MM / P2Pintermediate

MM Supplier and Business Partner Part 2: Configuring BP to Supplier Synchronization (CVI)

Key takeaway

Configure customer-vendor integration for suppliers: activation of synchronization, BP roles and role categories, BP groupings mapped to vendor account groups, number assignment (same or different numbers), field mappings, and the synchronization cockpit and post-processing for conversions.

Explanation

📌 KEY POINTS
✅ CVI synchronizes BP data with vendor (and customer) tables in both directions per configuration.
✅ BP groupings map to vendor account groups; number ranges can be identical ("same number") or different.
✅ BP role categories define which roles create vendor data (e.g. FLVN00/FLVN01).
✅ Conversion: all vendors must be converted to BPs before S/4HANA using synchronization tools; errors are handled in post-processing.
⚠️ Inconsistent number range design between BP and vendor causes conversion errors and confusing numbers.

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▶ WHERE WE ARE
Part 1 introduced the BP model. Now synchronization configuration.

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▶ 1. ACTIVATION

Synchronization objects BP ↔ vendor active.

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▶ 2. ROLES

Role categories relevant for vendor integration.

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▶ 3. GROUPINGS AND NUMBERS

BP grouping ↔ vendor account group.
Same number option; internal/external ranges aligned.

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▶ 4. FIELD ASSIGNMENTS

Mapping of fields (e.g. industries, tax types, bank) between BP and vendor.

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▶ 5. CONVERSION TOOLS

Synchronization cockpit (e.g. MDS_LOAD_COCKPIT) for mass creation of BPs from vendors.
Post-processing office (e.g. MDS_PPO2) for errors.

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▶ STEP BY STEP

Check activation and role categories.
Map groupings to account groups with number strategy.
Run a test synchronization for vendors.
Resolve errors in post-processing.

✅ CHECKPOINT: every vendor has a BP with the same (or mapped) number and no open synchronization errors.

Code example

ABAP Code

===== STEP 1: configuration (SPRO > Cross-Application Components > Master Data Synchronization) =====Synchronization control: activate BP ↔ vendorCustomer/Vendor Integration > Business Partner Settings > Settings for Vendor Integration:  - Define BP role for direction BP → vendor (e.g. FLVN00, FLVN01)  - Number assignment BP → vendor: grouping SUPL → account group KRED, same number X ===== STEP 2: conversion =====Vendor → BP (MDS_LOAD_COCKPIT or CVI cockpit per release) → errors in MDS_PPO2 → fix → rerun ===== STEP 3: checks =====Vendors without BP link | number mismatches | missing mandatory BP fields (e.g. address, tax)

Real project scenario

A multinational manufacturer ran a conversion where 8% of vendors failed synchronization: missing postal codes, invalid tax numbers and number range overlaps between legacy account groups. The team cleansed data, aligned number ranges with same-number mapping and reran the cockpit; conversion then passed.

Common mistakes

Number range overlaps.
Starting CVI too late.
Ignoring post-processing errors.
Missing field mappings.
Unclean legacy data.

Best practices

Start CVI early in conversion projects.
Use same-number strategy where possible.
Cleanse data before synchronization.
Monitor post-processing.
Test with full data volumes.

Interview angle

Questions: "How does CVI work?", "How are BP groupings and account groups related?", "What happens to vendors in a conversion?"
Strong answer: activation, roles, grouping ↔ account group with number strategy, field mappings, synchronization cockpit and post-processing, mandatory BP conversion before S/4.

Practice this lesson

Quick check

1. Vendor-to-BP synchronization fails for thousands of records during conversion. What are typical causes?

2. A team proposes skipping CVI preparation until after conversion. Why is this wrong?

3. What does the "same number" option in BP-to-vendor number assignment achieve?

Interview questions

1. During cutover to S/4HANA, why must all vendor and customer master records be converted to Business Partners using CVI, and what is the impact if this step is skipped or done incorrectly?

Answer it in your own words first, then compare.

2. When converting ECC vendor masters to Business Partners during an S/4HANA transformation, what is the correct direction of data synchronization and why does SAP enforce it?

Answer it in your own words first, then compare.

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Reference-verified: the steps are checked against official SAP documentation and tutorials, and object and field names in the sample code are checked for consistency. The code has not been compiled or run on an SAP system by ERPClimb. Syntax marked release-dependent varies by SAP release, so check it in your own system.