Data Cleansing on customer/verndor master data is one of the presteps in ECC on the way to S/4HANA. To keep data clean and reduce duplicates in Business Partners at SAP S/4HANA, duplicate check in BP transaction will help to reduce duplicates.

This blog post is created based on SAP Note 2833993 – ICM: Steps for activation of duplicate check on SAP HANA – new infrastructure via transaction ICM_RULESET

enriched with screenshotes and some guidance.

This blog post is created based on a SAP S/4HANA 2020 Release. All settings will be relevant for newer releases as well. For lower releases please consult SAP Note 2833993 and referenced SAP Notes.

Introduction

This duplicate check is using fuzzy search ICM (Information Consistency Management) based on address data index.

With SAP_BASIS release 755 a new infrastructure for ICM duplicate check based on HANA is provided. With this infrastructure a duplicate check without 3rd party systems can be implemented. Related SAP Notes will show necessary steps to downport this functionality to lower SAP Netweaver releases.

The connection of a third party provider tool to the BAS interface (Business Address Service) allows address data for business partners to be checked (including the address data for contact persons and employee relationships).

The duplicate check can take place in the SAP GUI dialog for maintaining business partners, or also using BAPIs.

A duplicate check is carried out in the following cases:

• Duplicate check of the central address data
  • When a business partner is created with address data
  • When a business partner is changed
• Duplicate check of the address data for relationships
  • When a CP relationship (or an employee relationship) is created with a firm’s address
    The check is carried out only if an address was assigned.
  • When a CP relationship or employee relationship is changed

Version: SAP_BASIS 755 or higher

Below SAP_BASIS 755 please consider SAP note

2834389 – ICM: New infrastructure for duplicate check on SAP HANA (implementation note)

SAP HANA prerequisites:

At least SAP HANA 2 Support Package Stack SPS02

If you want to use the rule set for the address-independent duplicate check, the following minimum versions are required: SAP HANA 2 SPS03 Rev. 37.03 ir SAP HANA 2 SPS04 Rev. 43

Implementation overview

1. Check prerequisits
2. ICM activation
3. BAdI activation
4. Activate Rulesets
5. Clearing Case activation

Check Prerequisits

Check SAP_BASIS release

Check SAP HANA Release

Check ICM Framework

To check if ICM Framework is available check mentioned in ‘PART 4 – test’ of SAP Note 2834389 – ICM: New infrastructure for duplicate check on SAP HANA  should be executed.

Transaction ICM_RULESET

At least all shown Ruleset IDs and View Names should be available in status ‘inactive’.

Check availabilitiy of Views

Check in Transaction SE11 if Views
ICM_PARTNER_ORG
ICM_PARTNER_PERS
ICM_PARTNER_CONT
ICM_BP_ADDRINDP
ICM_EMPLOYEE

are active in ABAP dictionary. Create a new SAP GUI session and run Transaction SE11.

Repeat this step for all of the Views mentioned above. After the check you can close the SE11 session.

In Transaction ICM_RULESET check navigation to ‘Global Settings’ and ‘Maintain Display Fields’ if they are working well.

Global Settings

Maintain Display Fields

ICM Activation

Activation Setup

Run Transaction ICM_RULESET and navigate into ‘Global Settings’.

Dependent on available tables for duplicate check you have to set check on relevant tables active and define a threshold value. Following meaning of available tables:

BUT052 – Relationship Addresses (e.g. used at Contact Persons and Relationship dependent addresses which are synchronized into KNVK)

KNA1 – General Data in Customer Master -> not used is SAP S/4HANA (XDxx transactions are not available any more)

KNVK – Customer/Vendor Master Contact Partner -> not used is SAP S/4HANA (XDxx and XKxx transactions are not available any more)

LFA1 – Supplier Master (General Section) -> not used is SAP S/4HANA (XKxx transactions are not available any more)

MOM052 – Workplace Addresses (used at Employee Business User)

T001W – Plants/Branches (Plant addresses)

BUT000 – BP: General data I (Business Partner)

Recommended threshold values are between 75 and 90. This means duplicates are identified based on a threshold. Higher treshold value leads to a more restrictive duplicate determination. For a threshold value of 90 you can say a duplicate is found with of 90 percent of equal data.

Activate Duplicate check.

Push button ‘Application-Side Enablement (SA17)’

Activate Duplicate Check for GUI Transaction BP

Push button ‘Application-Side Enablement (SA24)’

BAdI Activation

For integration of ICM duplicate check a standard BAdI implementation needs to be activated.

Run Transaction SE18 and enter ADDRESS_SEARCH

List Implementations

Deactivate all active implementations first (marked yellow)

Activate Implementation SIC_ADDR_DUPL_CHECK

Activate Rulesets

Run Transaction ICM_RULESET and activate corresponding rulesets

RULESET_ORG for the duplicate check of business partners (organization and group)
Rule set RULESET_PERS for the duplicate check of business partners (persons)
Note: In SA17, the entry “BUT000, field PARTNER” covers both organizations/groups and persons.
ICM_RULESET contains two separate rule sets for these object types. Both must be activated if you want to use the duplicate check for both organizations/groups and for persons.
Rule set RULESET_CONTACT for the duplicate check of business partner contacts (contact persons for organizations or groups)
Rule set RULESET_BP_ADDRINDP:
Both RULESET_ORG and RULESET_PERS always perform an address comparison during the duplicate check.
If you also want to carry out an address-independent duplicate check for the objects “Organization/Group” and “Person”, activate the rule set RULESET_BP_ADDRINDP as well (or instead). If it is active, this rule set applies for all business partner objects.
Rule set RULESET_EMPLOYEE for the duplicate set of employees on the basis of the table MOM052

As a result all Rulesets are activated.

ATTENTION: Ruleset activation is client dependent. You have activate Rulesets in all relevant clients.

Troubleshooting at Ruleset activation

In some cases it might happen that an error at activation occurs.

In this case indices are not generated yet.

Corresponding to SAP Note 2864015 – ICM: Full-text indexes on table ADRC for ICM duplicate check – generation report ICM_DUPL_SET_FULLTEXT_INDICES

You have to run report ICM_DUPL_SET_FULLTEXT_INDICES with option

As a result you can see confirmation screen.

As a result you can see confirmation screen.

Cleansing Case configuration

With ICM duplicate check you have the possibility to create a cleansing case for postprocessing.

Create number range for numbering object COM_CLEAR

Use Transaction SNRO and enter object COM_CLEAR

Test of Duplicate Check

If a duplicate is identified during one of the above-mentioned actions, a dialog box appears with the relevant options for processing the duplicates.

You can use the following functions in this dialog:

• Navigation to the display of a potential duplicate
• Navigation to the relevant duplicate during the creation of a business partner or a relationship
  You can choose whether you want to accept the changes made to the business partner that is being maintained.
• Creation of a data cleansing case for further maintenance in transaction BUPA_CLEAR
  Information how to handle cleansing cases you can find at SAP Online Help
  http://saphelp.ucc.ovgu.de/NW750/EN/8f/c28d5377a0ec23e10000000a174cb4/frameset.htm.
• Navigation to the display of the relationship for a duplicate relating to contact person or employee data
• Display of the similarity of the duplicate in percent

Display an existing Business Partner and open BP transaction in a second session. Enter pretty similar data into address fields and check the data using <ENTER> or check button.

With this data check duplicate check will be executed and a Pop-Up appears if a duplicate is found.

Starting from this Pop-Up you can navigate to different actions described above.

I hope this blog post was helpful for you. If so, click on “like” or “share”. Please explore the links below for any further clarification.

Helpful links:

• SAP note 3078395 – ICM: Duplicate check does not display any potential duplicates even though they exist.
• See all questions and answers about SAP S/4HANA 
• Follow SAP S/4HANAfor more blogs and updates
• Ask a Question about SAP S/4HANA
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