Day: November 8, 2017

I have recently come  across the need to “manually” move an IDoc for testing purposes form one SAP system to another. The two systems were in two different environments and not planned to be connected network wise. So we needed a way to export and import an IDoc.

The idea was to export the IDoc on system A to a file and then import it in system B from that file. It seemed an easy task, but turned out to be quite tricky. I haven’t found much help from searching online or in SAP docs but enough to put something together that worked at the end. I’d like to share this here in a step-by-step guide.

Please note that this is only for manual testing purposes for single cases and not intended to serve as any kind of IDoc interface.

We firsts export an existing IDoc from source system, download the file to the local computer and then upload it to another system:

 

1 How to export a flat IDoc file in SAP ERP:

SAP GUI, Transaction Code: WE19

* Load an existing Idoc (see we02) via idoc number.
* Click on “inbound file” (note: this is actually confusing. You’re going to write a file to the file system, but the function is called inbound file. But it’s all right and you can go ahead.)
* Enter a path on the server (use transaction AL11 to find a suitable path) and a filename. The file name can be chosen freely. Execute the function and ignore the error about the not found port!

* Download the exported file to your local machine using Transaction Code: CG3Y.
You can also use AL11 which displays a list of all available files. Select the file and then click the button marked below (“Download File as Text”): * Target is a patch on your local machine.
* Choose ASC for ASCII mode.
* Execute the download.
* You can now edit the file on your PC if needed, or further process/distribute it. And you can now upload it e.g. to another SAP system and edit it there before processing (see next chapter).

 

2 Upload and Inbound Process a Flat IDoc File

* Upload the file using transaction code CG3Z e.g. to a temp directory.
* Use t.code WE19 and select “File as Template”.
* Enter the path where you’ve uploaded the file and the filename.
* The test tool displays your IDoc, you can also change it here.
* You also need to create the control record (I don’t go into details of this here as this is required knowledge about the standard IDoc processing and can be found elsewhere). To create the control record, click on the first line in the editor and enter the data as needed (of course, change the name to your IDoc’s message type. Here it’s a business partner IDoc) :
* When you’re ready, click “Standard Inbound”. If a partner profile (WE20) exists, it will be processed after executing the function (or collected for later processing). See the status of the new IDoc in WE02.

  http://bit.ly/2hTJHVm #SAP #SAPCloud #AI

The advent of the Internet, the sharing economy, and the vast expansion of technology in the first part of the twenty-first century have brought disruption to a huge number of industries. From entertainment to publishing to travel, the world is becoming increasingly decentralized and increasingly more technology-involved.

Financial services will not be exempt from these changes; in fact, the disruption of financial services are just getting started.

These five factors will be major players in the disruption of the financial services industry in the next few years.

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain

Blockchain came to a popular understanding as the technology underpinning the digital currency of Bitcoin. The sheer nature of cryptocurrencies will dramatically change financial services over the next few years. Companies operate in fiat currencies; even the businesses which are now beginning to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies still generally convert those funds into fiat currencies.

The next few years may see companies which primarily operate in cryptocurrencies, but will also almost certainly see the uses of blockchain expand. Experts are working to develop ways for blockchain to track contracts, online identities, and much more.

Alternative Lending

In years past, businesses and individuals have borrowed money from a few, limited types of lenders. Big loans, like mortgages or car loans, or substantial business capital, came from banks or credit unions. Smaller loans came in the form of credit cards and revolving credit. When the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 shut down the majority of smaller lending at big banks around the country, smaller alternative lenders stepped in to fill the gap.

Originally a company that facilitated the receipt and sending of online payments, PayPal started offering business loans to small businesses in 2013. In the beginning of September, they announced that their intention to purchase Swift Financial. The new acquisition pairs PayPal with a company that has underwritten fewer loans overall, but increase what they can write per loan. This is expected to make PayPal a substantial player in the alternative lender community.

Cyber-Security

Cybersecurity is already a major factor in all online transactions, but as more transactions move online, it seems only logical that there will be increasing threats. Already, cybercrime is incredibly lucrative, and there aren’t really signs of that value decreasing. Financial services companies will likely be under increased pressure to make sure that their networks are secure, that their transactions are protected, and that they are doing everything possible to make sure that their clients’ information is safe.

This will be especially true as more and more information is stored on the cloud. A properly protected cloud network is actually easier to protect than many physical data banks, but public perception has not caught up with IT reality. Financial services companies will be in a unique place to educate consumers since nearly all Americans interact with financial services in some way.

Lending and Peer-To-Peer

When businesses looked for working capital before the Internet age was in full swing, they had just a few choices. They could approach and woo investors, they could get a loan from a bank, or they could mortgage their home, get a credit card, and hope for the best.

Now, businesses have vastly more options about how to finance and fund their dreams. Kickstarters, microloan websites, and more are offering vastly different options to everyone from business owners to car buyers. Financial service companies will need to consider if they are comfortable allowing this business to be taken from them, or if they want to change up the products they offer to be more competitive.

Digital Technology and Digital Wallet

More and more Americans are tired of carrying their wallets around with them. From savings club cards to payment methods, they are scanning their phones and using digital technology to pay their bills. Financial services companies have the opportunity to help make their products easy to use with the inevitable digital wallets, or they can drag their heels and see that business go to companies that embrace the technology more quickly or safely.

Right now, there are relatively few non-major companies that allow their credit or debit cards, for example, to be used with Apple or Samsung’s digital payment options. If companies don’t allow for that usage, they are likely to see their clients switch to companies that allow them more technological freedom.

Many of these technologies are still under development or have not yet seen mainstream adoption. Some, like Bitcoin, may never achieve more than niche use. But financial services companies must keep a close eye on what’s happening, what is evolving, and understand how it affects their businesses if they want to succeed in the future. http://bit.ly/2hUrw1y #SAP #SAPCloud #AI

ICYMI: Generation Z members—generally, those born from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s—are just now entering the workforce. And they haven’t particularly impressed their more-seasoned co-workers, according to a new poll from APPrise Mobile, a mobile employee communications tool. https://goo.gl/HBDa68 #GlobalHR #HRTech