[PAstolfi86]

Hi,

I have the same requirement type.

Did you resolved?

[sascha_roehm]

Hi,

no I did not resolve it. SAP is being very uncooperative about this.
The first incident I raised to SAP (March 22, 2023) was closed by explaining I need to create an improvement request.

So, I created this Improvement Request Details - Customer Influence (August 3, 2023). It has been classified as 'Planned (Long-term)', which in reality means: 'We as SAP will never respond to it again'.

To draw attention to my ignored improvement request, I created an incident again (Octobre 22, 2024).

Best regards
Sascha