Category: MDA Workbench

Business Partner Requirements and Configuration

Posted on December 22, 2021 by - Business Partner, MDA Workbench

S/4HANA Business Partner master data design requires a structured approach to track the many moving parts.

In this 7-minute video, I share my template for doing just that. It’s a small insight into the process of crafting a master data design for Business Partner.

I also share how I quickly analyze Business Partner configuration in any SAP system-client. That’s super valuable. For this task, MDA Workbench is the secret enabler.

The output (analysis) looks just like the input (requirements). That’s because these are two sides of the same coin.

Over time, I’ve got to build up functional requirements and express them in a way that properly enables accurate configuration. And then I need to be able to quickly evaluate the Business Partner configuration in any system-client … on demand, and repeatedly. With a few minutes of effort, not hours!

What you’re going to see fits this specific use case, but the concept is totally generic — I use this approach for all kinds of configuration and master data analysis. And now so can you.

Load Generic/Variant Articles in S/4HANA with LSMW

Posted on June 5, 2021 by - Article Master, Data Migration, MDA Workbench, SAP Retail

If you’re an SAP Retail functional person, it helps to be familiar with relevant IDocs.  And if you’re a Master Data Aficionado, it’s kind of expected. This article explains the most common mistake made when attempting to create Generic/Variant Articles in data migration.  It’s all about understanding the functional use of ARTMAS IDoc segments.

Load Inventory Balance in S/4HANA with LSMW

Posted on October 21, 2020 by - Data Migration, MDA Workbench

You can load inventory quantity and value for materials in S/4HANA 2020 using IDoc Type MBGMCR04.

Yes, SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit is the “recommended by SAP” tool for loading data in S/4HANA. But there are exceptions to its efficacy. For example, IDoc type MBGMCR is exactly how it’s done in SAP Rapid Data Migration with SAP Data Services (On Premise), Migration Inventory Balances (‏W38‏).

If you’re not using SAP Data Services then Legacy System Migration Workbench (LSMW) is also relevant, using exactly the same IDoc approach that SAP delivers with Rapid Data Migration. What’s more, LSMW (more precisely, IDocs) remains essential for data migration in SAP Retail. For confirmation of necessity, see SAP Note 2538170 – Migration of Retail Objects to SAP S/4HANA on-premise.

MDA Workbench is a free and simple tool for creating such LSMW projects, and for creating a comprehensive kit of deliverables for data migration.

Introducing MDA Workbench

Posted on July 19, 2020 by - MDA Workbench

This sweet application for SAP functional (and technical!) resources is the product of a decade of thought, development, and constant revision based on real-world project experience.

Until now,  MDA Workbench was shared only with a close circle of SAP Master Data practitioners, whom I affectionately refer to as fellow Master Data Aficionados.

While I wrote (and still write) the code, a friend and colleague named Gregory Baase contributed mightily. For years now, and still, Greg asks super-smart questions and makes totally unreasonable demands.

A consequential example: Huh? What’s that, Greg? You want MDA Workbench to actually create the LSMW object so that you don’t have to? Yeah, okay … right away.

IDoc Definition to Excel

Posted on May 1, 2020 by - MDA Workbench

Do you create SAP functional specification or mapping documents?

Forget standard T-Codes such as WE60. Watch this 5-minute demonstration of downloading the definition of an IDoc from an SAP system and saving it to Excel.

What’s more, the output contains help text of associated data elements and other details that you can’t easily display from one or many standard transaction codes.

MDA Workbench is free, simple, and a productivity booster for SAP practitioners!