Using Business Partner versus Customer/Vendor master

What could be the business scenarios in ERP2005, when Business Partner (BP) functionality should be used rather (or addition) than older Customer/Vendor master?
I know that in CRM the BP is mandatory, but still CRM can interact with ERP's customer master using middleware replication. I also know that some ERP industry solutions like IS-U uses BP instead of customer master.
I know that when maintaining a partner with tcode BP, also the customer master tables (KNA*) gets updated if partner has a Sales role. Thus system automatically updates both BP and customer master data. But does it work other way round?
But if no CRM nor ERP industry solutions are within current solution landscape are there any other business scenarios why BP should be chosen instead of customer/vendor master?
In a virgin ERP2005 project, is it a good practise to start with BP already from the beginning even if benefits of it are not yet recognized?
I know that many ERP2005 projects are live without BP, so a it cannot be a "must" at least.
best regards,
Kim

Hi,
Just to check, try running from the synchronization cockpit for your scenario from the master data reconcillation. Give your BP number and try running BP -- Customer sync. In this you can check the PPO logs and check where the error is. It will show the exact error you are getting.
For BP, you can also try creating it in FI customer role, which will have all the customer master data.
Regards,
Ravi

Similar Messages

Can I use one Business Partner repository for Vendor and Customer?

Can I use one Business Partner repository for Vendor and Customer? or do we have to use Vendor and Customer Repository separately. How can we do that? What are the pros and cons? can any one provide some examples:

Hi Deepak
The key purpose of SAP "enabling" the facility of multiple main tables in a repository is to primarily "manage" those master data objects that are related to each other. Typical examples will be a) Customer - Material, b) Supplier - Material, etc.
While, it is pretty easy to add multiple main tables in a repository, it is also important to understand the purpose of doing so based on the business requirements.
Besides, you got to be aware that in case you are "fixing" any issues with one main table (master data object) for which you have to unload the repository, the users will not be able to use the repository that has a main table defined for other master data object. Hence, there are pros and cons of using this capability of multiple main tables.
So, it is really important to understand the "W's" - What, Why, When, Where, Who of Data modeling before actually working on the "H" - How to in the SAP MDM tool.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Neelesh

Multiple address for single vendor using business partner

Hello folks,
I have a issue,it's all about picking the right address in the payment posting.The Vendors have more than 7 addresses depending on the situation.Vendor Master(XK01) can be given 2 address and we are using Business Partner(BP) for storing other addresses.We are able to link the Vendor Master to BP from T-Code FLBPC1.Now when there is payment Posting it has to pick the address from BP if required.It is possible using MM module But we dont have MM for this.Plz suggest me.Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Kumar

Hi Sushil,
The customers and vendors can only have a single address, but the Business partner can have multiple address.
You can set up a synchronization from business partner -> customer/ vendor such that all the common data is synchronised between these objects. The standard address of the BP is copied into the address of the customer or vendor.
You can set up this sync using
Transaction SPRO -> SAP Reference IMG-> Cross-Application Components ->Master Data Synchronization-> Customer/Vendor Integration
Do go through the doucmentaion provided in the path too, it explains the functionality well.
Customers/vendors donot have the capacity to maintain multiple addresses.
Hope this helps you.
Regards,
Rishu.

Difference between Business Partner and Customer Master repository

What is the difference between Business Partner and Customer Master repository ?
Is the Business Partner repository to be used in case CRM is also in landscape ? or Customer master repository is good enough ?
Sandesh

Hi,
If the landscape has both CRM and SAP ECC a business partner repository model should be good.
If it has ECC alone.a Customer Repository is needed.
But when there are many legacy systems which also contains master data fields, the standard business repository provided by SAP wont provide a good solution as it wont cover the legacy master fields..In this case its better to go for a customized repository and you can use the standard repository as a reference.
Thanks

Difference between Business Partner and Customer in ISU?

Is there any difference between business partner and customer in ISU?
if yes then wht?

Hi,
Yes Business Partner is a broad term used in ISU for various roles. A business Partner can be a Customer for company, an employee or even a vendor.
It depends on what role business partner has been given. Initially by default all Business Partners are assigned a default role "Business Partner (Gen.)". Later it can be changed to any role like Employee, Vendor, etc.
Business Partner with role "Contract Partner" is normally the end Customer which I believe you are referring to.
For more info on Business Partner, please check below link:
[Business Partner Master Data|http://help.sap.com/printdocu/core/Print46c/en/data/pdf/CABP/CABP.pdf]
Thanks.
Ravi

Partner Function in Vendor master

Hi,
I want to know what is partner functions in Vendor master , what configuration settings required for it and is it necessary to maintain what can be the problem or why it use .
regards,
zafar

Hi Zafar,
Basically Vendor partner functions allowed you to define the rights and responsibilities of business partner in a business transaction. The R/3 standard partner functions are :
AZ     Alternative payee
OA     Ordering address
VN     Vendor
CR     Carrier
PI     Invoice presented by
CA     Contract address
GS     Goods supplier
DP     Delivering site
Accordingly the vendor is first the ordering address, then the supplier of good and after that Invoicing party and finally the Payee. You can determine which of the partner roles are optional and which are mandatory in the customization. If no roles have been maintained, the data of the vendor role applies
Now the Vendor partner function will work after few Setting in Customization :
1) Maintain seprate vendor master record for each partner
2) Activate partner function by ASsign Partner Schema to Account Groups
SPRO ; Material Management > Purchasing > partner Determination > partner Settings in Vendor Master REcord > here choose and account Group to active partner Function and from Field PS EKORG Select L1
3)Define Permissible Partner Roles Per Account Group
In this step, you can specify for each account group of the vendor which roles the vendor may assume.
I.e. you can specify that certain vendors may only serve as an ordering address, not as an invoicing party.
Maintain Partner roles, which is to be used in Account Group
GS - DIMP
PI-DIMP
OA-DIMP
4) Maintain partner function - Now in the Vendor master record you can maintain Vendor partner function .
or can assign partner at the Time of PO Creation ME21n, When GR will be done you can See partner Details.
Regards,
Vraj

Creation of Business partner from customer

Dear Friends,
I am trying to create business partner from customer thorugh T-code FLBPD1 but unable to do so. Also. whenever i create a customer, a corresponding business partner is automatically created which is not desirable. Rather system should allow me to create business partners from customer separately when required. Kindly suggest any solution for the same.
Regards

Hi,
please have a look at this threat
[Auto creation of customer/vendor for BP;
or search the forum for other threats that are handling this topic.
Regards, Franz

Partner roles in Vendor master record

Hi all
can some one explain me how to enter the partner roles in vendor master record
In sap help i didnt understood this point
"When working with partner roles, you must maintain the following settings:
Separate vendor master records must exist for all the partners of a vendor that are to be entered in that vendors master record."
what does it mean
suppose i am creating vendor master record 1234
Vendor master record:1234
LF 1234       /*vendor
BA1234       /*ordering address
i have to click 1234 in BA and select 'parner' at the top to enter the ordering adress right ...
what is the 'Separate vendor master records must exist for all the partners' mean
it has to be like this?
Vendor master record:1234
LF 1234       /*vendor
BA1235       /*ordering address
1235 vendor master record is created earlier and ordering address maintained ??
please help me in this record, any user manual or some screen shots to explain how to maintain partner roles in vendor master record
regards
Bhushan.N

Hi Sasi ,
What Ramkrishna explained is correct. I will try to illustrate it with the example.
Suppose you are creating a vendor 1234 which is Head office of the supplier where you need to place the order. But goods will be supplied from Pune plant so you should enter 1235 againts partner function GS , here 1235 is seperate vendor master record with Pune plant details & it must exist in the system so that you can use it as a partner function Hope this has cleared your doubts.
Similarly you vcan create other partner functions like payee,ordering party etc.
Regards,
Anand

Address Change in Customer/Vendor Master upon creation or change Master

Hi Expert,
We need to change some Address fields( *ADR6-SMTP_ADDR , ADRC-DEFLT_COMM, KNA1-TELTX, KNA1-TELX1*) in Customer Master based on some condition while creation/change the Master Data. I need to do same fields in Vendor Master as well.
I tried all the Possible exit Here.
If you know a Proper exit /BADI or one possible solution to solve my problem?
If anyone can provide any BAPI name which is used to Modify any customer/Vendor address will be very much helpful as well.
Thanks in Advance for your help.
Suman Adhikari

Hi Kesav,
For customer BAPI_"CUSTOMER_CHANGEFROMDATA" and "BAPI_CUSTOMER_CHANGEFROMDATA1" both Sales Organization is a required filed. Here we need to change some fileds(standard communication filed , Customer Email address, and Telex No) based on telex filed of customer for Customer irrespective of Sales Organization or any other constraints. The same requirement is for Vendor as well. If there is any proper exit/badi where KNA1 and address structure ADRC,ADR6 etc are available that will we good.
I just need to modify some address fields for customer as well as vendor. If there is any BAPI for change address(customer/Vendor) then that will also be helpful.
Suman Adhikari

No view of the changes of Customer /Vendor master data

Hi Experts,
I have a problem, when I run the standard report to view the changes of customer/vendor master data, I don't find the change relative to a bank account .
I found in the report the technical field that the user has changed, but I haven't found the text of the data in the tab "bank account".
Can you help me, please?
Thanks in advance.
Best regards
Giampaolo

Dear Ram,
thank you for your answer , but my problem is still present. If I want to see the modify of the Customer/Vendor Master Data for the Payment transaction Data details, I don't try this information in the TCODE FD04.
Do you know a different report or TCODE that I can use?
Thank you in advance.
Best Regards
Giampaolo

Assignment of Trading Partner to Customer/Vendors Masters

Hi Team,
We have assigned the trading partner for inter company customers and vendors to capture the
inter company transactions for consolidation purpose, but in one company if customers and vendors have transaction with more than one trading partner, how do we capture the transactions, as in the customer/vendor master we have only one field for assignment of trading partner.
Thanks in advance.
Kind Regards
Vipin

Suppose you have a vendor 1234 (Trading Partner XYZ) in three company codes 1000, 2000 and 3000
In this case you will create only one vendor 1234 (With trading partner XYZ) and then extend this vendor to all the three company codes.SO when ever any company code trades with this vendor it will fetch the trading partner XYZ.
Similarily you need to create seperate vendor master having unique trading partner.
Regards,
SDNer

Partner Number for Partner function in Vendor master definition

Dear Gurus,
I need to define a new vendor through Tcode: Xk01 / Mk01, but while defining particular screen know an partner functions, in this its asking partner number in lookup where no data ia avalibale to select and subsequently not able to save the vendor.
Please help.
Regards,
Prashanth Pai

Hi,
Before vendor creation, you have following configuration steps:
1. Create Vendor Account Group.OBD3
2. Maintain Number Ranges from Vendor account Group:XKN1,
3.Assignment of Number ranges to Account Group,OBAS
4.Partner Function: SPRO->MM->Purcahsing->Partner Determination-> partner roles->Permissible partner role sper account group
5.Partner Schema:
SPRO->MM->Purcahsing->Partner Determination->Partner setting in Vendor master record-> Define partner Schema
6.Assgin partner schema to accont Group
SPRO->MM->Purcahsing->Partner Determination->Partner setting in Vendor master record-> Assgin partner schema to account Group.
& then after above steps, you can create vendor with XK01 t.code by entering company Code,Vendor account group and purchase organisation.
Note:what is partner role:Generally during in your business transaction process we are specifying the roles involved by vendor i.e..... vendor act as a Goods Suplier, Ordering Address, Invoice Processing. Here all these functional activities by vendor we termed as partner functions (GS,IP, OA) in partner determination Process. SAP has standard Partner role and its 2 characters.
Example: A company supplying goods/material having plant in Hyderabad, south India branch office is in bangalore and head office is in Delhi.So hyderabad plant is your"GS",banglaore office is your"OA" and Delhi office is "IP"where you pay to Vendor. for the procurred material/goods.
Regards,
Biju K

Model business partner in CUSTOMER repository

Hi Anyone have tried to model business partner in CUSTOMER repository?
The situation is like this:
a customer has many "sale data" entries, where many business partner can be assigned to a "sale data" entry. "Sale Data" is a qualified table field in CUSTOMER.
Thanks for your suggestions!

Hi Vinay,
Can you give more details to set up business partner in Sales Data (qualified table). What do you mean "multi-valued table for business partner". Are you refering the similar steps suggested by Rajani?
Another point is we are centually maintain customer in MDM, Customer data needs to syndicate using xml schema DEBMDM05. Multiple occurance partner entries needs to fill DEBMDM05-E1KNVPM elements: PARVW(Partner function),KUNN2(Cust# of BP) based on multiple occurence of Sales Data entries.
This is what I am doing:
1. Create business partner flat table to has two fields:
Partner function, Cust#
2. Create a qualifier field in Sales Data table. Its type is Lookup[Flat] (multi-valued), and point to the table created in step 1.
Please let me know if if I am doing the right thing.
Re: Rajani, Tanveer:
- business partner data comes initially from R3
- BP data will be maintained in MDM same as a customer entry.
- BP entry has to be linked to customer entry with account group as "Sold to".
I can use Relationships to main the sold-to <-> busniess partner(shipto, billto, payer...) assignment, but can not syndicate the relationships to XML file(DEBMDM06).
- BP assignement is better to be maintained under Sales Data(qualified table) as it is related Sales Area.
thanks!
David

Partner roles in vendor master

Dear All,
we have raised a PO to vendor 400035, goods are supplied from vendor 400036 and invoice is received from vendor 400037. we have defined partner roles for vendor 400035(account group COMP).
VN-400035
GS-400036
IP-400037.
These partner roles are assigned to account group:
GS-0001- GOODS SUPPLIER
IP-0002-INVOICING PARTY
Defined partner schema H1 under partner settings in vendor master record.
this schema is assigned to account group COMP( That have vendor 4500035) at POrg, VSR, Plant Level.
Partner schema for purchasing document is defined.
it is assigned to document type.
ISSUE
1.When we are raising a PO the schema is appearing in partner Tab. The different invoicing party 400037 is pulled from vendor master record into PO. when doing MIRO, it is not appearing subsequently as the default value when invoice is posted. in MIRO it is appearing as 400035 instead of 400037.
2.same is the case in MIGO, in partner TAB 400035 is appearing instead of 400036.
please help on both issues where invoicing party should appear autimatically in MIRO and goods supplier in MIGO.
QUESTIONS
1. Is it necessary to have VN in schema. is the partner role VN required in schema. if VN is removed output determination doesnot take place.
2. what is difference between assigning vendor role to account group and to a document type? why it is required ?
can be use only one of them.
regards

Hi,
There are just 4 mandatory steps:
1: Define partner role
2: Define permisssable partner roles per account group
3: Define Partner Schemas
4: Assign Partner Schemas to Account Groups
You have setup your partner determination on purchasing org level.
But you forgot that you create a purchase order on plant level, which is a lower (more detailed) level. If the higher level box is left blank in your partner determination setup, then SAP tries to find partner on plant level. As you don't have partner on plant level maintained in your vendor, SAP can't find the vendor.
IMG > Materials Management > Purchasing > Partner determination > Partner Settings in Purchasing Documents > Define Partner Schemas
select your partner schema and then double click Partner roles in schema on the left.
In the appearing screen you can see the colomn for higher level
Then create a fresh PO and check.
Go through the below link:
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_47x200/helpdata/en/a1/7b373944f7a97ce10000000a114084/frameset.htm
Hope this clarifies.
Thanks,
Viswanath

Account groups for Partner Roles in Vendor Master

1. Can we use same account group to create the vendor master for the different partner roles? for the partner roles like goods supplier, invoicing party, order party, etc do all these need to have different account groups , example one account group for goods supplier, one account group for invoicing party, etc , etc.
2. why we need the configuration for partner role in purchasing documents besides partner role settings for vendor account group. what is the logic behind to have partner role dependent settings for purchasing documents.
If we do not maintain for partner role settings for purchasing documents what effects it will cause?

> 1. We can have 1 account group represent all partner role or separate account group for each role.
1.If we use the same account group, the field selection control for fields will be applicable to partner roles also. If we have made vendor schema as mandatory in vendor master than we have to assign to partner vendor also. Example ordering address will not require company code data only purchase data, it will not require also pricing procedure as mandatory as no price determination will be required for ordering address.
I think we have to use combination of account group -same account group and different account group will defining vendors for partner function.
Do we require to assign vendor schema group to following vendors roles- goods suppliers, invoicing party and payee.
If we do not assign vendor schema group will these partner role determine price from the VN partner role. For example VN (vendor) has vendor schema group assigned, no vendor schema group assigned to invoicing party, then while doing MIRO the invoicing party will be defaulted. Do the price determined for VN role will be populated for invoicing party in MIRO?
> 2. we need partner role in purchasing doc because we can copy partner role from vendor master to purchasing document
It means we need to assign similar roles in schema for vendor account group and purchasing documents. If you see the schema in config for partner determination in IDES system, different roles exists in vendor schema and purchasing document schema.
This is creating confusion for me to understand.
Please clarify
2. we need partner role in purchasing doc because we can copy partner role from vendor master to purchasing document

Using Business Partner versus Customer/Vendor master

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