Master data
Master data is the long-lived, relatively static reference data that business transactions depend on, customers, vendors, materials, GL accounts and more. Getting master data right is foundational; poor master data undermines every process built on it.
Because master data is shared and long-lived, organisations govern it carefully (often with SAP MDG).
- Master data is created once and reused across many transactions; transaction data records individual business events that reference…
- A single material master, for example, is maintained in views by area, basic data, purchasing, sales, accounting, each owned by a…
- Material master (table MARA and others), everything about a product.
- Watch out: Treating master data casually, errors propagate everywhere.
What counts as master data
- Material master (table MARA and others), everything about a product.
- Customer / vendor master, now unified as Business Partner in S/4HANA.
- GL accounts, cost centers, profit centers, the finance/controlling reference data.
- Bill of materials, routings, in manufacturing.
Master vs transaction data
Master data is created once and reused across many transactions; transaction data records individual business events that reference it. A purchase order (transaction) references a material and a vendor (master). This reuse is why master-data quality is so critical, one bad material record poisons every order that uses it.
Master data is structured by views
A single material master, for example, is maintained in views by area, basic data, purchasing, sales, accounting, each owned by a different function. This mirrors SAP’s integration: one object, many departments contributing data.
Governance
Because master data is shared and long-lived, organisations govern it carefully (often with SAP MDG). Clean, well-governed master data is one of the highest-leverage investments in any SAP programme.
Common pitfalls
- Treating master data casually, errors propagate everywhere.
- Incomplete views, a material without an accounting view cannot be posted.
- No governance, duplicates and inconsistencies accumulate.