What is RICEFW in SAP?

What is RICEFW in SAP?

During the realization of any SAP project, all the functional and technical SAP consultants work on SAP RICEFW. RICEFW stands for Reports, Interface, Conversion, Enhancements, Forms, and Workflow. Another name for RICEFW is WRICEF in SAP.

RICEFW in SAP is produced during the Explore phase of the SAP Activate methodology  – a process designed by SAP to implement SAP products, such as SAP S/4 HANA.

Fit and Gap analysis help identify the gaps and business requirements that cannot be fulfilled by standard SAP functionalities. These additional objects are noted and defined using RICEFW classifications during any SAP implementation or migration project.

RICEFW vs WRICEF

WRICEF in SAP means exactly the same thing as RICEFW but just uses a slightly different acronym. WRICEF stands for Workflows, Reports, Interface, Conversion, Enhancements, and Forms. You may see both RICEFW and WRICEF used interchangeably when working through the Explore phase of any SAP implementation project.

The reason to use RICEFW vs WRICEF will usually be down to a personal preference. As a result, some SAP projects will use the RICEFW acronym while others WRICEF acronym.

SAP RICEFW objects

SAP RICEFW objects fall outside of standard SAP functions and are divided into the following:

Reports

An SAP report is an executable program that is able to read data and generate output based on the criteria selected by the end-user. It displays data based on filtered selections. The three categories of reports are:

• Standard SAP reports — ex. COOIS, MD04, etc. 
• Custom reports developed by an organization. 
• Queries.

Reports are developed with the help of an ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) team. Reports can help determine when standard SAP functions do not meet the client or business requirements.

When this is the case, a custom report is created. For this it is necessary to understand the complete requirements and finalize the data using the selection screen. When the report is executed, it becomes a RICEFW object which can be used to help define target processes. During this time, teams work through the Explore phase of the SAP activate methodology. 

SAP reports can be used to create material requirements planning (MRP) validation reports, for example. This report checks whether sufficient procurement elements are generated to meet current requirements.

Interfaces

During the Explore phase, you can identify business processes such as payroll, shipping, fixed assets, QA, etc. which are managed with third-party systems. These external activities may need connecting to the SAP system. To do this, SAP Interface programs are developed to automate the process.

An interface is essentially a channel between SAP systems and non-SAP systems. For example, during shipping, an organization may use a third-party logistic system to pack and ship deliveries. For this, SAP delivery information will be sent to the external third-party system. Then the shipment information is received in SAP through a middleware.

These EDI communications are done through SAP Interfaces, and IDocs are used to transfer data.

Conversions

When IT implements or upgrades SAP systems, they will need to convert legacy system data to loadable formats. These can then be converted into their SAP application. To upload this data in the new SAP system, it needs to be converted from one form to another as per the system’s requirement. This process is called SAP Conversion.

Conversion is important and needs accuracy, so it’s common that a separate team may be deployed for this activity alone. To perform a conversion, teams will need to extract data from their legacy systems. The project team then will upload that data into the updated SAP system using data migration tools such as BDC, LSMW, LTMC, etc.

Client and technical teams will work with the functional consultant to write programs that read data from those files. From here, they will be able to load it into the new SAP application. This will then become another object in the RICEFW list.

Enhancements

SAP Enhancements are added if the business requirement cannot be satisfied using standard SAP features. During large implementations, an SAP standard blueprint will be prepared and followed. When business requirements cannot be achieved using a standard blueprint, project teams will add some custom functionalities by modifying the solution – these are called enhancements.

Enhancements are created by ABAP teams who make use of BADIs, enhancement frameworks, or user exits. These will then become the RICEFW objects the project teams work with to modify or leverage the SAP standard. Another option is to create new custom solutions based on business requirements and target architecture.

An example of an SAP enhancement is to develop Radio Frequency Mobile Data Entry (RF) capabilities at the Inventory Management (IM) level. Standard SAP has given the RF at the WM or EWM level. When a client manages a warehouse on the IM level and is looking for RF capabilities, the enhancement is needed to meet business objectives.

Forms

SAP forms are simply print outputs created by the SAP application after saving transactional data. These forms can be the development of layouts for invoices, account statements, delivery notes, purchase order print, etc. SAP Standard provides a template for all these forms.

If they do not meet specific business requirements (i.e. company logo or print legal text), the functional team will need to work with ABAP to develop custom forms for each specific need.

Workflow

The last RICEFW object is SAP workflow. Workflow refers to the sequential flow of transactional data from one level to another as per the organization’s hierarchy. At each level, actions are required, and once taken, the workflow will advance to the next level.

During this objective, the functional consultant coordinates with the technical team to develop custom flow logic. These will contain the details of the data to be sent and will provide the conditions to trigger the workflow.

For example, budget approvals handling. A purchase order is created for a value and sent to the manager for approval. When approved, it will go to the VP for further approval, and so on until signed off. In this case, the business requirement is not available in a standard SAP application, so the result is a new RICEFW object.

How is RICEFW used in a S/4HANA project?

Both, the Explore and Realize phases of the SAP Activate methodology require RICEFW objects to achieve the specific business processes and goals. This is especially important during S/4HANA transformation so that all customer-specific requirements are integrated into the solution. This way, business users are able to perform their daily tasks using their SAP system.

The S/4HANA RICEFW objects are identified mainly during Fit to Gap analysis sessions which take place during the Explore phase. This is where project teams identify which non-SAP solutions need to be integrated.

During the Realize phase and testing activity, a cutover plan is created. This moves the S/4HANA WRICEF objects into the production system which will eventually be used by the business in real-time.

Conclusion

The creation of SAP RICEFW objects is a process during the Explore phase of the SAP Activate methodology to identify third-party systems integrated within SAP.

The result of the RICEFW template is a customer-specific solution that meets the unique business requirements identified earlier in the transformation process.

It is essential that SAP project leads and architects identify all the requirements so the business systems and processes will run smoothly once migrated. Establishing and reporting to SAP CoE proves to be very helpful.