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Monday Knowledge Snippet (MKS) - 09 Enrich Master Data without Enhancements

former_member186731
Active Contributor
‎10-08-2012 1:49 PM

Back from baby-break, today just a quick snippet about a maybe not so well known feature for SAP TM: Enriching (some) master data objects without enhancements.

Background: SAP TM is using some general available master data from the SCM Basis layer like Locations and Products. Ofter in customer projects there is a need to add some additional information to these objects, but it seems to be very complicated to add it to the 'old-style' SAP GUI, get it into the database and then through all layers until it finally is available in TM ready to be used. But there is a feature making it possible to add additional attributes to these objects without needing to enhance anything.

Within the customizing, under the path TM->SCM Basis->Master Data you can find the activity 'Maintain Freely-Definable Attributes'. Checking out the activity documentation, it tells you that you need to enter a field, the corresponding table to store the data, a field label and then you are ready to go.

IMG Path

Definition of freely definable attributes

After doing so - for example for the Location - and entering the location maintenance transaction /SCMTMS/LOC3 via the menu, you will notice a new tab 'Addit.' which had not been there before. Clicking on this tab, you can see the field you have just added ready to be maintained. This field is available on the database (in case of location /SAPAPO/LOC) and also passed through the access layer. Within SAP TM, these fields are available using the TM Business Object with standard queries and retrieves. This way the information can be added to any UI or used within customer coding.

Location Master Data - additional tab

Product Master Data - additional section for freely definable attributes

Well, the feature is limited as it only allows 5 fields with pretty limited length. Also, from a programmers perspective these fields are just text without any validation.


Relevant note: https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1638456


Hope this helps a bit.