Lesson 5 of 5
What changed from ECC MM
9 min
If you worked in ECC Materials Management, most of P2P will feel familiar in SAP S/4HANA. ME21N is still there, MIGO is still there, MIRO is still there. But several things underneath changed, and some of them change how you maintain data, how reports work and how users approve purchases.
| Topic | ECC MM | SAP S/4HANA |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier master | Vendor master (XK01 / MK01) with account groups | Business partner with supplier roles; vendor record kept in sync by CVI |
| Material documents | Header table MKPF and item table MSEG, plus stock aggregate tables | One material document table, MATDOC; stock calculated from it |
| Goods movement transactions | MIGO plus older MB transactions (MB1A, MB1B, MB1C…) | MIGO and Fiori apps; the old MB posting transactions are replaced by MIGO |
| Purchasing transactions | Enjoy transactions (ME21N) and older ones (ME21, ME51) | Enjoy transactions and Fiori apps; the older non-Enjoy ones are replaced |
| Approvals | Release strategies with classification | Release strategies still possible; flexible workflow for requisitions and POs is the newer option |
| Accounting | Separate FI and CO tables | Universal Journal: one journal entry per event |
| Material number | Up to 18 characters | Up to 40 characters (extended length must be switched on) |
Suppliers are business partners
Lakeside Components is now a business partner. General data (name, address, tax numbers, bank details) is stored once on the BP. A financial supplier role holds company code data such as the reconciliation account and payment terms; a supplier role holds purchasing organization data such as the order currency and the incoterms. Customer-vendor integration (CVI) maintains the classic vendor record behind the scenes, so purchase orders still carry a supplier number. The course on procurement master data covers this in detail.
One table for material documents
In ECC every goods movement wrote a header in MKPF, items in MSEG, and updated stock totals in aggregate tables. In SAP S/4HANA the material document is stored in a single table, MATDOC, and stock quantities are calculated from it on the fly instead of being stored in separate totals. Compatibility views let most reads still work, but custom programs that write stock tables directly, or rely on specific aggregate tables, must be checked.
Fiori apps and approvals
Fiori adds role-based apps for purchasers (manage purchase orders and requisitions, monitor overdue items), warehouse clerks (post goods receipts) and accounts payable (create and manage supplier invoices). Approvals can run through flexible workflow, configured by key users in Fiori apps with conditions such as "PO value above $25,000," and approvers act in the My Inbox app. Classic release strategies still work in Private Edition and on-premise; Public Edition uses flexible workflow.
- Before conversionSuppliers to BPAll vendors converted to business partners via CVI; data cleansed
- ConversionData model migrationMaterial documents moved to MATDOC; finance into the Universal Journal
- After conversionProcess changesUsers adopt Fiori apps and, where chosen, flexible workflow
- RegressionProve P2PEnd-to-end tests including converted open POs
For details on converting each object and testing the result, see the Academy's conversion and procurement master data courses. For this overview, remember that P2P keeps its shape but its foundations moved.
What would you do?
A buyer at Contoso tries to create a new supplier with XK01 after go-live and ends up in transaction BP. She thinks something is broken. What do you tell her?
- Suppliers are business partners with supplier roles; CVI keeps the vendor record.
- Material documents live in MATDOC; stock is calculated from it.
- Old MB and non-Enjoy purchasing transactions are replaced by MIGO and the Enjoy/Fiori equivalents.
- Flexible workflow is the newer approval option; journal entries go to the Universal Journal.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. In SAP S/4HANA, which table stores material documents?
2. How is a supplier maintained in SAP S/4HANA?
3. Which approval option is the newer one for POs and requisitions?
4. Which transaction replaces MB1C for goods movements?