PUBLIC

How To… Develop a Custom Object with SAP

MDG (Master Data Governance)
Implementing a custom object master data domain with SAP MDG incl. Data Model,
Process Model and User Interface

Applicable Releases: All

Version 2.0

May 2019
DOCUMENT HISTORY

Document Version Description

1.00 First official release of this guide on MDG6.1 EHP6

2.00 Major updated version for MDG 9.1 EHP8 and S/4HANA 1709. Usage of
BOL/genIL in MDG Custom objects. More complex data model.

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Table of Contents
INTRO ................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Author Bio ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
Summary .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
About this Document ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Prerequisites .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Scenario ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
High-Level Requirements ............................................................................................................................... 5
Data Model ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
Governance Process ....................................................................................................................................... 6
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE .................................................................................................................................... 7
Data Modeling .................................................................................................................................................. 7
Create Business Object Type Code (OTC) .................................................................................................... 7
Create New Data Model ................................................................................................................................... 7
Workflow and Process Modeling ................................................................................................................... 9
Create New Bus. Activity ................................................................................................................................ 9
Create New CR Type...................................................................................................................................... 10
Configure/Create Workflow Model ............................................................................................................... 12
Revise Steps for Standard Workflow ............................................................................................................... 12
Define WF Step Processors (for Standard Workflow Template WS46000027) .............................................. 12
User Interface ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Search UI ........................................................................................................................................................ 12
Single Processing UI ..................................................................................................................................... 17
Link UIs to Actions ........................................................................................................................................ 20
Role Model ...................................................................................................................................................... 21
Test.................................................................................................................................................................. 22
NEXT STEPS .................................................................................................................................................. 25
APPENDIX ...................................................................................................................................................... 25
OUT OF SCOPE .............................................................................................................................................. 25
HINTS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION......................................................................................................... 25
Helpful Transactions ..................................................................................................................................... 25
Tcode USMD_DELETE_CREQUEST ............................................................................................................. 25
Tcode genil_model_browser ........................................................................................................................... 25
Tcode USMD_DATA_MODEL ......................................................................................................................... 25
Tcode USMD_DELETE_DATA_MODEL......................................................................................................... 26
Browser........................................................................................................................................................... 26

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INTRO

Author Bio
Steffen Ulmer is an SAP Principal Consultant who works at SAP (Schweiz) AG. In this role,
he has been a trusted advisor for large enterprises on topics and products like: SAP Master
Data Governance, Central Governance, Consolidation and Mass Processing, Master Data
Strategy and Architecture.

Summary

Many companies want to manage custom objects in a central Master data system to be able to harmonize
this information across their landscape. Custom objects can be individual defined objects such as sites or
plants. Custom objects are typically less complex master data objects with a small and simple data model.
They are often used as reference data in major objects such as material, suppliers and customers.
This How-To Guide describes the necessary steps to implement a custom object in SAP MDG, central
governance. The guide is based on an object called “SITE” and includes the following steps during the
implementation phase:
- Create a new Data Model
- Define a new Business Object and Activity
- Create a custom User Interface
- Process Modeling for logical action CREATE
- Test of the custom object
At the end of the document, you will find further information about potential next steps to further enhance the
custom object application by a more complex data model and additional scenarios such as change
processes or transforming reference data into customizing.
The audience of this document can be customers, technology consultants and architects.

About this Document

SAP Master Data Governance is a Master Data Management solution within the Business Suite and SAP
S/4HANA, and is integrated into the ABAP Application Server of SAP.
I really think that lots of you will have similar requirements in an MDG-based environment, and lots of you
want to develop custom objects and processes which are not (and cannot be) delivered within the standard
content.
This document will describe how to develop a custom object in SAP MDG. It will show you, in some very
basic steps, what you need to do to:
 Get your own data model into the system
 Configure your own User Interface with the SAP FPM (Floor Plan Manager)
 Reuse a preconfigured Business Workflow within your own Change Request Type
 Test your new custom object via a Change Request

Prerequisites

For this How-To Guide you should have access to a sandbox of your MDG Application Server with
appropriate access rights.
The ERP System must run on EhP (Enhancement Package) 8 and at least version SAP MDG 9.0 or on SAP
S/4HANA 1709.
You need some basic understanding of the following topics:
 SAP MDG
 SAP Business Workflow
 SAP Floorplan Manager (FPM)

4
Development skills are not required since not one single line of code will be written. If you want to save the
configuration into an ABAP transport request, you need a workbench and customizing request/tasks.
Depending on your experience levels, you will need 2-4 hours to complete the tasks in this guide.

Scenario

Let`s assume that you have already successfully implemented the SAP MDG standard objects such as
Material, Suppliers, Financials and Customers. You are replicating this data to several ERP and Non-ERP
Systems for usage within transactional matters.
Your business department is generally happy with the solution, but they have an issue with some of the
reference data. Reference data is information which is used within master data objects itself, or in
transactions or programs as supporting information. In SAP, such data is typically displayed in F4 helps or
drop-down value lists. Examples of such reference data are:
- List of plants which is used to assign a material or products to a physical facility
- List of countries which is used within many transactions and referenced in many data models.
Your business users identified that these lists of valid reference data are not harmonized within the
landscape. This gap causes issues regarding data quality which ends up in inefficient business processes. A
concrete example is the information object “Site” which is a valid list of geographical places where the
company can have plants, unloading points or just generally assets.

High-Level Requirements

The business requests the following:

1. A central system in which the valid list of values for sites are managed
2. A governance process to be able to carefully add (or change) site objects
3. A web-based application to enter and govern the data in a User Interface
4. A search application to find existing sites

Data Model

In this How-To Guide the SAP MDG flex mode is used.

5
Governance Process

The governance process is also very simple and includes just a 2-step approval. The following graphic
shows a high-level view of the governance process:

Requestor: Approver:
Enter site data Review & Approve

This guide uses the SAP MDG Rule-Based Workflow template to model this process.

6
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Data Modeling

Create Business Object Type Code (OTC)

Logon with SAP GUI and start

transaction MDGIMG. Navigate to
General Settings  Data Modeling
 Define Business Object Type
Codes

Use New Entries to create BO Type

ZK_BO1

Save your changes

Create New Data Model

Navigate to Configuration
Workbench (alternatively you can
use the old “Edit Data Model”)

Use New Entries to create a new

Data Model with the following:
Data Model: ZK
Descr.: MDG Site
Active Area: provided by MDG
Namespace: ZSZK
Package: $TMP

Click New in the Entity Types

section
Add SITE
Use the values as shown on the
right:

Storage: Type 1
Data Element: ORTID

7
Click on Attributes tab and add New
attributes for the domain:
(Attribute) (Data Element)
CITY AD_CITY1
COUNTRY LAND1
DESCR AD_REMARK1
NAME AD_NAME1
STREET AD_STREET
ZIP AD_PSTCD1

Select the Required Entry checkbox

for the NAME attribute

Click Business Object Types and

assign the BO Type ZK_BO1
Select the Root checkbox

Save the Data Model

Activate the Data Model This will take several seconds.
The system generates the active area and all dependent ABAP
System will show a success Structures
message

Info: The system generates many structures and also the genIL
model (for single processing, multi-record processing and even
hierarchy processing)

View Log

Verify Active Version Active Version should be Same

Go back into the data model and
check the Model Generation
Information

8
 [OPTIONAL]
Verify the structure and the
generated tables
Run report USMD_DATA_MODEL
via SE37/38

[OPTIONAL]
Verify that structures have been
created.

If they are not created, regenerate

the data model using classic IMG
“Data Model” (repeat activation)

Use se80 to review

[OPTIONAL]
Call transaction
genil_model_browser to verify that
the genIL structures have been
created
Component: ZSP_ZK

Workflow and Process Modeling

Create New Bus. Activity

9
 Start MDGIMG and navigate to
Create Business Activity

Use New Entries to create a

business activity as follows:
Bus. Activity: ZKBA
Descr: Site Bus Act ZK
Data Model: ZK
BO Type: ZK_BO1
Log. Action: CREATE

Save your changes

Create New CR Type

Start MDGIMG and navigate to

Create Change Request Type

Use New Entries to create a

new CR as shown.
Type of CR: ZKCREATE
Data Model: ZK
Don’t forget to mark the
checkbox for Single Object
processing

Main Entity Type: SITE

Use WF Template
WS46000027 which has the 2-
step approval flow

10
Assign the Entity Type SITE
to the CR Type

Assign Bus. Activity ZKBA to

the CR Type

Save your settings

11
Configure/Create Workflow Model

Revise Steps for Standard Workflow

Navigate to Define Change

Request Step Numbers and look
for WS46000027

Verify that steps 0-4 are

maintained, otherwise add them
using the descriptions shown on
the right

Define WF Step Processors (for Standard Workflow Template WS46000027)

Navigate to Assign Processor to

Change Request Step Number
(Simple Workflow)

Add steps 0-2 for your CR type

(ZKCREATE), assign an Object
US (User) and Agent ID (User
ID)

Use your own user instead of

the one shown on the screen.

User Interface

Search UI

12
Start MDGIMG and navigate to
Manage UI Configurations

Select USMD_SEARCH –
USMD_SEARCH_TEMPLATE
and click on Copy

Deselect the rows for

FPM_SEARCH_UIBB and
FPM_LIST_UIBB_ATS

Change Target Configuration ID:

App_Config:
Z_USMD_SEARCH_ZK
UI Config:
Z_USMD_SEARCH_OVP_ZK
Make sure the Change Affixes popup doesn’t come up! Place the
cursor at Z_USMD_SEARCH_RESULT_ZK to make sure it works. If
Click on Start Deep-Copy the Change Affixes popup does appear for some reason, click Cancel
and click Start Deep-Copy again.
Assign a package (like $tmp)
Navigate to the App Config

13
Go to Edit mode and change the
OTC, Data Model and Entity
on this level as follows:

OTC: ZK_BO1
USMD_MODEL: ZK
USMD_ENTITY: Site

Save your changes

Navigate to the UI Config

On the Overview Page Schema

tab, rename the Config IDs for
Search Criteria and Search
Results using these names:

Z_USMD_SEARCH_DQUERY_ZK

Z_USMD_SEARCH_RESULT_ZK

Save the changes

Select the Search Criteria line

and click on Configure UIBB

A Create Configuration popup

appears, which you confirm by
choosing OK.

14
Enter the feeder class:
CL_USMD_SEARCH_GUIBB_DQUERY

Change the settings for the

Feeder Class and Parameters by
entering the following:

Component: ZSP_ZK
Dyn Query Name: DynamicQuerySITE

After changing the Feeder Class

Parameters, you can model your
search screen.

Remove Search Criteria lines as

you require (see example on the
right).

Save your settings

Go back to the Search OVP

Select the Search Results line

and click Configure UIBB

15
A Create Configuration popup
appears, which you confirm by
choosing OK.

Define the feeder class:

CL_USMD_SEARCH_GUIBB_RESULT

Define Parameters as follows:

Component: ZSP_ZK
Object Name: SITE

Design the Search Results

columns as you require (see
example on the right).

Save your settings

On the Toolbar Schema tab you

may remove all buttons except
the first one.

The first one is the New button to

trigger the creation of a new
object from the search result.

All other functions are not part of

this guide.

Go back to the OVP and define

Wire Schema on OVP level as
follows:

Component:
FPM_LIST_UIBB_ATS
Config ID:
Z_USMD_SEARCH_RESULT_ZK
Source Component:

16
 FPM_SEARCH_UIBB
Source Config Name:
Z_USMD_SEARCH_DQUERY_ZK

Review the Attributes of the wire:

Port Type: Collection

Port Identifier: STANDARD
Connector Class:
CL_FPM_CONNECTOR_BOL_IDENTIT
Y

Create a Communicator for

Search:
Start MDGIMG again and
navigate to Manage UI
Configurations. Click the red icon
of your Search configuration
application.

Click on the link and create an

empty communicator.

The icon has then changed to

green.

Single Processing UI

Start MDGIMG and navigate to

Manage UI Configurations

Choose Copy

Use the following names:

Z_BS_OVP_ZK
Z_BS_OVP_ZK_CBA
Z_BS_ZK_OVP

Click on Start Deep-Copy

Make sure the Change Affixes popup doesn’t come up! Place the
cursor at Z_USMD_SEARCH_RESULT_ZK to make sure it works. If
the Change Affixes popup does appear for some reason, click Cancel
and then click Start Deep-Copy again

17
Click on the highest level
Z_BS_OVP_ZK

Only change the USMD_OTC

entry at this level, as follows:

USMD_OTC: ZK_BO1

Save your settings

Navigate to Z_BS_ZK_OVP

Add a new Form Component

UIBB to the section.

Use the following name:

Z_BS_LOCATION_FORM

Ignore the error for now.

Select the line with the UIBB

and click on Configure UIBB

18
Confirm the popup

Define the feeder class:

CL_MDG_BS_GUIBB_FORM

Define the Parameters:

Component: ZSP_ZK
Object Name: SITE

Select the Editable checkbox.

Confirm your entries by

choosing OK.

Design your screen as you

require (see example shown)

Note: You can rename the label from Location ID to Site ID

Save your changes for the Form
UIBB
Go back to the OVP

19
 Define the wiring on the Wire
Schema tab as follows:

Component:
FPM_FORM_UIBB_GL2

Config ID:
Z_BS_LOCATION_FORM

Connector Class:
CL_USMD_CONNECTOR_BOL_QRY

After entering the connector you

will see additional attributes:

Component Name: ZSP_ZK

Query Name: DynamicQuerySITE
Save your changes
Start Manage UI Configurations
again and create the
communicator for the new OVP.
The communicator makes sure
that the CR Header is added.

Click on the red icon

Create the new object and
confirm.

Select settings on the left-hand

side and add crWires

Define the details exactly as

follows:

Page ID: MAIN

(case sensitive!)
Connector:
CL_MDG_BS_CONNECTOR_BOL_CR_REL
Source Component:
FPM_FORM_UIBB_GL2
Source Config Name:
Z_BS_LOCATION_FORM

Save your changes

Link UIs to Actions

Add the following 2 entries (otherwise the New button will not work, for example!):

20
 Start MDGIMG and navigate
to Link Log. Actions with UI
Application and Bus. Activity:
Custom Definition

Enter the following:

BO Type: ZK_BO1
Log Action: *
Current UI App: *
Current UI Config: *
Target UI App : USMD _OVP_GEN
Target UI Config: Z_BS_OVP_ZK
Bus. Acty: ZKBA

Save your entries

Start MDGIMG and navigate

to Link Logical Actions with
Business Activity: Custom
Definition

Enter the following:

UI App: USMD _OVP_GEN

UI Config: Z_BS_OVP_ZK
Log. Action: CREATE
Bus. Acty: ZKBA

Save your entries

Role Model

In your SAP GUI

system, call transaction
PFCG
Create a new role from
scratch with the name
ZK_MDG_SITE
On the Menu tab,
create a new folder
with the name:
MDG SITE ZK

21
 Within this folder:
Create a new
transaction by choosing
Transaction  Web
Dynpro Application

Enter the following

details:

USMD_SEARCH
Z_USMD_SEARCH_Z
K

Important:
Assign your test user to
the role
Save the role

Test

Start NWBC

Select role
Z_MDG_SITE The UI appears:

22
Click on New

Enter some
details and
Submit the
change request

Refresh &
Activate

23
 Info: If the task assignment (log no current processor) fails, please check if the base
configuration of MDG is done. You might need to configure the task 54307924 as a
general task as shown here:

Search for
the new
record

24
NEXT STEPS
To enrich the application, you may want to do the following things:
1. Add more entities and attributes to the data model and use relationships
2. Build a Change Request Type for log. action CHANGE to be able to modify existing records
3. Use multi-record processing mode
4. Use CBA to have a more dynamic UI
5. Introduce an auto ID for the Site/Location ID
6. Switch to a reuse model

APPENDIX

OUT OF SCOPE
This guide does not include topics like:
- Data Quality features with BRFplus or BAdIs
- Reporting capabilities

HINTS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Helpful Transactions

Tcode USMD_DELETE_CREQUEST

Tcode genil_model_browser

Tcode USMD_DATA_MODEL

View Generated Data Model

View generated tables:

1.
Execute report
USMD_DATA_MODEL in
SE80 and go into the Data
Model

The generated tables are

2.
displayed.

25
Display Data in Staging Table

1. Just double-click on the

Physical Name and you
will get forwarded to the
content
Alternative method:
2.
Display table entries.
Call up SE16 and enter a
technical table name

Choose Execute
3.

Inspect the result

4.

Tcode USMD_DELETE_DATA_MODEL
Delete a Data Model

If you want to delete a data model (and all dependent objects), you can do the following:
1. Make sure you are in the cross-system client.
2. Call up MDGIMG  General Settings  Data Modeling  Edit Data Model.
3. Select the corresponding data model and delete the line.
4. If this is not possible due to an active version, call up SE80 and run
USMD_DELETE_DATA_MODEL. This will delete the active version and all dependent objects
(except UI Configurations).
5. Repeat Step 3.
6. Important: You must SAVE and EXIT the MDGIMG when you’re done.

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