SAP Master Data Governance follows principles that are relevant for all data domains.
The User-Centric Principle
The user-centric principle refers to a standard hub for master data creation and maintenance, so that all activities related to creating and changing master data can be found in one place.
Customer Business Challenges
The user-centric principle addresses the following customer business challenges:
- Users have maintained master data in different systems
- Different transactions are necessary to execute the maintenance tasks (change, create, delete)
- Planned changes are not transparent to other systems
Business Value
The business value of the user-centric principle is as follows:
Central maintenance of master data
Bundles together all activities for master data maintenance
Central deployment and authorization ensures governance
Possibility of local adaptation and personalization
The figure shows the SAP Fiori launchpad in SAP S/4HANA; it illustrates the main properties of the SAP Fiori apps in the user-centric principle of master data governance.
The figure illustrates the main properties of the Workflow inbox in the user-centric principle of master data governance.
The figure illustrates the workflow-dependent step configuration. This allows for flexible design of processes and UIs.
The Governance Principle
The governance principle refers to an integrated approval process for change requests. The approval process starts with a request to create or change a master data record, continues with processing and feedback from different expert users and stakeholders, and finishes with approval or rejection by authorized experts.
All processing steps are supported by workflow.
The figure illustrates a typical change request with a built-in approval process.
Customer Business Challenge Scenario
Let's explore a scenario where a customer does not have a built-in approval process for change requests.
In this scenario, a change request for new or changed master data has to be communicated by phone or e-mail to master data specialists, along with justifications for the change request. The master data specialists then have to gather any further information from other experts and stakeholders in a time-consuming process. Follow-up processing by certain specialists has to be triggered manually. An approval process with a two-person rule cannot be assured.
Business Value
The business value of the governance principle is as follows:
- The fulfillment of compliance requirements
- Better data quality
- Fast and transparent decisions
- All relevant information in one place
The Workflow Principle
The workflow principle refers to standardized but flexible processes that include rules management and tracking.
Data maintenance activities are bundled via a change request that is linked to a workflow. The workflow can be linear or distributed. As well as automated steps, ad hoc steps, delegation, and so on can also be used.
The standard SAP business workflow is enhanced with a rule-based engine (workflow template WS60800086). Therefore, changes in responsibilities and in processes can be reflected immediately and with ease. There is also a workflow template WS46000057 without BRFplus that covers the same processes.
Customer Business Challenges
The workflow principle addresses the following customer business challenges:
- Processes are unstructured and neither guided nor controlled
- High effort in data collection, change processing, and issue resolution
- High total cost of ownership (TCO) and low flexibility if hard-coded, semi-automated processes are used
Business Value
The business value of the workflow principle is as follows:
- Built-in guidance, monitoring, and reporting
- A standard workflow tool provides process and data governance
- Integrated tool for keeping data, process, and issue resolution in one place
- Enhanced flexibility through integrated rules management
The generic workflow template (WS60800086) is the foundation of the rule-based workflow. The different processes are reflected by BRFplus decision tables, which are maintained in Customizing for each change request type.
The combination of this workflow template with the BRFplus decision tables allows you to easily set up many different, flexible processes that can be changed in Customizing.
The figure illustrates different components of the rule-based workflow.
The Architecture Principle
The architecture principle refers to separating data into active and inactive data, and holding both types of data in separate storage locations.
To enable the master data governance process, SAP Master Data Governance separates data as follows:
Active Data
Ready to be used by applications, can be distributed to client systems
Inactive Data
Not yet approved, currently part of a change request
Accordingly, there are two separate storage locations:
Staging Area
Holds the data during the change request processing before approval
Active Area
Holds the active data
As long as the change request for creating or changing a master data record is in progress, the attributes of the master data record are stored in an inactive version that exists (in the case of a change) in parallel to the active version.
When the change request is approved, the data is then written as the active version to the master data tables and this new or updated record is then available for business processes.
Customer Business Challenges
The architecture principle addresses the following customer business challenges:
- Several users from different departments are involved in the creation of a master data record
- The master data record is immediately available in the system as soon as the first user entry is saved
- Many incomplete master data records and partial changes can exist
- Planned changes are not usually visible to business users
Business Value
The business value of the architecture principle is as follows:
- Incomplete master data records (changes) are stored in an inactive version so the master data record can only be used in business processes when it is approved (better process quality)
- Rejected change requests do not create a master data record in SAP (better data quality)
- Planned changes are visible to the concerned user groups (better transparency)
The active version of one entity (for example, one material master record) holds the approved active data and is stored in the active area. Distribution takes place based on this version. In case of reuse and integrated master data governance, the operations are executed on the active data.
For optimal integration, SAP Master Data Governance allows two modes:
Reuse Active Area (Reuse Mode):
Existing application structures are used. For example, SAP Master Data Governance for material use of the MARA table.
Generated Active Area (Flex Mode):
Tables as defined in the SAP Master Data Governance data model are used to store active data.