BP Master

Comprehensive Overview of SAP Best Practices for SAP MM – Master Data – Business Partner (BP) Master

1. Definition

The Business Partner (BP) Master Data in SAP is a comprehensive data structure used to manage and maintain information about business partners. This includes vendors, customers, and other entities involved in business transactions. In SAP S/4HANA, Business Partners are used to unify the management of master data across different functional areas such as Sales, Procurement, and Finance.

2. Purpose

The purpose of the BP Master Data is to centralize and streamline the management of business partner information across various modules in SAP. It ensures consistency and accuracy in data management, reduces redundancy, and improves data integrity. By using BP Master Data, organizations can maintain a single source of truth for all business partners.

3. Process Flow

1. Creation: New Business Partners are created in the system through transactions like BP (BP Transaction), where users input details like name, address, and other relevant data.
2. Maintenance: Existing BP data can be updated or modified using the BP Master Data maintenance transactions.
3. Integration: BP Master Data integrates with other modules such as MM, SD, and FI. For example, when a new vendor is created in MM, it becomes available for procurement transactions.
4. Usage: Business Partners are used in various processes, including procurement, sales orders, and financial transactions.
5. Validation: The system validates BP data to ensure completeness and accuracy before finalizing it.

4. Tables

• BUT000: General data for Business Partners.
• BUT020: Business Partner roles.
• BUT021_FS: Business Partner FS (Financial Services) data.
• BUT050: Relationships between Business Partners.
• BUT052: Business Partner addresses.
• BUT083: Business Partner’s organizational structure.

5. Configuration

• Define BP Roles: Configure the different roles a BP can have (e.g., Vendor, Customer).
• Assign BP Role to BP Type: Assign roles to Business Partner types to control the access and functionality of BP records.
• Configure Number Ranges: Define number ranges for Business Partners to ensure unique identification.
• Set Up BP Groups: Group Business Partners for easier management and reporting.
• Define BP Relationship Types: Configure the types of relationships Business Partners can have with each other.

BP Configuration

Business Partner segments 

• General Data – Basic Information of supplier
• Company code Data – Company code information
• Purchasing Data – Purchasing information

Supplier Account Group & Number Range Assignment:

1. Define Customer Account Group – OBD3

SAP Customizing Implementation Guide -> Financial Accounting -> Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable -> Supplier Accounts -> Master Data -> Preparations for Creating Supplier Master Data -> Define Account Groups with Screen Layout (Vendors)

2. Define Customer Account Group Number Range – XKN1

SPRO –> IMG –> Financial Accounting –> Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable –> Vendor Accounts –> Master Data à Preparations for Creating Vendor Master Data –> Create Number Ranges for Vendor Accounts

3. Assign number range to the account group – OBAS

SPRO –> IMG –> Financial Accounting –> Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable –> Vendor Accounts à Master Data –> Preparations for Creating Vendor Master Data –>Assign Number Ranges to Vendor Account Groups

BP Account Group & Number Range Assignment:

4. Define BP(Business Partner) Role

• • • SPRO –> IMG –> Cross-Application Components –> SAP Business Partner –> Business Partner  —-> Basic Settings –> Business Partner Roles –> Define BP Roles
    • Standard BP roles for the below
      • General Data – 000000 (Business Partner (General)
      • Company code Data – FLVN00 (Financial Accounting)
      • Purchasing Data – FLVN01 (Vendor)

BP – Number Ranges and Groupings >>>>>

5. BP – Define Number Ranges

• • SPRO –> IMG –> Cross-Application Components –> SAP Business Partner –> Business Partner —–> Basic Settings Number Ranges and Groupings –> Define Number Ranges

6. BP – Define Groupings and Assign Number Ranges

• • • SPRO –> IMG –> Cross-Application Components –> SAP Business Partner –> Business Partner —–> Basic Settings Number Ranges and Groupings –> Define Groupings and Assign Number Ranges

7. Master Data Synchronization

• • SPRO –> IMG –> Cross-Application Components –> SAP Business Partner –> Master Data Synchronization –> Synchronization Control –> Customer/Vendor Integration –> Business Partner Settings –> Settings for Vendor Integration –> Field Assignment for Vendor Integration –> Assign Keys –> Define Number Assignment for Direction BP to Vendor

8. Create Business Partner – BP

6. Integration

• MM Integration: Business Partners are linked to procurement processes such as Purchase Orders and Invoices.
• SD Integration: Used in Sales Order processing, deliveries, and billing.
• FI Integration: Linked to financial transactions, including accounts payable and receivable.
• CRM Integration: Business Partners are integrated with CRM modules for customer management.

7. Testing

• Create Business Partner: Test the creation of a new BP with various roles and check if the data is correctly stored in the corresponding tables.
• Modify Business Partner: Test updating BP details and verify that changes are reflected across relevant modules.
• Integration Testing: Validate that BP data flows correctly between MM, SD, and FI modules.
• Data Validation: Ensure that the system enforces data validation rules and maintains data integrity.