SAP HR Infotype 31: Understanding Reference Personnel Numbers

In the intricate world of SAP Human Resource (HR) management, info types are the building blocks for storing specific categories of employee data. Within this system, Infotype 31 (Reference Personnel Numbers) holds a unique purpose—it links an employee to additional identification numbers that may be crucial for various HR processes.

Critical Purposes of Infotype 31

• External Identifiers: Infotype 31 provides a dedicated space to house identifiers that originate outside of your primary SAP HR system. This could include:
  • Social security numbers
  • Passport numbers
  • Government-issued IDs
  • Union membership numbers
• Internal Company IDs: Frequently, organizations have their own internal employee numbering schemes. Infotype 31 can store these company-generated identifiers.
• Legacy Employee Numbers: When employees rejoin an organization after a break or if historical data needs to be preserved, Infotype 31 can associate their current personnel number with previous employee IDs.

How Does Infotype 31 Work?

The magic of Infotype 31 lies in its connection to SAP’s Central Person (CP) object. Let us break down how this works:

1. Central Person Creation: A Central Person object (CP object) is automatically created whenever an employee is hired in SAP HR. This CP object acts as a unique identifier within the system.
2. Reference Personnel Number Entry: When you add a reference personnel number in Infotype 31, the SAP system creates a link between the employee’s CP object and the CP object associated with the reference number.
3. Data Association: This linkage enables you to associate data from the referenced employee with the current employee record, streamlining various HR processes.

Example Use Cases

Let us imagine a few scenarios where Infotype 31 proves its worth:

• Payroll and Benefits: A former employee rejoins, and you need to access their historical payroll or benefits records. Infotype 31, by linking to their previous employee number, allows you to retrieve this information seamlessly.
• Reporting: For compliance purposes, you need to generate reports that include employees’ social security numbers or other external identifiers. Infotype 31 provides a structured way to store and access this data.
• Global HR Systems: When managing employees across multiple countries with different ID requirements, Infotype 31 lets you consolidate various identifiers under a single employee record.

Important Considerations

• Data Sensitivity: As Infotype 31 may contain sensitive personal data, ensure you have appropriate security and access controls to comply with data privacy regulations.
• Data Maintenance: Establish transparent processes for updating and maintaining Infotype 31 data to ensure accuracy and consistency.

In Conclusion

While it may seem like a small detail, SAP HR Infotype 31 offers a powerful mechanism for streamlining HR processes, improving data organization, and ensuring compliance. You can optimize your SAP HR data management by understanding how it works and when to leverage it.