As a trusted advisor and solution expert, I am participating in a MDG implementation project for a big customer in europe. The project achieved 80% completion at the time of this case study, demonstrating significant progress toward full implementation and successful modernization of master data governance processes with SAP MDG-BP Cloud Ready Mode.
In this blog post I would like to share some information to demonstrate how SAP Master Data Governance for Business Partner in Cloud Ready Mode addresses complex business requirements while maintaining a clean core approach.
Customer Profile: A prominent European food retailer with over 40,000 employees, 2,000+ stores across 7 markets, concentrated in one country, supporting 4 languages with fewer than 100,000 B2B partners.
Project Scope: Greenfield MDG-BP implementation co-deployed on SAP S/4HANA Release 2025, replacing a highly customized legacy (None SAP) MDM solution. The customer has not used MDG classic mode in the past.
Strategic Drivers: Full commitment to Cloud Ready Mode driven by
- Clean core strategy using modern SAP technology (SAP BTP, RAP/CDS),
- Option to use flexible Data Provider Integration to optimize BP creation and increase Data Quality, and
- Future AI use cases in phase two.
Following initial MDG setup, the customer reviewed SAP MDG-BP Cloud Ready Mode standard processes, UIs, and workflows. This evaluation identified five requirements where SAP BTP extensibility was leveraged to complement the standard delivery, upholding clean core principles while fully meeting the customer's business requirements.
Comment regarding the delivered SAP Standard templates:
SAP delivered workflow definition are sample workflow definitions for simple use cases, most probably all customers need to adjust or define their own workflow defintions according to their business needs. Our SAP delivered workflow definitions and user task UI can used as a blue print for more complex workflow definitions, just like you demonstrated.
Important, you have to keep in mind: specific conditions and rules for structuring the workflow context and interacting with the CMP process must be applied for proper process interaction (as described in the SAP help).
Challenge 1: Displaying features in “My Inbox” App
Problem Description
The standard “My Inbox” application shows already the Process ID and the task description but this is not sufficient information for the customer needs. The customer required the ability to “filter tasks by BP-Name and show the MDG UI directly in the Inbox“. Without this function, the customer would experience inefficiencies in the approval process, as users would not be able to quickly identify and process relevant business partner requests without having to take additional navigation steps.
Solution Approach
Displaying process relevant texts was implemented by reading business partner details via ODATA service tasks, storing information such as BP Full Name in the workflow context. This data is then assigned to corresponding texts in user tasks, replacing fixed strings with dynamic, contextual information. The technical configuration involves creating service tasks that retrieve BP-specific information, storing this data in workflow variables, and configuring user task templates to display this information in the My Inbox App.
Show the MDG UI directly in the Inbox: This is rather simple – you need to make sure that the context variable $.context.UseLinkInApprovalUI is set to false in your custom process template. SAP delivers in its standard delivery the value as true and its defined in script DetermineAttributesAndApprovalURL.js
Side info: This approach works as long as only single BPs are processed in the process. If you process multiple or even mass records the dynamic texts must be adjusted.
Business Impact / Result
The enhanced My Inbox functionality significantly improved user satisfaction and adoption rates. Users can now complete their tasks more efficiently with better contextual information, enabling them to quickly identify and prioritize their work without additional navigation steps.
Challenge 2: Multiple rule-based Workflow Steps / Skipping of steps
Problem Description
The standard four-eye principle provided by SAP was insufficient for the customer’s governance requirements. As they stated, “Just a four-eye principle is not enough.” The customer needed multiple rule-based workflow steps that could adapt based on the type of business partner and the nature of changes being requested, requiring a more sophisticated approval hierarchy.
Solution Approach
Multi-step workflows were implemented using service task configuration that reads BP details via ODATA, such as bank detail changes, storing this information in the workflow context. Exclusive choice nodes use the retrieved data to route workflows to appropriate user tasks or skip unnecessary steps entirely. New user tasks can be added rule-based ( for the end users it seems to be dynamically) for each required approval step, with the same pattern applicable to Company Codes and Organizational Units.
Info: the word “dynamically” is from a end user perspective, in fact the steps are defined in the WF Template during designtime and during runtime its decided if the step is executed.
Business Impact
The enhanced workflows reduced processing time and eliminated manual steps that were previously required to gather information and route approvals. The rule-based routing capabilities ensure that each request follows the most efficient path through the organization, improving overall governance compliance.
Challenge 3: Rule-based Agent Determination
Problem Description
The static assignment of user groups to workflow tasks does not meet the requirements of the customer's organizational structure. They required rule-based agent determination where “assigning always the same group of users to the user task is not sufficient. We need it dependent on Org Units and/or per type of BP.” This flexibility was essential for their decentralized approval structure across different organizational units.
Solution Approach
BTP Role collections were created in the BTP Cockpit with appropriate user assignments, providing a flexible foundation for role-based assignment. Service tasks read BP details via ODATA to determine if a business partner is assigned to specific BP roles (such as “FLCU01”), enabling context-aware agent determination. JavaScript scripts read the workflow context and assign the correct BTP Role Collection to new workflow context elements, with user tasks referencing these context elements instead of fixed strings.
Business Impact
Role-based assignment capabilities enabled truly flexible agent determination based on business partner attributes and organizational structure. This flexibility was essential for the customer's decentralized approval structure, allowing different organizational units to maintain their specific approval processes.
Challenge 4: Workflow-Step dependent User Interfaces
Problem Description
Different user roles required specialized interfaces tailored to their responsibilities. The customer specified that “Finance Expert need a different UI. Only the Bank Details should be visible to them,” while “Our Approvers should have write access to all non-sensitive attributes.” This role-based UI customization was crucial for the user experience.
Solution Approach
Fiori App Variants of SAP Standard Apps were created using either key user extensibility or SAP Business Application Studio (BAS) Adaptation projects, resulting in custom Fiori IDs. SAP Fiori Launchpad Designer and PFCG roles were used to create new tiles by reference and target mappings with custom actions in Fiori catalogs. The Process URL is set in the BTP workflow context as a variable ProcessURL, enabling flexible interface routing based on the user's role and specific workflow step.
Graphic: Create Fiori App Variant with Adapt UI / Key User Extensibility
Graphic: Define in a Script task the custom semantic action to your custom Fiori App Variant
Business Impact
Role-specific interfaces significantly improved user experience and security controls. Users now see only the interfaces relevant to their responsibilities, with appropriate access controls ensuring that sensitive information is properly protected while maintaining operational efficiency.
Challenge 5: Derivation Visibility
Problem Description
The customer emphasized that “Requestors must see the result of the derivations to be able to adjust suggested values.” This transparency was essential for ensuring data quality and enabling informed decision-making during the request process.
Solution Approach
MDG-DQM (Data Quality Management) derivations were leveraged specifically for requestors, ensuring that automated data enhancements are visible and can be reviewed before final submission. Custom MDG Process Templates were created that include derivation steps, providing integration points where BTP workflows can be triggered after derivation processing is complete. The first user task in the BTP workflow is assigned to the original requestor, allowing them to review derivation results and make necessary adjustments.
Graphic: in SAP GUI: go to transaction MDGIMG–> Cloud-Ready Mode in SAP MDG ->Configure Processes->Configure Process Templates for Cloud-Ready Mode in SAP MDG
Graphic: Screenshot from BTP BAS
Business Impact
Derivation result visibility and the multi-step approval process with appropriate expertise at each stage led to measurably better data quality outcomes. The automated validation and enrichment capabilities reduce errors while maintaining human oversight where needed, ensuring both efficiency and accuracy.
The implementation delivered significant value across multiple dimensions, demonstrating the power of combining modern SAP technology with thoughtful solution design.
Process Improvement: The enhanced workflows reduced processing time and eliminated manual steps that were previously required to gather information and route approvals. The rule-based routing capabilities ensure that each request follows the most efficient path through the organization.
User Experience Enhancement: The integrated My Inbox functionality and role-specific interfaces significantly improved user satisfaction and adoption rates. Users can now complete their tasks more efficiently with better contextual information and appropriate access controls.
Data Quality Advancement: The visibility of derivation results and the multi-step approval process with appropriate expertise at each stage has led to measurably better data quality outcomes. The automated validation and enrichment capabilities reduce errors while maintaining human oversight where needed.
This implementation success story demonstrates that even the most complex business requirements can be addressed using SAP's modern technology stack while maintaining clean core principles. The customer successfully identified and resolved five major limitations in the BTP workflow examples which are delivered in standard SAP MDG through innovative use of SAP BTP Workflow capabilities combined with MDG ODATA services. All five major challenges were successfully addressed:
- BP-related texts for work items: Delivered through BTP Workflow and MDG ODATA Services
- MDG Approval workflow with multiple rule-based steps: Delivered through BTP Workflow capabilities
- Rule-based Agent Determination for Workflow Approvers: Delivered through BTP Workflow and MDG ODATA Services
- Workflow-Step-Dependent User Interfaces: Delivered through SAP Fiori Variants and BTP Workflow
- MDG-DQM Derivations for Requestor: Delivered through MDG capabilities and BTP Workflow integration
Clean Core Achievement: The solution maintains complete adherence to clean core principles with no modifications, no BADIs, and minimal custom code. This approach ensures long-term maintainability and upgrade compatibility while delivering sophisticated business functionality.
Feature Delivery Overview: The implementation successfully delivered all required capabilities using low-code approaches, demonstrating that modern SAP technology can address complex business requirements without compromising architectural principles.
Technology Integration Success: The combination of SAP BTP Workflow capabilities with MDG ODATA Services proved to be a powerful architectural pattern that can be applied to similar challenges across different industries and use cases. This approach provides a blueprint for other organizations seeking to implement advanced MDG functionality while maintaining clean core compliance.
This success story illustrates that with the right approach and modern SAP technology, organizations can achieve their most ambitious master data governance objectives while positioning themselves for future innovation and growth.
