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A Quick and Easy Guide to Enhancing External List Management

by Michal Krawczyk, SAP Integration Consultant, BCC, Poland

See how easily you can enhance External List Management transactions to incorporate virtually any additional requirements
to the objects it was designed to process, such as business partners. With just four steps you can customize External List
Management to meet your needs.

Key Concept
External List Management (ELM) is an SAP CRM functionality that allows you to create certain objects in SAP CRM that
companies can acquire from different data providers — such as business partners and business transactions (e.g., activities or
leads) — using different data formats. Data that ELM uses can be prepared in many applications — for example, Excel —
which you can then import into SAP CRM.

External List Management (ELM) is a tool that you can use to import CRM-related data (such as business partners). For
example, you could use ELM to import files that you procure from other companies. In standard ELM you can select the fields
you want to use during the data import, change the order of the fields, and perform some simple mappings to change the
imported fields’ values, such as changing the text to capital letters. However, in some cases you will find that you want to do
more, such as add custom fields.

Implementing a Business Add-In (BAdI) in ELM allows you to use these custom fields. Very little information exists on this topic,
so I will show you how to set this up in SAP CRM (Release 4.0 and later). I will then explain how you can debug the implemented
source code. Although you cannot debug standard ELM transactions, I will show you a trick that permits you to debug these
transactions easily so you can check if the BAdI code you prepared works as expected.

How ELM Works

The basic process of importing data using ELM can involve the following tasks:

Maintain a mapping format. Specify the business partner fields you want to create and map external data to those fields.
Transaction CRMD_MKTLIST_MAP offers you an intuitive way to create a mapping from a file data course (such as Excel files)
to SAP tables. You just need to select the target fields you want to use and prepare those fields in the same order in the file.

Maintain import program parameters. Specify the import program parameters, such as data origin, data mapping format, and
import start date. These parameters allow you to use transaction CRMD_MKTLIST to upload the file with external data to your
CRM system.

Upload a file. This process uploads your file with external data. The system performs this step in the background with a workflow
when the time specified in import program parameters occurs.

Map the external data format to the SAP CRM data format. Data can come with different formats (leading zeros, capital
letters), so you may need to change the data format to the proper CRM data format

Create business partners. In this step, you create the business partners in your CRM system from the data that came from the
file

Analyze the generated output. After the system creates all the business partners from the list, you can check them all directly
from ELM

Correct the data or mapping and restart the process. You perform this step when you encounter errors in the mapping or
creating business partners process steps. After you correct the data you can restart the process for all records with errors.

The mapping transaction in ELM, CRMD_MKTLIST_MAP, provides you with options to enhance the external data. You can
change date formats, assign constant values, and even perform ABAP lookups to value mapping tables (if they exist in your SAP
CRM system). You can do it all with standard ELM functions available just beneath the main editor:

Value assignment: Specify the data based on CRM domains

Constant assignment: Add a constant value if no value is present in the external data file

ABAP code: Code much more sophisticated rules for data transformations because you have all the possibilities of an
ABAP language available

Global definitions: Where you can put your global definitions

In standard SAP CRM (mySAP CRM 4.0 and later) you can only create a business partner in one role, the general role.
Sometimes, though, this may not be enough. For example, say you want to create a business partner in other roles in addition to
the standard general role. You also want to combine the business partner’s identification number with tax data. It turns out that
there is a solution for this — you just need to implement a standard BAdI, CRM_MKTLIST_BADI.

BAdI Implementation, Configuration, and Programming

For my example, I want to add one role and two fields to the standard business partner information:

A new role in which I will create the business partner Prospect with the technical name BUP002

A new identification, CRM External System Identifier, with the technical name CRM001

A new tax code for Poland with the technical name PL1

To accommodate the new requirements I need to follow these four steps:

Step 1. Add fields to an SAP standard structure (using the append table)

Step 2. Create a new mapping format using the new fields

Step 3. Create the BAdI implementation

Step 4. Implement the BAdI code

Step 1. Add fields to an SAP standard structure (using the append table). The two fields I need are not available in standard
transaction CRMD_MKTLIST_MAP, so first I must enhance CRMT_ MKTLIST_ORG_EXT, which is the structure that stores the
fields for this transaction. Use transaction SE11, open structure CRMT_MKTLIST_ORG_EXT, and select GOTO>Append
structure from the menu (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Enhanced structure CRMT_MKTLIST_ORG_EXT

In the screen that appears, create an append structure to structure CRMT_MKTLIST_ORG_EXT using the information shown in
Table 1. When you activate the new append structure by clicking on the activate icon CRMT_MKTLIST_ORG_EXT should look
as shown in Figure 1.

Field name Component type Description

ZBPTAXNUM BPTAXNUM Stores the new tax value

Stores the new identification

ZEXTIDENTIFICAT BU_ID_NUMBER
number

Table 1 Append structures to structure CRMT_MKTLIST_ORG_EXT

Step 2. Create a new mapping format using the new fields. Now you can use the two new fields in mapping transaction
CRMD_MKTLIST_MAP by selecting them from the list of available fields from the table on the right. Table 2 shows what your
target table (on the left) should look like. Save this mapping format as ZCRM1.

Position Target field

1 ORG_TITLE_KEY

2 ORG_NAME1

3 ORG_NAME2

4 ORG_NAME3

5 ORG_COUNTRYISO

6 ZEXTIDENTIFICAT

7 ZBPTAXNUM

Table 2 Mapping format

Step 3. Create the BAdI implementation. Start with transaction SE19. Create the BAdI ZCRM_MKTLIST_BADI001
implementation by selecting the BAdI CRM_MKTLIST_BADI and clicking on the Create Impl. button (Figure 2). Enter a new
name for your BAdI implementation on the pop-up screen.
Figure 2 Create ZCRM_MKTLIST_BADI in transaction SE19

This BAdI is filter dependent (the system starts it only when some conditions defined in the filter occur). You first need to define a
filter. In the case of this BAdI (CRM_MKTLIST_BADI), the filter is the mapping format specified in transaction
CRMD_MKTLIST_MAP. For my example, I use the format I created in step 2, ZCRM1 (Figure 3).

Figure 3 Defining the mapping format filter

Note
The system executes filter dependent BAdIs only when the filter conditions are met. You may have many BAdI implementations
of the same BAdI with different filters.

Step 4. Implement the BAdI code. This code is similar to the default code — you just have to add processing of your special
enhancements. For this reason, it’s best to first copy the default code.
Open transaction SE18 and enter the name of the original BAdI CRM_MKTLIST_BADI. Select GOTO>Default code>Display to
view the delivered code for the BAdI. Copy the code for two methods: MAP_AND_CONVERT_DATA and
CREATE_BUSINESS_PARTNERS.

You also need to create one private method in BAdI class CREATE_ORGANIZATION. The BAdI does not have this private
method in its interface and you need it in place to allow SAP’s default code to work. Remember to copy all the method’s
parameters (as in the provided default code for method CREATE_ ORGANIZATION). You can do this by clicking on the
parameters icon while selecting your new class. You also must copy the method’s attributes so default code works properly.
Before activating the BAdI code make sure to remove the following private method calls from the CREATE_ORGANIZATION
method:

UPDATE ORG
CREATE PERSON
UPDATE PERSON
ADD_INTL_ADDR_VERSION

You do not need these method calls for the example I use because I only want to create a business partner. The method calls
above are used for business partner update or person create/update.

Next you need to add the coding shown in Figure 4, which inserts your additional fields during business partner’s creation. This
code also adds the new role Prospect as an option. Add the code before the section that is responsible for BP update: “3. Add
External ID” in the CREATE_ORGANIZATION method by double-clicking on it. You can also find this code in the Downloads
section of the CRM Expert knowledgebase at www.CRMexpertOnline.com.

*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
* add1. Add additional role
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*

· Add role ‘Prospect’ to created organization by calling BAPI_BUPA_ADD_ROLE

CALL FUNCTION ‘BAPI_BUPA_ROLE_ADD’

EXPORTING
businesspartner = ev_bp_org
businesspartnerrole = ‘BUP002’ “ = Prospect or any other role
TABLES
return = et_return.

* Fill return messages for insertion into error cache

wa_error-parameter = iv_c_head_guid.
MODIFY lt_error FROM wa_error TRANSPORTING parameter
WHERE id NE ‘ ‘.
APPEND LINES OF lt_error TO et_return.
REFRESH lt_error.

* Check for errors

LOOP AT et_return TRANSPORTING NO FIELDS WHERE type CA ‘AEX’ .
* Errors occurred while creating organization
RETURN. “ leave method
ENDLOOP.

*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
* add2. Add external ID role
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*

*add identification data

DATA: ls_bupa_id type BAPIBUS1006_ID_DETAILS.
DATA: lt_bupa_id type table of BAPIBUS1006_ID_DETAILS.
DATA: ls_idtab type BAPIBUS1006_IDENTIFICATION.

ls_bupa_id-IDENTIFICATIONTYPE = ‘CRM001’.
ls_bupa_id-IDENTIFICATIONNUMBER = wa_cc_org-ZEXTIDENTIFICAT.

CALL FUNCTION ‘BUPA_IDENTIFICATION_ADD’

EXPORTING
* IV_PARTNER =
IV_PARTNER_GUID = ev_partner_guid_org
* IV_IDENTIFICATIONCATEGORY =
IV_IDENTIFICATIONNUMBER = ls_bupa_id-IDENTIFICATIONNUMBER
 IS_IDENTIFICATION = ls_idtab
* IV_X_SAVE = ‘X’
IV_IDENTIFICATIONTYPE = ls_bupa_id-IDENTIFICATIONTYPE
TABLES
et_return = lt_error.

* Fill return messages for insertion into error cache

wa_error-parameter = iv_c_head_guid.

MODIFY lt_error FROM wa_error TRANSPORTING parameter

WHERE id NE ‘ ‘.
APPEND LINES OF lt_error TO et_return.
REFRESH lt_error.

* Check for errors

LOOP AT et_return TRANSPORTING NO FIELDS WHERE type CA ‘AEX’ .
* Errors occurred while adding identification
RETURN. “ leave method
ENDLOOP.

*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
* add3. Add additional tax
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*

DATA: ls_bupa_tax type BAPIBUS1006TAX.

DATA: lt_bapiret type table of BAPIRET2.
DATA: ls_bapiret type BAPIRET2.

ls_bupa_tax-taxtype = ‘PL1’.
ls_bupa_tax-taxnumber = wa_cc_org-ZBPTAXNUM.

CALL FUNCTION ‘BAPI_BUPA_TAX_ADD’

EXPORTING
BUSINESSPARTNER = ev_bp_org
TAXTYPE = ls_bupa_tax-taxtype
TAXNUMBER = ls_bupa_tax-taxnumber
TABLES
RETURN = lt_bapiret.

loop at lt_bapiret into ls_bapiret where type CA ‘E’.

ls_bapiret-parameter = iv_c_head_guid.

append ls_bapiret to et_return.

endloop.

* Check for errors

LOOP AT et_return TRANSPORTING NO FIELDS WHERE type CA ‘AEX’ .
* Errors occurred while adding identification
RETURN. “ leave method
ENDLOOP.

Figure 4 Code to add the two new fields and the new role to the business partner master data

Make sure you also add the checks for errors by checking the et_return table. This way if an error occurs in any of the new
functionalities, then you will see it in transaction CRMD_MKTLIST. You can activate your methods, but remember to activate your
BAdI as well. To do this you need to go back (press F3) to the BAdI definition from the CREATE_ORGANIZATION method.
Otherwise the system does not call the BAdI and does not populate your new fields. After you finish coding your BAdI, you can
try it out by running standard ELM transaction CRMD_MKTLIST, which I describe how to do in the next section.

Testing
Start transaction CRMD_MKTLIST to test the enhancement. To start file upload you need to add the parameters for the upload.
In the Basic Data tab, enter the information shown in Figure 5. For Origin, select the origin of the external list. For the Type,
select the list you want to use — in my example this is 02 Rented.
Figure 5 CRMD_MKTLIST transaction — Basic Data tab

Note
You can define the drop-down menu selections for the Origin and Type fields in customizing.

The Permitted End-of-Use Date is the latest date for which you can use the list. Specify your input file in the File field. Then
select the Type of Field Separator. Depending on the source file, you can select different types of field separators, such as a
tabulator or semicolon. For this example, you do not need to add anything to the other fields on the screen.

When you finish with the Basic Data tab, click on the Process Steps tab to add the parameters (Figure 6). Select the Upload
File check box to upload the file that you specified in the File-Related Details section of the Basic Data tab. Also select the Map
Data check box to select the predefined mapping for the file (separation of different records with the specified separator). Select
the Maintain Business Partner check box so that the system executes your BAdI’s CREATE_BUSINESS_PARTNER method,
which processes the standard and new fields. For all three options, the system populates the fields to the right automatically.
Figure 6 CRMD_MKTLIST transaction — Processing Steps tab

In the Step-Related Data section, enter the mapping format (prepared in step 2) in the Mapping Format field. Make sure that
this name is also the one used in the BAdI as a filter. Then select when you want to start the data processing. I chose
Immediately so that the processing starts as soon as I save the list, but you can specify a date and time on which the upload
should start.

After you save the list, the system creates the new business partners. You can see their numbers in the Data After Mapping tab.
You should see the new Prospect role — which you defined and hard-coded in the BAdI code in Figure 4 — in the drop-down
menu for Change in BP role in transaction BP when you select the new partner’s number (Figure 7). You should also see the
new Identification Numbers and Tax Numbers sections (Figure 8) when you use transaction BP and click on the Identification
tab for a given business partner.

Figure 7 The new business role Prospect (Maintained) is now available

Figure 8 Identification tab of a business partner

Tip!
If you experience any problems with External List Management check SAP Note 708557 (“ELM: Troubleshooting”). This SAP
Note contains solutions for common errors.

Debugging
The ELM process occurs in the background via workflow, so you cannot put a simple breakpoint in the BAdI’s method code to
start debugging this process. However, if you add the user parameter CRM_DEBUG_CODE with the value MKTLIST in
transaction SU01 (user maintenance), you can debug in standard SAP CRM (Figure 9).
 Add the user parameter CRM_DEBUG_CODE with the value MKTLIST in
Figure 9
transaction SU01

Now when you start transaction CRMD_MKTLIST and save your new external list, a standard debugger opens and you can
check every processing step of the transaction.

Michal Krawczyk is an SAP consultant for BCC Poland. He works with SAP XI/PI, ALE/EDI, CRM middleware, and other SAP
interface-related technologies. He was presented the Top Contributor award in the XI/PI area on SDN in 2005, 2006 and 2007,
and SAP Mentor in 2007. He has published more than 60 articles about SAP XI and MDM on SDN and has written a book about
PI published by SAP PRESS. He’s also an SAP Professional Journal author. You may reach him at
michal.krawczyk@bcc.com.pl.

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