Address Data 

Definition

Used to create and manage addresses for a business partner

Use

You can create one or more addresses for each business partner. If you enter only one address per business partner, this is used for all activities. If you create multiple addresses, you can define when they should be used (for example, use of a certain address as the delivery address).

The following functions are available:

·        Create a standard address if you need only one address per business partner.

This address will be used for all activities.

·        Create additional addresses (in the SAP GUI on the tab page Address Overview) if you need several addresses per business partner.

·        You can also assign an address usage (in the SAP GUI on the tab page Address Overview).

·        You can create and change a standard address using the address usage standard address.

·        You can move an existing address to a new target address, or plan this move for the future.

Processes that access the address number of the source address are automatically forwarded to the address number of the target address from the move date. For more information on carrying out a move, see Executing a Move and a Change.

·        You can execute a where-used list for an address.

Integration

The Business Address Services (BAS) provide the basic functions for managing address data.

Based on the address usage that you have established, the automatic address determination recognizes which address is used for which business activity.

You can format the data according to your requirements if you want to print address data in your application, for example, in a document. In the Business Partner dialog you can display a print preview in a dialog box for the formatted address data. For more information on print formatting, see Print Formatting for Addresses.

You can create several international address versions for an address. This allows you to format address data and also name fields (e.g. first and last name, academic title, etc.) for all business partners in different fonts, each with its own character set.

The SAP Regional Structure can be used to check whether the address data (postal code, city and street) is correct. For more information, see Checks Against the SAP Regional Structure.

Furthermore, the BAS provide interfaces for connecting postal checks of external providers. For more information, see Postal Check and Duplicate Check and Error-Tolerant Search.

If you search in the locator for business partners by means of address versions, the version of the logon language is always displayed in the results list. Thus, if you search for a Cyrillic address version, for example, but are logged on in English; the English address, and not the Cyrillic address is displayed in the description for the business partner. You can then call up the relevant international versions in the business partner in question. 

In the Implementation Guide (IMG) you define the activities and address types you need, and establish whether several addresses may be assigned to an address type. In addition, you can assign activities to certain address types.

Make the necessary settings in Customizing of the Business Partner under Basic Settings ® Address Determination.

When you enter a gender-specific form of address (e.g. Mr., Mrs.) in the SAP GUI, or change the form of address, the assignment of the gender is automatically adapted on the tab page Identification. Make the settings for the dependency of the fields Title and Gender in Customizing under SAP Web Application Server ® Basis-Services ® Address Management ® Forms of Address and Name Components ® Maintain Texts for Forms of Address.

Activate the international address versions that you require in Customizing under SAP Web Application Server ® Basis-Services ® Address Management ® International Settings® Activate International Address Versions.

Example

Address Move

On the 15.04.2005 you receive the information that the business partner Julie Armstrong is moving to London on the 01.06.2005. You create Julie Armstrong’s new address with the validity start date of the 01.06.2005. You also create a move with the move date of the 01.06.2005 and the new address in London. The system automatically restricts the validity of the old address to one day before the move date.

If a process accesses the old address, the system determines the data for the new address by means of the address number of the old address.