SAP CRM BP Address Types: Choosing the correct address

[kapilpatil]

Background: As part of a project i got an opportunity to work on BP addresses. Address is very critical element while communicating with customers, across industry. SAP system should be configured to suit the business requirement while fully utilizing the capability provided by SAP. Address management is one of the efficiently designed features of SAP. I would like to share the behavior of address types based on configuration.

 

Business Requirement:  A customer can have multiple addresses based on context of business process and appropriate selection of address for correspondence is the key.

For Example to name a few:

Main Address - using which customer was registered or was acquired.

Correspondence address - To receive correspondences

Billing Address - To receive bills/invoices for services

Forwarding Address - To receive correspondence once customer has switched to new supplier

 

Standard SAP provides address type XXDEFAULT and you can configure custom address types under IMG path shown below in Figure 1 and Figure 2.

 

Figure. 1



Figure. 2



 

Marked Check box 'Several uses' for an address type enables business to enter multiple addresses. However, only one will be valid for correspondence at any point of time and end user will have the ability to switch between the addresses based on customer's request. Example shown below in Figure 3:

 

Figure. 3



Whereas, the address type where several use flag is not marked, then there can be only one address at any point of time. If end user enters another address for the same address type latest becomes the standard and valid for use. Though the previous address will be still exists, but without an address type association. Example shown below Figure 4.

 

Figure. 4



Now, how to identify standard/default address. As shown below there will not be a dustbin icon with standard address type (XXDEFAULT). This is the standard SAP feature.

 

Figure. 5



If end user enters another address with XXDEFAULT address type, automatically previous address will be marked with an end date system date - 1 and new address will have a start date of system date and end date as 31.12.9999. This can be seen screen shot given above Figure 5 and below Figure 6.

 

Figure. 6




Business processes should always look for the address type, standard flag and end date to pick correct address.