SAP S4 HANA FINANCE

RICEFW or WRICEF in SAP Project with Business Example

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LinkedIn | Akash S K
RICEFW or WRICEF in SAP Project with Business Example
Email :- akash.250896@gmail.com
Mob. No: - 7975776231

In this topic you will learn about, what exactly RICEFW or WRICEF in SAP and how it plays an important and
prominent role in Implementation Project. Here we can understand the RICEFW and its purpose within the
context of an SAP project.

What is RICEFW or WRICEF

RICEFW refers to Reports Interface, Conversion, Enhancements Forms, Workflows, and
Reports. Each element of this acronym represents a different type of custom development
required in most SAP implementation projects.

RICEFW vs WRICEF

WRICEF in SAP means exactly the same thing as RICEFW but just uses a slightly different
acronym. WRICEF stands for Workflows, Reports, Interface, Conversion, Enhancements, and
Forms. You may see both RICEFW and WRICEF used interchangeably when working through
the Explore phase of any SAP implementation project.

The reason to use RICEFW vs WRICEF will usually be down to a personal preference. As a
result, some SAP projects will use the RICEFW acronym while others WRICEF acronym.
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Detailed Explanation of RICEFW in SAP?

An SAP implementation project life cycle has several stages. During the blueprinting and
analysis stage of the project, we study the business requirements and map those
requirements in SAP to provide solutions. The requirements which cannot be satisfied by
standard SAP application are called gaps. Based on the category of the gap, objects are
created in the form of a RICEFW item. Each gap will have one RICEFW object and the
total inventory of RICEFW objects is considered as the task list of deliverables to be
developed and managed

RICEFW in SAP is produced during the Explore phase of the SAP Activate
methodology – where as in Realization phase in ASAP methodology where by all the
functional and technical SAP consultants work on SAP RICEFW.

ASAP Methodology

Activate Methodology
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Project functional teams are expected to fully test all the RICEFW objects and would have to be
passed by the business users. These are the pre-requisite for business go-live in SAP. The
quality of RICEFW objects plays a key role in determining the project’s success.

Fit and Gap analysis help identify the gaps and business requirements that cannot be fulfilled by
standard SAP functionalities. These additional objects are noted and defined using RICEFW
classifications during any SAP implementation or migration project.

RICEFW Objects: Identified in Fit-to-Standard Workshops

Let us understand when do we identify RICEFW in SAP project.

✓ In a typical SAP Implementation project there is an Explore phase where an SAP

Functional Consultant conducts Fit to standard workshops.
✓ During these Fit to Standard workshops the Functional consultant interacts with Business
process Owners (BPO or SMEs) of clients.
✓ The BPO provide the in-depth information of each business process and SAP functional
consultant capture the necessary configuration objects and identify gaps where client
business does not fits into SAP.
✓ In such situations the gaps are captured in a tracker and converted into RICEFW objects.
✓ Please note that one gap can be converted into more than one RICEFW objects.
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R- Reports
SAP has tonz of standard reports (ME2M,MM60, MKVK,ME1L) that show you a lot of info. If
the standard reports don’t include the necessary features to meet the customer’s needs, the
project team creates custom reports. We talk to a developer /ABAP-er, and give him the Table-
Field specs for each column that you want to see on the report.
To do this, it’s important to know the full need and then finish your selection screens, the key
fields, and the output format that will be produced when the report is completed. We will also
suggest the T-code for this new report. classic example: Z report or Cockpit report. The
report is then regarded as a RICEFW object.

Sample of A Typical Report Transaction

SAP database. Reports can be described as ABAP programs that generally produce data (reports)
as lists from the SAP database. Reports are typically displayed online and through the display.
They are also downloaded and sent as attachments to emails (usually spreadsheets or
spreadsheets) or delivered directly to the storage spool (and could even be printed). Reports that
are performance-heavy (that contain a large amount of data or take a long duration to complete)
and periodic reports are generally performed in batch mode
The following are the report types:

✓ Standard reports are available in SAP and are provided by the standard SAP only.
✓ Custom-designed reports made by project staff using the standard SAP reports as a
basis for reference.
✓ Queries create our report using regular SAP tables.
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The ABAP workbench comes with an ABAP Editor (SE38) to produce reports. ABAP List
Viewer ALV (ABAP functions) is widely employed within ABAP programs to generate
reports. SAP Query is another tool for creating reports. Certain SAP modules come with
specialized reporting tools, such as that of the Report Painter It is also known as the QuickViewer,
which can be a different tool to create customized reports developed within the system live on a
demand basis.

Reports can help business in following ways with examples to understand:

Transaction Analysis: Reports provide a structured way to analyze business transactions,
allowing businesses to gain insights into various aspects of their operations, performance, and
trends.
For example: Open purchase orders, POs yet to be invoiced, Contracts going to expire in next 1
month, Pending maintenance or production orders etc
Performance Evaluation (KPIs): Reports enable businesses to assess their performance
against key metrics, goals, and targets, providing a clear overview of achievements and areas
for improvement. We can evaluate the performance of assets, employees, suppliers, sales team,
purchase team etc.
For example: Breakdown duration report, MTTR and MTBR report to evaluate performance of
an equipment, Vendor evaluation on the basis of quality, on time delivery, Contract leakage
report etc.
Decision Making: Reports present summarized and organized data, enabling informed
decision-making at various levels within the organization. They help stakeholders identify
opportunities, mitigate risks, and make strategic choices.
For example: Contract expiry report, Open PR report, open notifications report etc
Monitoring and Tracking: Reports provide a systematic approach to monitor and track
progress on specific transactions, projects, initiatives, or KPIs. They help identify deviations
from expected outcomes and facilitate corrective actions.
For example: tracking of open payments, monitoring of material stock, monitoring of Capital
Expenditure, Budget tracking of various cost receivers etc.
Financial Analysis: Reports provide financial information and analysis, including balance
sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and financial ratios. They assist in assessing
the financial health and stability of the business.
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Forecasting and Planning: Reports can be used to forecast future trends of spendings and
earnings, predict material stock requirement, market demand and support strategic planning.
They help businesses make data-driven projections and allocate organization resources at the
right place.
For example:- Material requirements planning (MRP) validation reportsThis report checks
whether sufficient procurement elements are generated to meet current requirements.

I – Interfaces
Interfaces are used to transfer (Exchange) of data between the SAP system to non SAP system
or Third party system. Integrating SAP with third party which enables communication between
SAP & third party where interface ensures Data is sync and enabled real time information flow.

During the Explore phase, you can identify business processes such as payroll, shipping, fixed
assets, QA, etc. which are managed with third-party systems like NGC, Infor Nexus . These
external activities may need connecting to the SAP system. To do this, SAP Interface programs
are developed to automate the process.

An interface is essentially a channel between SAP systems and non-SAP systems.

For example, During shipping, an organization may use a third-party logistic system to pack
and ship deliveries. For this, SAP delivery information will be sent to the external third-party
system like NGC or Infor. Then the shipment information is received in SAP through a
middleware.

Interface between SAP and Third-Party System

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C-Conversions:
Conversions are programs that facilitate transferring data the new system developed from a
previous system. Conversions are often referred to by the name of “migrations” or “data
migration”. Conversions are used to convert data from one format to another ie Legacy system
to program or vice versa. Conversions can be used to convert data from a legacy system into SAP
or to convert data from one SAP system to another.
To upload the data in the SAP system such as the Material Master, Business Partner, Batch
Master, Inventory, Bill of Materials, Open Purchase Orders, etc., the data needs to be converted
from one form to another as per the system’s requirement. This is called a Conversion.
Here, the business team extracts the data out of their legacy systems. The project team then wants
to upload that data into the SAP system by making use of the SAP data migration tools like BDC,
LSMW, LTMC, etc. Here, the functional consultant works with the client team and the technical
team to write some programs that will read the data from those files and load it into the SAP
application. These will then be the new objects in the RICEFW list.

Non SAP System

As DATA like Make use of Migration

tools like LTMC, Then the entire
Material Master LSMW,BDC convert to Program is loaded in
program the SAP System
Business Partner

Purchase Order

Let's explore some examples and techniques:

1.Data Migration: Data migration involves transferring data from legacy systems or external
sources into SAP systems. RICEFW objects support data migration through tools such as LSMW
(Legacy System Migration Workbench) and SAP Data Services. These tools facilitate the
extraction, transformation, and loading of data into SAP, ensuring data integrity and consistency.
Example: Suppose a company acquires another organization and needs to migrate customer data
into their SAP system. RICEFW objects can be used to extract customer data from the legacy
system, map it to the appropriate SAP fields, perform data conversion and validations, and load
the data into the target SAP system.
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2.Master Data Conversion: Master data refers to key business entities such as customers,
vendors, and materials. During system upgrades or consolidation projects, RICEFW objects assist
in converting and harmonizing master data across systems. This involves mapping and aligning
the data structures, cleansing and enriching the data, and ensuring data quality and consistency.
Example: When a company implements a new SAP system to replace multiple legacy systems,
RICEFW objects can be used to convert and consolidate customer master data. The conversion
process involves mapping the customer data from various sources, applying data transformation
rules, and loading the cleansed and harmonized data into the new SAP system.

3.Data Format Conversion: Data format conversions are required when data needs to be
transformed from one format to another within the SAP system. RICEFW objects provide the
means to convert data formats using programming techniques such as ABAP transformations,
function modules, or data conversion programs.
Example: An organization wants to switch from a legacy pricing model to a new pricing structure
in their SAP system. RICEFW objects can be used to convert the existing pricing data from the
legacy format to the new format, ensuring the data is compatible with the updated pricing logic
in SAP.

E – Enhancements

If the business requirement cannot be satisfied by standard SAP features, then the project team
will add some custom functionalities by modifying the SAP standard. These are called
enhancements.
The enhancements are developed by technical ABAP consultants making use of BADIs,
enhancement frameworks, or user exits. These will be the new RICEFW objects where the
project functional team works with the business team to gather the requirement and then work
with the technical team to modify or leverage the SAP standard and create a new custom
solution as per business requirement.
An example of an SAP enhancement is to develop Radio Frequency Mobile Data Entry (RF)
capabilities at the Inventory Management (IM) level. Standard SAP has given the RF at the
WM or EWM level. When a client manages a warehouse on the IM level and is looking for RF
capabilities, the enhancement is needed to meet business objectives.
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RF Capabilities in
Inventory Management

Enhancements in Inventory Management vis RF Capabilities

F-Forms

Forms include SAPscript form, SAPscript print programs, and Smart Forms. SAP offers ABAP
Workbench tools such as SAP Script, Smart Forms, Adobe Interactive Forms, OLE, and more. to
develop “Forms”.

SAP forms are simply print outputs created by the SAP application after saving transactional data.
Examples include Purchase Order print material document print, Purchase Order print Delivery
docket, and Pick Ticket physical Inventory sheet Labels print. Standard SAP offers an established
format and template for all of these forms; however, these pre-defined forms may not meet
business requirements because they might want to include a company logo or legal print content
within the documents. The functional team has to use ABAP and design customized forms based
on the business requirements.
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Sample Purchase order Form

W-Workflow
The last RICEFW object is SAP workflow. Workflow refers to the sequential flow of
transactional data from one level to another as per the organization’s hierarchy. At each level,
actions are required, and once taken, the workflow will advance to the next level.

During this objective, the functional consultant coordinates with the technical team to develop
custom flow logic. These will contain the details of the data to be sent and will provide the
conditions to trigger the workflow.

For example, budget approvals handling. A purchase order is created for a value and
sent to the manager for first level approval. When approved, it will go to the VP for
further second level approval and so on until signed off. In this case, the business
requirement is not available in a standard SAP application, so the result is a new
RICEFW object.

Purchase First level Second Level

Order approval approval by
by Manger VP