Configuring Address Comparison

The main function of sanctioned party list screening in Compliance Management is to compare business partner addresses with sanctioned party list entities. If the system identifies a match between a business partner address and a sanctioned party list entity, it blocks the business partner in question. Replicas of feeder system documents that contain a blocked business partner are also blocked. Any documents that existed before the screening was run must be checked again.

When configuring sanctioned party list screening, you must first decide whether the address comparison is to take place immediately after the transfer of a partner master record or document (synchronously), or at a later point in time that can be determined on an individual basis (asynchronously). For document screening, you make this decision at item category level, and for master data screening you make it at business partner role level.

To define the screening mode for business partners in Customizing, choose SAP Global Trade Services, edition for SAP HANA → Compliance Management → Sanctioned Party List Screenings → Activate Business Partner at Business Partner Function Level. In the Time of SPL Check field, select the Synchronous - When Object Is Updated indicator if you want the master data to be screened synchronously. For the asynchronous screening, which is useful during the initial load, select the Asynchronous - When Function Is Called indicator instead.

The indicator in the Type of SPL Block field is only relevant for asynchronous screening. If the Process is interrupted - system removes block indicator is set, SAP GTS blocks new or changed business partners until asynchronous screening as a precautionary measure.

You decide on the screening mode when activating item categories for sanctioned party list screening (menu path: SAP Global Trade Services, edition for SAP HANA → General Settings → Document Structures → Activate Item Categories for Application Areas). In the dialog structure, open the Activation for Sanctioned Party List Screening folder and select the required item category. In the SPL Screening Time field, select the appropriate screening mode.

Sanctioned party list screening in SAP GTS can use two search algorithms:

• Algorithm inherent to SAP GTS ("SAP GTS search")

• Algorithm provided on the SAP HANA Platform ("SAP HANA search")

Logic and configuration of the SAP GTS search are described in the Configuration Guide and in KBA 2198337. This section deals with sanctioned party list screening based on SAP HANA search.

Whenever the SAP HANA search engine is utilized in an SAP application, users can search tables and views much like they would when searching for information on the Internet. SAP HANA search uses a fuzzy search mode. Fuzzy search is fault-tolerant: The search is not confined to identical strings but includes strings that are similar to the string entered in the search.

In sanctioned party list screening SAP HANA search might, for example, present "Adem"" as a result of the search for "Adam", or "Ali" as a result for "Aly". In contrast, SAP GTS search would eliminated all four terms from address comparison because the strings are not identical, neither fully nor in part.

SAP HANA search uses the Levenshtein algorithm for determining the similarity of strings. This algorithm is used to calculate the so-called minimum edit distance between two strings (source and target). The minimum edit distance is the minimum number of operations such as insertion, deletion, and substitution needed to convert the source string into the target string. Based on the minimum edit distance, a percentage of similarity between source and target is calculated.

Sanctioned party list screening is based on a comparison procedure containing the essential parameters for address comparison. Comparison procedures are defined in Customizing (menu path: SAP Global Trade Services, edition for SAP HANA → Compliance Management → Sanctioned Party List Screenings → Define Comparison Procedure → Define Comparison Procedure for Address Comparison).