Activate and Change the behavior of Messages for Customer Master Data

Issue:- SAP Customer Master Data

If any user tries to create customer master data in SAP with duplicate information like Address or VAT number already applied to existing or previously created customers, the system allows it to be created without any error message. This creates confusion for SAP users to identify the correct customer for the business transaction.

Business Requirement:-  Activate Message in SAP Customer Master Data

If the user is trying to create any customer either online like XD01 or through a mass creation program, and he fills in or provides any duplicate information for a new customer like address or VAT number, etc then the system should alert through a message.  For that, we need to configure Change Message Control for Customer Master Data which allows applying different types of customer messages along with different natures of messages like errors, warnings, information, etc.  

After Configuration:- How it behaves during the creation of a customer.

Customer with Same VAT number Message 

If a user fills in a duplicate VAT number system will throw a warning message like above.

Customer with same address:- 

If a user fills in a duplicate address system will throw an information message like the above where the user can get an alert that he is trying to create a duplicate address. 

Configuration level solution:- Add Message number for customer master data 

Path:- Change Message Control for Customer Master Data

SPRO→ Logistic General → Business Partner → Customer → Control→ Change Message Control for Customer Master Data. 

Application Area of customer Message

The Application area for customer message control is “F2

F2 is the Message Application Area of Customer and Vendor Master Data which means we can control the behavior of messages of both customer and vendor from this section. 

Message No

By selecting the F4 key on the MsgNo field you can find out all available  messages from where you can select anyone as per your requirement

User Name:- 

We can make the corresponding specifications for a client or, if required, also for the specific individual user. That means if any specific user is mapped then that user would create this master data with incorrect information then he will get a message or alert whether any other person will create master data with an incorrect value, he will not get any messages. 

Online Mode.

As and when we create a customer using T.Code XD01 means in that case how the system will behave that is controlled through Online Message type. 

Batch Mode

Active message type for batch input session processed in the background.

Usage of Different Types of Customer Messages.

Type of Messages in SAP

There are five types of messages used for Msg No of Customer master data.  

1. E:- Error 
2. W:- Warning 
3. I:- Note in Window
4. S:- Note in Footer
5. “-”: Switch off message. 

Testing Scenario for Error Message

How to Control Error Message in Customer Master Data in SAP

Against Msg No 273 we have chosen the “E” Error Message for the Online process. 

System throwing error message due to duplicate VAT number.

Testing Scenario for Information message

Against Msg No 273 we have chosen “I” Information Message for the Online process.  

The system throws an Information message within the popup window if the user filled in a duplicate VAT registration number. 

Testing Scenario for S- Note in the footer 

Against Msg No 273 we have chosen the “S” Note in the footer Message for the Online process.

While creating new customers with a duplicate VAT system show messages in the footer only. 

Testing Scenario for “–” Switch Off Message for online process

For this switch-off indicator, the system will not show any message and it will allow it to create without any message. 

Activate Message for Duplicate address

Testing Scenario for Information message

Msg No 145 stands for Custom with duplicate address checks which have only two types of message type one is “I” Note in the window and another is “-” Switched off Message. 

Now you can see a message on the window which is just information but it allows duplicate customers. 

In due course, we came to know that messages can be controlled functionally but not all aspects like message type 145 do not have an “E” error message type. 

Note:- Sometimes client expecting Message no 145 should come with an error message rather than an Information message, which is not met through message control functionality for that we need to implement user exit or BADI to accomplish this requirement. 

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