In SAP, occasional bulk data maintenance often comes down to two main options: LSMW or BDC Recording.
1. LSMW (Legacy System Migration Workbench)
✅ Pros:
- Standard SAP tool, no custom development required.
- Supports field mapping and transformation – great for large one-time migrations.
⚠ Cons:
- Complex setup, limited flexibility for quick changes.
- Security risk – requires high-level access, can bypass business role restrictions.
- Created/updated records may show the admin as the owner, making audit trails unclear.
2. BDC Recording + Custom Program
✅ Pros:
- Flexible, quick to adapt.
- Runs under the end user’s account – accurate audit logs.
- Permissions can be strictly controlled via the program.
⚠ Cons:
- Requires some ABAP development skills.
- Screen changes may require re-recording.
3. My Practical Approach
I built a reusable BDC + Excel solution:
- Record the process with SHDB.
- Generate an Excel template from the recording.
- Business users fill in or update data in Excel.
- Upload and execute in bulk – with full logs.
💡 Advantages:
- Safe: No need to give high-risk transaction codes to business users.
- Easy: They just edit Excel – no LSMW configuration.
- Transparent: The actual executor is recorded as the data owner.
