ECC-TM Related Configuration made easy

[Former Member]

When looking at the integration between TM and ECC, there are a number of configuration settings that need to be performed in the ECC system. In particular, for the internal, freight and forwarding settlement processes there are numerous configuration points where you need to cross-reference the TM organisational objects (Sales organisation, Purchasing Organisation etc...) as well as the sending TM system (its logical system identification).

As an example, I have below added a screenshot of the configuration point titled "Assign TM Sales Org. Unit to Internal Order/Cost Center".

In the screenshot below, I have indicated the other ECC configuration points where these objects come into play.

In a previous post, I covered how you could predict the internal TM Organisational object number in all your systems, but how do you go about configuring these entries in regards to the logical system ID?  For example, in a complex organisation, you typically have a 5tier landscape. I.e you have a development system, a Quality/test system, a pre-production system, a production system and a project system. Assuming you have one client in each of those systems, you would need to do the configuration 5 times (once for every change of logical system). This means that your options were:

• Do the configuration for all your logical systems in your reference configuration client and then (basis) transport it to all your other systems. Whilst this would work, the downside is that you need to do a LOT of configuration (as said above, every entry must be duplicated 5 times). To keep it simple, imagine you have 100 sales organisations, you have to configure 500 entries per configuration node! In Addition some may find it "messy" to have configuration that is not related to the considered client (why should I see references to my Quality TM system in my Production ECCS system?)
• Do the configuration in each client. That would work. The effort is still the same (at the end of the day you will still have configured 500 entries). Where you will have a problem though is when you ask your basis team to open the ECC Production system for you to do your configuration. In most large and serious organisations they will just say NO - so that may no work.

So here is a quick tip on how you can do the configuration once (for one system), and easily adapt it in all your target environments.  For all these ECC configuration tables, do the configuration in your reference (DEV) configuration client, but use the logical system ID of your TM Production Client - very important. This configuration should be put in a basis transport and sent to your target systems. Once there, a handy transaction from our basis colleagues can be used - that transaction is BDLS (conversion of logical system names). This is a transaction that is usually used by the basis team when they do a system refresh from another system (say when you copy your Production Environment to your Quality Environment). This transaction allows you to mass rename occurrences where reference to a logical system is made. This transaction cannot be run in Production environments and explains why we used the logical system ID of the production system when we did the configuration in the reference DEV system.  The transaction BDLS presents itself as show below.

In my scenario here, I find myself in the ECC Quality system. I therefore need to indicate the name of the logical system I want to replace (that of the TM Production system) as well as the name of the logical system I  want to replace it with (that of the TM Quality system). Lastly I also indicate (only) the tables for which I want these changes to occur (if you do not know what you are doing I strongly advise you to seek help from your basis team).  That's it. After having run BDLS I end up with an ECC Quality system, correctly referencing the corresponding TM quality system...and I only did my configuration once !

This is cross posted from pascalrenet.com