David Quirk , EIM Solution Management Simer Grewal , EIM ... · David Quirk , EIM Solution Management Simer Grewal , ... Did a successful PoC and ... SAP NetWeaver MDM

Governing Reference Data in SAP System Landscapes

David Quirk , EIM Solution ManagementSimer Grewal , EIM Centre of Excellence

[

Real Experience. Real Advantage.

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2

Learning Points

What is Corporate Reference DataDemand / Need to Govern Corporate Reference DataSAP Master Data Governance (MDG) –

Capabilities provided by the tool for centrally governing both reference data and master data

What have customers done so far and how can you get involved


[ Aligning Reference Data Across the Organization

ISO (2003) ISO (2006) ISO (2008)CS Serbia-Montenegro

XM Montenegro ME MontenegroXS Serbia RS Serbia

XK Kosovo

German Automotive Supplier• Business in “273 countries”(according to codes in their systems)

• 25 different local ERP clients• 6.176 entries of country codes

IssuesDifferent ISO code / same country– Codes change over time but are not

maintained synchronously in all clients– New countries with preliminary codes

Systems treat countries differently– Separate country or – part of another country (e.g. Hong Kong)


[ What is Corporate Reference Data?

Characteristics• Harmonized definition and values

across corporate group• Maybe defined in external

standards • Simpler structure, less volume and

change frequency than master data• Often master data attributes used

for categorization• Often used across several types of

master data & business processes• May control business processes

(SAP customizing)

SAP ERP Examples• Codes for Countries/Languages,

Material Type, Currency Code, Plant, Location, Payment Conditions, Commodity Code,…

Master Data

Transaction Data

Reference Data

Reporting

Logs Freq

uenc

y of

cha

nges

Degree of sharing


[ Controlling Corporate Reference Data

Why?• Efficiency: only maintain once centrally• Consistency: distribute same values for

use across all business processes

How?Make one person/organization responsible (per „reference data type“)Run a well-defined maintenance process (per „reference data type“)

Business BenefitAvoid breakdowns across distributed business processesFoster corporate best-practiceEnable company-wide reporting


[ Change Request Management with SAP Solution ManagerProcess example

SAP Solution Manager

Change Request

Service Message

DEV

QAS

PRD

Controlled transports

Controlled transports

Serv

ice

Des

kC

hang

e R

eque

st M

anag

emen

t

ChangeDocument Task

List

Feedback

Maintenance Cycle

RequesterService

Desk Employee

ChangeManagerIT Expert

Tester

ITOperator


[Reference Data Goes Beyond SAP CustomizingLearned at a large high-tech company

Material Group (in SAP Customizing)• Simple table with 5 columns• Maintained in transaction OMSF• Managed via Solution Manager

Commodity Code (in company’s real life)

16 attributes on highest level Plus nested structures, > 100 attributesValidity dates and times

Did a successful PoC and modeled maintenance with SAP Master Data Governance


[ Customer Engagement Initiative for Reference Data Involved several customers from ASUG and DSAG

Industries• High-Tech• Automotive Supplier• Consumer Products• Technology and Services • Healthcare, Lifestyle

and Lighting• Healthcare• Energy• Automotive

(Main Contributors, Additional Feedback)

Broad Range of Perspective !

Biggest Pain Points• Diverse reference data types• Process control & flexibility• SAP and non-SAP• Different distribution means• Task-specific UIs• Auditing of changes

Current SAP MDM products• Using / not using

SAP NetWeaver MDM• Implementing / not started

to implement SAP MDG

Current Solution for Governing Reference Data• No additional Tools beyond SAP• Using / not using SAP Solution

Manager in this context• Homegrown Tools• 3rd Party Solutions


[ Findings of the Customer Engagement InitiativeSome needed capabilities go beyond SAP Solution Manager

Some Reference Data is not SAP Customizing and Cannot be TransportedSolution Manager controls and monitors reference data in customizing views in a Template system that shall be replicated via BC-Sets or transports to local operational systems

Different Data Should be Governed Than Defined in SAPAdditional attributes needed that are not in standard customizing view, perhaps the data is not even stored in any SAP system

Consistent Distribution to SAP and Non-SAPReference data should only be maintained once and then consistently distributed to SAP and non-SAP systems, using the appropriate distribution channel for each system

Well-defined Governance Processes, but Each Optimized for Different DataSometimes many different types of references data: How can I achieve the needed flexibility and still keep control of the maintenance processes?

Different User Interfaces for Different Contributing PeopleE.g. requestors need much simpler user interfaces than specialists that maintain the data

Ensuring Compliance of Changes on Reference DataWho changed what, when, why? (SAP and non-SAP attributes, regardless of distribution means)


[ Different Data Types Need to be Treated Differently

Different handling in SAP, for example• Plant (SAP dependency based customizing, can be

transported to SAP systems)• Material Group (SAP standard customizing, can be

transported to SAP systems)• Bank Code (not SAP customizing, cannot be

transported)

Implications• Different system of origin: Customizing Master,

Development System, Production System, …• Different ways of distribution across systems:

SAP (Customizing) Transports, ALE, …

Dev.

Quality

Production

Custom.Master

Ref.DataHub

SAPSolutionManager

? ?

?

?

?


[ Distribution of Customizing Data with Solution Manager

Solution Manager controls the distribution of the “SAP Template”Maintain global attributes in the IMG in the customizing master systemTransport the changes to Development, later Test, later Production systemsComplement local attributes (that are different per system landscape)

Customizing Template

IDDescriptionCust.Attribute 1Cust.Attribute 2Cust.Attribute 3…

IMG

Cust.Attribute 3

IMG

Solution Mgr.

Transport


[ Governing Reference Data that is Customizing(e.g. plants)

SAP Master Data Governance extends the existing process with governance Start business-driven governance process on some attributes in MDG (ID, description, some “global” attributes)Add all “SAP Template” attributes in the IMG in the customizing master systemComplement local attributes (that are different per system landscape)

Customizing Template MDG Reference Data


IMGIDDescriptionCust.Attribute 1Cust.Attribute 2Cust.Attribute 3…

WebUI

Transport Data ReplicationFramework

Cust.Attribute 3

IMG

Solution Mgr.

Transport

Data Replication


[ Governing Reference Data that CANNOT be Transported(e.g. bank codes)

Customizing Template

MDG can also handle and distribute reference data that cannot be transportedMaintain “global” attributes in the same framework as for transport-enabled dataDistribute directly to production systems (using your established technologies: ALE, PI, …)Distribute to template, development, or quality systems only if needed

MDG for Reference Data


WebUI

Data ReplicationFramework

optional, if needed

Transport

Data Replication


[ Different Data Should be Governed, Than Defined in SAP

Not all SAP Attributes Governed• The governance process shall cover only a

subset of the defined SAP standard tables and fields (i.e. just a part of a customizing view)

Non-SAP Attributes or Entities• Governance needed for additional attributes

that are not in standard customizing view(SAP or customer-specific attributes)

• Some reference data are custom-specific objects and no SAP customizing objects, perhaps the data is not even stored in any SAP system

• Data with a different definition or broader meaning than in SAP (e.g. one type “location” referring to functional location, storage location, supply area, and others in SAP)

SAP Material Group

Custom Commodity Code


[ Master Data Governance Application FrameworkAdapting standard or creating your own governance

Standard models providedPre-configured data models, user interface configurations, workflows, and data distribution are available – today with focus on some master data domains.

Changes expectedYou can extend existing models with your own attributes, change UI configurations to your users’ needs, and customize the workflow and distribution to define your specific governance processes.

Define your ownTools allow you to define new objects and related processes in order to govern your additional data domains.The framework is integrated in SAP ERP, provides full DDIC re-use, and allows to make use of your existing additions to SAP. But it is also flexible enough to model attributes that do not exist in SAP.


[ Consistent Distribution to SAP and Non-SAP

Maintain Only Once• Maintain reference data only once

regardless of target systems

Keep SAP and Non-SAP in Synch• Replication to SAP Suite systems

(regardless of type or release level)• Replication to non-SAP systems• Use established / appropriate technical

channels: ALE, RFC, Web service, ABAP transports,…

• Also support scenarios were the receiving system triggers the distribution (“pull”)

SAP

Landscape

Home-Grown

Systems

Other Vendor

ReferenceData Hub


[ Consistent Distribution to SAP and Non-SAPCombining the strength of SAP MDG and Solution Manager

Customizing Template MDG for Reference Data


IMGIDDescriptionCust.Attribute 1Cust.Attribute 2Cust.Attribute 3Non-SAP Attr. 4

WebUI

Transport Data ReplicationFramework

Cust.Attribute 3

IMG

Solution Mgr.

Global attributes maintained only once and distributed to SAP and non-SAPMaintain global attributes in MDGDistribute to the customizing master system for additional “SAP Template attributes”Distribute to non-SAP systems using ALE, Web Services or Files (mapping attributes to “non-SAP terminology” if needed)

Value Mapping

Transport

Data Replication


[ Managing the Governance Process for MANY Types

Sequential Assessments Parallel Assessments

Initial Approval and Parallel Assessments Parallel Assessments and Final Approval

84 Reference Data Types,– and Still Counting

84 different types of corporate reference data identified with the need for governance in one company. More expected.

Parallel Assessments, Initial / Final Approval

5 Process Patterns At the same time only 5 different process patterns were identified

…


[ Managing the Governance Process for MANY TypesSAP MDG allows for process control and flexibility

Reference Data Type

Change Request Type

Workflow Template

Purchasing Organization

PUR_ORG

Functional Area FUNC_AREA

Fiscal Year Variant FISCY_VAR

Activity Type ACT_TYPE

Currency Code MAT_GRP

Define the Patterns Only OnceUse different workflow templates for each process pattern (5) and re-use them across multiple reference data types

Define Specifics where NeededMDG “Change Request Types” allow for specific data models, user interfaces, assignment of processors appropriate for each reference data type (84)

BenefitsWell-defined governance processes, optimized for each Reference Data TypeSmall number of workflow templates to be managed


[ Task-specific User Interfaces

People along the Process Need Different User Interfaces• For example, very simple UI for the

requestor of new reference data• Complete UI for the specialist to maintain

all attributes

Create different UI configuration along MDG’s governance process

When creating an MDG process for specific reference data, the system will generate a complete user interface, which can then be adapted to users’ needsYou can overrule that process’ UI by configuring a dedicated UI for a task

Request

Maintain


[ Ensuring Compliance of Changes on Reference Data

Tracking Changes• Provide information who

changed what, when, and why? • Auditing across SAP and non-

SAP attributes, regardless of distribution channels

SAP MDG provides…• Attachments to MDG change

requests (why?)• History of change requests per

object (when?)• List of individual changes on

attribute level (what?)• Track of processors and

approvers (who?)


[ Process Analytics (with Ehp6)

Change Request ReportingDefinition of SLA: Max. processing time per change request type and priority

Reporting on change request duration and SLA compliance


[ Process ConfigurationConnected to the Data Model and User Interfaces

Work CenterServices (UI links)

Scenario Type

Data Model

Request Steps

Entity Types

Processor

Authorization

User InterfaceConfiguration

defines

related

WF StepsWorkflow (WF)


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Key Learnings

We learned of the demand to govern Corporate Reference DataManaging of some Corporate Reference Data is very well supported by Solution ManagerOur Customer Engagement Initiative showed that demand goes beyond

We discussed several areas where SAP Master Data Governance could helpThrough its flexibility in data models, processes, and user interfaces SAP Master Data Governance can support governance processes for reference data, for example for…

…different data than defined in SAP, or data that cannot be transported…consistent distribution to SAP and Non-SAP…processes control and flexibility with task-specific user interfaces…ensuring compliance

Companies start using SAP MDG for their Reference DataSome companies have done successful Proof-of-ConceptsFirst companies are running implementation projects for selected reference data

We will incorporate our learning in SAP MDGWe will take feedback we learned in the CEI, to further improve MDG for such use cases

Contact us to get in touch and find out more!


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David Quirk , EIM Solution Management Simer Grewal , EIM ... · David Quirk , EIM Solution Management Simer Grewal , ... Did a successful PoC and ... SAP NetWeaver MDM