Partner Processing and Business Partner Master Data 
Business partner master data is a crucial source of information for partner processing, and relationships are the most important aspect of this information. Relationships exist in two forms: general relationships and sales area-specific relationships. A general relationship is a relationship that does not include any sales area data, while a sales area-specific relationship includes data on one or more sales areas, and is only valid for those areas:
A general relationship is valid for situations in which the system does not require sales area-specific information. You determine that it is general by not assigning it to any sales areas when you create it.
A sales area-specific relationship is valid only for sales areas that you specify when you create the relationship. You can create sales area-specific relationships only for partners maintained in roles where sales area data is relevant, such as the sold-to party. Sales area-specific relationships are known as sales area-specific partner function assignments.
When you create a sales area-specific partner function assignment, the system automatically creates a corresponding general relationship at the same time. For example, if you define David Wilson as the contact person for Johnson Electronics for sales area 1000, the system also enters him as a general contact person for Johnson Electronics. The system sees the sales area-specific partner function assignment as one use of a general relationship.
It is possible to assign a relationship category in one case and a partner function in the other based on mapping defined in the system. For more information on how this is defined, see Partner Functions.
Example
Creating a general relationship:
You create your company's customer, Johnson Electronics, as a corporate account.
You create David Wilson, your contact at Johnson Electronics, as a contact.
In Johnson Electronics' master data, you enter David Wilson as a contact in the Contacts assignment block.
In David Wilson's master data, the system automatically creates the relationship in the Work Addresses assignment block.
Although your company has three sales areas, you do not assign the relationship to any of them. This makes it a general relationship.
Creating a sales area-specific partner function assignment:
You create your company's customer, Smith Plastics, as a corporate account and assign it the role Sold-To Party.
You create Ken Lee, your contact at Smith Plastics, as a contact.
In Smith Plastics' master data, you assign Ken Lee to the partner function Contact Person in Sales Area 1000/Retail/10.
In Ken Lee's master data, the system automatically creates the relationship in the Work Addresses assignment block.
Although your company has three sales areas, this relationship is only valid for the one you specified.