Creating Custom Infotypes in SAP HR: A Step-by-Step Guide

In SAP Human Resources (HR), information types are core structures that store employee-related data. They cover various information categories, such as personal details, organizational assignments, time management, and payroll. Sometimes, the standard info types provided by SAP might only cater to some of the specific data points your organization needs to track. This is where custom info types come into play.

Why Create Custom Infotypes?

• Tailored Data Storage: Custom info types allow you to capture unique HR information that aligns perfectly with your company’s processes and requirements.
• Centralized Data Management: Maintaining this specialized data within the SAP HR system ensures a single source of truth and avoids the need for external spreadsheets or systems.
• Streamlined Business Processes: Custom info types can be integrated into HR workflows and processes, increasing efficiency and accuracy.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Planning:

• • Carefully outline the type of data you need to store in the custom info type.
  • Define the fields and their characteristics (data type, length, mandatory/optional).
  • Consider the relationships between these new and existing standard or custom info types.

1. Infotype Creation (Transaction: PM01)

• • Enter a four-digit number for the info type (typically starting with 9 for customer-created ones).
  • Select “Employee Infotype” and “PS Structure Infotype.”
  • Click “Create.”

1. PS Structure Design

• • Enter a short description for your info type.
• Add fields representing the data you want to store. Consider:
  • • Field names
    • Data types (character, numeric, date, etc.)
  • Field lengths
  • Save and activate your PS structure.

1. Infotype Characteristics

• • In PM01, access the “Infotype characteristics” section.
  • Create a new entry.
• Define:
  • • *Time Constraint: This constraint determines how many records of this info type an employee can have at a given time.
  • *Screen Modifications (if needed): Customize how the info type data is displayed on the screen.
  • Save your settings.

1. Additional Considerations

• • Subtypes: If you need variations of the info type, create subtypes.
  • Dynamic Actions: Configure these to trigger specific actions or notifications based on data entered in the custom info type.
  • Reporting: Ensure you have ways to extract and analyze the data stored in your custom info type (e.g., SAP queries, Ad Hoc Query, or other reporting tools).

Example

Let’s say your company wants to track employee emergency contact information. You could create a custom info type (e.g., 9123) with fields like:

• Emergency Contact Name (Character)
• Relationship (Character)
• Phone Number (Numeric)
• Alternate Phone Number (Numeric)

Important Notes:

• Creating custom info types often requires ABAP development skills for screen modifications, complex validations, or integration with other modules.
• Thoroughly test your custom info type in a development or testing environment before deploying it to your production system.

By following these steps and considering potential enhancements, you can create custom info types that effectively manage your organization’s specific HR data requirements within the SAP HR system.