SAP MDM IT Scenarios

Scenario Process Guide

SAP NetWeaver®MDM 5.5 SP06

Document Version 1.0 – November 28, 2007

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Contents

1 SAP BUSINESS SUITE AND SAP NETWEVER BI REMOTE SYSTEMS ...................... 31.1 Loading Master Data .............................................................................................31.2 Consolidating Master Data.....................................................................................71.3 Maintaining Master Data Centrally .........................................................................81.4 Distributing Master Data ........................................................................................9

2 SAP FOR RETAIL REMOTE SYSTEMS...................................................................... 112.1 Loading Article Master Data................................................................................. 122.2 Loading BOM Master Data .................................................................................. 152.3 Changing Article Master Data .............................................................................. 19

2.3.1 Changing Single Articles ........................................................................... 192.3.2 Changing Generic Articles and Variants .................................................... 212.3.3 Changing Structured Articles..................................................................... 32

2.4 Creating Article Master Data................................................................................ 362.4.1 Creating Single Articles ............................................................................. 362.4.2 Creating Generic Articles and Variants ...................................................... 382.4.3 Creating Structured Articles....................................................................... 41

2.5 Consolidating Article Master Data........................................................................ 442.5.1 Consolidating Single Articles ..................................................................... 442.5.2 Consolidating Generic Articles and Variants .............................................. 452.5.3 Consolidating Structured Articles............................................................... 48

2.6 Distributing Article Master Data............................................................................ 502.7 Distributing BOM Master Data ............................................................................. 512.8 Generic Article Distribution from SAP for Retail to MDM....................................... 522.9 Structured Article Distribution from SAP for Retail to MDM................................... 52

SAP Business Suite and SAP Netwever BI Remote Systems November 2007

Loading Master Data 1

IT Scenario Process GuidePurposeThis scenario process guide applies to the SAP NetWeaver IT scenario Master DataManagement.

The IT scenario consists of the following scenario variants:

Master-data consolidationAllows to identify identical master data objects within heterogeneous landscapes,merge identical objects centrally, and provide the relevant key mapping information forfurther use in business operations or analytics.

Master-data harmonizationOrganizations can cleanse master data on materials, retail articles, suppliers, andcustomers and leverage the results to perform enterprise-wide analytics, such asglobal spend analyses. Consolidated master data is then distributed to the connectedremote systems to streamline business operations based on high-quality data.

Central master-data managementOrganizations can consolidate and centrally manage their master data. They cansupport company-wide quality standards by ensuring that central control of masterdata begins as soon as the data is created.

PrerequisitesThe system landscape is installed and configured for the IT scenario Master DataManagement.

For more information see service.sap.com/installMDM MDM 5.5 – IT ScenarioConfiguration Guide



FeaturesThis guide contains all steps required to perform the three scenario variants using thefollowing SAP business systems as remote systems:

SAP Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) or R/3

SAP Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)

SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence (BI)

Although this guide and the predefined MDM business content (repositories, XI content, andso on) focus on the SAP remote systems above, they can serve as a model for executing thescenarios using other types of remote systems and master data object types (for example 3rd

party or customer remote systems).

This guide is not structured by scenario variants but by remote system type:...

1. For SAP Business Suite remote systems (ERP, R/3, CRM, SRM) the guide covers thewhole variety of master data consolidation and harmonization variants.For BI the guide describes how to load consolidated master data, which originallycomes from SAP Business Suite remote systems, from MDM to BI for analytics.

2. For the special ERP case of an SAP for Retail remote system the guide covers themore complex handling of article master data in a separate chapter.



1 SAP Business Suite and SAP Netwever BIRemote Systems

PurposeMaster-data harmonization and master-data consolidation with SAP NetWeaver MDM allowyou to load data from different remote systems into MDM, consolidate, change, or add dataand distribute it back to the remote systems.

The following sections cover the load and distribution of master data from SAP ERP, R/3,CRM and SRM remote systems and the export to BI remote systems for analytics.

PrerequisitesThe ERP or cross-system repository for the master data object you want to manage is loadedand running on MDM Server.

1.1 Loading Master Data

PurposeUse this process to transfer master data information from connected SAP Business Suiteremote systems to the MDM Server. This process applies to initial loading and to deltaloading.

First you extract master data objects from an SAP remote system using a special MDMtransaction for sending mass IDoc messages (ERP and R/3) or client proxy XML messages(CRM and SRM). XI transforms the message format to XML and transfers the messages tothe MDM file system. Finally you import the objects to MDM.

You can choose between the following types of import:

Interactive Import

You use the MDM Import Manager to map fields, values, and records manually beforeimport. This method is recommended for initial loading when the Import Manager mapshave to be adapted.

If you use a predefined repository and you did not change the data model youcan use the automated import from the beginning.

Automated Import

You use the MDM Import Server to perform an automated import. This method isrecommended for delta loading, when the mapping is already complete.



Process Flow

Extraction...

1. Log onto your remote system.

2. Choose one of the following transactions:

MDM_CLNT_EXTR for all supported master data objects in all supported SAPBusiness Suite remote system types except the following:

ERP and R/3 employee

Material classification data

For more information about MDM_CLNT_EXTR, see SAP Note 1035601.

PFAL for ERP and R/3 employee

3. Set up the extraction.

You can set detailed selection options and save extraction variants. For moreinformation see the system documentation of the extraction transactions.

4. Run the extraction.

The extraction is started as a batch job. Choose Display Jobs to get an overviewof the extraction jobs. By opening the job log you can check the createdmessages.

5. XI receives the IDoc or XML messages and proceeds as follows:

a. XI transforms IDoc and XML messages to an XML format that matches thestructure of the repository.

b. XI routes messages to the MDM file system created by the MDM port (Readyfolder).

To check the message transfer in XI use transaction SXMB_MONI.



Import

Interactive Import to MDM......

1. Start the MDM Import Manager and choose your repository.

2. From the Type drop down list choose Port.

The port serves as a central depot to collect relevant information for importing andexporting data from and to remote systems as well as defining the file type.

Ports simplify the manual and automated handling of connection information bybundling attributes (for example direction of the data flow, XML schema, import folder,maps). We recommend to use ports for import. The shipped business partner andproduct repositories are already supplied with ports.

You can only select a port if the following prerequisites are given:

The port is not locked by another user.

There is at least one XML object message available in the Ready folderof the port.

There is no XML file in the Exceptions folder of the port.

For more information about the port concept and the port folder structure see sectionRemote Systems and MDM in the MDM Import Manager Reference Guide.

3. Select your remote system.

4. Select the appropriate inbound port.

Do not set the Read-only flag because segments are added for pivot transformations.

5. The Import Manager loads the map defined in the port.

If you did not set an import map in the port, the Import Manager creates an empty map.The map establishes the structural mapping between the source file(s) and thedestination object.

If you changed the structure of the predefined repositories you have to reflectthe changes in the map.

6. On the Map Fields/Values tab pages view the mapping.

All imported formats (time, date, numeric fields, and so on) should be defined asspecified in the configuration options. If this is not the case proceed as follows:

a. Unmap all fields of the corresponding format.

b. Change the configuration options.

c. Map all fields again.

You cannot map different formats within one import.



7. On the Match Records tab page select the matching fields.

Set the remote key and choose the appropriate default import action for an initial ordelta load. Review partial matches manually.

The actual matching (duplicate check) and merging takes place in the DataManager later on. In Import Manager match by remote key only, so that objectsfrom different systems can not overwrite each other.

8. Execute the import.

On the Import Status tab page resolve any open action items until the status Ready toImport is displayed. The Execute Import button [!] is only enabled in this status.

For more information see the MDM Import Manager Reference Guide.

Automated Import to MDM

When the mapping for a certain object type and remote system is finished you can performfurther imports in an automated process.

The MDM Import Server is a background process (service), which separates the coreprocessing of master data imports from the front-end processing.

MDM Import Server allows you to load master data records periodically from various remotesystems to various MDM Servers and repositories based on the port concept. Once the datais delivered by SAP XI to a specific port directory, it will automatically get picked within aconfigurable time interval and queued up for import processing.

To prevent a total lock on the repository lock when you import a large amount ofdata, you can reduce the chunk size and set an inter-chunk delay time for theMDIS. This increases the overall time but allows Data Manager users, forexample, to use the repository during import.

MDM Import Server creates log files of the entire load process, which are storedin the port folder Log and can be displayed in MDM Console.

If an error occurs in the automated import, the MDM Import Server stops anddrops the XML in the Exception folder of the port. You can import the XMLinteractively using the MDM Import Manager and correct the error (for examplecomplete the import map or adapt the XML schema).

For more information, see section MDM Import Server (MDIS) in the MDM Import ManagerReference Guide.

ResultThe business objects are stored in the MDM Server. You can check this by displaying theimported records in the MDM Data Manager.

You can also launch a workflow on import to automate the further processing of the masterdata objects (for example matching). For more information see section MDM Workflows in theMDM Data Manager Reference Guide.


Consolidating Master Data 7

1.2 Consolidating Master Data

PurposeUse this process to consolidate data centrally. This means finding and merging identical orduplicate objects among the data loaded from the remote systems, and obtaining theassociated key mapping information.

Process Flow...

1. Start the MDM Data Manager with your repository and switch to Matching Mode.

2. Identify duplicate records:

a. Define and store transformations and matching rules and combine them tomatching strategies:

Transformations normalize field values to make them comparable.

Rules define the ways how the system compares the fields and setsmatching scores.

Strategies combine the rules, summarize the scores, and classify thematching results.

The best way of matching heavily depends on the character of the concretedata. The matching settings contained in the shipped cross-system repositoriesfor business partner and product consolidation can serve as templates.

b. Run the matching.

You can match every record against every other record in a repository (all vs.all, one vs. all, a set of record vs. another set, etc.). To specify a set of recordsyou can narrow down the records using the whole variety of the MDM DataManager search functions.

After the matching is done you can sort the records by matching score andcheck if the highly matching records are duplicates.

3. Merge the duplicates.

Select the duplicate records and choose Merge Records. You can compare the recordsfield by field and select which values in which record you want to keep.

The merged result record preserves all the remote keys associated with eachselected record. Merged records are no longer displayed as individual records inthe records result pane, but can be referenced in the remote systems using theirremote keys.

More Information

Detailed documentation of the match and merge functions of the MDM Data Manager:Part 8: Matching Mode in the MDM Data Manager Reference Guide

Concrete matching and merging examples including automated matching using MDMworkflow on service.sap.com/installMDM MDM 5.5 – Business Content:<object type> MDM 5.5 - Matching and Merging <object type> data.


Maintaining Master Data Centrally 8

1.3 Maintaining Master Data Centrally

PurposeYou can use this process to create, change and enrich master data centrally in MDM.

Process Flow......

1. Start the MDM Data Manager with the defined repository.

2. Create new records or update and enhance the values for existing records.

MDM does not automatically validate changed and new records according to theremote system settings. To avoid objects being rejected by the remote systems whenthey are distributed, you can do the following:

To implement the validation of your remote system in MDM as well, use thevalidation engine in the MDM Data Manager. You can use the MDM workflowcapabilities to combine user tasks, validations, and approvals.

For more information see sections Validating Records and MDM Workflows inthe MDM Data Manager Reference Guide

To protect fields against changes, use the MDM Console security mechanism toupdate the Distributor role. Change specific fields to read-only in the Table andField pane using the MDM Console.

If you change the data model of the repository using the MDM Console (forexample add new fields) and want to distribute the enhanced records, be awareof the downstream processes. You may also have to adapt syndication maps,XML-schemas, XI content, and the data model of the remote system.

3. You can optionally use the MDM Enrichment Architecture to integrate MDM with third-party data enrichment services that support and extend the core data quality process.

The enrichment architecture enables MDM to send data element(s) to an external dataenrichment provider and receive response containing data to be updated or inserted ina repository. Examples for such a process are address parsing and standardization,intra-record cleansing/normalization, lookup against standard repository, auto-classification, and corporate relationships.

For more information see MDM Enrichment Architecture.


Distributing Master Data 9

1.4 Distributing Master Data

PurposeUse this process to export the consolidated master data from MDM to XI using the MDMSyndicator, and then distribute the data to the specified ERP, R/3,CRM, SRM or BI remotesystem.

You can choose between the following methods of distribution:

Interactive distribution

You use the MDM Syndicator to map fields, values, and records. This method isrecommended for initial distribution when the syndication maps have to be adapted.

Automated distribution

You use the MDM Syndication Server to perform an automated distribution. Thismethod is recommended for delta distribution when mapping is already complete.

Process Flow

Interactive Distribution......

1. Start the MDM Syndicator with the defined repository.

2. Choose File Connect to Port.

3. Select the remote system and outbound port that you created during configuration.

The Syndicator loads the appropriate map and sets the outbound file type, XMLschema, and so on according to the port settings.

For an interactive distribution the port needs to be set to non-automaticsyndication.

4. Select the records that you want to syndicate.

On Syndicator properties tab you have the following options:

Suppress Unchanged Records: Unchanged records are grayed-out in theRecords pane. This option simplifies delta distribution.

Suppress Records Without Key: Only records with key mapping information aredisplayed in the Records pane. With this option, only those objects that alreadyexist in the remote system, can be updated.

On the Preview tab page, you can check the fields to be extracted and their content forthe selected objects.

5. Choose Syndications Execute to start syndication.

The Syndicator indicates the number of suppressed (for example no key mapping) andsyndicated records in the syndication status window.

6. Choose File Save to save a changed syndication map for reuse.

For more information, see the MDM 5.5 - Syndicator Reference Guide.



Automated Distribution

When the first syndication for a certain object type and remote system is finished you canperform further syndications in an automated process.

The MDM Syndication Server is a background process (service), which separates the coreprocessing of master data export from the front-end processing.

MDM Syndication Server allows you to distribute master data records automatically fromvarious MDM Servers and repositories to various remote systems based on the port concept.

The Syndication Server delivers master data records as XML messages to outbound portdirectories periodically triggered by a scheduling mechanism or continuously triggered bychanges in master data records.

MDM Syndication Server creates log files of the entire distribution process,which are stored in the port folder Log and can be displayed in MDM Console.

If an error occurs in the automated export, the MDM Syndication Server stopsand drops the XML in the Exception folder of the port. You can export the recordinteractively using the MDM Syndicator and correct the error (for example adaptthe syndication map).

For more information see section Part 10: MDM Syndication Server (MDSS) in the MDM 5.5 -Syndicator Reference Guide.

ResultThe Syndicator creates one XML file per object and remote system (derived from the keymapping entry) and stores it in the folder defined by the outbound port. SAP XI picks up thefiles and passes them to the remote systems.

SAP for Retail Remote Systems November 2007


2 SAP for Retail Remote Systems

PurposeMaster data harmonization, master data consolidation and central master data managementwith SAP NetWeaver MDM allow you to load data from different remote systems into MDMand to consolidate, change and distribute this data to the remote systems.

SAP NetWeaver MDM stores information about the representation of the master data objectsin the remote systems using key mapping functions.

The following sections cover these processes using SAP for Retail (based on SAP R/3Enterprise 4.70) remote systems.

PrerequisitesThe repository for the article master data you want to manage is loaded and runningon MDM Server.

ALE outbound was set up for sending IDocs to and receiving them from the XI system.

For more information, see service.sap.com/installMDM MDM 5.5 – IT ScenarioConfiguration Guide.

IntegrationThe following table informs you about terminology differences between the systems:

SAP for Retail MDMCharacteristic (assigned) Attribute (linked)Article ProductStructured Article Compound ProductGeneric Article Matrix ProductBOM (bill of material) Compound Product GroupMerchandise Category Hierarchy Product Category Hierarchy


Loading Article Master Data 12

2.1 Loading Article Master Data

PurposeUse this process to import article information from the connected SAP for Retail to the MDMServer (MDS). Use this process for initial and delta loading.

To send ARTMAS IDoc messages, extract article objects from SAP for Retail using thefunction Send. SAP XI unifies the message format to XML and transfers the messages to theMDM file system. Finally, you import the objects to MDM.


Interactive Import

You use the MDM Import Manager to map fields, values and records manually beforeimport. This method is recommended for initial loading when the Import Manager mapshave to be adapted.

If you use the predefined article repository and you did not change the datamodel, you can use the automated import from the beginning.

Automated Import

You use the MDM Import Server to perform an automated import. This method isrecommended for delta loading when the mapping is already complete.

Process Flow

Extraction from Remote System...

1. Log on to your remote system.

2. Extract article master data as IDoc (ARTMAS) to SAP XI.

Within SAP for Retail choose Tools ALE Master Data Distribution Cross-Application Article BD10 – Send.

To check if the IDocs have been sent, choose Tools ALE ALEAdministration Monitoring BD87 - Status Monitor.

3. SAP XI receives the IDoc messages and proceeds as follows:

XI transforms IDocs to an XML format that matches the structure of therepository.

XI routes messages to the MDM file system created by the MDM port (Readyfolder).

To check the message transfer in SAP XI, use function Integration Engine -Monitoring (SXMB_MONI) in SAP XI.



Interactive Import to MDM...

1. Start the MDM Import Manager to import the created ARTMAS XML files.

2. Connect to your MDM repository.

3. From the Type dropdown list choose Port.

The port serves as a central depot to collect relevant information for importing datafrom and exporting it to remote systems as well as for defining the file type.

Ports simplify the manual and automated handling of connection information bybundling attributes (for example direction of the data flow, XML schema, import folder,maps). We recommend that you use ports for import. The shipped article repository isalready supplied with ports.

You can only select a port if there is at least one XML object message availablein the Ready folder of the port.

For more information about the port concept, see the section Remote Systems andMDM in the MDM Console Reference Guide.


5. Select the inbound port _MDMArtmas04 (client-specific).



If you did not set an import map in the port, the Import Manager creates an empty map.The map establishes the structural mapping between the source files (articles) and thedestination object (products).

If you changed the structure of the predefined repositories, you have to reflectthe changes in the map. To save changes in a predefined map you need to belogged on as administrator.

7. On the Map Fields/Values tab page, you can see the delivered mapping for the sourceand destination fields.

Check that all imported formats (time, date, numeric fields, and so on) are defined asspecified in the configuration options.

If this is not the case, proceed as follows:



c. Map the unmapped fields again.

You cannot map different formats within the same import.

If your ARTMAS XML files contain data for generic articles and variants [Page 37], youneed to add the values of the source field CONF_MATL manually to the destinationfield Matrix Product Group.

On the Import Status tab page, action item Map ‘CONF_MATL’ field value(s) showsyou that this step is missing and an import is not possible.



8. On the Match Records tab page, field [Remote Key] is used in the delivered import mapfor the matching process. Do not try to consolidate and do not change the matchingsetting during the import. You can perform the consolidation later with the MDM DataManager.

9. On the Import Status tab page, start the import by choosing Execute Import [!].

Resolve any open action items until status Ready to Import is displayed. TheExecute Import button [!] is only enabled in this status.

Below are the most common action items:

Map <field name> field value(s)

The field value is new. You can map it to an existing destination value orcreate a new value by choosing Add on the Map Fields/Values tab page.

Add the new values for the field CONF_MATL.

Refresh record matching step

Select a matching field. In most cases, the matching field to be selectedis the [Remote Key] field.

Select import action

No import action is selected. Choose Create for new records or Update(All Mapped Fields) for existing records.


When the mapping for a certain object type and remote system is finished, you can performfurther imports in an automated process. For that purpose, you can use the MDM ImportServer. It is a background process (service) that separates the core processing of masterdata imports from the front-end processing.

MDM Import Server allows you to load master data records periodically from multiple remotesystems to multiple MDM Servers and repositories based on the port concept. Once the datahas been delivered by SAP XI on a specific port, it is automatically picked within aconfigurable time interval and queued for import processing.

MDM Import Server creates log files of the entire load process. These log filesare stored in the port folder Log and can be displayed in the MDM Console.

If an error occurs in the automated import, the MDM Import Server stops and stores the XMLin the Exception folder of the port. You can import the XML interactively using the MDMImport Manager and correct the error (for example, complete the import map).

See also

MDM Import Manager Reference Guide

Generic Article distribution from SAP for Retail to MDM [Page 52]


Loading BOM Master Data 15

ResultThe article objects are stored as products in the MDM Server.

You can check this by displaying the imported records with the MDM Data Manager.

You can also launch a workflow on import to automate the further processing of the masterdata objects (for example matching). For more information, see the section MDM Workflowsin the MDM Data Manager Reference Guide.

2.2 Loading BOM Master Data

PurposeUse this process to import BOM (bill of material) information of structured articles [Page52]from SAP for Retail to the MDM Server (MDS). Use this process for initial and deltaloading.

To send BOMMAT IDoc messages, you extract BOM objects from SAP for Retail using thefunction Send. SAP XI unifies the message format to XML and transfers the messages to theMDM file system. Finally, you import the objects to MDM.


Interactive Import

You use the MDM Import Manager to map fields, values, and records manually beforeimport. This method is recommended for initial loading if the Import Manager mapshave to be adapted.

If you use the predefined article repository and you did not change the datamodel, you can use the automated import from the beginning.

Automated Import

You use the MDM Import Server to perform an automated import. This method isrecommended for delta loading if the mapping is already complete.

Process Flow

Extraction from Remote System...

1. Log onto your remote system.

2. Extract BOM data records as IDoc (BOMMAT) to SAP XI.

Within SAP for Retail choose Tools ALE Master Data Distribution LogisticsBill of Material Material BOM BD30 – Send.

To check if the IDocs have been sent, choose Tools ALE ALEAdministration Monitoring BD87 - Status Monitor.



3. SAP XI receives the IDoc messages and proceeds as follows:

XI transforms the IDocs to an XML format that matches the structure of therepository.

XI routes the messages to the MDM file system created by the MDM port(Ready folder).

To check the message transfer, use function Integration Engine - Monitoring(SXMB_MONI) in SAP XI.

Interactive Import to MDM...

1. Start the MDM Import Manager to import the created BOMMAT XML files.

2. Connect to your MDM repository.

3. From the Type dropdown list choose Port.

The port serves as a central depot to collect relevant information for importing datafrom and exporting it to remote systems as well as for defining the file type.

Ports simplify the manual and automated handling of connection information bybundling attributes (for example direction of the data flow, XML schema, import folder,maps). We recommend that you use ports for import. The shipped article repository isalready supplied with ports.

You can only select a port if there is at least one XML object message availablein the Ready folder of the port.

For more information about the port concept, see the section Remote Systems andMDM in the MDM Console Reference Guide.


5. Select the inbound port _MDMBommat04 (client-specific).



If you did not set an import map in the port, the Import Manager creates an empty map.The map establishes the structural mapping between the source files (BOM) and thedestination object (compound products).

If you changed the structure of the predefined repositories you have to reflectthe changes in the map. To save changes in a predefined map you need to belogged on as administrator.



7. On the Map Fields/Values tab page, you can see the delivered mapping for the sourceand destination fields.

Check that all imported formats (time, date, numeric fields, and so on) are defined asspecified in the configuration options.

If this is not the case, proceed as follows:



c. Map the unmapped fields again.

You cannot map different formats within the same import.

Manually add the values of source field MATNR to destination field Compound ProductGroup.

On the Import Status tab page, action item Map ‘MATNR’ field value(s) shows that thisstep is missing and an import is not possible.

8. On the Match Records tab page, field [Remote Key] is used in the delivered import mapfor the matching process. Do not try to consolidate and do not change the matchingsetting during the import. You can perform the consolidation later in the MDM DataManager.

9. On the Import Status tab page, start the import by choosing Execute Import [!].

Resolve any open action items until status Ready to Import is displayed. TheExecute Import button [!] is only enabled in this status.

Below are the most common action items:

Map <field name> field value(s)

The field value is new. You can map it to an existing destination value orcreate a new value by choosing Add on the Map Fields/Values tab page.

Add the new values for field MATNR.

Refresh record matching step

Select a matching field. In most cases, the matching field to be selectedis the [Remote Key] field.

Select import action

No import action is selected. Choose Create for new records or Update(All Mapped Fields) for existing records.


When the mapping for a certain object type and remote system has finished, you can performfurther imports in an automated process. For that purpose, you can use the MDM ImportServer. It is a background process (service) that separates the core processing of masterdata imports from the front-end processing.



MDM Import Server allows you to load master data records periodically from multiple remotesystems to multiple MDM Servers and repositories based on the port concept. Once the datahas been delivered by SAP XI on a specific port, it isl automatically picked within aconfigurable time interval and queued for import processing.

MDM Import Server creates log files of the entire load process. These log filesare stored in the port folder Log and can be displayed in the MDM Console.

If an error occurs in the automated import, the MDM Import Server stops and stores the XMLin the Exception folder of the port. You can import the XML interactively using the MDMImport Manager and correct the error (for example, complete the import map).

See also

MDM Import Manager Reference Guide

Structured Article Distribution from SAP for Retail to MDM [Page 52]

ResultThe article objects and the corresponding BOM information is imported to MDM.

You can display the imported records with the MDM Data Manager.

You can also launch a workflow on import to automate the further processing of the masterdata objects (for example matching). For more information, see the section MDM Workflowsin the MDM Data Manager Reference Guide.


Changing Article Master Data 19

2.3 Changing Article Master Data

PurposeYou can use this process to change the imported article master data. The change optionsdepend on the article category:

Single articles

Generic articles and variants

Structured articles (set, prepack, display)

2.3.1 Changing Single Articles

PurposeYou can use this process to change the master data of imported single articles.

In record mode of the MDM Data Manager, you can edit the single articles imported from SAPfor Retail:

The usual functions of the MDM Data Manager for editing the data of a single articleare available.

If you want to limit the records displayed in screen area Records to certain singlearticles, you can do so in screen area Search Parameters using search parameterProduct Function. Select Single Article here. If required, you can further restrict thesearch by applying additional search parameters.

If required, change the field and attribute values of the single article. Variant andmaster settings for fields and attributes do not affect ordinary records.

PrerequisitesTo change single articles in the MDM Data Manager, the relevant master data must havebeen imported into MDM (see Loading Article Master Data [Page 11]).



Process Flow...


2. Update or enhance the values of existing records.

MDM does not automatically validate changed or new records according to theSAP for Retail settings. To avoid objects being rejected by SAP for Retail whenthey are distributed, you can do the following:

To implement the validation of your SAP for Retail in MDM, use thevalidation engine of the MDM Data Manager. You can use the MDMworkflow capabilities to combine user tasks, validations, and approvals.

To protect fields against changes, use the security mechanism of theMDM Console to update the Distributor role. Change specific fields toread-only in the Table and Field panes using the MDM Console.

If you change the data model of the repository using the MDM Console (forexample, add new fields) and want to distribute the enhanced records, be awareof the downstream processes. You may also have to adapt syndication maps,XML schemas, XI content, and the data model of the remote system.

Care should be taken when changing the following fields if you want todistribute the data to a SAP for Retail system. This is because in SAP forRetail the fields have a controlling function in the master datamaintenance for the article, and cannot be changed or can only bechanged with additional functions. As a result, such changes might beignored in SAP for Retail or result in an error when updating the data:

Product number (incl. remote key)

Product function

Product category

Material type

Base UOM

Valid From date

Deletion date

For more information, see the section Record Mode in the MDM Data ManagerReference Guide.


The enrichment architecture enables MDM to send data element(s) to an external dataenrichment provider and receive responses containing data to be updated or inserted ina repository. Examples for such a process are address parsing and standardization,intra-record cleansing/normalization, lookup against standard repository, auto-classification, and corporate relationships.

For more information, see MDM Enrichment Architecture.



ResultUpdated data records for single articles can be consolidated and distributed to the connectedSAP for Retail systems.

2.3.2 Changing Generic Articles and Variants

PurposeYou can use this process to change the imported master data of generic articles and variants.In contrast to single articles, there is a close relationship between generic articles and thecorresponding variants. You must keep this relationship in mind when you change the masterdata, since data consistency can only be ensured if you edit a generic article and its variantstogether as an entity. Generic articles are represented in the MDM Data Manager in a specialway.

See also:

Representation of Generic Articles [Page 23]

Taxonomy Mode for Merchandise Category Hierarchies and Characteristics [Page 23]

Record Mode for Generic Articles and Variants [Page 27]

PrerequisitesTo change generic articles and variants in the MDM Data Manager, the relevant master datamust have been imported into MDM (see Loading Article Master Data [Page 11]).

When you start the MDM Data Manager for the first time, you have to change theconfiguration options. Choose Configuration Options to change the configuration asfollows:

In the Configuration Options, choose Records Web pane URL for selected recordsand select MatrixApp.

In the Configuration Options, choose Attributes Web pane URL for selectedattributes and select MatrixApp_Attributes.

Process Flow...


2. To update or enhance the values of existing records, follow the instructions described inRecord Mode for Generic Articles and Variants [Page 27].



MDM does not automatically validate changed and new records according to theSAP for Retail settings. To avoid objects being rejected by SAP for Retail whenthey are distributed, you can do the following:

To implement the validation of your SAP for Retail system in MDM, usethe validation engine of the MDM Data Manager. You can use the MDMworkflow capabilities to combine user tasks, validations, and approvals.

To protect fields against changes, use the MDM Console securitymechanism to update the Distributor role. Change specific fields to read-only in the Table and Field panes using the MDM Console.

If you change the data model of the repository using the MDM Console (forexample add new fields) and want to distribute the enhanced records, be awareof the downstream processes. You may also have to adapt syndication maps,XML schemas, XI content, and the data model of the remote system.

Care should be taken when changing the following fields if you want todistribute the data to a SAP for Retail system. This is because in SAP forRetail the fields have a controlling function in the article master datamaintenance, and cannot be changed or can only be changed withadditional functions. As a result, such changes might be ignored in SAPfor Retail or result in an error when updating the data:


Product function

Product category

Material type

Base UOM

Valid From date

Deletion date

Matrix product group

For more information, see section Record Mode in the MDM Data Manager ReferenceGuide.




ResultUpdated generic articles and variant data records can be consolidated and distributed to theconnected SAP for Retail systems.



2.3.2.1 Representation of Generic Articles

UseThe merchandise category hierarchy with the corresponding characteristics is the basis forrepresenting a generic article and its variants. In MDM, the merchandise category hierarchy ismodeled as taxonomy Product Categories and the characteristics as Attributes. Genericarticles are modeled as matrix products. The relationship of a generic article to its variants isstored in lookup table Matrix Product Groups (see Master Data Management with SAP forRetail Remote Systems [Page 10] and Generic Article distribution from SAP for Retail to MDM[Page 52]).

Modeling a relationship between generic articles and variants in this way has the followingadvantages over the use of relationships:

You can select the generic article and the corresponding variants in the search area. Alist of existing groups of generic articles is displayed.

You can import the generic articles with the MDM Import Manager in any order. Thismeans that a variant can be imported before the generic article without causing anerror.

You can export the relationship with the MDM Syndicator.

You can merge the relationship in the MDM Data Manager during consolidation.

Modeling a relationship between generic articles and variants in this way has the followingdisadvantages:

The group stored in lookup table Matrix Product Groups can be defined arbitrarily. Thesystem does not validate that this group corresponds to the product number of thegeneric article.

The group entry has its own key mapping entry, which need not correspond to the keymapping entry for the product number.

You edit the merchandise category hierarchy and the corresponding characteristics intaxonomy mode in the MDM Data Manager in table Product Categories.

The generic articles and variants are edited in record mode in the MDM Data Manager.



2.3.2.2 Taxonomy Mode for Merchandise Category Hierarchies andCharacteristics

UseIn taxonomy mode of the MDM Data Manager you can check the merchandise categoryhierarchy and the corresponding characteristics that were imported from SAP for Retail. Ifrequired, you can also create further hierarchy nodes (categories) and characteristics(attributes).

Functionality

Product Categories

In taxonomy mode you define product categories (merchandise category hierarchy levels andmerchandise categories) hierarchically in multiple levels. Attributes (characteristics) can beassigned to each product category. Product categories with assigned attributes arehighlighted in bold in the hierarchy tree. Attributes are inherited from higher categories (directly assigned attribute, imparts attribute) in the hierarchy.

In hierarchy mode or record mode, you can maintain the language-dependent names of theindividual categories for table Product Categories on tab Language Detail. When you importthe hierarchy from a SAP for Retail system, the language-dependent names of the categoriesare also imported.

In record mode, you can maintain the keys (remote keys) used in the relevant remote systemfor table Product Categories by choosing Records Edit Key Mappings. When you importthe hierarchy from a SAP for Retail system, the remote keys of the categories are alsoimported.

Attributes

Attributes are used to add additional category-dependent master data characteristics to thearticles. They are also the basis for describing the variant-creating characteristics of genericarticles. To distinguish whether an attribute contains additional information only or is used tocreate variants of generic articles, you can define a link type when you assign an attribute to acategory. This is done on tab Web for the selected category. The following settings can bemade for field Type, whereby the setting only has an effect when you edit or display genericarticles.

Master

You can process the attribute on generic article and variant record level. If you changethe attribute value on generic article (master) record level, the changed value is copiedto all related variant records. Only those variants that had the same original value asthe generic article will be changed.

Variant

The attribute is used in the matrix application to store the variant-creating values. Youcan select this value only if attribute Type is set to Text and attribute Multi-Valued is setto Yes. On generic article (master) level, you must define the valid values. Thesevalues define the list of valid generic articles and their variants and are used to displaythe matrix screen on the Web tab of the MDM Data Manager.



If no value is defined, the value NULL is used by default. The attribute values on variantlevel are set automatically when a new variant is created. You can change the attributevalues later on, if the variant needs a different value for an attribute. As a result thevariants of the relevant generic articles can no longer be distributed to SAP for Retailbecause it is not possible to change the variant-creating attribute values of an existingvariant. This change is only allowed as long as the variant does not exist in SAP forRetail.

Ordinary

You can process the attribute on variant level only. This allows you to set variant-specific values, which cannot be used for generic articles.

When you import the attributes from SAP for Retail, type Variant is set for variant-creatingattributes and type Master for informative attributes.

In record mode for main table Products, field Product Category indicateswhich category an article is assigned to. Depending on the assignedcategory, tab Record Details shows the attributes that were assigneddirectly or through inheritance.

From the MDM Console you can define if fields should be handled asMaster, Variant or Normal. This property is for all categories and thus isvalid for all generic articles. The variant-creating property may only bedefined with the attribute, otherwise you cannot distribute the articles to aSAP for Retail system. Cases where variant-creating fields are used inthe Matrix UI will therefore not be discussed below.

A priority can be specified for an assigned attribute. Choose menu function AttributesPriority and set the value to the desired value (Highest, High, Normal, Low, Lowest orcustomized (e.g. 1-100)). This priority controls the order in which the attributes of thiscategory are displayed in record mode on tab Record Details when you edit the article. Werecommend that you organize all variant-creating attributes to have top priority. This willprovide better usability. When you import the attributes from SAP for Retail, priority Highest isassigned to variant-creating attributes and priority Normal to informative attributes. Thepriority also controls the display order of the variant-creating attributes in the Matrix display.The highest priority will be on top (vertical) and the others from left to right of the horizontalside of the matrix.

You can edit the language-dependent name for the attribute and its values (only for textattributes) on tab Language Detail. When importing attributes from SAP for Retail, thelanguage-dependent names are also imported (restriction: the key is currently used asattribute name instead of the characteristic description because there is no remote keyavailable for attribute names in the repository).

With Attributes Edit Text Value Key Mappings… you can edit the key (remote key) for theattribute values for text attributes. The keys are used in the relevant remote system to identifythe attribute values. When you import the attributes from SAP for Retail, the remote keys ofthe attribute values are also imported.



ActivitiesTo edit the type (Attribute Link Type) of an attribute on tab Web, proceed as follows:

Choose Edit. From the dropdown box for the attribute, select the required value andchoose Save.

To cancel your entry, choose Cancel.

You can change the type from Master to Ordinary and vice versa at any time. Ifgeneric articles/variants were already assigned to this category, changing thetype as described below could be critical. As a result of these changes, thevariants of the relevant generic articles can no longer be distributed to SAP forRetail.

Changing the type from Variant to Master or Ordinary

There is no longer a variant-creating attribute or less variant-creatingattributes and the existing variants can no longer be uniquely identifiedwith regard to the variant-creating attributes. There can now be multiplevariants having the same attribute value combinations for the remainingvariant-creating attributes. You can see this in record mode if you displaythe variant distribution in the Matrix UI on tab Web. Multiple variants aredisplayed there for the remaining attribute value combinations. If theremoved variant-creating attribute is no longer in use, so that the valuefor all records is null, it should not affect the matrix display.

Changing the type from Master or Ordinary to Variant

A further variant-creating attribute is created for which the existingvariants have no attribute value or the same attribute value. Thesevariants can no longer be uniquely identified. You see this in record modeif you display the variant distribution on tab Web.

Depending on whether or not you have entered values for the newvariant-creating attribute on generic article level and on variant level, thematrix UI displays the following result:

No values are entered for the generic article and the variants:The variants get the value NULL for the new created attribute andare displayed in the corresponding NULL column or row.

Values are entered for the generic article but not for the variants:The variants get the value NULL for the new created attribute andare displayed in the corresponding NULL column or row.

No values are entered for the generic article but a value isentered for the variants:The variants are no longer displayed because this value is notdisplayed as column or row as long as it is not defined on genericarticle level.



Values are entered for the generic article and the variants:If the value of the variants fits the values of the generic article theadditional column or row is displayed and the correspondingvariants are marked. If more than one attribute is changed it ispossible that there are multiple variants with same attribute valuecombinations which are displayed accordingly.

The same issues occur if you assign new variant-creating attributes tocategories for which variants were already assigned.

For more information about categories and attributes, see section Taxonomy Mode in theMDM Data Manager Reference Guide.

2.3.2.3 Record Mode for Generic Articles and Variants

UseIn record mode of the MDM Data Manager you can edit the generic articles imported from aSAP for Retail system and their variants. Generic articles are modeled as matrix products.The relationship of a generic article to its variants is stored in lookup table Matrix ProductGroups.

A new column was included in screen area Records to indicate generic articles (master) andvariants; this column (header ) shows the type of the record:

Master : The record is a generic article. The flag is automatically assigned whenyou import or create a new generic article.

Variant : The record is a variant of a generic article. You create a variant for ageneric article in the matrix UI by selecting the corresponding attribute valuecombination.

Normal: The record is not a generic article and is not a variant of a generic article. Thisis the case for single articles and structured articles (sets, prepacks, displays).

The normal functions of the MDM Data Manager can be used to edit the data of a genericarticle and its variants. The functional differences for generic articles and variants aredescribed below.

You can limit the record display to certain generic articles and their variants in screen areaRecords by selecting the relevant generic articles in screen area Search Parameters withsearch parameter Matrix Product Group. If required, you can further limit the search by addingsearch parameter Product Function and selecting for example value Variant to display onlythe variant records.

FunctionalityYou cannot call the following functions for generic articles and variants from the menu.

Records Delete Record

The Delete Record function can only be called for generic articles and variants on tabWeb. This satisfies the additional requirements for data integrity. For details, seefunction Delete Selected Records.



Records Duplicate Record

Generic articles and variants cannot be copied as single records. Variants can only becreated on tab Web with the matrix UI based on the generic article. Generic articles canonly be created with Records Add Master. This ensures that the generic article iscreated with status Checked Out.

Records Check In/Out Check Out ExclusiveRecords Check In/Out Check Out NonexclusiveRecords Check In/Out Check In

The Check In and Check Out functions can only be called for generic articles andvariants on tab Web. This satisfies the additional requirements for data integrity. Fordetails, see functions Check Out and Check In.

You can only call the following function for generic articles and variants from the menu if theselected generic articles or variants were first checked out, only articles of the same recordtype (master, variant) were selected, and the selected variants belong to the same genericarticle:

Records Merge Records…

Merge the data of two or more generic articles or merge the variants of a mergedgeneric article. For details, see Consolidating Generic Articles and Variants [Page 45].

The following function was included in the menu in order to create a new generic article.

Records Add Master

For details, see Creating Generic Articles and Variants [Page 37].

After checking out a generic article, the fields or attributes on tab Record Details are only inchange mode if the field and attribute have the setting Master or Variant. For details aboutthis attribute setting (attribute link type), see above and for details about this field setting (fieldproperty Matrix), see service.sap.com/installMDM MDM 5.5- IT ScenarioConfiguration Guide.

Tab Web provides additional functions for handling generic articles and variants. These aredescribed below.

Matrix UI Display

The variants belonging to a generic article are displayed in the matrix UI by their variant-creating attribute values. Select the relevant generic article or individual variants in screenarea Records. Switch to tab Web: to display the matrix UI.

If it is an active variant (field Is Active has value TRUE), the relevant checkbox is marked,followed by the product number of the variant. If the variant was deactivated (field Is Activehas value FALSE), the checkbox is not marked and you only see the product number of thevariant.



The attribute values that are displayed as columns and rows in the matrix UI are retrievedfrom the attribute values stored for the corresponding variant-creating attribute of the genericarticle. If no value is defined for a given variant-creating on generic article level the valueNULL is used by default. The attribute priority determines the display position. The attributewith the highest priority is on top and following attributes are organized from left to right for thehorizontal display. All valid attribute combinations for which variants can be defined arederived from these values.

If variants for a generic article are selected in screen area Records, they are highlighted inthe matrix UI:

No matrix can be displayed if you select articles in screen area Records as follows:

More than one variant that does not belong to the same Matrix Product Group isselected

Single articles are selected

Structured articles are selected

In this case the message Matrix item not selected, or multiple items not from same matrixgroup is shown.

If the generic article for the individual variant-creating attributes permits a large number ofvalues and the matrix therefore becomes very large, a dropdown box is displayed for eachvariant-creating attribute. You can reduce the complexity of the matrix display with this box byselecting one of the possible attribute values. The matrix display adjusts itself dynamicallyand only displays the reduced view. To display the entire matrix again, choose Reset.



FunctionsYou can use the following functions on the Web tab:

Check Out

Generic articles and variants are in read-only mode on tab Record Detail. To change ageneric article or its variants (field values, informative attribute values, …), you mustcheck out the generic article and/or the variants. Select the relevant generic article (allvariants are selected implicitly) or individual variants in screen area Records. Confirmby choosing Check Out on tab Web. The Check Out function in the main menu isdeactivated for generic articles and variants. When checked out, the generic article andthe variants can be changed on the tab Record Detail.

Edit

With Edit you can release the matrix UI for editing. This function automatically checksout the generic article and all relevant variants if the Check Out function was not yetexecuted.

You can now mark or unmark the required variants in the matrix.

If you mark a checkbox, a new variant is created based on the data of the genericarticle upon saving.

If you unmark a checkbox for an existing variant, the variant is deactivated (field IsActive has value FALSE). The variant is not physically deleted.

Select All

If the matrix is in edit mode, the Select All function selects all checkboxes, which allowsa quick selection of all variants.

Deselect All

If the matrix is in edit mode, the Deselect All function deselects all checkboxes, whichallows a quick deselection of all variants.

Save

The Save function saves the changes made to the matrix.

New variants are created for the newly marked checkboxes in the matrix based on thedata of the generic article. The variant automatically gets the product number of thegeneric article, to which a unique sequential number is appended. Based on themarked attribute value combinations, the resulting values are stored for the variant-creating attributes. The newly created variants are linked to the generic article by theMatrix Product Group. For details about entering remote keys see Creating GenericArticles and Variants [Page 37].

Field Is Active is set to FALSE for the existing variants for which the checkbox wasunmarked. Field Product Function is filled automatically with value Variant.

The necessary consistency checks are run to ensure that the variant-creating attributevalues defined for the generic article and the variant-creating attribute values used bythe variants are compatible.

The Save function causes the relevant articles to be checked in again.



Cancel

The Cancel function cancels changes you made to the matrix. The matrix switchesback to display mode. The check-out state also reverts to the normal state.

Deactivate Master

If the generic article and all the relevant variants were checked out, field Is Active canbe changed to FALSE for the generic article and all variants with function DeactivateMaster.

Re-activate Master

If the generic article was deactivated (field Is Active is FALSE), it can be activatedagain after the check-out using function Re-activate Master. Field Is Active has valueTRUE and the generic article and all variants are checked in. The relevant variantsremain deactivated. You can activate them if required from the matrix UI by marking thecheckbox after check out the variants again.

Check In

To end the editing of the data of a generic article or individual variants, choose CheckIn.

First select the relevant generic article (all variants are selected implicitly) or individualvariants in screen area Records. Then choose Check In on tab Web. The Check Infunction in the main menu is deactivated for generic articles and variants.

The changed data of the generic article and variants is stored. If data of the genericarticle was changed, these changes might be copied to the variants (field or informativeattribute is marked as Master and the value of the variant was not maintaineddifferently). The necessary consistency checks are run to ensure that the variant-creating attribute values defined for the generic article and the variant-creating attributevalues used by the variants are compatible.

Removing values for variant-creating attributes of generic articles results in an errorduring check-in if variants exist for the removed attribute value. However you can addadditional attribute values without difficulty. After a refresh or check-in, the matrix UIdisplays a new column/row for each added attribute value. If it was possible to deleteattribute values, the relevant columns/rows are hidden after the refresh or check-in.

For variant-creating attributes, removing values for a variant results in new display inthe matrix UI after check-in. The variant is displayed in the column or row whichcontains the NULL value for the attribute where the value was removed.

Roll Back

The Roll Back function rejects changes that were made to the generic article or to theindividual variants (for example, if the change results in an error during the consistencychecks).

First select the relevant generic article (all variants are selected implicitly) or individualvariants in screen area Records. On tab Web, choose Roll Back. The roll back causesthe relevant articles to be checked in again.



Delete Selected Records

To delete the data of a generic article or individual variants, choose Delete SelectedRecords. The Delete Record function in the main menu is deactivated for genericarticles and variants.

First select the relevant generic articles or individual variants in screen area Records.You should select only those records that are not in status checked-out. Then chooseDelete Selected Records on tab Web. Confirm the message that warns you about thedeletion. If you select the generic article for deletion the variants will also be deleted.

2.3.3 Changing Structured Articles

PurposeYou can use this process to change the imported master data of structured articles, such assets, prepacks and displays. In contrast to simple articles, structured articles have arelationship to the components that define the structure of this article. Structured articles arerepresented in the MDM Data Manager in a special way.

See also:

Representation of Structured Articles [Page 33]

Record Mode for Structured Articles and Components [Page 34]

PrerequisitesTo change structured articles in the MDM Data Manager, the relevant master data must havebeen imported into MDM (see Loading Article Master Data [Page 11]).

Process Flow...


2. Update or enhance the values of the existing records.


To implement the validation of your SAP for Retail system in MDM, usethe validation engine of the MDM Data Manager. You can use the MDMWorkflow capabilities to combine user tasks, validations, and approvals.

To protect fields against changes, use the MDM Console securitymechanism to update the Distributor role. Change specific fields to read-only in the Table and Field panes.




Care should be taken when changing the following fields if you want todistribute the data to a SAP for Retail system. This is because in SAP forRetail the fields have a controlling function in the article master datamaintenance, and cannot be changed or can only be changed withadditional functions. As a result, such changes might be ignored in SAPfor Retail or result in an error when updating the data:


Product function

Product category

Material type

Base UOM

Valid From date

Deletion date

Compound product group

For more information, see section Record Mode in MDM Data Manager Reference Guide.




ResultUpdated structured article data records can be consolidated and distributed to the connectedSAP for Retail systems.



2.3.3.1 Representation of Structured Articles

UseStructured articles are modeled as normal products. The relationship of the structured articlesto the components is stored in table Compound Product Groups. In this way they differ fromarticles that have no components. Field Product Function still contains the information aboutthe type of structured article (set, prepack, display).

See also:

Structured Article Distribution from SAP for Retail to MDM [Page 52]

Modeling the relationship between a structured article and the component articles in this wayhas the following advantages over the use of relationships:

You can select the structured article and the corresponding components in the searcharea. A list of existing structured articles is displayed.

You can import structured articles and components with the MDM Import Manager inany order. This means that a component can be imported before the structured articlewithout causing an error.

You can export the relationship between the structured articles and the componentswith the MDM Syndicator.

You can merge the relationship between the structured articles and the components inthe MDM Data Manager during consolidation.

The relationship between the structured articles and the components permits you toenter additional data. You can define the amount and unit of the component in thestructured article for each component.

This type of modeling has the following disadvantages:

The group stored in lookup table Compound Product Groups can be assignedarbitrarily. The system does not validate that this group corresponds to the productnumber of the structured article.

The group entry also has its own key mapping entry, which need not correspond to theentry for the product number.

You edit structured articles and their components in the MDM Data Manager in record mode.

2.3.3.2 Record Mode for Structured Articles and Components

UseIn record mode of the MDM Data Manager, you can edit the structured articles and theircomponents imported from a SAP for Retail system. The structured articles and thecomponents are normal articles. The components are only variants of a generic article forprepacks. The relationship of a structured article to its components is stored in lookup tableCompound Product Groups.



The usual functions of the MDM Manager are available for editing the data of a structuredarticle and its components. The functional differences for structured articles are describedbelow:

If you want to limit the records displayed in screen area Records to certain structuredarticles and their components, you can do so in screen area Search Parameters usingsearch parameter Compound Product Group. Select the relevant structured articlesthere. If required, you can further restrict the search by adding search parameterProduct Function and selecting for example Display (Set, Prepack) to only display thedisplay articles without the components.

If necessary, change the field and attribute values of the structured article or itscomponents. Any given attributes are not used to create variants, even if the attributeis marked in taxonomy mode on tab Web mode as variant-creating.

Field Compound Product Group contains the assignment of the structured article andthe components to the group. The structured article itself is also assigned to this group.The assignment uses an amount of 1 and the base unit of measure as component unit.You may not change these values.

The components are assigned to this group with the same amount and the same unit ofmeasure as defined in the imported BOM. You may change the amount and the unit ofmeasure if required.


Creating Article Master Data 36

2.4 Creating Article Master Data

PurposeYou can use this process to create new article master data. The creation options depend onthe article category:

Single articles



2.4.1 Creating Single Articles

PurposeYou can use this process to create new article master data for single articles.

PrerequisitesTo create single articles in the MDM Data Manager, the repository must be configured andsynchronized.

Process FlowIn record mode of the MDM Data Manager you can create new single articles.

Creating Records...


2. To create a single article, choose Records Add.

3. Enter the required data on tab Record Detail. The following fields are important forsingle articles and must always contains entries:

Field Description

Is Active Select value TRUE. If the single article is not initially active, select valueFALSE.

Product Number Enter the article number of the single article.

Product Function Select Single Article.

Product Category Select a suitable product category (merchandise category).

Material Type Select an article type.

Base UOM Select a base unit of measure.



Entries in the other fields and attributes are optional. If you defined additional requiredfields in SAP for Retail, you must also define the relevant values in MDM.


To implement the validation of your SAP for Retail in MDM, use thevalidation engine of the MDM Data Manager. You can use the MDMWorkflow capabilities to combine user tasks, validations, and approvals.






5. To store the entered data, choose Records Save Record.

Creating Key Mapping

After creating the single article, you must enter the remote key for the SAP for Retail systemsto which the single article should be distributed. Proceed as follows:...

1. In screen area Records, select the newly created single article. Choose Records EditKey Mappings.

2. Choose Add and enter each SAP for Retail System that is to receive data. If you wantto create the single article with the given product number in SAP for Retail, enter thisvalue as Key. Alternatively you can enter any other key that is accepted by SAP forRetail.

ResultNew single article data records can be distributed to the connected SAP for Retail systems.



2.4.2 Creating Generic Articles and Variants

PurposeYou can use this process to create new master data for generic articles and variants. Incontrast to single articles, there is a close relationship between generic articles and thecorresponding variants. You must keep this in mind when you create new master data, sincedata consistency can only be ensured if you edit a generic article and its variants together asan entity.

In record mode of the MDM Data Manager, you can create new generic articles and variants.Generic articles are modeled as matrix products. The relationship of a generic article to itsvariants is stored in lookup table Matrix Product Groups. For more information aboutrepresenting and handling generic articles, see Changing Generic Articles and Variants [Page21].

PrerequisitesTo create generic articles and variants in the MDM Data Manager, the repository must havebeen configured and synchronized.


In the Configuration Options choose Records Web pane URL for selected recordsand select MatrixApp.

In the Configuration Options choose Attributes Web pane URL for selectedattributes and select MatrixApp_Attributes.

Process Flow

Creating Records...


2. To create a generic article (master), choose Records Add Master in the contextmenu. The generic article is automatically assigned status Checked Out. With theCheck In function you can release the generic article for further processing afterperforming the necessary consistency checks.



3. Enter the required data on tab Record Detail. The following fields are important forgeneric fields and must always be defined:

Field Description

Is Active Select value TRUE. If the generic article should not be active initially,select FALSE.

Product Number Enter the article number of the generic article. The article number for thevariant is generated from this article number by appending a uniquesequence number. Make sure that the article number of the genericarticle has no more than 15 places so that there is still room for the 3-digit sequence number of the variants.

The article number of the generic article is displayed in field MatrixProduct Group to make the connection to the variants.

Product Function This field is filled automatically with Generic Article if the generic articlegets checked-in.

Product Category Select a suitable product category (merchandise category). The productcategory should have at least one variant-creating attribute. You see ifan attribute is variant-creating for this category in taxonomy mode on tabWeb. Once you have selected a product category, the system adds therelevant attributes. For variant-creating attributes, select the values forwhich variants should be created For informative attributes, select theattribute values that are the same for all variants and that are latercopied to them.


Base UOM Select the base unit of measure.

Entries for all other fields and the informative attributes are optional. If you definedfurther required fields in SAP for Retail, you must also enter the relevant values inMDM.


To implement the validation of your SAP for Retail in MDM, use thevalidation engine of the MDM Data Manager. You can use the MDMworkflow capabilities to combine user tasks, validations, and approvals.



For more information, see section Record Mode in the MDM Data Manager ReferenceGuide.




The enrichment architecture enables MDM to send data element(s) to an external dataenrichment provider and to receive a response containing data to be updated orinserted in a repository. Examples for such a process are address parsing andstandardization, intra-record cleansing/normalization, lookup against standardrepository, auto-classification, and corporate relationships.


5. If you want to create variants for the generic article, switch to tab Web. Choose Edit toedit the Matrix UI. Select all the attribute value combinations for which variants shouldbe created (see also Changing Generic Articles and Variants [Page 21]).

6. After entering the necessary data, choose Save on tab Web. If no variants wereselected for creation, choose Check-In.

Creating Key Mapping for Generic Articles

After creating the generic article, you must enter the remote key for the SAP for Retailsystems to which the generic article should be distributed. Proceed as follows:...

1. In screen area Records, select the newly created generic article. Choose RecordsEdit Key Mappings.

2. Choose Add to make an entry for each receiving SAP for Retail system. If you want tocreate the generic article with the given product number in SAP for Retail, enter it asKey. Alternatively you can enter any other key that is accepted by SAP for Retail.

3. In record mode, change from main table Products to lookup table Matrix ProductGroups.

4. In screen area Records, select the newly created generic articles. Choose RecordsEdit Key Mappings.

5. Choose Add to make the same entries you made in step 2 for each receiving SAP forRetail system.

Creating Key Mapping for Variants

If new variants were created, you must enter the missing remote keys:...

1. In screen area Records, select one of the newly created variants. Choose RecordsEdit Key Mappings.

2. Choose Add to make an entry for each receiving SAP for Retail system. If you want tocreate the variant with the given product number in SAP for Retail, enter it as Key.Alternatively you can enter any other key that is accepted by SAP for Retail.

ResultThe new generic article and variant data records can be distributed to the connected SAP forRetail systems.



2.4.3 Creating Structured Articles

PurposeYou can use this process to create new master data for structured articles, such as sets,prepacks and displays. In contrast to single articles, structured articles have a relationship tothe components defining the structure of this article.

In record mode of the MDM Data Manager, you can create new structured articles and theircomponents. The structured articles and the components are normal articles. Thecomponents are only variants of a generic article for prepacks. The relationship of astructured article to its components is stored in lookup table Compound Product Groups. Formore information about representing structured articles and about handling structured articles,see Changing Structured Articles [Page 32].

PrerequisitesTo create structured articles and their components in the MDM Data Manager, the repositorymust have been configured and synchronized.

Process Flow

Creating Structured Articles...


2. To create a structured article, choose Records Add.

3. Enter the required data on tab Record Detail. The following fields are important forstructured articles and must always be defined:

Field Description

Is Active Select value TRUE. If the structured article should not beactive initially, select value FALSE.

Product Number Enter the article number of the structured article.

Product Function Select Sales Set, Prepack or Display, depending on the type ofstructured article you want to create. If you enter a differentvalue, an error occurs later during distribution to a SAP forRetail system when you update the article master data.

Product Category Select a suitable product category (merchandise category).


Base UOM Select a unit of measure.

Compound Product Group The article number of the structured article is entered in fieldCompound Product Group at a later time to connect to thecomponents.



Entries in the other fields and attributes are optional. If you defined additional requiredfields in SAP for Retail, you must also define the relevant values in MDM.


To implement the validation of your SAP for Retail system in MDM, usethe validation engine of the MDM Data Manager. You can use the MDMworkflow capabilities to combine user tasks, validations, and approvals.



For more information, see the section Record Mode in the MDM Data ManagerReference Guide.




5. Enter a new lookup value in field Compound Product Group. Enter the article number ofthe structured article for field Name. Select the newly created lookup value and enter 1in field Quantity and the base unit of measure of the structured article in field UOM.

6. Store the data by choosing Records Save Record.

Creating Key Mappings

After creating the structured article you must enter the remote key for those SAP for Retailsystems to which the structured article should be distributed. Proceed as follows:......

1. In screen area Records, mark the newly created structured articles. Choose RecordsEdit Key Mappings.

2. With the Add pushbutton, define an entry for each receiving SAP for Retail system. Ifyou want to create the structured article with the current product number in the SAP forRetail system, enter it as Key. Alternatively you can enter any other key that isaccepted by SAP for Retail.

3. In record mode, switch from main table Products to lookup table Compound ProductGroups.



4. In screen area Records, mark the newly created structured article. Choose RecordsEdit Key Mappings.

5. With the Add pushbutton, define the same entries as you defined in step 2 for eachreceiving SAP for Retail system.

Assigning Component Articles

You can now create the articles to be used as components of the structured article or you canaccess existing articles and assign them. Only variants of a generic article may be assignedas components for structured articles of type Prepack (field Product Function).

Articles are created as described in Creating Single Articles [Page 36] or Creating GenericArticles and Variants [Page 37]. You now only have to assign the component article to thestructured article as follows....

1. Select the article you want to assign as component in screen area Records.

2. Add the structured article as a new lookup value in field Compound Product Group.Select the newly created lookup value and enter the amount in field Quantity and theunit of measure with which the component should be assigned to the structured articlein field UOM. The amount indicates how often this component is contained in thestructured article with the given unit of measure.

3. Save the data by choosing Records Save Record.

Repeat these steps for all the articles that should be a component of this structured article.

ResultNew structured article data records can be distributed to the connected SAP for Retailsystems.


Consolidating Article Master Data 44

2.5 Consolidating Article Master Data

PurposeYou can use this process to consolidate the imported article master data. The consolidationprocess depends on the article category:

Single articles



The consolidation process consists of finding and merging identical or duplicate articles fromthe data loaded from SAP for Retail, and obtaining the associated key mapping information.

2.5.1 Consolidating Single Articles

PurposeYou can use this process to consolidate article master data for single articles.

PrerequisitesTo consolidate single articles in the MDM Data Manager, the relevant master data must havebeen imported into MDM (see Loading Article Master Data [Page 11]).

Process Flow...

1. Start the MDM Data Manager client with your repository and switch to Matching Mode.

2. In Matching Mode of the MDM Data Manager, look for duplicate single articles.



Rules define the ways how the system compares the fields and setsmatching scores.


The best way to match strongly depends on the character of the concrete data.

Single articles can only be duplicates if they have the same product function,that is a single article should not be merged with one of the other articlecategories (such as generic article, variant, or set).




You can match every record against every other record in a repository (all vs.all, one vs. all, a set of record vs. another set, and so on). To specify a set ofrecords, you can narrow down the selection using the entire scope of MDM DataManager search functions.

When the matching is complete, you can sort the records by matching score andcheck if the highly matching records are duplicates.

3. Align the data of the qualified lookup tables (for example, table Units of Measure GTIN)of all duplicates to be merged.

The merged single article must contain the consolidated data for each qualified lookuptable.


Select the duplicate single articles and choose Records Merge Records. You cancompare the records field by field and select which values in which record you want tokeep.

The resulting merged single article preserves all the remote keys associatedwith each of the selected single articles. Merged single articles are no longerdisplayed as individual single articles in the Records Result pane, but can bereferenced in the remote systems by their remote keys.

For more information, see the section Matching Mode in the MDM Data Manager ReferenceGuide.

ResultOnce the single articles have been consolidated, this data can be used in SAP for Retailsystems or in analytical systems.

2.5.2 Consolidating Generic Articles and Variants

PurposeYou can use this process to consolidate the imported master data of generic articles andvariants. In contrast to single articles, there is a close relationship between generic articlesand the corresponding variants. You must keep this relationship in mind when youconsolidate the master data. Generic articles must first be consolidated before you canconsolidate the variants.

PrerequisitesTo consolidate generic articles and variants in the MDM Data Manager, you must import thecorresponding master data into MDM (see Loading Article Master Data [Page 11]).




In the Configuration Options, choose Records Web pane URL for selected recordsand select MatrixApp.

In the Configuration Options, choose Attributes Web pane URL for selectedattributes and select MatrixApp_Attributes.

Process Flow

Merging Generic Articles...

1. Start the MDM Data Manager client with your repository and switch to matching mode.

2. In matching mode of the MDM Data Manager, look for duplicate generic articles.



Rules define how the system compares the fields and sets matchingscores.



Use the search parameter Record Type in the search area to locate masterrecords. Generic articles can only be duplicates if they are assigned the sameproduct category or if they have different product categories, but the variant-creating attributes are identical.



After the matching is complete, you can sort the records by matching score andcheck if the highly matching records are duplicates.

3. Check out the duplicate generic articles.

On tab Web, choose Check Out.


The merged generic articles must contain the consolidated data for each qualifiedlookup table.




Select the duplicate generic articles and choose Records Merge Records. You cancompare the records field by field and select which values in which record you want tokeep. Make sure that all the values of the variant-creating attributes of all the genericarticles are selected. Fill in the missing attribute values manually.

The resulting merged generic article preserves all the remote keys associatedwith each of selected generic articles. Merged generic articles are no longerdisplayed as individual generic articles in the records result pane, but can bereferenced by their remote keys in the remote systems.

You must check in the merged generic articles before proceeding with mergingvariants.

Merging Variants

All variants of the merged generic articles are assigned to the new generic article created bythe merge process. As a result, there is more than one variant for one value combination ofthe variant-creating attributes. You can see this in record mode if you display the variantdistribution in the Matrix UI on tab Web. Multiple variants for an attribute value combinationare displayed.

You must also consolidate these duplicates step-by-step....

1. Check out the relevant variants if they are checked in.

Select the relevant variants in screen area Records and select Check Out on tab Web.


The merged variants must contain the consolidated data for each qualified lookuptable.


Select the duplicate variants and choose Records Merge Records. You cancompare the records field by field and select which values in which record you want tokeep. Make sure that the values of all the variants are identical for the variant-creatingattributes, otherwise they are not duplicates.

The merged result variant preserves all the remote keys associated with each ofselected variants. Merged variants are no longer displayed as individual variantsin the records result pane, but can be referenced by their remote keys in theremote systems.


ResultOnce the generic articles and their variants have been consolidated, they can be used in SAPfor Retail systems or analytical systems.



2.5.3 Consolidating Structured Articles

PurposeYou can use this process to consolidate the imported master data of structured articles, suchas sets, prepacks and displays. In contrast to single articles, a structured article has arelationship to the components that define the structure of this article. It is only possible toconsolidate structured articles if they have the same component structure.

PrerequisitesTo consolidate structured articles in the MDM Data Manager, the relevant master data musthave been imported into MDM (see Loading Article Master Data [Page 11]).

The articles used as components in the structured articles must also have been consolidated(see Consolidating Single Articles [Page 44] and Consolidating Generic Articles and Variants[Page 45]).

Process Flow...

1. Start the MDM Data Manager client with your repository and switch to Matching Mode.

2. In Matching Mode of the MDM Data Manager, look for duplicate structured articles.

a. Define and store transformations and matching rules, and combine them tomatching strategies:


Rules define how the system compares the fields and sets matchingscores.



Structured articles can only be duplicates if they have the same productfunction, that is a prepack should not be merged with a display.



When the matching is complete, you can sort the records by matching score andcheck if the highly matching records are duplicates.


The merged structured articles must contain the consolidated data for each qualifiedlookup table.



4. Make sure that the duplicates found have the same component structure, that is thesame articles must be assigned to the structured article as component and theassignments for each article must have the same amount and the same unit ofmeasure. Otherwise there are structural differences, in which case the duplicates foundare not real duplicates and may not be merged.

5. Merge the duplicates. Select the duplicate structured articles and choose RecordsMerge Records. You can select which values of which structured article you want tokeep. Note that the data for field Compound Product Group must provide the samecomponent structure for all duplicates; otherwise the duplicates will have a differentstructure and may not be merged.

The resulting merged structured article preserves all the remote keys associatedwith each of the selected structured articles. Merged structured articles are nolonger displayed as individual structured articles in the Records Result pane, butcan be referenced in the remote systems by their remote keys.


ResultOnce the structured articles have been consolidated, this data can be used in SAP for Retailsystems or analytical systems.


Distributing Article Master Data 50

2.6 Distributing Article Master Data

PurposeUse this process to export the consolidated article master data from MDM to XI using theMDM Syndicator, and then distribute the data to the specified SAP for Retail remote system.

MDM exports the data as XML files. SAP XI changes the XML files to IDocs and sends themessages to SAP for Retail. With this process, you update SAP for Retail with the changedmaster data.

You can only choose the MDM Syndicator for export (interactive export). TheMDM Syndicator Batch and the MDM Syndication Server are not supported inSAP for Retail.

Process Flow...

1. Start the MDM Syndicator with the defined repository to export the article master dataas an ARTMAS XML file.

2. Open map _MDMArtmas04 of your remote system.


On the Syndicator properties tab you have the following options:


Suppress Records Without Key: Only records with key mapping information aredisplayed in the Records pane. With this option, only those objects that alreadyexist in the remote system can be updated.


The Syndicator indicates the number of suppressed (for example, no key mapping) andsyndicated records in the syndication status window.

5. Select the specified syndication folder of the MDM file system (Ready folder). Choose afile name for the exported ARTMAS XML file.

6. SAP XI sends the XML file in the Ready folder to SAP for Retail as an IDoc.

See also

For more information, see the MDM Syndicator Reference Guide.

For more information, see Generic Article distribution from SAP for Retail to MDM[Page 52].

ResultYou updated SAP for Retail with the changed article master data.


Distributing BOM Master Data 51

2.7 Distributing BOM Master Data

PurposeUse this process to export the consolidated BOM (bill of material) master data from MDM toXI using the MDM Syndicator, and then distribute the data to the specified SAP for Retailremote system.

MDM exports the data as XML files. SAP XI changes the XML files to IDocs and sends themessages to SAP for Retail. With this process, you update SAP for Retail with the changedmaster data.

You can only choose the MDM Syndicator for export (interactive export). TheMDM Syndicator Batch and the MDM Syndication Server are not supported inSAP for Retail.

Process Flow...

1. Start the MDM Syndicator with the defined repository to export the BOM master data asa BOMMAT XML file.

2. Open map _MDMBommat04 of your remote system.


On the Syndicator properties tab you have the following options:


Suppress Records Without Key: Only records with key mapping information aredisplayed in the Records pane. With this option, only those objects that alreadyexist in the remote system can be updated.


The Syndicator indicates the number of suppressed (for example, no key mapping) andsyndicated records in the syndication status window.

5. Select the specified syndication folder of the MDM file system (Ready folder). Choose afile name for the exported BOMMAT XML file.

6. SAP XI sends the XML file in the Ready folder to SAP for Retail as an IDoc.

See also

For more information, see the MDM Syndicator Reference Guide.

For more information, see Structured Article distribution from SAP for Retail to MDM[Page 52].

ResultYou updated SAP for Retail with the changed BOM master data.


Generic Article Distribution from SAP for Retail to MDM 52

2.8 Generic Article Distribution from SAP for Retailto MDM

Single Article

GenericAr ticle

SAP for Retail:Data Object

Example

Shower Gel ARTMAS

T-Shirt:Size: S, L, …

Color: red, green, …

IDocMessage Type

VariantT-Shirt:Size: S

Color: red

Product

Matrix Product

SAP MDM:Data Object

Variant

Matrix Product Group

2.9 Structured Article Distribution from SAP forRetail to MDM

BOM

StructuredAr ticle

SAP for Retail:Data Object

Example

Twin Set ARTMAS

BOMMAT

IDocMessage Type

ComponentAr ticle

ComponentAr ticle

Twin Set:Jacket & T-Shirt

Jacket

CompoundProduct

SAP MDM:Data Object

ComponentProduct

ComponentProduct

Compound ProductGroup

T-Shirt

SAP MDM IT Scenarios

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