Changing address number in KNA1

Question

hi there,
adress for customer is stored in ADRC, ADR6, etc................with adrnr as key.
Adress number is stored in table KNA1.
how can i 'connect' another adress number to KNA1 without doing 'hardcoded'  table-update (which is dirty).
reg, Martin

Answer 1

I have customer A with its adress data with e.g. adrnummer 123.
I have customer B with its adress data with e.g. adrnummber 321.
I want customer B to have the adress of customer A, so customer B needs the adrnr 123
I'd strongly suggest to refrain from such changes that are not supported by the data model. I.e. within standard SAP you cannot create two customers with a reference to the same address. The storage of addresses via central address management (i.e. ADR* tables) is completely transparent to the user and not visible.
Let's assume that you'd implement what you're trying to do. Now changing the address of customer A, automatically changes the address of customer B. Thus in order to show the link you'd have to somehow make a grouping indicator visible that ensures that customers with the same address reference can be identified via the user interface (i.e. XD03, VD03, etc. transaction and not SE16 on KNA1). Using a grouping indicator other than the address number would require to keep the two in sync. Possible, but a maintenance issue.
So without further information your data model sounds quite strange, as it's unclear why you'd have to reference addresses instead of syncing up addresses automatically. I.e. if you have a program that somehow can identify customers A and B as customers, which should share an address, then it shouldn't be too hard to update the address fields instead using standard SAP functionality.
I do understand that you'd have possibly trouble ensuring address consistency when addresses are changed (i.e. simultaneously on A and B), but if you think about your model, you can see the same issue. I.e. customers are not locked on address level, so two people could change the address for A and B at the same time. Since they share the address, the last update would win and overwrite the other updates. I can see already the help desk getting all those calls from users asking why the system doesn't work...
Long story short, my simple recommendation is Don't do it!.
Cheers, harald