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Background documentation Partner Processing and Business Partner Master Data Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

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 includes no sales area data. 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. In the system, 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.

How is it possible to assign a relationship category in one case and a partner function in the other? It is possible because relationship categories and partner function categories are linked in the system. For more on how they are linked, see Partner Functions.

For more information, see Structure linkBusiness Partner Relationships.

 

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Example

Creating a general relationship:

  1. You enter your company's customer, Johnson Electronics, as a business partner assigned to the category Organization.
  2. You enter David Wilson, your contact at Johnson Electronics, as a business partner assigned to the category Person.
  3. In Johnson Electronics' master data, you create the relationship Johnson Electronics has the contact person David Wilson.
  4. In David Wilson's master data, the system automatically creates the relationship David Wilson is the contact person for Johnson Electronics.

Although your company has three sales areas, you assign the relationship to none of them. It is then a general relationship.

Creating a sales area-specific partner function assignment:

  1. You enter your company's customer, Smith Plastics, as a business partner assigned to the category Organization, and maintain it in the role Sold-to party.
  2. You enter Ken Lee, your contact at Smith Plastics, as a business partner assigned to the category Person.
  3. In Smith Plastics' master data, you assign Ken Lee to the partner function Contact person in Sales Area 1000/Retail/10.
  4. In Ken Lee's master data, the system automatically creates the relationship Ken Lee is the contact person for Smith Plastics.
  5. Although your company has three sales areas, this relationship is only valid for the one you specified.
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