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Author's profile photo Meghan Rosser

Living the ChaRMed Life: How to Default a Business Partner in ChaRM UI

Hi There!  Thanks for checking out my blog.  As a Solution Manager Architect, I spend a lot of time implementing ChaRM for clients… and with lots of clients come lots of customizing requests!

I will be writing a series of How To’s, based on real world situations and requests.  Hopefully they will benefit you as much as they benefited our clients!

My second blog topic is How to Default a Business Partner in ChaRM UI.  This applies for both Solution Manager 7.1 and 7.2

I have been asked by several customers if they can have a field defaulted to a specific person or group for their ChaRM documents.  This helps take the guess work out of the equation for end users, and ensure the workflow is routed to the correct team!

For my example, I am using the Normal Change workflow (ZNMJ) and am using an SAP partner Production Manager (SDCD0005) defined with a client label of “CAB Member”.  I want this CAB Member field to be populated automatically, and not be editable by the end user.

I will show you a quick way to do this, without having to configure the Organizational Structure within Solution Manager.

Prerequisites:  

  • Created End User/ Business Partner for CAB Member
  • Group Email address maintained for BP

1.  Allow Ibase to see All defined Partner Functions:

  • Transaction SPRO -> SAP Solution Manager -> Capabilities -> Change Control Management -> Transactions -> Partner Determination Procedure

  • Select Procedure 00000032 Installed Base/Ibase
  • Choose from Permitted Functions drop down – Standard (All Defined Partner Functions)
  • Save

2. Edit the Ibase

  • (For this example we have one CAB Member BP for the entire organization, So I will redo this step for every system in the Ibase)
  • Execute Transaction IB52
  • Select System/Client you wish to have CAB Member Defaulted
  • Select Goto Meny
  • Choose sub menu Partner

  • Select CAB Member from Function Drop down, enter Appropriate Business Partner number
  • Save
  • Exit Ibase

3.  Edit the Transaction’s Partner Determination Procedure

  • Transaction SPRO -> SAP Solution Manager -> Capabilities -> Change Control Management  -> Transactions -> Define Partner Determination Procedure

  • Select Transaction Type in Question (ZNMJ)

  • Select Menu on left, Partner Functions In Procedure
  • Choose CAB Member
  • Deselect the Changeable check box

  • Select option from Access Sequence drop down, SAP Service : Determination via IBase

  • Save and Exit Spro

4. Create a Change Document to Test!

Results : Now when the End users select their appropriate Project Cycle from a ChaRM Document, the CAB Member Field will be automatically populated, and is not editable, to prevent incorrect routing!

Thank you for reading and have fun customizing!

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      17 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Well done!

      Author's profile photo Steven Patterson
      Steven Patterson

      Great feature and easily digestible, can't wait for more!

      Author's profile photo Shaswat C
      Shaswat C

      Very informative !

      I have a question - let us say we need to default multiple persons to a "partner function".
      Taking the above example, CAB is usually a body of approvers, or there may be multiple Change Managers. Can we default all of them using ibase?

      I have tried to default multiple using Rule Policy but that hasn't worked.

      Author's profile photo Meghan Rosser
      Meghan Rosser
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Shaswat!

      In this case, I have used one Business Partner with a DL email address assigned to it.  I hope that helps!

      Meghan

      Author's profile photo Shaswat C
      Shaswat C

      Thanks Meghan!

      Yes, creating a DL is what we end up doing most of the time too .

      Also let us say we have a list of "Approval Lists" , for each module or process. In many organizations, same SMEs are part of multiple approval lists. So creating so many DLs is not an easy thing to suggest to customer.

      Also change in approval lists due to change in org responsibilities, would have to be made in the DL rather than a quick master data modification.

      It would be much easier to be able to map multiple partners as master data (in Ibase or Rule Policy). Hope SAP gives some insight into this !

      Thanks,
      Shaswat

      Author's profile photo Gary Bracegirdle
      Gary Bracegirdle

      Excellent Blog!!! 

      Author's profile photo vinod tiwari
      vinod tiwari

      Hey Meghan, Is it working in Solman 7.2 as well? I tried it on Solman 7.2 but it didn't work.

       

      Best Regards,

      Vinod Tiwari

      Author's profile photo SPANDAN PARIDA
      SPANDAN PARIDA

      I have a strange issue.

      While filling in the checklist items, I entered a wrong Partner. It got saved and doesnt allow me to remove the invalid partner and gives me a hard error not allowing to do anything. How can I delete the invalid partner from the checklist block. The 'Parties Involved' block is also non editable. Can you please help ?

      Author's profile photo Meghan Rosser
      Meghan Rosser
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Spandan,

      I would check the partner determination procedure for your Transaction type, and see if the changeable check box is checked, also see how many max partners are allowed for that BP.

       

      Meghan

      Author's profile photo SPANDAN PARIDA
      SPANDAN PARIDA

      Thanks Meghan.. the Changeable check is checked and I allowed 2 partners for the BP.

      But how do I change the status of the checklist step so that I can delete one of the Invalid Partners from the checklist block ?

      Author's profile photo Shalin Roger B
      Shalin Roger B

      Hi Spandan,

      The checklists in the Service Requests generally use the partner determination procedure SMCL0001 unless you have introduced a new procedure.

      And in case of SMCL0001 being your partner determination procedure for the checklists, the partners will not be editable under 2 circumstances.

      1. If you have cancelled the step.
      2. If you have completed the step or set a status with "FINI"  status type.

      So you need to check the below for the Item Category that is set for your service request transaction type.

      1. Partner determination procedure (You need to adjust the procedure).
      2. Status set for the step and its type in the status profile (You need to adjust the status).
      3. If you have manually cancelled the checklist step (You cannot revert).

       

      Author's profile photo SPANDAN PARIDA
      SPANDAN PARIDA

      Thanks Shalin,

      How do I change the status for the checklist step ? Can you please let me know

      Author's profile photo SPANDAN PARIDA
      SPANDAN PARIDA

      My Problem is for a particular Checklist step (Checklist Item - Special Handling Instructions), I have entered 2 line items, one with a wrong BP, and other with a correct BP(employee responsible). I want to get rid of the faulty line item (the one with the invalid Partner).

      So basically delete one line item entry from the Checklist Node for a Normal Change Document. That particular entry is throwing me a hard error, and not letting me do any status changes on the document.

      Author's profile photo Shalin Roger B
      Shalin Roger B

      Can you paste a screenshot of the same?

      Just cancelling the step should solve the issue, however we would have better clarity if a screenshot is shared.

      Author's profile photo SPANDAN PARIDA
      SPANDAN PARIDA

      Here is the screen shot

      Author's profile photo Marcel Schaaf
      Marcel Schaaf

      Hey Meghan, It works nice if we create a ZMHF. But if we use the follow up function, the system dont find this partner.

       

      BR
      Marcel

      Author's profile photo Thomas Hiesener
      Thomas Hiesener

      Hi Megan,

       

      it still works with Solman 7.2/SPS14?

      I tried but there is no result. Is the Ibase still in use? I don't know anybody who understood the old Ibase concept. 🙂

      It's not so complicated and I tried everything with SMMJ first. Unfortunately, nothing happens.

      Can you update please if it's still valid or is there a better way 2022?

       

      Best Regards!

      Thomas