SAP MDM Interview Questions

If you're looking for SAP MDM Interview Questions & Answers for Experienced & Freshers, you are in right place. There are a lot of opportunities from many reputed companies in the world. According to research SAP, MDM has a market share of about 17.8%. So, You still have the opportunity to move ahead in your career in SAP MDM.

Mindmajix offers advanced SAP MDM Interview Questions 2024 that helps you in cracking your interview & acquire a dream career as SAP MDM Developer.

Below mentioned are the Top Frequently asked SAP MDM questions and answers.

Learn the Following Interview Questions on SAP MDM

Basic SAP Master Data Management Interview Questions Advanced SAP Master Data Management Interview Questions

Top SAP MDM Interview Questions

1. What is SAP Master Data Management?
2. What are SAP MDM’s major benefits?
3. What are the MDM Business Scenarios?
4. What is Master Data Consolidation?
5. What is Master Data Harmonization?
6. What are all the capabilities and functions of SAP NetWeaver MDM?
7. What are all the MDM Functional Components?
8. What is Parametric Import?
9. Can’t you achieve all this by using today’s EAI and/or ETL applications?
10. Why is SAP MDM part of SAP NetWeaver?

Basic SAP Master Data Management Interview Questions 

1. What is SAP Master Data Management?

SAP Master Data Management (SAP MDM) enables information integrity across the business network, in a heterogeneous IT landscape. SAP MDM helps to define the business network environment based on generic and industry-specific business elements and related attributes – called master data.

Master data, for example, cover business partner information, product masters, product structures, or technical asset information. SAP MDM enables the sharing of harmonized master data, formerly trapped in multiple systems, and ensures cross-system data consistency regardless of physical system location and vendor.

It helps to align master data by providing services that recognize identical master data objects and keep them consistent. In addition, it enables the federation of business processes, by providing consistent distribution mechanisms of master data objects into other systems, within the company, and across company boundaries.

2. What are SAP MDM’s major benefits?

SAP MDM: Helps companies leverage already committed IT investments since it complements and integrates into their existing IT landscape. Reduces overall data maintenance costs by preventing multiple processing in different systems. Accelerates process execution by providing sophisticated data distribution mechanisms to connected applications.

Ensures information consistency and accuracy, and therefore reduces error-processing costs that arise from inconsistent master data. Improves corporate decision-making processes in strategic sales and purchasing by providing up-to-date information to all people.

3. What are the MDM Business Scenarios?

1. Master Data Consolidation
2. Master Data Harmonization
3. Central Master Data Management
4. Rich Product Content Management
5. Customer Data Integration
6. Global Data Synchronization

4. What is Master Data Consolidation?

In the Master Data Consolidation scenario, users wield SAP NetWeaver MDM to collect master data from several systems at a central location, detect and clean up duplicate and identical objects, and manage the local object keys for cross-system communication.

5. What is Master Data Harmonization?

The Master Data Harmonization scenario enhances the Master Data Consolidation scenario by forwarding the consolidated master data information to all connected, remote systems, thus depositing unified, high-quality data in heterogeneous system landscapes. With this scenario, you can synchronize globally relevant data across your system landscape.

6. What are all the capabilities and functions of SAP NetWeaver MDM?

SAP NetWeaver MDM is used to aggregate master data from across the entire system landscape (including SAP and non-SAP systems) into a centralized repository of consolidated information. High information quality is ensured by syndicating harmonized master data that is globally relevant to the subscribed applications.

A company’s quality standards are supported by ensuring the central control of master data, including maintenance and storage.

7. What are all the MDM Functional Components?

Import Server, Syndication Server, Console, Import manager, Data manager, Syndicator, Publisher, etc.

8. What is Parametric Import?

Parametric Import is a new and radically more efficient approach to importing and transforming data that is conceptually similar to parametric search. Parametric import lists the complete set of distinct values for each field in the source data.

9. Can’t you achieve all this by using today’s EAI and/or ETL applications?

EAI tools provide the connection between different systems on the technical layer to ensure message handling, semantic mapping, routing, and queuing of data. ETL tools provide similar functionality but are typically deployed less as a message handling layer and more as a batch-oriented, massive volume integration mechanism.

As a building block of the SAP NetWeaver platform, SAP MDM leverages the process integration capabilities of SAP’s Exchange Infrastructure (SAP XI), but, in addition, also provides services for content consolidation, data harmonization, central maintenance, and controlled data distribution according to the business process semantics.

10. Is SAP MDM an xAPP?

No. SAP MDM is a building block of the SAP NetWeaver platform. SAP MDM can be licensed and used stand-alone in heterogeneous environments as well as in conjunction with other mySAP.com solutions or xApps in the future.

11. Is SAP MDM an extension of my SAP PLM?

No. SAP MDM can be used in conjunction with mySAP solutions including mySAP PLM or non-SAP solutions.

12. Why is SAP MDM part of SAP NetWeaver?

SAP NetWeaver is an integration and application platform that helps unify and align people, information, and business processes across technologies and organizations. SAP Master Data Management (MDM) is a building block of SAP NetWeaver to enable information integrity across the business network and to facilitate better communication of information across a heterogeneous IT landscape.

13. What prompted SAP to begin the development of SAP MDM?

Integration is the key to success in business. And since heterogeneous system landscapes are commonplace today, only companies with continuous processes and optimal access to consistent information can secure themselves a decisive competitive advantage. The basic principle behind this is the availability of reliable and consistent master data.

14. Is SAP late to this market?

No. There are a few applications announced in the market today, which are addressing parts of the solution. However, those solutions are typically limited to business partner information only and do not address the process integration needs to maintain and distribute the harmonized master data.

SAP is the only provider that offers broad and diverse connectivity and business content developed by SAP and its partner network, based on SAP’s intimate, longstanding knowledge of comprehensive business processes in more than 20 industries. This business content shortens the development cycle for customers and drives down the cost of integration projects.

15. When will SAP MDM become available? How will it be priced?

Customer ramp-up is scheduled to begin in September 2003. It will be priced separately as an engine, based on the number of managed data objects in the connected systems.

16. How will SAP MDM be implemented?

Implementation services will be provided by SAP’s Global Professional Services Organization as well as together with selected system integrators.

17. Will this solution replace the existing master data distribution techniques between my SAP CRM and SAP R/3 (SAP BC, CRM middleware) or SAP R/3 and mySAP SCM (CIF interface)?

Those interfaces including ALE will continue to be used in parallel to process operational data. It is not planned to replace those interfaces with SAP MDM.

18. Will it be possible to use SAP MDM only with SAP Exchange Infrastructure or can a company also use other EAI tools?

The use of the SAP Exchange Infrastructure is the foundation for SAP MDM. SAP solutions are powered by the SAP NetWeaver platform with high emphasis on interoperability with NET and J2EE/Java.

19. For which 3rd party products will SAP provide the adaptors ?

In the first phase, the adaptors to 3rd party products will be provided on a project basis. SAP plans to make selected adaptors to 3rd party systems to a part of the standard solution in future.

20. Will the solution provide the adaptors to all SAP solutions?

SAP MDM will provide adaptors for mySAP CRM, mySAP SRM, and SAP R/3 in the first phase. MySAP SCM will be supported via SAP R/3 in the first phase. In the next phase, a direct adaptor will also be provided for mySAP SCM.

21. What objects will be supported by SAP MDM? What services will be offered?

The initial release of SAP MDM will support the following master data objects: business partner, product master, product structures, document links, technical assets, and change masters.
Services provided depend on the type of objects and will include maintenance of objects, search for objects, workflow, mass changes, change notifications, duplicate checking, and notifications for object creation and discontinuation.

Advanced SAP Master Data Management Interview Questions 

22. How integrated is SAP NetWeaver MDM 5.5 with SAP NetWeaver and applications?

SAP NetWeaver MDM 5.5 is an integral part of the NetWeaver stack. In the current feature release, enterprise application integration, both SAP and non-SAP, is accomplished through SAP XI. Interoperability with other systems is possible via SAP NetWeaver MDM 5.5’s APIs (including ABAP whose development is currently in process).

Tight, native integration is part of the SAP NetWeaver MDM 5.5 roadmap and further pre-built integration points will be rolled out as we progress along the development path. SAP MDM 5.5 SP2 will provide view-only iViews for SAP Enterprise Portal.

23. Is the Product Catalog Management application part of the SAP NetWeaver Integration and Application Platform? Does print publishing belong to this platform as well?

Yes, these are all part of the SAP NetWeaver platform and print publishing is an extension of the capability to product content management. By definition, this is the case since the former A2i xCat application, now further augmented and known as SAP NetWeaver MDM 5.5, is part of the SAP NetWeaver MDM family of products.

24. How will MDM fit into Enterprise Services Architecture? Which Web services will be provided and when?

TMDM is integral to SAP’s ESA strategy. The initial list of documented Web services with MDM 3.0 was provided with MDM 3.0 information release. These refer to the ability to access master data information in MDM as a service to create records, etc. New web services will be available as per the roadmap.

With SAP MDM 5.5 in conjunction with SAP Exchange Infrastructure, one can create web services by exposing MDM functions using MDM JAVA or .NET APIs.

Checkout SAP MDM Tutorials

25. What tools are available to integrate SAP MDM and other non-SAP applications and platforms?

SAP MDM 5.5 exposes its core functions using published JAVA and .NET APIs. Any integration between MDM and other non-SAP software can be handled using APIs. Also, MDM functions can be exposed as web services using APIs in conjunction with SAP Exchange Infrastructure. Broader integration between SAP MDM 5.5 and other SAP NetWeaver components will be available through the product roadmap.

26. What options are available for resending from MDM within XI or R/3 in case an update fails?

If the failure lies with XI or R/3, the same XML can be reprocessed (no resending is required). If there is a validation or data problem, the records need to be identified and modified in MDM Data Manager Client and the Syndicator batch will resend them as they were updated since the last syndication.

27. How easy is it to maintain the front-end when the data model changes?

The effort depends on the number of fields required for the front-end. Fields that are added have no impact. Fields that are deleted (and maintained in the front-end), need to be removed. Fields that are renamed need to be updated.

28. Is it possible to develop web forms (outside of EP6) that link to standard Java MDM APIs and communicate with the MDM repository?

Yes, it is possible as you are not limited to the use of iViews that exist. Your own application-specific iViews can be created. You can also access the server with direct calls to the API from the java environment.

29. Is it possible to assign the saved search criteria to a role or person to restrict what he or she can view in the search?

The saved search option is client computer specific. That means that a user’s search criteria are available only to the user and not to other users. Therefore the saved search is not an option in this case. Using role constraints you may achieve the required results.

30. Are adapters/extensions available in MDM for integrating monitoring tools? (ie. does Tivoli register if an exception occurs in MDM?)

MDM currently does not trigger external processes on errors. The system uses logging capabilities to register errors and there are specific log files for the various components of the system. If the monitoring system/s can be triggered on changes to the log files then the system can be monitored.

31. SRM-MDM 1.0 – Missing MDM pieces

I recently downloaded and installed SRM-MDM catalog 1.0. I found some of the pieces missing like MDM Syndicator, MDM Syndication Server, Image manager, etc.

32. How do I get these tools? Some of these are very critical to our implementation.

SRM-MDM does not include the MDM Syndicator. If you need the Syndicator, you need to purchase a full MDM license.

33. MDM 5.5 SP4 Patch 01, 02 Install guide

I have installed MDM.5.5 SP4 and I need to install Patch 01 and Patch 02. I have downloaded the patches from the service marketplace but unable to find any documentation on how to install the patch.

34. Is there any guide on patch installation?

MDM patches are typically a complete installation of the MDM components that have had improvements made to them. These components will need to be reinstalled which usually takes about 2 minutes per component.
You would follow the same procedure as if you were upgrading to a new SP.
Also, MDM Patch 3 is already available in Service Marketplace. You don’t have to install Patch 1 and Patch 2 separately.
If you are using MDM4J or Portals, then you have to make sure the Software Component Archives you are deploying match the MDM Server version.
I recommend you remove the old SCAs and then deploy the new SCA matching the server version.

35. MDM Installation

I’m installing SAP MDM 5.5 SP04 following the Installation Guide in the Marketplace. However, at the end of the installation, I don’t have the default repositories for Materials, Vendors, and Customers.
Is there a way to tell if I skipped any step that generates these default tables or repositories?
A: You need to download “MDMBC55004P_3-10003437.ZIP” which contains Business Content (Repositories, Import/Export Maps, XSDs etc.) and copy .a2i files into /Archives directory so that you will be able to un-archive them.

36. Installation workflow

We are in the process of installing workflow. Apart from installed workflow.exe and vision professional 2003, is there anything else we need to make sure that needs to be installed?
A: If you want to create new MDM WF Templates, then on your PC install SAP MDM Workflow, Data Manager and Vision. If there are needs to setup roles for certain users for WF Steps, then you will need Console too.
For a user who will only process or execute some simple WF tasks/steps, the SAP MDM Workflow, and Data Manager is enough.

37. MDM console GUI on Windows

This is an administrative problem. I am an experienced Basis person, installing SAP MDM 5.5 SP04 for the first time.
I have configured the MDM server (mds) on Solaris 10 system. I have also configured MDM import server (mdis) and Syndication server (mdss) on the same machine. I have installed the database software and configured the empty repository on the same host machine. The database and all the 3 MDM services (mds, mdis, and mdss) are running on a Solaris machine.
After that, I installed “MDM console fat client GUI” component on my desktop and tried to “mount the server” by specifying the “hostname” of the Solaris machine where MDM services are running, but I am not able to mount it. It says invalid server and does not mount.

I referred to the following link:
HTTP://HELP.SAP.COM/SAPHELP_MDMGDS55/HELPDATA/EN/8E/
9F9C427055C66AE10000000A155106/FRAMESET.HTM
Which says, you should have the administrative right on Solaris machine where MDM server is running; but how do I have that being a Windows user.

38. MDM Expressions: Count, Max, Min, Concat, etc

What are the uses of the commands in the MDM expression builder? This is specifically with reference to functions such as Count, Max, Min, Concat, etc.
There seems to be no documentation available on the subject. Concat does not even accept multiple parameters, so how could one possibly concatenate two or more strings?
Also, the aggregate functions (Max, Min, and Count) do not seem to work across records.

39.Can you give any pointers concerning these?

The COUNT, MAX, MIN, SUM, AVERAGE, and CONCAT functions are for use with multi-valued lookup fields.
The COUNT function “Counts the number of all assigned multi-valued lookup field values”. The MAX function “Returns the highest number of all assigned multi-value lookup fields (e.g. Price)”. MIN, SUM, and AVERAGE return seem self-explanatory.
CONCAT “Lists all assigned values of a multi-value lookup field separated by a semicolon”
If you want to concatenate strings, use “&”.

40. Check if the client is running or not

I have MDM 5.5 installed in my system.

41. How do I check if the client is running or not?

Each MDM client like console, import manager, and so on is a program of its own. So if you start it, it’s running. To check if the MDM server is running, the easiest way is to start the MDM Console and to mount the corresponding server.
The server icon will show you the status. A red icon means: server is stopped. The green icon means: server is running. The same is valid for any repository installed on your MDM Server. Mount a repository and then the icon tells you if it’s running or not.

42. MDM usage

I have gone through some articles about MDM which say that MDM gets the data from different applications using XI and pushed the same to SAP BI.
Is MDM used only to provide data to BI?
A: MDM is not only used to send data to BI; it is also used for Master Data harmonization so that all the different systems in an organization like CRM, R/3, and Legacy have the same master data.
It is also for Rich product-content management, Customer data integration, Global data synchronization, etc.
MDM is also used for other uses as well, but its main purpose is to maintain ‘Master Data’, based on what you need.

43. MDM Main Table

When you create a new repository in MDM, it automatically creates a main table named Products. I do not want to use this as the main table and I have to create my own main table with different attributes.

44. How do I delete the Main Products table?

You cannot delete the main table, but you can rename it.
When the repository is unloaded, you can re-name, add new fields to the main table. You can also create new subtables.
For a more detailed process, you can refer to the MDM Console Reference Guide.

45. Missing Import Map

I have saved an import map. I can see it when I try to export it but I am able to see it in the console.

46. How do I get this map to be visible in the console?

The only place where you see an Import Map is while you create “Port”. You need to select the appropriate “Client System” in order to see the “Map” drop-down filled with the appropriate Import map.
You can also try restarting the console.

47. Export, import the roles and users tables

There is no export/import functionality for roles and users. The only way to manage these in an automated way would be to write a program that uses the Java or ABAP APIs. Both APIs expose functionality to create, update and delete roles and users.

48. Attach Image
How do you attach an image to a data record, field, and attribute in MDM SP03?

Images are not directly attached to a record/field/attribute. Instead, they are linked to a field or attribute text value.
To link an image, you first need to load it into the repository. This is usually done in the Data Manager by going to the “Images” table and adding a record there. Images are held in containers called “Groups” which allow you to logically group images (logos, icons, full-page, etc). You first need to define the group you want to store your images in.

You can do this by clicking the “Edit” button when adding a record to the “Images” table. Groups are stored in a hierarchical structure; right click the structure when editing groups to add a new group.
Once a group has been selected, you just add the files you want to create images from. Once the file has been added to the “Images” table, you can select that image for an image field/attribute.
The benefit of linking is that the actual image (the binary data) is only stored once in the repository and can be referenced multiple times.

49. MDM in a business scenario
I want to know when and where exactly we use MDM. What are the advantages of MDM?

Master data management generally comes into play when you operate on the basis of a heterogeneous IT landscape. This means, you have several or many application systems running and each of them has its own set of master data records such as vendor, customer, product, etc.

In this case, it is very likely that you have redundant data – that is, duplicate records in one system, or identical data dispersed over several systems within the landscape but without the general knowledge aggregation. In addition to the redundancy problem, dispersed master data is likely to have different quality levels, which again may lead to poor business execution.
With master data management, you can gain an overall knowledge of your master data across your IT landscape to enable consolidated reporting and increase the overall quality of your master data records in your IT landscape through data cleansing, enrichment, and de-duplication.

For a functional overview of SAP NetWeaver MDM, refer to the following URL:

HTTPS://WWW.SDN.SAP.COM/IRJ/SDN/DEVELOPERAREAS/MDM

Meanwhile, SAP NetWeaver MDM features the following capabilities:

1. Data Extraction. It extracts master data on a logical object level from a client system.
2. Data Transformation. It transforms structure and content values during the import and syndication of master data.
3. Data Cleansing. Normalize and standardize information functions.
4. Data Enrichment. Complementary data functions to achieve complete and meaningful master data. For example, making use of 3rd party services.
5. De-Duplication: Match and merge objects to eliminate ambiguous and redundant data.
6. Key Mapping: Provide cross-system identification to ensure enterprise-wide data quality.
7. Data Validation: Ensure compliance according to defined criteria.
8. Data Modeling: Provide the environment for creating and extending data models for object repositories.
9. Data Distribution: Distribute centrally consolidated master data on object level to client systems with delta handling.
10. Publishing: Enable multi-channel publishing. For example, it publishes product data in printed catalogs or Web catalogs.

See also the MDM Getting Started page on the SDN URL:
HTTPS://WWW.SDN.SAP.COM/IRJ/SDN/DEVELOPERAREAS/MDM?RID=/WEBCONTENT/UUID/C039D0DF-0901-0010-16B4-8FDC4BF639E3

50. Attribute – TEXT field Limitation
What is the maximum length of text that can be accommodated in an “Attribute”?

The maximum length for a text attribute value is 128 characters.

51. Is there any way of importing text from a file not from the Import process but from the data manager?

When importing into your main table via the Data Manager Import, the import process will prompt you when it finds text attribute values that are not present in your taxonomy (skip, add, etc.).
Importing attributes into taxonomy is not completely possible with the Data Manager’s import. Use the Import Manager instead.

52. Populate taxonomy tables
How do you populate taxonomy and hierarchy tables?

53. Can the category/product relations be set up at the data import stage?

Categories and Hierarchies can be built automatically in the Import Manager. In your Source Hierarchy pane, once you marked a field, there’s for example, an option (via context menu) to split field contents into a hierarchy. Afterward, a new field is created which can be mapped then to a Destination Hierarchy field.
Once you mapped hierarchy fields to each other, there are special ‘value mapping options’ (again from the Context menu) for hierarchies available.
You can find way more documentation in the Import Manager Reference guide.

54. MDM Taxonomy
What is the difference between taxonomy and hierarchy in SAP MDM (5.5 -0 SP03)?

Taxonomy is also a hierarchy. However, it is a special kind of hierarchical structure where you can define attributes and attach those attributes to taxonomy categories. The primary purpose of the taxonomy is to classify your data.

55. Workflow in MDM
How do workflows for XI, MDM, and EP differ? What type of workflow would you recommend from a Portal/MDM solution?

Workflow for XI is for business process-oriented, not people-oriented.
The workflow in MDM is data-oriented and authorizations/central data creation oriented.
Workflow on Portal, as I have seen, is people-oriented for things such as Knowledge Management.
For a Portal/MDM scenario, you could use Guided Procedures, which is how SAP is planning to handle all the different workflows across the landscape. The Guided Procedures handles and monitors either process on SAP and on Non-SAP systems.

Explore SAP MDM Sample Resumes! Download & Edit, Get Noticed by Top Employers!Download Now!

56. Un-archiving Inquera Repository

I tried to un-archive the Inquera Demo Repository that I downloaded from the Inquire Website. Here is what I’ve done so far.

1. I placed the archive file InQuera_Demo_55_060227.a2a in the following directory: 

The MDM Server and the SQL Server Database is on a local host.

When I tried to un-archive the sample repository from the console, I didn’t see the archive file that I 2. placed in the folder

I tried renaming the file too; to “Sample.a2a.” but I still didn’t see the demo repository archive.
The file size is around 150 MB. I have another archive file in the same directory that is around 2MB that I’m able to see when I un-archive from the console, and it is not a hidden file. I am able to see the .a2a file in Windows Explorer.

57.Can you give me some ideas on how to fix with this?

You can try these steps:
You need to un-mount the other repositories that you have.
Re-start MDM Server.
Refresh (Hit F5) in the Windows Explorer
Open the console and un-archived repository.

56. Not able to Un-archive Repository

I have this problem that whenever I un-archive a repository in the console (server and client version 5.5.33.13), the MDM Server service stops in the middle, in which the un-archiving operation gets aborted in between.
The repository is then marked as invalid.
This seems to happen every time I archive a repository too. Other than that I am able to mount and create repositories.

What might be the probable cause?

I happened to face the same problem a while back. Generally, restarting the MDM server or MDM services will solve the problem. It will be even better if you do a reinstallation of the MDM Server.

Q56. Repository archive warnings

Recently, when I archived a repository, it stated that it contained warnings. I ran verification on the repository and it reported no errors or non-fatal errors, only warnings. Upon checking the log, the warnings all consist of: Warning (1385) the table ‘xyz’ has not been analyzed recently.

How do I fix this?

You can try the following remedy in the Console component of the MDM:
1. Verify Repository -> Repair;
2. Compact Repository;

57. Archiving Repository without data
Is there a way to archive an un-archive Repository without data?

Yes. While archiving, in the “Archive MDM Repository” pop-up, click on the “Options” button and select “Schema only”.
When you un-archive this, you will get a repository with schema only; no data.

58. MDM Program folders

Can we specify the “Ready” and “Archive” folders to be folders other than the folder under MDM program folders?
One example is to specify a folder in a remote server as the “Ready” folder.

Yes. You will need to configure these values in the mds.ini file.

Example:

These folders can be anything as long as MDM Server has access to those directories in the Remote Server.
After you set the property for Distribution Root, then create the Port in Console