6.5 Country-Specific Fields for Foundation Objects
Key Takeaways
- The CSF Corporate Data Model configures country-specific fields for legacy foundation objects, such as the corporate address format per country.
- Country-specific configuration files use ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country codes, for example PRT for Portugal.
- The country assigned to a Legal Entity record determines which country-specific Legal Entity fields appear.
- To add Legal Entity fields for a country without delivered fields, create a child MDF object with From Parent dating and a composite association.
- The composite association uses Condition Field ID countryOfRegistration.code and the country's three-letter code as Condition Values.
6.5 Country-Specific Fields for Foundation Objects
Quick Answer: Foundation objects can show country-specific fields. For legacy (XML) objects, configure them in the CSF Corporate Data Model, for example the Corporate Address element per country. For the MDF Legal Entity, the record's country decides which country fields appear. If SAP delivers none for a country, add a child object linked by a composite association with Condition Field ID countryOfRegistration.code and the three-letter country code as the condition value.
The CSF Corporate Data Model
The CSF Corporate Data Model configures country-specific fields for legacy foundation objects. THR81's example is the business address of a Location. The United States and China show different address fields because the corporateAddress element is configured differently per country in the CSF Corporate Data Model.
Country-specific configuration files use the ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 three-letter codes, for example PRT for Portugal. If a country's code does not appear in the CSF Corporate Data Model, its country-specific fields have not been configured yet.
Worked Example: A Portuguese Corporate Address
- Export the CSF Corporate Data Model from Import/Export Country/Region-Specific XML for Corporate Data Model in Admin Center or Provisioning.
- Copy an existing country block, for example from the opening tag for DNK to its closing tag, and paste it before the GBR block.
- Change the copied block's code to PRT and configure the corporateAddress fields:
| Field | Visibility | Required | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| country | both | true | Country |
| address1, address2, address3 | both | Address Line 1–3 | |
| city | both | City | |
| state | both | State | |
| zip-code | both | Postal Code |
- Import the CSF Corporate Data Model back in Admin Center or Provisioning.
- Create the Lisbon location (PT_LIS) in Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures and confirm that the business address section shows the configured fields.
Country-Specific Fields for MDF Foundation Objects
Legal Entity is the typical MDF foundation object with country-specific fields. Every new legal entity record in Manage Data must be assigned a country, and that country determines which country-specific fields become visible.
Some fields are pre-delivered. For example:
| Country of registration | Pre-delivered Legal Entity fields |
|---|---|
| United States | Federal Reserve Bank, Fed Reserve Bank District, EEO Company Code |
| Germany | Tax Unit, Social Accident Insurance, Social Accident Insurance Registration Number |
Adding Country Fields Where None Are Delivered
For a country without delivered legal entity fields, the high-level steps are:
- Create a child Legal Entity object to store the country-specific fields.
- Create a composite association between the parent Legal Entity and the child.
- In the association details, add the condition field countryOfRegistration.code and the condition values, the three-letter ISO code of the country. The child's fields then appear only for that country.
Worked Example: Legal Entity Fields for Portugal
Child object (Configure Object Definitions > Create New > Object Definition):
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Code | LegalEntityPRT |
| Effective Dating | From Parent (marks it as a child object) |
| API Visibility | Editable |
| Label | Legal Entity Portugal |
| Fields | externalCode (Auto Number, Not Visible), externalName (Not Visible), NIPC (Corporate Tax Number), NISS (Social Security Number), CAEcode (CAE Code) |
Association on Legal Entity (Take Action > Make Correction > Associations):
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | toLegalEntityPRT |
| Multiplicity | One to One |
| Destination Object | Legal Entity Portugal |
| Type | Composite |
| Label | Portugal |
| Condition Field ID | countryOfRegistration.code |
| Condition Values | PRT |
When prompted about warnings such as "visibility of searchable field is set to not visible", confirm with Yes. Then create Ace Portugal (ACE_Portugal) in Manage Data with country Portugal. The Portuguese fields (Corporate Tax Number, Social Security Number, CAE Code) appear only because Portugal was selected.
How Foundation CSF Connects to Employee CSF
The legal entity's country drives more than its own fields. THR81 notes that it controls the country-specific data available on the employee's Job Information, Employment Details, and Compensation Information. An employee of Ace Germany sees German Job Information fields (for example travel-distance once enabled), while a US employee sees US fields such as EEO data. This employee-side configuration lives in the CSF Succession Data Model (Section 7.3).
Comparing the Two Mechanisms
| Legacy FO (for example Location) | MDF FO (for example Legal Entity) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where country fields are defined | CSF Corporate Data Model (XML) | Pre-delivered country fields, or child object plus composite association |
| What selects the country | The country of the record, such as the address country | The legal entity's country of registration |
| Tool to import or export | Import/Export Country/Region-Specific XML for Corporate Data Model (Admin Center or Provisioning) | Configure Object Definitions and Manage Data |
| Key setting | A country code block such as PRT | Condition Field ID countryOfRegistration.code with values such as PRT |
Related: Translating Foundation Data
Country-specific fields are about which fields a country needs. Translating the names and descriptions of foundation records is a separate task. It uses the Translations icon in Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures or the FoTranslation import for legacy objects, and the import template for MDF objects (Section 3.4).
A consultant adds Legal Entity fields for Portugal with a child object and a composite association. Which condition makes the fields appear only for Portuguese legal entities?
What effective dating must the child object LegalEntityPRT use?
A US and a Chinese location need different business address fields. Where is this configured?