In complex SAP landscapes supporting multi-company structures, user access reviews become significantly more challenging. Organizations operating across multiple legal entities, business units, or geographies must ensure robust governance over user permissions, aligning access with job functions while preventing segregation of duties (SoD) conflicts. This article explores advanced strategies, best practices, and tools for managing SAP User Access Reviews in multi-company environments.
SAP environments serving multiple companies within a group typically involve:
- Multiple company codes, controlling areas, and organizational levels.
- Diverse user roles and responsibilities.
- Different compliance requirements per region or industry.
- Shared services models (e.g., centralized finance or procurement).
This complexity introduces risks such as:
- Excessive or unnecessary access due to cross-company role inheritance.
- SoD violations across companies.
- Difficulty assigning accountability during audits.
- Lack of visibility into access at the company-code level.
Access should be evaluated not only at the role level but also across organizational level fields (e.g., company code, plant, sales org). Advanced reviews should include:
- Filtering roles and transactions by organizational assignments.
- Detecting users with access to multiple company codes or unauthorized org levels.
To simplify reviews:
- Use derived roles from single template roles for each company code or business unit.
- Ensure that each derived role is clearly labeled (e.g.,
Z_FI_AP_CC1000) to indicate its scope.
- Avoid composite roles spanning multiple entities unless justified and documented.
Advanced reviews should consider attributes such as:
- Company assignment
- Department or business unit
- Job title or function
- Geographic location
Attribute-driven reviews align access checks with actual business needs.
Using tools like SAP GRC Access Control, you can:
- Define SoD rules at the company-code level.
- Detect conflicts that span multiple entities (e.g., approving and posting vendor invoices in two different companies).
- Automate simulations and mitigation processes.
Segment users into risk tiers (e.g., high-risk, privileged, business-critical) and apply differentiated review rigor:
- High-risk users (e.g., finance managers) require quarterly detailed reviews.
- Low-risk users (e.g., data entry clerks) can undergo semi-annual simplified checks.
Assign review ownership to local compliance officers or department heads per company or region. This ensures:
- Accountability at the local level.
- Better understanding of user responsibilities.
- Faster response to access revocation or remediation needs.
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SAP GRC Access Control (AC)
- Offers automated access risk analysis, user access review (UAR) workflows, and SoD simulations.
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SAP Identity Management (IDM)
- Integrates with HR systems for role provisioning based on organizational attributes.
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Third-Party Tools (e.g., SailPoint, Saviynt, Onapsis)
- Provide cross-platform visibility, advanced analytics, and AI-driven access reviews.
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Custom SAP Reports
- ABAP-based or BI reports to list user access per company code, transaction usage, or inactive users.
- Maintain up-to-date role documentation for transparency.
- Implement periodic review cycles (quarterly or semi-annually) with automated reminders.
- Incorporate usage analysis to identify dormant or overprovisioned roles.
- Document and track review actions (revocations, mitigations, approvals) for audit readiness.
- Continuously improve by analyzing review outcomes and adjusting role design or policies accordingly.
Effective SAP User Access Review in a multi-company environment requires a nuanced approach that considers organizational hierarchies, SoD risks, and local business contexts. By leveraging automation tools, implementing sound role designs, and involving the right stakeholders, organizations can maintain strong access governance and compliance across their SAP landscape.