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Author's profile photo Ravi Sankar Venna

LSMW for Functional Consultants in simple step-by-step way

Legacy System Migration Workbench (LSMW) is handy tool for data uploads. In most of the big projects there is a separate development / data migration team is available. However, at times, it would be responsibility of the functional consultant to load the data such as vendor master, customer master and asset master etc. It would be real handy for a functional consultant to know LSMW (at least recording method) and it would help them to successfully complete the task. Hope this document would help many of our functional consultants, as I am seeing number of questions around LSMW. The simple rule is: Follow this document and practice is for number of times possible, then you will become master.

Go to Transaction Code “LSMW” and follow the following steps:

 

LSMW_1.png

Give some Unique name for Project, Subproject and Object. Click Create (Shift+F1). Now execute or press CTRL+F8.

LSMW_2.png

 

Give the description for Project, Sub Project and Object and say OK. Now execute or press CTRL+F8.

LSMW_3.png

Select Maintain Object Attributes and Execute (CTRL+F8)

LSMW_4.png

  

Click Display / Change (it will make you to change). Select the Radio Button Batch Input Recording. Now click on  “Goto” –
Recordings Overview. Click on Create Recording (Ctrl+F1).

LSMW_5.png

Click OK

LSMW_6.png

 

Give Required Transaction Code (In this case it is FK01)

LSMW_7.png

Create Vendor or Make changes for Entering Withholding tax details in the Vendor.

LSMW_8.png

Press Enter

LSMW_9.pngC

Press Enter

LSMW_10.png

Click on Save Button.

LSMW_11.png

Recording is saved now. Click on “Default All” Button.

LSMW_12.png

Click
Ctrl+Y, a + will come. With this, you can drag and copy whatever you want.  In case if any field is appearing twice you
need to change the field name by double clicking on that. Otherwise, your uploading will get failed.

  

Copy
the fileds to an excel file. 

LSMW_13.png

Remove the Blank Rows.

LSMW_14.png

Now the field name and descriptions are in one Column. I.e., “A”. You need to
segregate that. To do that, select Column “A” and Select in Excel “Data” – Text
to Column as shown in the following graph.

LSMW_15.png

Now Select the fixed with and say “Next”.

LSMW_16.png

Select Fixed Width and click next.

LSMW_17.png

Keep columns wherever you want by clicking.

Now say Next and then again say “Finish”. Now all fields and texts are divided into two Columns.

LSMW_18.png

Now copy the fields and texts as shown in the Sheet1 (Ctrl+C)

LSMW_19.png

Go
to Sheet2

  

Keep
the cursor in the Sheet 2 (A1) and then

  

Edit,

 

Paste
Special

 

Check
in Transpose as shown below and say OK.

LSMW_20.png

Now all your rows will become your columns as shown in the blow Screen.

LSMW_21.png

 

Now
fill the required details exactly as shown below. You should note that you have
to enter ‘0001 for payment method instead of 0001, since if you straight enter
0001 it will become 1, therefore you must ensure whenever it is starting with
“0” should be preceded with ‘.

LSMW_22.png

Now
select the whole sheet2.

  

Remove
all grids.

No colors should be there in the sheet.

No letter should be typed in different colors. All are in normal color only.

Keep the columns to “LEFT” Margin.

 

Now,

Format
=> Cells => Number => General as shown in the following screenshot.

LSMW_23.png

Now say OK.

Now copy the whole Sheet2 and paste it in the Sheet3.   Then
delete the header rows as shown below:

LSMW_24.png

Save
this file to your Hard Disk with a simple name. In this case I saved as Vendor.

 

Now
go to “SAVE AS” in Excel, and

Save
as Text (Tab Delimited) as shown in the above screen shot.

LSMW_25.png

Click on OK button as shown below.

LSMW_26.png

Click on “YES” button as shown below.

LSMW_27.png

Now, Click on “NO” button as shown below.

LSMW_28.png

Press F3 or Click on Back Button.

LSMW_29.png

Now, Click on “YES” to save.

LSMW_30.png

You will reach the below screen.

Again, press F3 or click on back Button.

LSMW_31.png

Click
F4 in the Recording Button, your structure will be populated. In this case it
is “VENDRECO”.

 

Now click on Save on Ctrl+S to save your recording.

 

After saving your recording click Back button or press Ctrl+F3 to go back.

LSMW_32.png

Now you will observe that few steps have been disappeared. Only few steps are left
out. This is because of the recording mode that you have been selected. Ideally
there should not be any Idoc related steps should be visible.

 

Now Step1 is being completed and the system automatically takes you to second step.
Now press CTRL+F8 or Executed.

LSMW_33.png

Click on Display / Change Button or press Ctrl+F1

LSMW_34.png

Now create a Structure by clicking “Create Structure” or Ctrl+F4.

LSMW_35.png

Give Source Structure Name and Description

LSMW_36.png

Your Source Structure Name and Description is shown. Click on Save button

LSMW_37.png

 

Now Press F3 or Click back button to go back.

  

Now the second step is completed and system automatically takes you to third step.

Click CTRL+F8 or Press Execute Button, which will take to maintain source fields.

LSMW_38.png

Click on Display / change as shown above OR press Ctrl+F1.

LSMW_39.png

Now press on Table Maintenance as shown above by keeping your cursor on the Source
Structure (in blue color in the above screen shot).

LSMW_40.png

Copy those Fields from Sheet1 and copy it here. (from your excel file)

LSMW_41.png

In case if your fields are came twice in recording, none of the field should be
similar. As already advised that change the field names to different field
names. Whatever, field names that you have changed in the structure should also
appear here. Meaning that in case these fields does not map with your changed
fields in your Structure, uploading will fail.

LSMW_42.png

Enter the Field Type as “C” – Characteristic and Length as 60. If you know the length
enter the exact length. If you do not enter the maximum length 60. You should
not enter the length less than the actual length of the field.

  

Say “Save”.

LSMW_43.png

Press “Enter”. Save the results and Press
F3 or Click on back button to go back.

LSMW_44.png

Now Click Save in this screen and again press F3 to go back.

LSMW_45.png

Now system will automatically takes you to fourth screen.

Click CTRL+F8 or Click on Execute Button.

LSMW_46.png

Select the Structure and click on Display / change button or press Ctrl+F1

LSMW_47.png

Click on Relationship (Ctrl+F4)

LSMW_48.png

Though
it is customary step, you should go to this step. And say OK for the message
that the system has issued. “A source structure is already assigned to target
structure VENDRECO”.

  

Now press Save and PressF3 or Click on back button to go back.

 
It will take you to the next screen automatically.

LSMW_49.png

Press CTRL+F8 or Click on Execute Button.

LSMW_50.png

In the above screen, select the structure and then click display / change or (Ctrl+F1).

  

Again Select the Structure,

LSMW_51.png

Go select the auto filed mapping as showing above in the above screen shot.

LSMW_52.png

Say “OK” with this 50 number screen. Do not make any changes.

LSMW_53.png

Keep on Pressing “Accept Proposal” for all the proposal as shown above.

LSMW_54.png

Your entire field mapping should appear as above. Each field should have four rows as above.

Once it is being completed the system issues a statement that “Auto Field Mapping is completed”

LSMW_55.png

Click Save (Ctrl+S) and go back (F3).

LSMW_56.png

 

Nothing to do with “Maintain Field Values, Transactions, User Defined Routines”

LSMW_57.png

Now Go to “Specify Files” Screen Manually and press “Ctrl+F8” or Execute Button.

LSMW_58.png

 

Select the first row and click on Display / change Button.

LSMW_59.png

Now Click on Add Entry “Ctrl+F2” as shown above.

LSMW_60.png

Select the “TEXT (Tab Delimited)” file that you have already created and say Open.

LSMW_61.pngLSMW_62.png

Your file has come and Enter some relevant “Name”

Select “Tabulator” Radio Button and say OK.

LSMW_63.png

Now Save (Ctrl+S) and press F3 or Back Button to go back.

LSMW_64.png

 

Now the system will take you to next step i.e., “Assign Files”. Press Ctrl+F8 or
press Execute Button.

LSMW_65.png

Select Source Structure (as shown in blue colour above) and press Display / Change
Button (Ctrl+F1).

LSMW_66.png

Click on Assignment  (Ctrl+F2)

Though it is a customary step, you need to visit this step compulsory. The system will
issue a message stating that “A file has already been assigned to source
structure “VENDOR_RECORDING”. Say Ok.
 

Click on Save (Ctrl+S) and Press F3 or click on back button.

LSMW_68.png

The system will take you to next step i.e., “Read Data”. Click on Execute or Press Ctrl+F8.

LSMW_69.png

Remove the Checks for

Value
Fields -> 1234.56

Date
Value -> YYYYMMDD as shown above. There should not be any check in the above
two check boxes.

 

Now
Click on Execute (F8)

LSMW_70.png

The system will tell that total 8 records are being read.

  

Now Click on Back Button or press F3 TWICE, which will take you to initial screen.

LSMW_71.png

Now the system takes you to next step “Display Read Data”

Click on Execute or Press Ctrl+F8.

LSMW_72.png

Here you give the number of lines in your text file and say OK.

LSMW_73.png

Click on Any one row and see whether the fields in SAP and columns in your Text File
are matching.

LSMW_74.png

Once you are satisfied that everything is matching and going fine, press F3 or Click
on Back button TWICE, which will take you to initial screen.

LSMW_75.png

Now you are automatically in “Convert Data” Screen.

  

PressCtrl+F8 or Click on Execute Button.

LSMW_76.png

Just press F8 or Execute Button.

LSMW_77.png

The following screen will appear. See the screen and press Back Button (F3) twice,
which will take you to initial screen.

LSMW_78.png

Now the system will automatically takes you to “Display Converted Data”.

  

Press Ctrl+F8 or Click on Execute Button.

LSMW_79.png

Enter the number of lines From 1 to 8 in this case, to see how it is showing in
Converted Data and Say Ok. (Click on Rite Tick).

LSMW_80.png

Click on any one of the converted data line and see how the data is going.

LSMW_81.png

If you are satisfied that everything is going fine, then Click on Go back button
(F3) TWICE, which will take you to initial screen.

LSMW_82.png

You will be automatically taken to “Create Batch Input Session”.

   

Click Ctrl+F8 or press “Execute” Button.

LSMW_83.png

Select “Keep Batch input Folder(s)?

 

Just Click on Execute Button (F8).

LSMW_84.png

One Batch input session will be created. The system will state that “1 batch input
folder with 8 transactions created” will be issued. Say OK. (Click Right),
which will take you to initial screen.

LSMW_85.png

Click Ctrl+F8 or Press on Execute Button.

LSMW_86.png

Now you are in SM35 Screen. Select the line that is being created to upload and
press Execute (F8) button as shown above.

LSMW_87.png

Select “Background” Radio Button.

Check in:

 

Extended log

Expert Mode

Dynpro Standard Size

As shown above and the click on “Process” button.

LSMW_88.png

See the log and click on Line, if there are any problems in your log.

   

Click on back button (F3) to come out of the session FOUR TIME, which will take you
to Easy Access Screen.

 

LSMW_89.png

Go to Report
“S_ALR_87012086”

Now You are Viewing the vendor records that you are uploaded. You can also follow
the same steps for Change also.

LSMW_90.png

Please let me know if you have any doubts.

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      294 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Jose Luis Carbajo
      Jose Luis Carbajo

      Thanks for sharing your knowledge, still find this information  very helpful

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi,

           I got chance to go through the document it was crystal clear all the doubts I have in LSMW are waved away. Once again thanks so much.

      Regards,

      Triven.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi Sir,

      This is most usefulfrom legacy system into SAP..

      good work for SCN group, thank q very much...

      Best Regards,

      Praveen

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi,

      Thanks a lot, I did for mass user creation with this.

      Excellent explanation !!!!

      Author's profile photo Esteban Edgardo Ascanio Regueira
      Esteban Edgardo Ascanio Regueira

      hi all's, this documentation its Very complete

      congratulations  and thanks  for  explain  to  detail

      Regards

      Edgardo Ascanio Reguiera

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi,

      I did LSMW for mass user creation, with this document. its very help full.

      Now I want to assign this to a transaction code.

      Please .......  guide me how to it.

      Author's profile photo Ravi Sankar Venna
      Ravi Sankar Venna
      Blog Post Author

      Thanks Ravi.

      This would work only if you are using same number of transaction codes you are assigning. Otherwise, you need to do different recording for each set of transaction codes.

      Alternatively, please use SU10 for mass changes to users. This should be handy than LSMW.

      Kind Regards,

      Ravi

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi

      Ok, thanks for your reply.

      these comments looks like, RaviSankar is writing to RaviSankar 😕

      Rgds

      Ravi

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi,

      could you pls explain me how to upload the opening balances

      through LSMW.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Sanjeevaiah,

      I have no idea....

      Author's profile photo Ravi Sankar Venna
      Ravi Sankar Venna
      Blog Post Author

      If you have one debit and credit or constant type of entries (exactly similar number of entries), then you can still use LSMW recording method.

      Otherwise, please follow, this

      LSMW with RFBIBL00

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Dear Sir,

      Thank you very much.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      A perfect guide ! Each step is very nicely explained. Thank you.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      This is really helpful, easy to follow and awesome! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hello Sir,

      Well informative document for beginners.

      Thanks for sharing such great knowledge with different types of document on SCN.

      Regards

      Rahul A. 🙂 🙂

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Thanks for sharing the document.

      Author's profile photo Amr Elsherif
      Amr Elsherif

      thx a lot

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Thanks for sharing a nice document.........

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Thanks for this wonderful document Ravi..:)

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      thanks alot

      I am looking for an step by step LSMW batch input path (for gl account master record) if you have a document about it could you please send it.

      Author's profile photo Swapnil Hule
      Swapnil Hule

      Thanks ravi for sharing the doc with us...

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi,

      Thanks for sharing this Document. With the help of your document, I create my first LSMW without taking help of anyone( at first attempt itself).

      Thanks again for the document.

      Pradeep

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi,

      Reading your blog one by one, which are like SOP (standard operating Procedure) for me as I have just started  swimming in the SAP world. I am learning FICO Module. Yesterday in the class they told about LSMW, after reading your blog, I understood thoroughly..

      Thanks for providing details information.

      All the best

      regards,

      Arun

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi,

      excellent work!

      Thank you and regards,

      Maria

      Author's profile photo Amar Lal Lohano
      Amar Lal Lohano

      Excellent Document. Thumbs up Ravi 🙂

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      good job .

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi,

      Thanks for sharing such a wonderful documentation. This is sure to be an informative resource for the community members.

      Regards,

      Unnivelan.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Thanks a ton Ravi. It is very nice document.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi

      The explanations was very useful

      Thank you

      hamed nozari

      Author's profile photo Gayani Premawardena
      Gayani Premawardena

      Thanks. very descriptive.

      Author's profile photo Ajay Jawalkar
      Ajay Jawalkar

      Hi Ravi,

      Very detailed steps. Simple and Sweet!

      Thanks for sharing!

      Author's profile photo Md. Ali Akbar
      Md. Ali Akbar

      good tutorial....

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Very good document..

      Thanking You!!!

      Author's profile photo Sanket Sachde
      Sanket Sachde

      Excellent document. Very Informative. Keep sharing.

      Regards,

      Sanket Sachde

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Very useful guide in using LSMW for migration. Thanks for sharing this!

      Author's profile photo Rakesh Goenka
      Rakesh Goenka

      Hi Ravi,

      This is amongst the BEST SAP LSMW Documents that is Available. Can be Used By Any Beginner As Well.

      Regards

      Rakesh Goenka

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi,

      Could you please let me know whether we can add the network path in Specify file path in LSMW.

      Ex:  \\XYZ\1234\RDB\567.txt

      Can we add the above in LSMW. Please advise

      Thanks,

      M.Shiva Kumar

      Author's profile photo Shrikant Kate
      Shrikant Kate

      This is a very useful write up.

      Thank you.

      Regards,

      Shrikant Kate

      Author's profile photo Lavanya Latha
      Lavanya Latha

      hello Ravi,

      thank you for your document on LSMW. It was very helpful for me to execute LSMW to update new cost centres in Asset master.

      Thanks a lot

      Author's profile photo Melia Suryani
      Melia Suryani

      Very detail and helpful, especially for beginner in LSMW

      It's totally useful.

      Thanks mr. Ravi!

      Author's profile photo Saurabh Patni
      Saurabh Patni

      Hi Ravi,

      What a fantastic document and execellent effort to create such an eleborative write up. I never thought LSMW was that easy, you made it so simple, crisp and precise that even a person who does not have the knowledge of SAP can easily understand and execute it. Again, a sincere thanks from my side,

      Regards,

      Saurabh Patni

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi

      Thank you brother its very helpful

      Regards

      M Kumar

      Author's profile photo Giri Gopalaswamy
      Giri Gopalaswamy

      Pl. add on how to create complex LSMW with coding

      Author's profile photo Jürgen Lins
      Jürgen Lins
      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      hi jurgen,

      i have followed all the same process mentioned above to create a material master but i cannot see materials in my material list.

      i have completed all the process but there was no log error also but how to see the materials created as i have followed all the process.

      Author's profile photo Jürgen Lins
      Jürgen Lins

      I don't know what you mean by "..in my material list" there are many many steps and as well many check points  on the way. Are you sure you have loaded anything from your source? Are you sure you have converted something? Are you sure your batch input has some suitable data? Are you certain there was no error message somewhere?

      I wrote a blog why a recording method is not  suitable for material master: Explained issues with LSMW recording for material master

      This does not mean it is impossible, it can be used for training purpose and some real basic materials but it is not practical in real life. Recording method has anyway reached its end of life since you can't record a Fiori App in S4/HANA.

      Step by step guides are good if you follow them exactly, but if there is not much background explained why you do this and that then you can only follow exactly or you do trial and error.

      More explanation for each step and how to validate the data can be found in my blog LSMW Material master by BAPI method - Part 1

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Thanks for putting the steps at SCN nice to read how to create LSMW.

      Regards,

      Mukesh

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Very detailed, thanks!

      Regards,

      Priya

      Author's profile photo Sagar Reddy Kunta
      Sagar Reddy Kunta

      Very Helpful,

      Sagar.

      Author's profile photo Yeswanth Itikirala
      Yeswanth Itikirala

      Thank you very much. Its really helpful for a functional consultant.

      Author's profile photo Chillarige Sri rama nara simha Ajay
      Chillarige Sri rama nara simha Ajay

      Hi Ravi,

      Thank you for the document and  i could able to complete LSMW cycle with ease.

      Thank you once again for sharing the document.

      Regards,

      Ajay

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

        Keep on the good posts, Ravi. I hope more will take your example.   

        Regards,

        Stefan

      Author's profile photo GUSTAPH M MODIMI MUKETE
      GUSTAPH M MODIMI MUKETE

      Wow,Ravi,This is great.Very explicit. You are a great guy!

      Author's profile photo Vikram Kona
      Vikram Kona

      Fantastic resource on this topic. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Ravi

      Thank you for making it simple for every one.

      Author's profile photo Rohtas Sharma
      Rohtas Sharma

      Excellent work!!

      Thanks for information.

      From RS

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Thanks Ravi, is very useful! 🙂

      Author's profile photo Jochen Brillowski
      Jochen Brillowski

      Hi Ravi,

      Nice & helpful work.

       

      Thanks and Best regards!

      Jochen