Share one number range across 2 systems to facilitate phased migration from SAP ECC to S/4

[MauricevH]

Our requirement is to have SAP ECC and S/4 Public Cloud, both multi-company, to "share" the same Material Number range, and therefor prevent that a newly created Material in one system gets a Number assigned where in the other system a Material already exists with the same Number.

Basis for this requirement is another requirement: to be able to migrate Materials from SAP ECC to S/4 while keeping the Material Number from SAP ECC.

We consciously choose to keep the same 8-digit number format (from 10000000 to 89999999) in S/4 as in SAP ECC to avoid different number formats in S/4.

In SAP ECC, external numbering is applied (user chooses a number) within this 8-digit number range and the used Material Numbers are scattered all over the entire range.

Another important requirement: In S/4, a new Material must have a Number assigned automatically (user cannot choose) from the same 8-digit number range. 

So basically, we want S/4 to issue new Numbers automatically from this Number Range, but "skip" Numbers that already exist as Material Number in both systems.

In parallel, SAP ECC should be able to check that the Number a user chooses for a new Material doesn't already exist in S/4.

In the mean time, it must remain possible to migrate Materials from ECC to S/4 while keeping their 8-digit Material Number.

Important to know: it is not feasible to split the 8-digit number range in multiple smaller number ranges, because of the scattering. 

I would like to receive possible solution options for this challenge.

[Chris1973]

Good day @MauricevH 

Thank you for your question.

Please review these references for more details:

Defining Number Ranges, Determine Your Strategy for Number Range Assignment, Maintain Variant Table ID Number Range, Defining Number Ranges and Material Master Number Ranges

In summary, public cloud does not allow you to share material number ranges with ECC or to skip material numbers dynamically. Due to its clean-core approach, it does not provide exits or BadIs to adjust number assignment. This also explains why you cannot implement cross-system synchronised number ranges.

Adhering to the clean-core solution will enable you implement API-based real time validation. ECC checks S4H before accepting a user-entered material number. This is to ensure your 8-digit number remains unique across both systems. Migration Cockpit can still load ECC materials using the same number.

You can, however, alternatively use BTP as central number assignment service to reserve subranges in S4H, or adopt alphanumeric numbers.

Let me know if you have further questions.

Best regards

Chris

[MauricevH]

Hi Chris, thanks for your response. Instead of skipping numbers dynamically, does S/4 public cloud allow to add logic after issuing a new number (which increases the number range status by +1) to evaluate whether the next numbers are still available or should be skipped, and in case of the latter, automatically change the number range status into a number just before a free and available range of numbers? Of course, this could be done manually as well, but we want to prevent generating an occupied number at all times.