You distribute business partner master data between SAP CRM and SAP ERP using CRM Middleware. When you use a business partner in a business transaction in SAP CRM, the business partner master data is exported to SAP ERP for further processing. In SAP ERP, customer master records are created from business partner master data that has been distributed from SAP CRM. Existing customer master data is imported from SAP ERP for use as business partner master data in SAP CRM.
In addition, data can also be exchanged with other systems, such as SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse.
For information about the distribution of business partner data between SAP CRM and SAP S/4HANA, on-premise edition, see SAP Note 2285062.
You make the necessary settings for the distribution of business partner master data (upload and download) in the plug-in for the current release in the transaction PIDE
.
How business partner master data from SAP CRM is distributed as customer master data to SAP ERP depends on the following:
Classification
The following classifications specify the ERP account groups with which customer master records are created in SAP ERP from distributed business partner master data:
Consumer (company or individual)
Customer
Prospect
Competitor
Number assignment
Determines whether the respective account group has internal or external number assignment. If number assignment is external, the customer master record is created in SAP ERP with the same number as the business partner master record in SAP CRM.
Example
CRM Classification | ERP Account Group | Number Assignment |
---|---|---|
Customer | 0001 | Internal |
Prospect | 0005 | External |
Customer master records are created with the account group for customers and internal number assignment in SAP ERP. Master records for prospects are created with the account group for prospects and external number assignment in SAP ERP. If you have not assigned an account group for business partner master records, the data is not distributed.
You can distribute customer master data from SAP ERP for use in SAP CRM. For each account group in SAP ERP, you specify the following for creating business partner master records in SAP CRM:
Classification
Indicates how the business partner is used in SAP CRM.
Grouping
Determines the number range. The entry in the grouping field determines whether and how an entry is made in the business partner number field. If you use the grouping to set number assignment to external, the business partner master record is created in SAP CRM with the same number as the customer master record from SAP ERP.
Example
ERP Account Group | CRM Classification | Grouping |
---|---|---|
0005 | Prospect | 0001 |
0006 | Competitors | 0002 |
0003 | Customer | Not applicable |
0170 | Consumer | 0002 |
Customer master records with account group 0005 in the ERP system are created as business partner master records with the classification Prospect
and the grouping 0001 in CRM.
Customer master records with account group 0006 in the ERP system are created as business partner master records with the classification Competitor
and the grouping 0002 in CRM.
Customer master records with account group 0003 in the ERP system are not created as business partner master records in CRM.
If you have not established a grouping for an account group for customer master records, the data is not distributed.
Customer master records with the account group 0170 in the ERP system are created as business partner master records with the classification Consumer
and the grouping 0002 in CRM.
You can check for discrepancies in the mandatory setting for business partner fields in SAP CRM and customer fields in SAP ERP. You perform the check in preparation for data distribution between the applications, to ensure that the mandatory fields in both systems are identical.
You can find the check report in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management
, under .
To use this function, you must activate the business function Reduction of Implementation Time (CRM_TCI_1
).
For business partner master data that you create in SAP CRM as consumers, it is decisive whether the business partners are companies (organizations) or individuals (persons). Companies are distributed to SAP ERP as business partner master data for customers, while individuals are distributed as business partner master data for consumers. The latter case concerns true consumers.
In the case of companies, the sales area data transferred from the reference business partner is also distributed. In the case of individuals, this data is not also distributed, but is rather determined from the reference customer in SAP ERP.
To distribute consumer master records from SAP ERP to SAP CRM maintain the reference business partner and the sales area data belonging to it in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management
, under . Alternatively, you can download the reference customer from SAP ERP.
Customer master records with the account group for consumers who are people, are created as real consumer master records in SAP CRM, because the sales area data is transferred from the reference business partner.
In Customizing, you can make the necessary settings for creating business partners from HR master data distributed from SAP ERP to SAP CRM by ALE. You do this in the Customizing for Customer Relationship Management
, under .
Note
If you want to assign business partners who are employees to business partners for partner function types (for example, Employee Responsible
) you must distribute master data from SAP ERP in the following sequence:
Distribute HR master data by ALE
Execute the initial download of customer master data using Middleware
The external interface allows you to communicate with external systems. You can exchange business partner data and relationship data using this interface.
You can exchange business partners and their relationships directly between mobile clients and the SAP CRM server. This means, for example, that you can exchange prospects directly between the mobile client and the SAP CRM server without these prospects having to be transferred to a connected SAP ERP system.
For more information about replicating business partner data, see the Basic Settings for SAP CRM
section in SAP Solution Manager.