Understanding the Business User Concept

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Understand the business user concept
  • Create a user master record for a business user

Business User Concept

As most SAP users are employees of the company, their master data, such as name, e-mail address, etc., is maintained multiple times: as employees in the HR system, in the user master in SU01 and as business partners of the employee type.

In the classic user concept all three entities use their own data repository. Data changes have to be maintained within all participating entities separately.

This harbours the risk of inconsistencies and also generates additional maintenance work. The business user concept is designed to avoid this.

SAP S/4HANA is introducing a new identity model for business users, which is based on the "principle of one". A business user is defined as a natural person who is represented by a business partner and a link to a user in the system. Business users interact with the software in the context of a business process, for example, in the role of a purchaser, a sales representative, or a production planner.

SAP S/4HANA Business User Management enables and supports the entire life cycle of business users such as organizational changes, change of employment, or retirement. A user in SAP S/4HANA has a one-to-one relationship with a corresponding business partner (natural person). This reduces redundant maintenance and prevents outdated information. Personal data and workplace address data can be obtained centrally.

User and Business User

The business user is a SU01 user, but also has a one-to-one relation to the corresponding business partner. This relationship is time independent and cannot be changed anymore.

The business user concept is used in many new applications in SAP S/4HANA. SU01 users with Classic Address (Identity Address Type 00 - User's Old Type 3 Address) lead to limitations because the new business user model is a prerequisite for many business applications. As soon as Fiori apps are activated and used, business users are mandatory (for example Teams, CreditAnalyst in Credit Management or Situations).

The business partner contains the personal information, for example private address, workplace address, bank details, vendor and customer related data. The business partner and SU01 user share personal details and workplace address related data. The advantage of the new business user model is that the entire lifecycle of that person works without redundant maintenance of user address data. Business users can still be managed using transaction SU01, Central User Administration or identity management systems.

Note

In the SAP Business Suite, you can use transaction BP (Business Partner Maintenance) to assign users to business partners. In SAP S/4HANA this is not possible anymore to avoid an inconsistent data model for business users. Existing business partners cannot be converted to business users, because of Data Protection and Privacy (DPP). Already existing business partners could have been part of a distribution scenario.

With the new business user model in SAP S/4HANA we have a clear maintenance ownership. It can be owned by Human Capital Management (HCM), Business Partner (BP) or User Management. The ownership of HCM is only relevant when HCM integration is active.

Using the example of SU01 the following data categories exist:

Person

The personal data for the business user is derived from the corresponding business partner. In case HCM integration is active this data is mapped from the corresponding employee of the HCM system (SAP SuccessFactors or SAP HCM).

Work Center

The work center data for the business user is derived from the workplace address of the corresponding business partner. In case HCM integration is active, the function and department fields are mapped by default from the corresponding employee of the HCM system.

Communication

The communication data for the business user is derived from the workplace address of the corresponding business partner.

Company

During the conversion of a SU01 user from SAP Business Suite (classic user) to a business user in SAP S/4HANA the company address is copied to the business partner workplace address.

The business partner data are centrally hosted. The assignment between business partner and user is always 1:1. You can assign one user to each business partner.

Note

Users can still be maintained in SU01. The business user merely provides an additional option for user master data maintenance.

However, business users can only be created for employees and, if applicable, business partners. Technical users, for example for interfaces (RFC) or batch processing as well as other, non-personal users must be managed in SU01 as before.

Business user and the authorization concept

The following figure shows the relationship between the business user and the authorization concept and indicates how they relate to the role of User Administrator.

Figure 3

(1) A business user is defined as a natural person who logs on to the SAP system to interact with the software in the context of a business process, for example, in the role of a cost accountant.

Each business user is represented in the system by a unique user ID. This user ID is defined in a (2) User Master Record, and (2.1) is assigned to the user. The user master record provides a place to maintain all the basic data for a user, such as their user ID, first name, last name, phone number, and so on.

The business user ID is automatically mapped (1:1) with a (3) Business Partner definition that provides a workplace address and the application-specific context required to perform specific business functions. This is done using an associated business partner role. Integrating the user ID and the business partner centralizes the maintenance of the work center and communication data, along with the company address data into a central data model.

This data model can be further enhanced by activating (4) SAP HCM integration, which links the user master record and business partner directly with the users HR record. When HR integration is active, personal data for the business user is maintained directly in the HR system.

In SAP S4HANA, access to business functionality is controlled using (5) authorization roles. These roles are designed and tailored for a particular position or job and contain the authorizations needed to execute the programs and applications necessary to perform that job. Authorizations represent the specific permissions required to perform each business function.

The user administrator is responsible for assigning or provisioning role definitions for the business user. The User Administrator (6) assigns each role to the user master record for a set period of time. The system uses this "validity period" to reconcile the role assignment to the user master record by linking the role to its (7) Profile.

Profiles are generated when the role definition is created and contain the (8) authorizations needed for the applications, programs, and reports defined in the role. Profile assignment makes the authorizations available to the business user when they execute an application, a transaction, or a report.

Create a user master record for a business user

HCM integration active means that you rely on the HR mini master (HR infotype based PERNR data model including the PA-Tables). This HR mini master can be locally maintained (for example via transaction PA30 or PA40) or via real integration scenarios with SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central or an external (third party) HCM system.

Create a Business User using PA30 and PA40

The prerequisite for this scenario is that HCM integration is active.

Using transaction PA40, an employee must be created in HCM to whom a System ID is assigned in transaction PA30.

You then create a user for this System ID in SU01. The Maintain Users screen indicates that this is a user with business partner assignment.

Create a Business User using Maintain Employees App

The prerequisite for this scenario is that HCM integration is not active.

You can use the SAP Fiori app to create a business partner of the type Employee. The employee is assigned an Employee ID and a User ID. Therefore start SAP Fiori App Maintain Employees and choose Create. Then create an Employee with Employee ID and User ID.

You then create a user for this User ID in Su01. Start transaction SU01 to create an SU01 user. Enter the User ID in the User filed and choose Create User. The Maintain Users screen indicates that this is a user with business partner assignment.

Create a user master record for a business user

Business Example

As most SAP users are employees of the company, their master data, such as name, e-mail address, etc., is maintained multiple times: as employees in the HR system, in the user master in SU01 and as business partners of the employee type.

To avoid the risk of inconsistencies and additional maintenance work you can create a business user where personal data and workplace address data can be maintained centrally.

Prerequisites

A business partner of role employee to whom the System ID GR##-BU was created in HCM using transaction PA40 and transaction PA30.

Task 1: Check that a business partner has already been created

Create a user master record for business user with the System ID GR##-BU. The Maintain Users screen indicates that this is a user with business partner assignment.

Steps

  1. Start transaction Maintain Business Partner (BP).

    1. Choose SAP Menu: → Logistics → Transportation Management → Master Data → Maintain Business Partner, (transaction code BP).

    2. Select 2 Search Term in the By field.

    3. Enter User## in the Search Term 1 field and choose Start.

      Result

      The business partner Business User##is displayed.

Task 2: Create a user master record for a business user

Create a user master record for business user with the System ID GR##-BU. The Maintain Users screen indicates that this is a user with business partner assignment.

Steps

  1. Start transaction User Maintenance (SU01).

    1. Choose SAP Menu: → Tools → Administration → User Maintenance → Users, (transaction code SU01).

    2. Enter GR##-BU in the User field and choose Create (F8).

      Result

      The Maintain Users screen shows that the user GR##-BU has been created with business partner assignment: User with Business Partner Assignment.

    3. Select theAddress tab page.

      The values for the last name and the first name have been taken over from the assigned business user.

    4. Select theDocumentation tab page.

      Enter ADM940-## in the Person Responsible field.

  2. Enter an initial password of your choice and assign the user to user group ZGR##.

    Initial password: Init1234

    1. Select theLogon Data tab page.

      Enter Init1234 in the New Password and the Repeat Password field.

      Enter ZGR## in the User group field.

  3. Assign the log-on language that you have used yourself for logging on.

    1. Select theDefaults tab page.

      Enter the log-on language of your choice in the Logon Language field.

  4. Save your user master record.

    1. Choose Save (Ctrl+S).

    2. Go back to the SAP Easy Access menu.

Task 3: Assign a Predefined Role to Your New User Master Record

Assign a predefined role ADM940_SD_SALES to the user master record of the user GR##-BU.

Steps

  1. Start transaction User Maintenance (SU01).

    1. Choose SAP Menu: → Tools → Administration → User Maintenance → Users, (transaction code SU01).

    2. Enter GR##-BU in the User field and choose Create (F8).

    3. Select theRoles tab page.

    4. On the Roles tab, enter ADM940_SD_SALES in the Role column and press Enter.

  2. Save your user master record.

    1. Choose Save (Ctrl+S).

    2. Go back to the SAP Easy Access menu.

Task 4: Check the User Name assigned to the business partner.

Check the assignment of the user name GR##-BU to the business partner Business User##.

Steps

  1. Start transaction Maintain Business Partner (BP).

    1. Choose SAP Menu: → Logistics → Transportation Management → Master Data → Maintain Business Partner, (transaction code BP).

    2. Select 2 Search Term in the By field.

    3. Enter User## in the Search Term 1 field and choose Start.

      Result

      The business partner Business User##is displayed.

    4. Double-klick on the entry of your business partner Business User## in the list.

    5. Enter BUP003 Employee in the Display in BP role field and choose Create (F8).

    6. Select theIdentification tab page.

      Result

      The user name GR##-BU of the employe is displayed in the User Name field.

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