Lesson 1 of 5
Procurement simplification items: an overview
9 min
A system conversion from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA keeps your data, configuration and custom code, but it does not keep everything working the same way. SAP documents every functional and technical change that customers must know about as a simplification item: something removed, replaced, redesigned or now mandatory. Contoso Motor Co. is converting from SAP ECC 6.0 EHP 8, and its procure-to-pay process touches several of these items. This course explains the ones procurement teams meet most and how to plan regression testing around them.
How to find the items that apply to you
Do not work from a generic list. The items that matter are the ones that apply to your system, based on what you use. SAP gives three ways to find them, and a conversion program uses all three:
| Tool | What it does | When Contoso uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Simplification Item Catalog / Simplification List | SAP's published catalog of simplification items per target release, each with a description, business impact and related SAP Notes | Discovery: browse items for procurement and inventory for the target release |
| SAP Readiness Check | Analyzes the ECC system and flags relevant simplification items, custom code impact, add-ons and more; runs from SAP for Me or SAP Cloud ALM | Early in the program and again before each conversion trial |
| Simplification item checks | Technical checks run against the source system before the conversion (report /SDF/RC_START_CHECK); some items must be resolved before the conversion can proceed | Before every sandbox, test and production conversion run |
Three ways to find relevant simplification items.
- CatalogRead the procurement and inventory items for the target release
- Readiness CheckSee which items the analysis flags as relevant for Contoso's ECC system
- AssessFunctional owner rates business impact and decides the action per item
- ActPre-conversion cleanup, configuration change, custom code fix or process change
- Check and testSimplification item checks pass; regression tests cover each relevant item
The items procurement teams meet most
The exact list depends on your target release and usage. These are the ones that come up in almost every procurement conversion; confirm each for your release in the catalog before you rely on it:
| Area | What changes | Who notices |
|---|---|---|
| Business partner for suppliers | Suppliers are maintained as business partners; customer/vendor integration (CVI) is a prerequisite for conversion; vendor transactions such as XK01 redirect to BP | Master data team, purchasing, AP |
| Inventory data model | Material documents in one table (MATDOC); stock calculated rather than stored in aggregates; MB posting transactions replaced by MIGO | Warehouse users, report owners, developers |
| Material number length | Material number field extended to 40 characters; the extended format must be activated if wanted | Interfaces, custom code, external systems |
| Classic purchasing transactions | Older non-Enjoy transactions such as ME21 and ME51 are replaced by ME21N and ME51N and Fiori apps; purchasing list reports output in ALV | Long-time users, batch input recordings |
| Subsequent settlement | Vendor rebate arrangements (MEB1 and related transactions) are replaced by contract settlement with condition contracts | Purchasing and finance teams running rebates |
| Approvals and output | Flexible workflow and the new output management are available alongside classic release strategies and message determination in on-premise and Private Edition | Purchasers, approvers, IT |
Not every item means work
Some items are irrelevant (Contoso never used the function), some only need awareness (a transaction name changed), and some need real work (data cleanup, code changes, process redesign). Classify each relevant item so that effort goes where risk is. Contoso uses the same classification in its test plan: items needing real work get dedicated regression tests; awareness items get a line in the training plan.
What would you do?
A Contoso functional consultant proposes building the conversion test plan from a blog post listing "the top 20 S/4HANA MM changes". What should Priya recommend?
Public Edition note: in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition there is no system conversion from ECC; it is a new implementation, so these items show up as design decisions rather than conversion tasks.
- Simplification items document what is removed, replaced, redesigned or mandatory in SAP S/4HANA.
- Use the catalog, SAP Readiness Check and the simplification item checks to find the items that apply.
- Procurement favorites: supplier BP, MATDOC, 40-character material number, classic transactions, subsequent settlement, approvals and output.
- Classify items by impact and effort; give high-impact items dedicated regression tests.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What is a simplification item?
2. Which tool analyzes your ECC system and flags relevant simplification items?
3. What happens if a mandatory simplification item check fails?
4. Which change replaces vendor rebate arrangements created with MEB1?