Integration Configuration:

The integration of the SAP modules is sometimes an area where design and configuration is weakest.  Project teams are often divided into subteams by modules and sometimes inadequate attention is paid to the way that the modules need to work together.  Problems occur for a number of reasons:

• SAP analysts sometimes lack at least a big picture view of the total business requirements
• there is an inadequate understanding of the
  • impacts that decisions in their modules may have on other modules, and
  • the demands that requirements in their area may make on other areas

This section addresses the key integration areas between the SAP modules:

• Organisation structure: the representation of the enterprise in the SAP modules and definition of relationships between elements in the various modules
• Periodic Processing and Integration: (Yes! - relationships or integration can also be defined here!)
• Automatic Account Determination: the definition of how and to what level of detail the modules should post through to the GL accounts
• Account assignments in daily or adhoc transactions - primarily FI to CO.

Organisation structure and relationships between elements in the various modules

If you are not familiar with the organisation elements and master data, then you should review those sections first. This section focuses purely on the relationships between the organisation elements.

It is not just the elements that SAP defines as organisation elements (in the IMG...Enterprise Structure / Definition section) that we use to represent our organisation, but also master data.  This means that although the "IMG...Enterprise Structure /Assignment" section is our first point of call, when considering integration, there is more to it..

• Direct assignment of Relationships (ie via "IMG...Enterprise Structure /Assignment"):
• Indirect Assignment by Substitution or by Master Data (Not all organisation element fields shown on master data control relationship integration - for example orders have requesting costs centres primarily for grouping and reporting purposes.)
• See also Periodic Integration under the broader integration heading. This may seem like a strange reference for this chapter, because people expect to see up front definition or assignment of relationships.  However some mappings are actually done in SAP under the 'Periodic Processing' menus or configuration.  In the Periodic Integration chapter I point out the possibilities, however you will need to spend some time understanding the process functionality to determine whether it will address your requirements.

  23 June, 2002