New Customer Vendor Integration Analysis (CVIA) Check in SAP Readiness Check is Now Live

 Dear All,

We are very happy to announce the go live of a new version of the check for Customer Vendor Integration (CVI) in SAP Readiness Check for SAP S/4HANA.

The mapping of customers and vendors to Business Partners is one of the main preparation steps for a system conversion to SAP S/4HANA and can be a showstopper for the conversion when there are unresolved synchronization issues. This topic has already been addressed in SAP Readiness Check by means of the Business Partners (Business Partner/CVI) check since May 2020. The new Customer Vendor Integration Analysis is the successor of the former Business Partners check, incorporating existing functionality of the prior version, while also offering new capabilities. The new check reports on synchronization status, indicates the implementation effort for the customer vendor integration, and provides information about the integration of master data to and from other SAP systems (such as SAP CRM or SAP Master Data Governance).

 

What’s Included in the New Customer Vendor Integration Analysis:

1. Overview on the Dashboard

 

An overview on the dashboard summarizes the key findings of the check, such as the implementation status of CVI at the time of the analysis. The following scenarios can be displayed:

• Business Partner not used and CVI inactive:
  No Business Partner records were found in your system. CVI is inactive.
• Business Partner used and CVI inactive:
  There are Business Partner records in your system, but CVI is inactive.
• Business Partner used, CVI active, and synchronization issues found:
  CVI is activated in your system. All links between customers, vendors, contact persons, and Business Partner entities are established. However, there are synchronization issues for customers, vendors, and/or contact persons with the corresponding Business Partner entities.
• Business Partner used, CVI active, and no synchronization issues:
  CVI is activated in your system. All links between customers, vendors, contact persons, and Business Partner entities are established. No synchronization issues have been identified.

In the graphic above, CVI is activated in the SAP ERP system. Not all links between customers, vendors, contact persons, and Business Partner entities are established. There are synchronization issues for some of the customers, vendors, and/or contact persons with the corresponding Business Partner entities. By clicking the tile, you can open the detail view of the check.

 

2. Detail View

Customers

On the Customers tab, information on data volume, data quality and custom fields is presented.

• The Data Volume section displays the following findings:

The number of customer master data records is compared to the number of records that are already synchronized to a Business Partner. If there is a delta, this indicates that the other customer records still need to be synchronized to Business Partner entities or have to be deleted. The same applies to the count of contact persons.

To resolve identified issues, use the tasks “Post-Processing” and “Completeness Check” in transaction CVI_COCKPIT in your SAP ERP system.

 

The subsequent rows do not show issues but an option for data cleansing – the identified customer and vendor entries can be merged to the same Business Partner:

 

• The Data Quality section provides an overview of the most common issues, lists the number of data quality issues found per check type, and provides a description of each check type (for example, in which table and field the identified issues appear):

 

 

• The Custom Fields section provides an overview of append structures and custom fields: If the customer or vendor data tables contain custom fields or append structures, it is necessary to integrate these additional fields in the Business Partner and CVI using the business data toolset (BDT).

 

The SAP Note 2309153 provides a document that explains how to make customer enhancements to the Customer/Vendor integration in order to integrate additional Customer/Vendor fields in the Business Partner and to use CVI synchronization to update them in the Customer/Vendor.

 

Vendors

The Vendors tab shows the same kind of information as the Customers tab, with the respective data sources.

 

Integration

On the Integration tab, the replication of master data to and from the SAP ERP system is shown:

• Integration with SAP CRM
• Bi-directional integration with SAP Master Data Governance
• IDocs
• SOAP Service

The SAP ERP system shows an integration with an SAP CRM system if data records have been replicated from an SAP CRM system in the past. If you still use SAP CRM for the customer master creation, follow the guidance in SAP Notes 2285062 and 2283695. Otherwise follow the instructions in SAP Notes 2933528 and 2304337 to delete the records.

 

Customers and Vendors: Implementation Effort

If the Customer Vendor Integration has not been performed yet (indicated by CVI inactive in the overview on the dashboard), an additional section on the implementation effort is displayed on both the Customers and the Vendors tabs, depicting factors that usually influence the effort and duration of the customer vendor conversion process.

Typical effort indicators are:

• The number of account groups
• The count of customer and/or vendor master records
• The percentage of records with data quality issues

 

This section shows which indicators were measured in the SAP ERP system and the related results. In addition, it provides visibility into the effort associated with the indicator, for example, “if you have more than 20 account groups in your system, this may result in high effort for the customer vendor integration.”

 

Activating the CVIA Check:

To use the new Customer Vendor Integration Analysis in SAP Readiness Check, proceed as follows:

1. Refer to SAP Note 2913617 – SAP Readiness Check 2.0. Then refer to the new entry to enable the CVIA check and implement the new SAP Note 3010669.

   

2. Execute the program RC_COLLECT_ANALYSIS_DATA.
   The Customer Vendor Integration Analysis has now replaced the former Business Partners check in the program:

   

3.  Upload the results of the CVIA check on the SAP Readiness Check launch page. Upon successful upload of the data, the new check is available on the dashboard, in parallel the old Business Partners check tile will then be removed.

 

In the Learn More side panel available in the detail view of the new check, you can find additional information about the customer vendor integration and next steps. For detailed information about performing the customer vendor integration and resolving issues, see the  SAP S/4HANA Cookbook CVI.

 

SAP Readiness Check Team

Source: https://blogs.sap.com/2021/03/29/new-customer-vendor-integration-analysis-cvia-check-in-sap-readiness-check-is-now-live/

SAP: Posting Cost Of Goods Sold at Billing (Technical Steps)

 When should COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) be recognized?

Is it okay if we post COGS during Goods Issue although Sales Revenue is posted in another transaction (Billing)?

What if we post Goods Issue then the period ended before we do Billing?! Do we have to do manual adjustments?

Answer: 

According to the Matching

Principle, COGS and related Revenue must be posted in the same period

SAP standard setup is to post

COGS at Goods Issue BUT it can be changed

If your business cycle can

include Goods Issue without Billing in one period then change SAP setup to post

COGS at Billing instead of at Goods Issue

Technical Steps to Post COGS at Billing:

1) Transaction OBYC > GBB > VAX > Goods in transit account:

Switch the COGS account with a Goods in Transit Account, the goods issue entry will change to below

2) Transaction V/08 > Pricing Procedure > VPRS > Accrual Account Key:

Maintain a new account key and assign to VPRS

3) Transaction VKOA > Assign GL Accounts to the new Account Key:

Assign COGS account in the provision column and Goods in Transit in GL column

4) Change VPRS condition to accept accruals:

This tells SAP to post the VPRS value to the 2 accounts maintained in VKOA

The billing document will be posted as below

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sap-posting-cost-goods-sold-billing-technical-steps-abdullah-galal/

How to Generate a Notification when any Business Partner/Vendor/Customer is changed in SAP S/4HANA

 Introduction

In SAP S/4 HANA there are some major change in Simplification. Simplification means getting rid of Redundant Functionality. One of this is the Introduction of Business Partner as Vendor/Customer/Employee. The below blog helps in Generating a Notification when any Business Partner/Vendor/Customer Is changed in SAP S/4HANA

 

Solution

Please go to Transaction Code BP and the search for any BP and follow the below steps in GOS

We get the Business Object of the Business Partner

Now let us go to Transaction Code PFTC to create a Workflow Template

Enter a Name for the Workflow Object starting with Z or Y  as it is custom

Now create a Container Element BP Referencing Business Object

Select Import and Export Flag

Now maintain the Entries below

Now maintain the Event Linkage

Now Activate the Event Linkage

Click on Workflow Builder

Now we right Click and create the Step

Double Click on Send Mail Step

Provide the below information as mentioned below

Provide the email address. I have hardcoded here for simplicity. Ideally you should define a Container element that will be populated programmatically

Now activate the Workflow Template

Now let us test it. We are making a change in the description.

Now let us check the Workflow Overview by following the below step.

Here is Workflow Log

 

Conclusion

 

This Tutorial can only be used for SAP S/4HANA. The concept can be used for other Business Process Also.

 

Below is the video version for Generating Notification for Business Partner Change

Below is the video version for Generating Notification for Purchase Order Change

Below is the video version for SAP Filter Change for Business Partner Notification

• Alert Moderator

Source: https://blogs.sap.com/2020/11/07/how-to-generate-a-notification-when-any-business-partner-vendor-customer-is-changed-in-sap-s-4hana/

Automate your SAP Transaction Code Authorization Approval Process using Simple Workflow

 Introduction

In every Project you have worked or will work you will get this Error Message.

“You are not Authorized to use this Transaction Code”

General procedure after that if you have worked with SAP before, you will take a SU53 Transaction Code dump and send it to SAP Security Team or you create a Ticket/Request in your Requesting System.

If you do not know you bug the IT Department and they will tell you to do the above. For a long time I thought this thing need to stop. The solution below can help you to solve this issue by the most Sophisticated Technology SAP had and still has which is SAP Workflow. I am bragging about it as I am a SAP Workflow Consultant trying to learn little by little:)

Solution

First Login to SAP System.

In this Example I am using a Transaction Code

/IWNGW/BEP_DEMO

for which I am not Authorized as mentioned below.

 

Click on Help

 

Now click on Technical Information as mentioned below

Note down the Message Class and ID

Go To Transaction Code SWUY

 

Select Start

Provide the Area as Message Class and Message as Message Id we got from the Authorization Error.

After this Hit Continue

Click Complete

 

Workflow is generated and you give some meaningful information to Identify the Workflow Template. Please Save it

 

Now Click Workflow Builder

Right Click as mentioned below and Hit Create

Select Decision Task as mentioned below.

 

 

Provide the below Information as mentioned

Now Press Activate to Activate the Workflow.

Now is Testing Time.

Execute same Transaction code.

You get the Error message and now you hit Help Button.

Now click on Workflow Icon

 

This Triggers our Workflow Approval. Ideally you will have different Role/User who will Approve the Different Transaction Codes.

Conclusion

This can be used in both SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA

 

Below is the Video version

 

Source: https://blogs.sap.com/2020/12/04/automate-your-sap-transaction-code-authorization-approval-process-using-simple-workflow/

Automated SAP EDI testing for S/4HANA conversion projects

 S/4HANA conversion projects are taking off with more and more companies moving to the latest version of the the famous SAP ERP system. On one hand this is a huge opportunity to start using the latest features but on the other hand it can be a challenge are the conversion process may require code or process changes. With S/4HANA Selective Data Transition projects companies are implementing more complex projects (new business functions, systems consolidations for merging many individual systems into a larger single instance or even doing carvouts where one system is split into a few simpler systems). The question is how can we make sure that the SAP EDI scenarios are working in the same way after the conversion as they did before the conversion?

 

Testing for S/4HANA projects

 

If we try to find out what parts of a typical S/4HANA conversion project can be automatically retested we may come into the conclusion that it can be very little as User Interface (UI) testing cannot be tested due to changes in the UI (SAPGui to Fiori/UI5). Is there anything left? What about the SAP interfaces (legacy, EDI, etc.)? Would those connections change after the conversion? Would EDI customers or vendors require a new set of messages to be exchanged after the S/4HANA conversion project? Most likely not. That’s why we have a great opportunity of retest that automatically with the use of SAP API testing tools like Int4 IFTT.

 

Scope of the SAP EDI test for the S/4HANA conversion project

 

There can be many changes to the SAP EDI interfaces during a typical S/4HANA conversion project:

a) custom code migration – custom ABAP code may need to be enhanced to work in the same way after the S/4HANA conversion

b) ABAP code updates – for consolidations, carvouts, code cleaning. Those changes can be very significant but still the SAP EDI interface need to work in the same way after the S/4HANA conversion project

c) change of the middleware – at the time of the S/4HANA conversion project companies want to change the middleware (from SAP PO to SAP Cloud Platform Integration Suite for example)

d) change of the integration technology – some companies want to replace IDOCs with other integration technologies (SOAP/APIs)

e) change of the EDI provider – some companies can use the S/4HANA conversion project to switch the SAP EDI interfaces from it’s own middleware to an EDI provider (Seeburger, Opentext, etc.) or do the opposite move.

In all of those cases SAP EDI scenarios need to be tested from end to end (SAP S/4HANA system and the EDI endpoint) but how to achieve it?

 

Automated SAP EDI testing for S/4HANA with Int4 IFTT

 

Int4 IFTT with it’s smart repeater and full SAP API testing virtualization functions can automate SAP EDI testing for all flavors of S/4HANA conversion projects. Int4 IFTT smart repeater function allows reprocessing the existing production SAP EDI messages on the new S/4HANA landscape and automated comparing of the results with the old landscape. Int4 IFTT virtualiazation on the other hand allows doing the testing in a very isolated way without availability of EDI business partners by completely emulating them for the testing purposes.

 

How does it work?

 

Step 1

 

At first we can start with collecting test cases based on current/old solution and store them in Int4 IFTT. Test cases can be quickly created based on existing production SAP EDI messages which means test case creating is almost completely scriptless as we already have all available test cases and just need to select them In Int4 IFTT. This approach is shown in Figure below.

 

 

Step 2 

 

After the S/4HANA conversion is finished we can automatically test all EDI messaged and all EDI customers in the following way:

 

a) for inbound – EDI to SAP ERP – messages – Int4 IFTT can rerun all (usually a few thousands) stored EDI messages for all SAP EDI B2B partners and validate the SAP business documents which got created as a result. In this scenario EDI B2B partners are completely virtualized and they don’t need to take part in the test.

 

b) for outbound – SAP ERP to EDI – messages – Int4 IFTT can repeat the output messages from existing SAP backend documents and compare the EDI outputs after the S/4HANA conversion with the EDI messages created from the same documents before the S/4HANA conversion took place. In this scenario EDI B2B partners are completely also virtualized and the EDI validation will be done completely by Int4 IFTT as shown in Figure below.

 

 

Result 

 

All testing results are immediately visible after the automated test run and depending on the test direction you can validate different things:

a) for inbound – EDI to SAP ERP – messages – where Int4 IFTT sends the test messages to the middleware or SAP S/4HANA system directly can you check if the new business document is exactly the same as the one created before the S/4HANA conversion as shown in Figure below.

As we can see the same EDI message created a new sales order in the S/4HANA system but the Plant number is different. That means that the S/4HANA conversion project changed something causing a difference when reposting the same EDI message. Now it can be validated with the SAP functional expert or SAP developer and the test can be easily repeated once the issue is found.

 

b) for outbound – SAP ERP to EDI – messages – where Int4 IFTT would repeat the SAP EDI message output from the existing transactions on the S/4HANA backend system (so the ABAP code creating the IDOC/SOAP messages would be also tested) we only need to automatically validate the EDI messages as shown in Figure below.

 

 

Summary

 

As you can see SAP EDI trading flows can be very easily retested for S/4HANA conversion projects in a fully automated way. Test Case creation can be done within minutes for thousands of existing messages and the regression test for thousands of messages (all B2B partners and all message type) will just take a few minutes.

 

Further Reference

SAP PRESS book: Testing SAP APIs: Strategy and Execution – where testing of SAP APIs for S/4HANA conversion use case is described in detailed

openSAP course: Virtualize and Automate Your SAP Testing Using Int4 IFTT  (7200 participants and over 1.000 certified) lesson – Week 2 – Unit 4: SAP S/4HANA Conversion Testing

SAP Insider: Automated Testing and Virtualization of SAP Application Interfaces in SAP S/4HANA Conversion Projects

Source: https://blogs.sap.com/2020/12/30/automated-sap-edi-testing-for-s-4hana-conversion-projects/