Take a look at this short demo of the Alteryx Connector for SAP (ACS) being used with an SAP S/4HANA system.
Apart from the use of the in-memory SAP HANA database a key feature of S/4HANA is the simplified data model that has been implemented by SAP. This new data model makes it even easier for users with limited knowledge of SAP to access the data they need.
Let’s consider the Sales and Distribution area of SAP.
In SAP ECC we have the following tables (NOTE: This is not an exhaustive list):
Primary Document
- VBAK (Sales Document: Header Data)
- VBAP (Sales Document: Item Data)
- LIKP (SD Document: Delivery Header Data)
- LIPS (SD document: Delivery: Item data)
- VBRK (Billing Document: Header Data)
- VBFA (Sales Document Flow)
Foreign Trade (Export / Import) Tables
- EIKP (Foreign Trade: Export/Import Header Data)
- EIPO (Foreign Trade: Export/Import: Item Data)
Status Tables
- VBUK (Sales Document: Header Status and Administrative Data)
- VBUP (Sales Document: Item Status)
LIS Tables
- S066 (Open orders: credit management)
- S067 (Open deliveries/billing documents KM)
Index Tables
- VAPMA (Sales Index: Order Items by Material)
- VLPMA (SD Index: Delivery Items by Material)
- VLKPA (SD Index: Deliveries by Partner Functions)
- VRPMA (SD Index: Billing Items per Material)
- VRKPA (Sales Index: Bills by Partner Functions)
Rebate Index
- VBOX (SD Document: Billing Document: Rebate Index)
Output Management
- NAST (Message Status)
With SAP S/4HANA this has been simplified to:
- VBAK (Sales Document: Header Data)
- VBAP (Sales Document: Item Data)
- LIKP (SD Document: Delivery Header Data)
- LIPS (SD document: Delivery: Item data)
- VBRK (Billing Document: Header Data)
- VBRP (Billing Document: Item Data)
- VBFA (Sales Document Flow)
In ECC, if I want to understand Sales Order status, I need to consider at least VBAK and VBUK. With S/4HANA, sales document status has been moved out of VBUK and into VBAK so I only need to consider the VBAK table. A simple example but when you consider the type of simplification across the system a significant one.
If you are interested in a trial of the Alteryx Connector for SAP to use with SAP S/4HANA, SAP Business Suite or SAP BW click on the button below.