Subject: SAP-Master-Data-Governance
Field: SAP
In SAP Master Data Governance (MDG), managing access is as critical as managing data itself. To ensure that the right people are performing the right tasks on the right data, SAP MDG leverages a robust system of user roles and authorizations. This ensures data security, regulatory compliance, and streamlined business operations.
This article explores the structure, importance, and implementation of user roles and authorizations in SAP MDG, helping organizations maintain governance integrity.
SAP MDG often involves multiple stakeholders—data stewards, business users, approvers, administrators—each with distinct responsibilities in the data governance process. To enforce segregation of duties, avoid unauthorized access, and maintain process transparency, SAP MDG uses roles and authorization objects to control:
Without proper roles and authorizations, organizations risk data integrity breaches and non-compliance with industry regulations like GDPR or SOX.
A role in SAP is a collection of activities or tasks that a user is allowed to perform. In MDG, these tasks are tied to master data processes.
| Role Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Data Steward | Responsible for entering and validating master data. |
| Approver | Reviews and approves/rejects data change requests. |
| Requester | Initiates the request to create or change master data. |
| Administrator | Configures MDG settings and oversees the workflow setup. |
| Key User | Acts as a liaison between business and IT for MDG configuration. |
SAP provides template roles which can be copied and customized using transaction PFCG (Profile Generator).
SAP controls access at a granular level using authorization objects. Each object checks if a user has permission to perform a specific action on a specific type of data.
Each authorization object checks fields such as activity (e.g., display, change), data domain, or organizational scope.
In SAP MDG on S/4HANA, the Fiori Launchpad displays tiles based on the roles assigned to a user. For example:
This role-based UI simplifies the user experience and enforces the principle of least privilege.
SAP delivers roles such as:
SAP_MDG_BC_BP_DATA_MODEL (for Business Partner master data)SAP_MDG_BC_SUPPLIER_CR (for Supplier CR processing)Start with these and adapt them based on business needs.
Validate role configurations in a non-production environment before rolling them out. Ensure that users have the necessary permissions—and nothing more.
Separate roles for data creation and approval to prevent fraud or unintentional changes.
If available, use SAP Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) tools to manage and audit role assignments and access violations.
Maintain clear documentation of what each role can do, who it’s assigned to, and the associated risks or dependencies.
| Role | Permissions |
|---|---|
| MDG Requester | Can create new customer records |
| MDG Approver | Can approve or reject changes to customer data |
| MDG Data Steward | Can validate, enrich, and finalize customer data |
| MDG Admin | Can configure data models and workflows |
Each user in the system may have one or more roles depending on their responsibility in the data lifecycle.
User roles and authorizations are foundational to secure and efficient operation of SAP Master Data Governance. By assigning appropriate roles and managing authorizations with precision, organizations can ensure that master data is governed in a controlled, transparent, and compliant manner.
As the scope of MDG expands across business domains and platforms, well-structured role management will continue to play a critical role in sustaining high-quality master data and supporting enterprise-wide digital transformation.
Keywords: SAP MDG roles, SAP MDG authorizations, MDG data steward, Fiori role-based access, SAP PFCG, MDG workflow security, SAP authorization objects, segregation of duties