Business Partner - Conversion Pre-Requisites - a Quick View

Prerequisites for Business Partner Integration in SAP ECC 6.0 and Higher

As organizations prepare for a transition to SAP S/4HANA, understanding the prerequisites for Business Partner integration is crucial, especially for those using SAP ECC 6.0 or higher. A significant aspect of this preparation involves dealing with the Customer-Vendor Integration (CVI) process and the associated data management requirements. This article explores the essential prerequisites and considerations for Business Partner integration, focusing on the role of legacy tables BD001 and BC001 and their relationship with the newer CVI tables introduced in ERP 600.

Understanding the Evolution of Customer-Vendor Integration

Before diving into the prerequisites, it's essential to understand the evolution of Customer-Vendor Integration in SAP:

  • ERP 500 and Lower: In earlier SAP releases, the integration between Customers, Vendors, and Business Partners was managed using tables BD001 and BC001. These tables stored the mappings of Customers to Business Partners and Vendors to Business Partners, respectively. The integration was unidirectional, with data flow primarily from Customer/Vendor to Business Partner.

  • ERP 600 and Higher: With the release of ERP 600, SAP introduced a completely redesigned Customer-Vendor Integration (CVI) solution. This new solution provided enhanced capabilities, including bidirectional synchronization between Customers, Vendors, and Business Partners. The mappings for this new integration were stored in the tables CVI_CUST_LINK (for Customers) and CVI_VEND_LINK (for Vendors).

Key Prerequisites for Business Partner Integration

For organizations operating on SAP ECC 6.0 or higher and planning to convert to SAP S/4HANA, several prerequisites must be met to ensure a smooth transition:

1. Familiarity with Legacy Tables (BD001 and BC001)

Despite the introduction of new CVI tables in ERP 600, the legacy tables BD001 and BC001 continue to play a critical role in the system. These tables still store the mapping of Customers and Vendors to Business Partners for entries created in ERP 500 or lower. When the system queries Customer/Vendor to Business Partner assignments, it first checks the CVI_CUST_LINK and CVI_VEND_LINK tables. If no entry is found, the system falls back to BD001 and BC001.

2. Understanding the New CVI Tables (CVI_CUST_LINK and CVI_VEND_LINK)

In ERP 600 and higher, any new Customers or Vendors created in the system are automatically mapped to Business Partners in the CVI_CUST_LINK and CVI_VEND_LINK tables. These tables are part of the new CVI framework, designed to support bidirectional synchronization and enhanced data management. It is important to note that legacy mappings from BD001 and BC001 are not automatically transferred to these new tables.

3. Conversion of Legacy Mappings to New CVI Tables

A crucial prerequisite for a successful conversion to SAP S/4HANA is the migration of legacy mappings from BD001 and BC001 to the new CVI_CUST_LINK and CVI_VEND_LINK tables. This step is necessary because the Software Update Manager (SUM), a tool used in the conversion process, relies on the new CVI-link tables to verify the Customer/Vendor to Business Partner assignments. If legacy mappings are not converted, the system conversion to SAP S/4HANA may be blocked.

  • Conversion Process: The conversion process involves migrating all existing entries from BD001 and BC001 to CVI_CUST_LINK and CVI_VEND_LINK. This ensures that the system can reference the correct mappings during the S/4HANA conversion. It’s crucial to ensure that this conversion is performed accurately to avoid data inconsistencies.

4. Validation and Testing

Before proceeding with the system conversion to SAP S/4HANA, it is essential to validate that all Customer and Vendor mappings have been correctly migrated to the new CVI tables. This involves thorough testing of the data to ensure that all business processes dependent on Customer/Vendor to Business Partner relationships function as expected.

Conclusion

The transition to SAP S/4HANA requires careful preparation, particularly in managing the integration of Customers, Vendors, and Business Partners. For organizations on SAP ECC 6.0 or higher, it is vital to understand the relationship between legacy tables BD001 and BC001 and the new CVI tables CVI_CUST_LINK and CVI_VEND_LINK. Converting legacy mappings into the new tables is a key prerequisite for a successful system conversion, ensuring that all data is correctly aligned with the new S/4HANA framework. By addressing these prerequisites, organizations can pave the way for a smooth and efficient transition to SAP S/4HANA, unlocking the full potential of the Business Partner model.

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