# SAP SRM - Business switches

The enhancement framework used by SAP comes with the Business function switches.
The Enhacement packages (EHP1 and EHP2) brings the switches in mutiple areas. A few interesting areas I have covered in earlier posts.

The advantage of the switches is the customer can pick and choose the functionality also can utilise the SAP delivered solutions to meet their requirements.
 If you are the upgrade customer or the consultant you may like to consider these switches to be implemented along with scenarios (for example - SSP,Strategic sourcing, MDM catalog) to bring the new functinality features.

The most of the switches are irreversible and can not be reverted back except a few. Hence customer should implement these switches in their Sandbox environment and test thoroughly.

SRM 7 and EHP 2

It seems the enhancement pack (EHP) methodology is doing well for SAP and its customers. After ERP (ECC) system SAP has been following the EHP release path for SRM as well.

The EHP 2 is released to customers and the upgrade/implementation customers would be looking for the new features from this EHP.
 I would like to highlight following points for upgrade-
* The latest version brings lot of new functionalities (core and PPS)- Please check which functionalities would you like to implement.
* Existing bespoke (custom or z) modifications may need to adjusted or re-visited (possibly a few could be part of Business switches)
* Existing data and master data impact
* User experience and change management
* Possible pain points could be addressed or scenarios could be enhanced
* Impact on the connected system landscape - BW reporting, ECC (back end) system or catalog, supplier systems (SAP and non-SAP)
* Hardware and other software logistics issues. As on today the ERP (ECC) has the EHP versions (latest) of EHP 5 and EHP 6, soon I will post on the ERP features which would be helpful in SRM context.

SRM 7 EHP 1.0 - Pick and choose what you need

Nowadays business landscape covers many geographies and various business needs. Hence SAP choosen path of Enhancement Pack EHP and provided the 'pick and choose' power to customers. I believe EHP is nice concept. For SRM 7.0 likewise path is chosen by SAP. Latest EHP 1.0 is available for SRM and it address to customer specific needs. I believe there will many expectations from upcoming EHP in areas of technical achievements and application packaging.

Why SRM ? and well why SRM 7 ?

Well, I am core SCM chap and believes money saved in purchasing is as good as increasing the sales!
Nowadays the organizations are supply chained in complex network and needs its strategic buyer to concentrate on strategic purchasing and increasing supplier stability (on-time delivery, quantity and quality deliverables and other factors). Many regulatory compliance must be adhered (particularly for public sector companies). Approvals and Payments should have auditable trails.
New emerging markets and technologies help purchaser to get better in market.
SAP offered SRM (EBP - Enterprise Buyer) which enables employee (internal customer!) to put the purchasing requirement in special channel. As solution grew, the offerings of SRM and integration with other modules became strong.
New SRM version 7 is based on SAP's EHP (Enhancement Package) technology and offers well integrated solution (if its SAP ERP then its one of the best possible integration). There are many features which organization can explore.

SRM and Vendor master data

Since SRM 5.0 the vendor data is detached from organization structure and now sits in transaction PPOSV_BBP.

Still the principle is valid- only the vendors having purchasing view are replicated in the SRM. ERP is always the leading system (aka source of truth). The initial replication should be carried out by using BBPGETVD. For further update the synchronization report BBP_VENDOR_SYNC. If you wish to bring in your custom fields then you should use BADI.

Vendor master can be modified in SRM and transfer to ECC, allowing business to use SRM as leading system.

A more complex and wide scope requirement can be fitted along with Supplier Lifecycle Management (aka SAP SLC) integration. This integration maps the end-to-end onboarding of the supplier. Also offers the option to maintain the master data in SAP SRM and then distribute to SAP ECC.

# User experience that matters- Harmonized UI with SRM 7 portal

SAP UI innovations are quite user friendly and give overall good user interface.

The portal with Netweaver 7.10 give quite good impression and seems to have fliud interface.

From SRM 2007 (SRM 6.0) SAP adopted the WebDynpro technology in the portal- benefit- easy tweaking of frontend (BADI goes away now)-Less complicated to setup through IMG menu path (see in SPRO)-Better approach for error finding.

User can see the 'up-to-date' task dash board as per the POWL results. POWL (Personalised Object Work List) can be adjusted to suit the end user requirement also can be customised throughout the system.

Update - New shiny SAP Netweaver 7.31 promise more.

# SRM organization Structure & SAP HR integration

Organization structure (internal) is crucial master data of SRM; as all of attributes, approval hierarchy, and lot, more is maintained here.
If SAP HR is in place for the organization units for which SRM is under implementation, then as best practice SAP HR can be used to leverage the SAP SRM organization structure.

SAP HR Infotype 1001 (along with 1000, 1002) provides the major of the user data.
Synchronization report (RHALEINI) is used to integrate the both systems, please note SAP HR will be the leading system.
Updates are carried out using the IDoc (HRMD_ABA), for the specified change pointers (report RBDMIDOC).
Transaction BBP_BP_OM_INTEGRATE can be used to fix if something missing.
Obvious but to remember - purchasing specific data (P. Org, P Grp..) needs to be maintained in the SRM.

The changes done in the SRM Organisation structure can be tracked with the maintenance of customisation in table T77CDOC_CUST. The changes can be with report RHCDOC_DISPLAY.
As change logging can deteriorates system performance only important and audit critical infotypes should be used. For exaple- approval limit, spend limit.

Note- SAP tells to limit the number of users in organisation unit maximum two hundred to avoid performance problem. As the attributes search, partner search is performed it takes longer time.

# Team purchasing

World is collaborative, hence the business and purchasing !

New feature of SRM7, help team to complete the purchasing activity in collaborative way.


Team can take over the carts once you nominate the substitute. This is controlled if employee or admin user can assign the team carts. The set of users can be contrlled with the configuration.


Please be informed that this feature is available for the Process Controlled Workflow (PCW) .
SRM 7 customers who are using Application Controlled Workflow this feature is not available.

# Confirmation

In SRM the confirmation is like Goods Receipt in ERP.
The communication of Confirmation is routed through IDoc (SAP ERP) to the back-end after automatic approval or user approval.

Till SRM 5.0 SAP provided functionality like Express Confirmation considering the user navigation (as they may not be familiar with regular confirmation/GR process screen). However, since SRM 6.0 this functionality is not seen.

# SAP SRM Plan-driven procurement

Plan-driven procurement (PDP) or External procurement is one of my favorite area in SRM.

PDP leverage the sourcing capability of the SRM. The Requirements (read- Purchase Requisitions) are created across the system from different module and may not valid source of supply. The Purchase Requisitions can be channeled in SRM as Requirements (similar to Carts) and then sourcing is carried out in the SRM.

The customizing table entry (V_T160EX and V_T160PR) decide (and/or- with BBPK0001) which PR to be pushed in SRM and report BBP_EXTREQ_TRANSFER in back-end bring these in SRM.

SRM 7 offers new features and possibilities if the back-end is SAP ECC 6.0 EHP4 or above.

With EHP 4 new BADI- ME_REQ_SOURCING_CUST provides the collective processing of Requirements in PDP and helps organization to consolidates the requirement coming from different modules (read- PM,PS, CS, SD)./ back-ends in more efficient way after release/approval. The complex service scene is also possible. You can also integrate the it along with MRP - use BADI - MD_PURREQ_POST

# SAP SRM 7 blog

Its all about you wanted to know about SAP SRM 7 and further releases!