SAP HCM Tools

Vitalii Potceluev
December 14, 2018

Step-by-step SAP LSMW User Guide

Last time we discussed SAP Step-by-step LSMW Developer Guide, which you can find here Step-by-step SAP LSMW Developer Guide

Today let’s have a look at the User Guide.

Basics

LSMW is a standard SAP tool to do any kind of mass data changes.

In 99% cases, we use Batch Recording which works like macros in MS Excel/Word. The system follows user’s steps, recording screen by screen. Once done we map data file to these screens and data fields. Than system repeats the same steps like the user would be doing manually.

Organizing LSMW projects

In LSMW transaction we have projects, subprojects, and objects.

SAP LSMW

Ideally, there should be one global project for routine updates, one for data migration.

The subproject is something meaningful, like OM, PA, PT, and PY for different HR areas. Or it could be one subproject for all infotypes, no matter.

An object usually represents what’s being changed: infotype, table or something else.

To start we need to choose from all three entities: project, subproject, object.

Here is the main LSMW window. Steps “Define Object Attributes” to “Assign Files” are settings, other for execution for the end-user.

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Vitalii Potceluev
December 13, 2018

Step-by-step SAP LSMW Developer Guide

Basics

LSMW is a standard SAP tool to do any kind of mass data changes. It has a number of ways how to update the data in the system:

BAPI
IDOC
Batch Recording
Direct Input

BAPI is the fastest way, but there is a limited number of BAPIs available to the customer.

Organizing LSMW projects

In LSMW transaction we have projects, subprojects, and objects.

Ideally, there should be one global project for routine updates, one for data migration.

The subproject is something meaningful, like OM, PA, PT, and PY for different HR areas. Or it could be one subproject for all infotypes, no matter.

An object usually represents what’s being changed: infotype, table or something else.

To start we need to create all three entities: project, subproject, object or choose them if they are already created.

Here is the main LSMW window. Steps “Define Object Attributes” to “Assign Files” are settings, other for execution for the end-user.

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Vitalii Potceluev
October 11, 2018

How to integrate SAP with Google Search

Very easy being honest. All you need is to activate one parameter in SAP GUI Options.

Go to SAP Logon Options. Control Settings -> Enable additional control services. Then reboot GUI. In most text fields you can select text, do right mouse button click and choose Service -> Search. It will open browser and google this selection.

Very convenient instead of copy-pasting or manually typing in.

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Vitalii Potceluev
March 15, 2018

SAP LSMW Translation Rules

In our previous posts, we’ve learned basic rules with LSMW. Today we need to clarify one the most important technique in data migration in SAP projects. We know how to use different migration tools like BAPI, IDOC, flat files, complex files, batch input. But all these are useless if we can’t convert data on the fly. This is a great advantage of Legacy Workbench in SAP is to able to convert data with integrated translation rules.

So, the translation rules are used when we need to map one value in the incoming file to any other value which is to store in SAP. It could be just simple text concatenation, substitutions or even complex ABAP logic with a lot of functional module calls retrieving some data out of the system.

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Vitalii Potceluev
March 13, 2018

How to run any functional module with input data from text file

We all know SAP Legacy System Migration Workbench (LSMW) pretty well. We use it in 99% data migration projects, or when we need to do some mass changes in the live system and standard PA70 doesn’t work well because of its limits. Some geek guys like myself dig deeper and use function modules instead of writing ABAP code to make any mass changes. There is a great advantage – you don’t need a Developer license to run the functional module. Open SE37 transaction, select module and run it with some parameters. Today I want to share with you my research how to run any functional module with a dataset from a text file. Just couple clicks and you have a VERY powerful tool to do almost everything in SAP. And, one more advantage, running functional modules directly is much faster, than using batch inputs.

Yes, here comes eCATT to the scene. It’s that flexible that we can use not only for testing purpose but to run mass operations. It has its own script language which could help us to analyze FM output and build a chain of FM calls to accomplish something complex.

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Vitalii Potceluev
March 12, 2018

It took me 15 years to learn how to create Enterprise Structure in SAP ERP

It’s really sad to realize that it took me 15 years to learn this very simple technic to create Enterprise Structure in SAP. I used to work in international companies with huge business units, personnel areas, and personnel subareas lists. It was a nightmare to create a bunch of new enterprise structure objects like personnel areas or subareas. Hit that check button, wait a whole life, hit copy, die and recover and go through a dozen of silly SAP questions with useless confirmations. It is sad. Until now.

There is an undocumented feature to make our life much easier. It saves hours, literally. Basically, we need is to copy personnel areas with the same attributes, tax settings, work schedules, and etc. In my old life, I was doing this one by one what sounds crazy today in 21 century. There are two things I’ve found recently and I want to share one of these with you today.

So. We need to copy enterprise structure objects which are a different story from PPOME transaction where we cope organizational units. We’re about personnel areas and subareas which is a customizing and performed in SAP IMG.

I believe you remember this screen where we start to establish a company in SAP, like SAP architects define the global rules, i.e. business units, plants, purchasing companies and much more. In one bank we wrote a tricky LSMW project to do copy-paste human-like activity to copy couple hundred personnel areas because bank expanded its presence. It was a really bad solution but it worked in 2006th.

Create personnel area in SAP

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Vitalii Potceluev
March 8, 2018

Payroll period close organizer

In SAP ERP there is an interesting tool look similar to our PUST or Payroll Control Center, which allows to build period close workflow, organize people, duties, and timing. In SAP HR module we only have old-style PUST and modern Payroll Control Center. But both are local to HR only and has no connection with FI, CO, and overall period close process. What if use ERP approach to build our own payroll period close organizer? We have a bunch of activities to do like fill timesheets, move people, fire/hire, enter bonuses, do reporting – all of these require some time and need to be aligned in a sequence cause they are cross dependable on each other.

Ideally, HR activities are the part of overall period close workflow. Why can’t we be a leaf in a whole process tree and clearly understand what and when is going to happen? The system will remind, ping and kick us to process, managers will be notified of any delays and all dependencies are resolved. Sounds like a dream, isn’t it?

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Vitalii Potceluev
March 8, 2018

How to delete a personnel number completely?

There is a well-known program to delete a personnel number RPUDELPN (Delete Personnel Numbers Completely) and RPUDEL20 (Delete Payroll Results). They can delete payroll results and personnel number. Let me introduce you RPUDELPP program which has some benefits when you need to delete a personnel number in SAP completely with one click.

Destruction of Personnel Numbers in Live Systems

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Vitalii Potceluev
February 27, 2018

3 ways to plan an organizational chart effectively

Don’t say you’ve never heard SAP HCM can do an organizational assignment or organizational chart planning. It definitely can with a bunch of tools. Let me show three effective ways how to plan organizational chart and one bonus!

First way without any settings

You can enter all changes with a future start date. It’s very easy! Open PPOME transaction, change the Key date and start entering new organizational chart, move organizational units, positions. The only thing you can’t do is to move people to avoid data inconsistency in the future. So, you change org structure to a planned one with the future date. Meantime all standard and custom reports work well, so you can print your orgchart and show to the boss or sign. If additional corrections needed you just make these and reprint org structure. In case it was not approved, you run standard programs to delete all future records and your current structure remains the same. Zero issue approach. One disadvantage – you can’t use Personnel Cost Planning module in SAP HCM to automate the budjet process.

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Vitalii Potceluev
February 16, 2018

Run time evaluation in parallel

There is an easy way to run time evaluation in parallel. Standard PT60 doesn’t know anything about it and you need to wait a long time everytime you run payroll for all your employees.

A long time ago SAP developed this program, that nobody knows about – RPCS0000 to schedule background time evaluation in parallel.

The program allows reducing runtime evaluation in parallel in background split by a group of personnel numbers. It dramatically reduces runtime for the whole company, particularly when you have thousands of employees.

Run SAP Time Evaluation in Parallel

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Category SAP HCM Tools

Basics

Organizing LSMW projects

Basics

Organizing LSMW projects

First way without any settings