The Current Situation Found in Many Companies
Many companies face a challenge: They work with SAP S/4HANA Finance & HR (H4S4) and want to bring payroll or time data into SAP Datasphere. Sounds simple – but in practice, there's a major obstacle: classic BW extractors access extractors like 0HR_PY_PP_1, specifically the payroll cluster (PCL2). The data is therefore not stored in flat tables. This means the data cannot be directly accessed via CDS views as you would expect from classic S/4 tables.
The result: You're faced with a seemingly unsolvable problem if you want to load the data into SAP Datasphere without detours.
Why Is This So Complicated?
The Problem in Detail Using the Payroll Extractor
0HR_PY_PP_1 is a program, not a physical table object. It reads payroll data from the payroll clusters.
Direct loading into SAP Datasphere fails because only tables, views, or OData services can be consumed.
For many companies, this previously meant: Detours via SAP Business Warehouse or custom ABAP programs that transfer the data to Z-tables. This is often time-consuming, labor-intensive, and error-prone. Additionally, other points such as paging during data retrieval must be considered.
What Does This Mean in Detail?
Until now, companies wanting to bring payroll or time data from H4S4 into SAP Datasphere had mainly two technical approaches:
1. Via SAP Business Warehouse (BW)
Data is first loaded into SAP Business Warehouse via the classic Payroll Extractor (0HR_PY_PP_1).
There, the data is prepared, transformed, and made available in a Data Store Object.
SAP Datasphere can then access the SAP Business Warehouse objects and retrieve the data.
2. Via Z-Tables + OData Service
Payroll or time data is written to Z-tables via custom ABAP.
The Z-tables are then made available to SAP Datasphere via OData services or HANA views.
Technical Challenges with Both Approaches:
Payroll data is stored encrypted and nested in the PCL2 cluster. This must first be interpreted and transferred to usable tables.
For large data volumes, paging, segmentation, and system load are critical points.
Every custom development or Business Warehouse solution requires monitoring, maintenance, and adjustments.
Conclusion: Both approaches are possible but complex and error-prone. They make the process complicated and require technical know-how and infrastructure.
An Easier Way with Smart Data Load by CubeServ
This is where Smart Data Load by CubeServ comes in. With this tool, payroll data from H4S4 systems can be transferred directly to SAP Datasphere – without complicated extractors or cumbersome intermediate steps.
Benefits at a Glance:
Fast & Intuitive:
End users can load relevant data into SAP Datasphere with just a few clicks. Smart Data Load by CubeServ is designed for processing large volumes of data. Thanks to integrated paging, data is made available on SAP Datasphere in no time.
Ready to Run:
Smart Data Load by CubeServ is a Software as a Service solution that runs on the SAP Business Technology Platform. A standalone Business Technology Platform instance is not required.
Flexible:
Payroll data, time data, and classic HR data stored in flat tables can all be retrieved.
Conclusion
Even though the H4S4 architecture doesn't provide payroll and time management data in transparent tables and classic extractors often reach their limits, there is a modern way to bring the data into SAP Datasphere. With Smart Data Load by CubeServ, the process becomes not only possible but also fast, secure, and intuitive – exactly what end users expect.
Contact: CubeServ AG, Samstagernstrasse 45, 8832 Wollerau, Switzerland – email info@cubeserv.com, phone +41 55 224 30 00. Schedule a demo via the contact form at smartdataload.com/en/contact.