SAP BDC (BATCH DATA COMMUNICATION) PROJECT

Overview
This project will provide a general overview of a data conversion scenario with SAP.
Specifically, you will use a text file (.csv format) and import Vender Master Data into the
appropriate tables in SAP. Vendor data can use either internal or external numbering (this
concept will be discussed in the lecture). Your application will include logic that takes both
scenarios into consideration. You will write this ABAP application as BDC program. Good
luck!
Part 1- Introduction
During a typical conversion, a functional consultant will work with you (technical ABAP
programmer) to define the fields that need to be populated. The functional consultant will step
through the transaction with you and identify the appropriate fields for the conversion. In this
scenario, I will serve as the Functional Consultant and inform you of the fields needed for the
conversion.
(For the following example, you will be using the Vendor Master screen MK01 or Logistics
Materials Management Purchasing, Master Data Vendor Purchasing Create)

Proceed to create a fictitious vendor in the system (no special characters). Specify LIEF
as the account group.

Once the functional consultant identifies the various fields for the conversion, you will
need to capture the program name, screen number, transaction, and field/table
information. To do this, place your mouse pointer in the name field and press the F1
(Help) key.

From the Help Screen, locate and click on the button Technical Info. The following
window will appear:

From this window, record the Program Name, Screen Number, Table, and Field Name.
To get the transaction number, exit out of the window and go to the System Status
command in the menu bar.

Note: This data is typically recorded in a documentation template. For this exercise, use
the SAP Q&A Database application (if its loaded on your machine) otherwise, record the
info in your own custom template in Word or Excel.

Proceed to obtain the technical information for the following fields:

Vendor Name
Search Term
City
Zip/Postal Code
Country
Language
Currency
The table above list the minimum required fields for Vendor Master Data. From a logical
perspective, you should ask yourself what fields are specific to SAP. Specific SAP fields will
generally not be populated from your external data source (because some fields in SAP already
have data and you wouldnt expect it from the legacy system). Once all your fields are defined,
you would typically give these field requirements to a legacy person to extract the appropriate
data set for the data conversion.

Note: any SAP defined field will contain logic behind it (e.g. drop down arrows indicate
multiple valuesthis info will not be found in legacy system).
A good question to ask the functional consultant would be if there is any default values
for a field.
In reference to internal & external numbering (this topic will be discussed in class) the
account group drives the vendor number. This is imperative to know in advance. If you
have experience from the functional side or have used the IMG tool, you can find out the
different account groups and numbering schemes based upon the following menu path in
the IMG: Financial Accounting AR/AP Vendor Accounts Master Records
Preparation for Creating Vendor Master Create Number Allocate # Ranges (specify
internal/external numbers).

If the client doesnt have a preference, use Internal.

Important Account Groups:

KRED internal SAP numbering

LIEF external vendor numbering
Here is a scenario for you to consider when performing a data conversion:

The company you are consulting for has a legacy system containing 1000 vendors. The
company has recently performed an analysis of open POs (Purchase Orders). The analysis
results indicate there are open POs for 200 vendors. For the data conversion, these 200 vendors
will use external vendor numbering (so theres no conflict with invoice matching). The
remaining vendors without open POs will be assigned internal vendor numbering. The legacy
programmer has provided you with 2 separate files. One file contains a list of vendors with open
POs, while the other file contains a list of vendors without outstanding POs.
Your task is to write an ABAP BDC program that imports the data in the text files to the
appropriate ABAP tables. Dont forget, your program needs to contain logic to determine if the
text file is for internal/external vendor numbering.
Part 2 Process
In part two, you will use batch functions within SAP. The table below lists the different
transaction codes to get started with setting up your batch recording.
Transactions:
Transaction
SHDB
SM35

Description
Batch Input Recording (records a batch session)
Batch Input Initial Screen (to review recorded batch sessions)

To begin, go to transaction SHDB.