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Master Data Upload - First Time, Then Must Read

created by Abhinay Ramesh Purnale on 20-Feb-2014 15:15, last modified
by Abhinay Ramesh Purnale on 27-Feb-2014 13:21 Version 2
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Master Data Upload
This topic is bit easy but while doing it first time - it would look like huge
task, and in a way it is! It needs more attention and some precaution too.
This reference article is for those consultants who want to read before
starting their task.
Master Data is one of the most important task after configuration, rather
equal, and need to be done very carefully. Basically, the data/details that
you want to store, maintain and use further to perform activities, during
actual processes - is your master data. This data do stay in system and
appear when required/called in transactions, such as - Customer Master
Data, Material Master Data, Credit Master Data etc. and play his role.
How Does It Works During Project
Most of time consultants share templates after BBP sign-off and ask core
team members to fill that up. After successful completion of configuration,
uses these data templates to upload in system. Ideally, one should have
entire master data in DEV, QAL and PROD system. This ideal scenario will
help testing lot of scenarios and enhances confidence at both ends. This
helps even after Go-Live.
Many organizations have ready-to-use Templates; this is a good practice
and save lots of time.
What is Master Data Template
Master Data Template is nothing but an empty excel-sheet with title heads,
descriptions and space to fill actual data. In another worksheet mention all

reference values for easy reference (and strictly ask them to follow this list).
Some sample data will make it more clear, and easier to fill.
Try maintaining values in excel as general text format. Always align it to left
(at times this matters). Use excel formulas to calculate but, finally remove it
and mention the resultant values.
Do not keep any un-necessary/un-wanted data in excel-sheet, keep the
template clean and tidy. A simple dot (.) will get considered as value, so be
aware of any such garbage.
Do not pass any special characters system might accept it, but in table it
would get stored as garbage and might make difficult situation while
extracting that in outputs or reports. It might give dump at times.
As I told earlier, the template should have all the list of details to be filled,
making it easy to understand and use. The maximum number of
characters/digits allowed should also be mentioned. In case if it exceeds,
system will trim that itself, would not give any warning, so manual
intervention is must.
Options For Data Upload
There are three ways to load your data in system. All three are important
but you need to choose very intelligently at times. List is as follows:
Manual Method
LSMW
BDC
Mass maintenance for missing fields (in existing data)
The general rule is if your data volume is less than 20/30 do it manually,
otherwise good to go by LSMW or BDC way. In case of huge data, choose
wisely.
LSMW - is a best tool and functional-consultant-friendly. Functional people
must try working on this. It has capability to work equivalent to BDC. One
more benefit is - you are nor dependent on ABAP team (for any last minute

modifications or troubles). Here, we will not talk how to use LSMW. I

personally prefer this most of the times. So as to learn and gain expertise
on LSMW use these links:
http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-48866
http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-26159#section31
BDC will be developed by ABAPers. Good thing about BDC is - flexibility,
validations and logical conversions. For this task your ABAP team would
ask for recording using SHDB. While recording, be sure of the fields that
want to consider, and choose those fields by entering value or at least put
space in that fields (if do not know value now, but planning to record it). In
case of doubt, record it instead of excluding. Because, AABPer can
comment/hide it if not required, but in case of new field addition they might
require to put more efforts. So if there is 1% or 2% chances of using certain
filed - consider it in recording. Later on comment that field if unused. Do a
clean recording, go in sequence and do not repeat one field (in case of
mistake, do it again).
At times your client might use this BDC/LSMW for their day today business.
Ex. Our open order BDC has been used by our client to load Sales Orders
in mass, every day. In fact - your BDC belong to them, you would be asked
to handover all those finally.
What To Check After Template Receipt
You should verify entire received data. Check if it is as per your
configuration, check other integration points, such as SD-FI, SD-MM or
MM-FI etc. Most of the time you will not get perfect data until 2nd or 3rd
iteration, so be very cautious. Test it and change if there are any
modifications required, or get it done from client as they are more aware of
their own business and data too. Now, get it approved from client before
production. Be sure by perform trials on DEV and QAL, this will improve
your confidence and data quality!

Check all the entries in template with your configuration - check values,
ids, names, sales organization, material IDs, company code, cost center,
terms of payment and all others things (you can do it easily by converting
that column to unique values or use v-lookup or formulae).
Do take care of the required prefixes. Let me give one simple example in
SD Customer Master data there is Terms of payment which is 0001 as
standard. But in normal excel, if you enter 0001 it converts to 1. But
master data will not accept 1 it asks for exact 0001 (four digit). So, modify
the data format of such fields accordingly (sounds very childish but when
you face this you get mad on this silly things).
Also, check for the maximum number of characters/digits allowed. System
will not throw any error but will trim it. So be ready for that!
Some So-called Complications
Certain master data, such as Material Master or Customer Master, are
complicated. You might use same/simple transactions but the screens,
fields, tabs, would vary depending on your selection parameters or input
parameters. Simple example: in case of Material Master if you choose less
views it will show less number of fields. Similarly in Customer Master if you
do not provide company code in XD01 it will only show you two views one
is Sales Area and another is General Data view. So accordingly your
LSMW or BDC will differ. So just to get it more easy - for customer master
there could be three BDCs (choose as per your requirement):
CM creation at fresh
Extending CM for another company code if any
Extending CM to anther Sales Area
Precautions Before Upload
Make sure you have tested this templates and BDC/LSMW multiple times
in DEV and QAL system, and its running smoothly.
Because, at time of Go-Live you cannot take any risk! It becomes very time
critical and this saved time is worth investing on other critical things.

Troubles You Might Face

The excel files with huge data - might get hang and you lose your data. So,
be careful and regularly keep backup of your files.
Your LSMW/BDC terminates because of system failure or power failure (if
you set it at display errors or foreground) in that case check your
database in respective tables and see till which record it got saved, and
repeat task for that data onwards (modify your template accordingly).
At final moment you find some data-point is mandatory and not given in
template (and you got to know when BDC/LSMW thrown an error!) in that
case use any masking value, keep record of that and modify afterword.
There were cases told by my mentor, their client given a huge master with
multiple pin-codes that were less than required digits (and pin-code made
mandatory). His Team started checking the right pin-code from Google and
mentioned at every record. They did this for 80/90 records religiously and
spent some time extra. Was it worth! His suggestion was instead, one
can enter any indicative values such as 999999 or 000000 and then
replace it soon you get correct value from client. May be you get in trouble
for wrong details! Possible, right!
Your BDC or LSMW that was running well is not working now (or need one
more fields to be added or removed) not sure why but it might happen. In
such cases be in touch with ABAP Team. In this scenario I find myself very
comfortable with LSMW. I can create one more for me and test it, am not
dependent on someone else. You develop your style and comfort!
Your team member who is responsible or aware of data load, is absent you can't do anything in this cases only since beginning, be aware of
what to do, be aware of the data stored. Make sure of a back-up since
beginning. Thats it.
Mass Maintenance:
Even after tons of precaution you did not managed to fill an specific filed or
maintained erroneous data in specific field. Oops! in such cases there are
ways to work on it.
If the data value is same throughout you can quickly use mass
maintenance tool. T-code is MASS or specific to your module, which is

XD99 for SD. (precaution: mass maintenance takes lot of time, so be

patient). I also, hear SAP stopped giving support for LSMW.
If Data is not same but can be grouped - filter it and maintain your mass
data accordingly and do it in parts.
If there is no way for any such grouping of values better option is prepare
a LSMW and change Master Data. Simple example when we missed
maintaining City field in Customer Master (using BDC) LSMW for change
master data and added city to each record.