SEM-BCS on SAP-BW master data alignment

Question

We are implementing SEM-BCS rel 3.2 on SAP-BW 3.2
In the SEM infoproviders some standard BW info-objects are used such as 0CO_AREA, 0COMPANY etc.
These info objects are also used in BW infoproviders.
In SEM-BCS the masterdata that is already available in these infoobjects is not visible. The documentation describes that the SEM system is leading concerning the master data.
When we create masterdata in SEM for these infoobjects, with te same key as used in BW (the same company number), it creates new records in the BW masterdata table and so deleting the attribute values in the BW tables.
Note 689229 describes some synchronization programs that can be used to synchronize master data from SEM into BW. It is also possible to use these programs to initially synchronize the BW masterdata to SEM so you don't have to create the master data in SEM but only have to enhance it.
Has anyone have experience with this issue and can you provide me with information what to do and what not to do.
Thanks, Wil Heijmans
Trespa International

Answer 1

Hi Wil,
it's right you'll have to synchronize the master data. When we implemented SEM-BCS 3.1 we had some problems with the reports so we used the following routine.
1. Upload attributes into SEM-BCS.
2. Put them into the hierarchies if needed.
3. Synchronize attributes to BW.
4. Do attribute change run in BW.
Synchronizing hierarchies was a bit painful so we decided to use different hierarchies (it helped at some other points too because we needed additional features in BW hierarchies like other InfoObjects).
Synchronizing BW attributes into SEM-BCS attributes was even worse because the standard BCS attributes could not be filled this way.
We worked on early SEM 3.1 as one of the ramp-up customers. The programs may have changed in the meantime but the one above has worked for us.
Best regards
   Dirk