Excerpt from Controlling with SAP — Practical Guide by Janet Salmon. Used with permission of SAP PRESS. All rights reserved.
Learn how to establish a data model so you can load relevant master data from local systems into MDGF.
In terms of data modeling, the master data governance requirements are similar to the requirements for master data reporting in SAP BW. Whereas in SAP BW data models can include different InfoObjects for cost centers, customers, materials, and so on, in SAP MDGF we find a data model that comprises multiple entity types and includes such information as their attributes, whether they can be viewed in a hierarchy, how groups are handled, and so on. It’s important to understand that this model links related data, so the link between cost center and profit center is considered a part of such a model. From SAP MDGF 7.0, you will also find a link between accounts and primary cost elements. The figure below shows the relationships between the various entities in Financials.
SAP delivers several data models for master data governance, which your administrator can activate via the IMG. You’ll find the settings under Cross Application Components > Processes and Tools for Enterprise Applications > Master DataGovernance > General Settings > Data Modeling > Edit Data Model. The delivered data models include the following (again, take a look at these options with your administrator):
- Chart of Accounts and Org. Units (0G): This model was delivered in EHP 5 for use in combination with the business function Master Data Governance for Financials, Organizational Units (FIN_MDM_ORG). The data model includes companies, profit centers, and cost centers, in addition to charts of accounts and cost elements. If you plan to implement in enhancement package 5 or later, use this data model rather than 0F.
- Chart of Accounts (0F): This model was delivered in enhancement package 4 for use in combination with the business function Financial Master Data Management: Charts of Accounts (FIN_MDM_ACC). The data model supports the central definition of global and local charts of accounts. This model has been superseded by data model 0G.
- Business Partner (BP): This covers the master data for the business partner, the supplier, and the customer. Delivery of the supplier model began with EHP 5 and continued over subsequent enhancement packages. Delivery of the vendor model began with EHP 6 and continued over subsequent enhancement packages.
- Material Maintenance (MM): This covers the master data for the material master. Delivery of the model began with EHP 5 and continued over subsequent enhancement packages. From a controlling point of view, you will find that the MDG-M model covers both general master data and valuation-specific data, making it compatible with various views of the material master.
The figure below shows the entity types included in the master data model Chart of Accounts and Org. Units (0G). The entity types of most interest to the controller are the cost elements (CELEM), cost element groups (CELEMG), cost element hierarchies (CELEMH), cost centers (CCTR), cost center groups (CCTRG), and cost center hierarchies (CCTRH).
In the figure below, notice two fundamental aspects of SAP MDGF:
- The controlling entity types are flagged as being changeable via a change request. This means that we’ll find the change request used as both a ticketing mechanism to notify the relevant stakeholders that something is to be done and as a DataStore for the various approvals needed before the change can be executed.
- The entity types are linked with an edition. An edition typically refers to a specific time frame, such as the second quarter of 2014, and groups together all changes to the master data requested within that time frame. Many change requests can be assigned to a single edition, and once all these requests have been processed the data in the edition can be replicated to the local systems.
If we compare this data model with the data model for material masters shown in the figure below, we see that these entities are also linked with change requests but that there is no edition. The objects are simply maintained and then replicated to the associated systems via a change request. In Financials, it’s common for headquarters to initiate changes to the account structures, profit center groupings, and cost center groupings and to issue an effective-from date for their usage to the subsidiaries. However, in Logistics, the creation of new materials, suppliers, or customers is rarely tied to a specific time frame but instead needs to be started as the new master data is required. A validity date is still commonly needed, but this might mean that if a supplier is moving to a new address from June 15th onward, then the address change must become effective in all systems on that date.
Once you have established your model, you can load the relevant master data from your local systems using Transaction MDMGX. This is a generic tool for loading entities into your model. Other organizations use SAP Master Data Governance simply to create new clean master data going forward.
Excerpt from Controlling with SAP — Practical Guide by Janet Salmon. Used with permission of SAP PRESS. All rights reserved.
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