sap-sfsf

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name: sap-sfsf description: > This skill handles SAP SuccessFactors (SFSF) topics including Employee Central (EC), Employee Central Payroll (ECP), Recruiting Management, Onboarding, Learning Management System (LMS), Performance and Goals, Succession and Development, Compensation, People Analytics, Workforce Planning, and integration with SAP S/4HANA or on-premise HCM. Use when user mentions SuccessFactors, SFSF, Employee Central, EC, ECP, Recruiting, Onboarding, Learning, Performance, Goals, Compensation, People Analytics, MDF, position management, business rules, role-based permissions, RBP, integration center, compound employee API, SFAPI, OData API, iFlow, HCM migration, talent management, cloud HR, Employee Central Payroll. allowed-tools: Read, Grep

1. Environment Detection

□ Which SF modules are active? (EC / ECP / Recruiting / LMS / Performance / Compensation / etc.)
□ Is on-premise HCM still running? (hybrid or full cloud?)
□ Integration middleware? (SAP Integration Suite / BTP / Dell Boomi / MuleSoft / other)
□ SF datacenter region? (affects API base URLs, data residency, release timing)
□ Release version? (SF releases twice per year: 1H = March/April, 2H = September/October)

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2. SAP SuccessFactors Module Map

Core HR & Payroll
├── Employee Central (EC)            ← System of record — replaces PA/OM
│   ├── Position Management          ← Replaces OM positions
│   ├── Time Off                     ← Replaces IT2001/2002 (partial)
│   └── Time Tracking                ← Replaces PT60 (partial)
└── Employee Central Payroll (ECP)   ← SAP payroll engine, SF UI

Talent Management
├── Recruiting Management (RCM)      ← Job req → offer → hire
├── Onboarding 2.0                   ← New hire experience
├── Learning (LMS)                   ← Training, compliance, certifications
├── Performance & Goals (PMGM)       ← Goal setting, reviews, ratings
├── Succession & Development         ← Talent pool, career development
└── Compensation                     ← Merit, bonus, equity planning

Analytics & Planning
├── People Analytics                 ← Stories (reports), tiles, dashboards
└── Workforce Planning               ← Headcount scenarios, workforce modeling

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3. Employee Central (EC) Core Concepts

Data model (fundamentally different from HCM infotypes):

• Person → Employment → Job Information (portlets, not infotypes)
• All data is date-effective — changes create new effective-dated records
• No "time constraint" concept — any portlet can have any number of records

Key framework components:

• MDF (Metadata Framework): generic object type → create custom business objects
• Business Rules: condition-based automation → triggered by data changes
• Workflows: approval chains for master data changes → multi-step, conditional routing

Admin configuration areas:

• Manage Business Configuration (BCUI): picklist values, field labels, field visibility
• Role-Based Permissions (RBP): who can see/edit what for whom
• Manage Data: portlet field configuration, required fields

Common EC Issues

Issue	Root Cause	Fix
Field not visible to user	RBP field-level permission missing	Admin Center → Permission Roles → User Permissions → portlet → field
Workflow not triggered	Business rule condition false / target population wrong	Check rule trigger; verify employee in target population
Hire wizard — position not found	Position not open / not active / date mismatch	Check position in Manage Positions: open headcount flag, effective dates
Data change not saved	Required field empty / validation rule failed	Check completeness; review business rule validation

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4. Employee Central Payroll (ECP)

Architecture: SAP ABAP payroll engine embedded in SF-managed environment

ECP vs On-Premise HCM Payroll

Aspect	On-Premise HCM	Employee Central Payroll (ECP)
UI	SAP GUI (PA03, PC00)	Fiori Payroll Control Center (PCC)
Engine	ABAP payroll engine	Same ABAP engine
Access	Full SE38 / SE80	Restricted managed environment
Schemas/PCRs	Direct PE01/PE02	Same logic — limited direct edit
Monitoring	PA03 status	PCC dashboard
FI posting	PC00_Mxx_CIPE	Same — triggered from PCC

ECP Monitoring

• Payroll Control Center (PCC): central monitoring → replaces PA03 for status management
• Replication monitor: Admin Center → Monitor Replication → EC → ECP sync status
• Pay statement integration: EC → Payslip portlet → pulls from payroll cluster
• OAuth 2.0 config: report RP_HRSFEC_PAY_OAUTH_CONFIG automates setup

Common ECP Issues

Issue	Fix
Employee not in payroll	Check EC→ECP replication: Admin Center → Monitor Job
Payroll error	PCC → payroll log → same structure as PC00 log → wage type / schema
FI posting failed	Check symbolic account → G/L mapping; cost center assignment in EC Job Info
"Employee not replicated"	Check employee hire status in EC; replication rules in integration

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5. Recruiting Management (RCM)

Core flow:

Job Requisition → Sourcing → Candidate Application
→ Screening → Interview Scheduling → Offer → Hire (EC)

Key configuration areas:

• Requisition template: field visibility, approval workflow definition
• Candidate profile template: application form fields, screening questions
• Offer letter template: merge tokens mapping to requisition/candidate data
• Job board posting: Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor connector setup

Common issues:

Issue	Root Cause	Fix
Approval not routing	Proxy settings / dynamic group membership	Check workflow: who = target user; is approval enabled?
Candidate status stuck	Pipeline configuration missing transition	Check recruiting pipeline: status set rule config
Offer letter merge blank	Token not mapped to data source	Review offer letter template: token → data source mapping

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6. Role-Based Permissions (RBP) — Cross-Module

RBP is the universal access control across all SF modules:

Permission Group (WHO) → Permission Role (WHAT) → Target Population (FOR WHOM)

Troubleshooting access issues:

1. Admin Center → Manage Permission Roles → find the relevant role
2. User Permissions tab → check which features/fields are granted
3. Grant this role to → which permission group is assigned
4. Permission group → which users or dynamic group are members
5. For field-level: Employee Data section → specific portlet → field list

Standard role patterns:

Role Type	Typical Permissions	Target Population
HR Admin	Full read/write on all employee data	Business unit / location
Manager	Read/write own direct reports; read org	Direct and indirect reports
Employee	Self-service portlets only	Self only

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7. Integration Scenarios

SF ↔ S/4HANA On-Premise (Hybrid)

EC (system of record) → SAP Integration Suite (iFlow) → S/4HANA
  Employee replication → update cost center, create BP/vendor
  Payroll posting → FI document in S/4HANA

Pre-built integration content: SAP Business Accelerator Hub → SuccessFactors section Key iFlows: Employee Replication, Cost Center Replication, Payroll Posting

SF APIs

API Type	Usage	Access
OData V2/V4	Entity CRUD operations	SF API Explorer (api.sap.com)
SFAPI (SOAP)	Legacy — some entities only support SFAPI	SF API Explorer
Compound Employee API	Bulk employee data extraction	Scheduled job or on-demand
Integration Center	No-code integration builder	Admin Center → Integration Center

Common Integration Errors

Error	Root Cause	Fix
"Employee not found in target"	Replication lag or mapping error	Wait 30 min; check replication log
"Cost center does not exist"	S/4HANA master data not yet created	Create cost center first in S/4HANA
"Auth error 401"	OAuth2 token expired	Admin Center → OAuth2 → regenerate client credentials
"Field mapping error"	Source field value not mapped to target	Review iFlow mapping / Integration Center field mapping

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8. HCM → SuccessFactors Migration Path

Phased Approach (Most Common)

Phase 1 — Talent Hybrid
  Keep PA / OM / PY on-premise
  Add SF Recruiting + Learning + Performance
  Connect via SAP Integration Suite

Phase 2 — Core Hybrid
  Migrate PA / OM to Employee Central
  EC becomes system of record
  Keep payroll on-premise or move to ECP

Phase 3 — Full Cloud (Optional)
  Migrate payroll to ECP
  Decommission on-premise HCM
  Full SF suite operational

Migration Tools

• EC Data Migration Templates (HRDP workbook): defines field mapping HCM IT → EC portlet
• Admin Center → Import & Export Data → Employee Import: CSV-based mass load
• Historical data strategy: bring minimum — EC is a forward-looking system

HCM Infotype → EC Portlet Mapping (common):

HCM Infotype	EC Portlet
IT0001 Org Assignment	Job Information
IT0002 Personal Data	Personal Information
IT0006 Addresses	Address Information
IT0008 Basic Pay	Compensation Information
IT0009 Bank Details	Payment Information

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9. SF Release Governance

• Releases: 1H (March/April) and 2H (September/October) annually
• Preview instance: available ~4 weeks before production upgrade
• Required actions: review What's New → test in preview → communicate changes to users
• Release notes: help.sap.com → SAP SuccessFactors → What's New Viewer

For on-premise HCM topics, refer to the sap-hcm skill.

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10. References

• references/migration-path.md — HCM to SF phased migration detail, data mapping, cutover checklist