Extracting SAP's Configuration IMG To Excel: Preparing The IMG Format

ExtractingSAPsConfigurationIMGtoExcel
Introduction
This article outlines the steps necessary to extract a copy of the SAP IMG nodes into excel and
clean them up into a simple grid.
Why?
So the first question you might ask is why would you want to extract the thousands of nodes of
the IMG into an excel file. From my experience I have been asked to perform this task on many
projects, primarily to help with scope definition and assign and manage responsibilities. This
may seem redundant these days, with the integrated tools that allow for project management in
solution manager that allow you to represent this hierarchy and report against it in many ways.
However in the fog of a time constrained implementation I can assure you that the learning curve
and access issues to all the necessary tools, often causes things to spiral down to the lowest
common denominator of representing information in a system that most people have on their
computers and are familiar with. In most cases this lowest common denominator is excel.
WhatcanIdowiththis?
I have used an excel extract of the IMG on multiple projects for the following reasons, but Im
sure you could think of many more
Create a list of in and out of scope nodes to assist with scoping

Assign formulas to estimate work and skills mix for a given scope
Assign ownership of nodes within projects with multiple disparate teams
To form a document management system to track configuration documentation
To track configuration completion for project management
Extracting the IMG to Excel

PreparingtheIMGformat
ThefirststepinextractingtheIMGistoensurethatitisrepresentedintherightformattoallow
extraction.Thedefaultdisplaysettingsdonotallowextraction.
GototransactionSPRO
Jerome@MungapenConsulting.com|www.mungapenconsulting.com
Page1
SelectSettings>UserSpecific
MakesurethattheDisp.Struct.withtreecontrolisnotchecked
FromSPROgointotheSAPReferenceIMG
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DisplayingadditionalNodeinformation
AlthoughmanyofthemorerecentIMGnodesdonothaveatransactioncodeassociatedwiththemthe
olderonesdoandeverynodehasauniqueidentifierthathelpsidentifyduplicatenodesthatare
repeatedthroughouttheIMG.Ifinditusefultodisplaythisinformationaspartoftheextract.Todothis,
fromwithintheSAPreferenceIMGselectAdditionalinformation>DisplayKey>IMGactivity
NowwhenyouopenanIMGnodedowntothemostdetailedlevelyouwillseeanadditionalkey
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Thesekeysareuniqueforaspecificconfigurationnodesoyoucanusethistoidentifyreplication.
Additionallythelastfourorfivedigitsareoftenthetcodeoftheconfigurationnodeifoneexists.E.g.in
thehighlightedexampleabovethetcodeOMJItakesyoudirectlytotheblockforgoodsmovements.
BeforeextractingtoExcelitisnecessarytoopenallnodes(orasmanynodesasyouwanttoextract)as
theextractonlytakesthelevelsopenonscreen.Todothisusetheexpandallbuttonathetopmenu
ExtractingtoExcel
WiththeopenIMGnowjustgotothesystemmenuandselectSystem>List>Save>LocalFile
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Selectspreadsheetasthedoctypeformthepopup
Thenchoosealocationandfilenametosameyourfileandpressgenerate
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CleaninguptheExcelFile
NowthefunbeginsastheExcelfileisinahierarchicalformatthatyoumaywanttocleanup.Openthe
fileinExcel
Thefilewilllooksomethinglikebelow(InmyexampleIextractedonlytheMMareasasopenhencethe
columnsmayvarydependingonwhatyouextract)
AsyoucanseetheIMGfoldersarenested,anddependingonhowdeeptheconfigurationnodeisit
couldbeindifferentcolumns.HoweverasweaddedtheIMGactivitycolumnthisisalwaysinthesame
columnandcanhelpusidentifywhichnodesareconfigurationnodesversusfolders.Ipersonallyliketo
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buildtheIMGstructureintoeveryline,andthendeletethenonconfigurationnodesafterwards.I.e.in
theexampleaboveIonlywanttokeeprowswithanentryincolumnI,butwithoutthestructural
informationitisnotclearwhateachnodeisi.e.Defineprioritizationsdoesntmeananythingonitsown
withoutknowingitisMaterialsManagement>GeneralSettingsforMaterialsManagement>
RequirementPrioritization>DefinePrioritizations
Sothiswilltakesomemanipulationtogetthedatainthisformat.Therearemanywaystodothisbut
thesimplestwayIhavefoundistodoasfollows
Initialworksheetcleanup
Firstlyremovetheblankrowsandcolumnsatthetopandleft
SothatthewordsSAPCustomizingImplementationGuideareincellA1
DeterminethelowestNode
Inthisstepitisimportanttodeterminethelowestnodewhereanentryexistsforeachrecordthiswill
enablethecorrectcopyingofdatainthenextsteps
Firstlyinsertarowaboverow1andnumberthecolumnswithdatafromtheextract1through10
Nextinthefirstemptycolumnafterthedata(K)enterthefollowingformula
Thislookscomplicatedbutbasicallyitjustcopiesthenumberinrow1wherethereiswriting.(Youmay
needtomodifythisformulabasedonwhatelementsoftheIMGyouextract)
=IF(A2<>"",$A$1,IF(B2<>"",$B$1,IF(C2<>"",$C$1,IF(D2<>"",$D$1,IF(E2<>"",$E$1,IF(F2<>"",$F$1,IF(G2<>"
",$G$1,IF(H2<>"",$H$1,0))))))))
Thiswillthenindicatethelowestlevelofdetailforeachrecord;youcancopythisformuladownallof
columnK
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NextyoumustcopyandpastejustthevaluesinplacetoavoidanyformulasincolumnKsoforthis
selectthecolumncopythenpastespecialasvalues.Weonlywanttousethisvaluesforconfiguration
nodesforallotherrowswewanttosetthevalue1.SoforthiswecreatethefollowingformulainrowL
CopythisformuladowncolumnLforthewholedataset,thencopycolumnLandpastethevaluesover
columnK
Thishastheresultofshowingthelowestlevelofaconfigurationnodeandshowinglevel1forallnon
configurationnodes
Createformulatocopyfromcellabove
InCellA2usetheformulabelowtoreadthevalueformthecellabove
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=IF($K3=1,A2,IF(A$1>$K3,"",A2))
Thisformulawillcopythelineabove(unlessthereisaconfigurationnodeatahigherlevel)
PresscontrolCtocopytotheclipboard,nowhighlightcolumnsAthroughHonly(youdonotwantto
havetheIMGactivitycolumnselected)
Selectallblankcells
Nowthisisthemagic.Toselectalltheblankcellsinthecolumnsyouhavehighlightedusetheselectand
findmenuandselect>gotospecialfunction
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Selecttheblanksoption
PasteformulatoblanksusingcontrolV
Youllnowgetafilethatlookslikebelow
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Intheinitialrowsthereissomecopyingofthelevelnumbersthiscanquicklybecleanedupthough
manuallyafterthevalueshavebeencopiedbelow
Copywholeregionasvalues
FirstlydeselectthecurrentselectionbyclickingincellA1.
Thenusetheselectandfindmenuandselect>gotospecialfunctionagainandthistimeusethecurrent
regionoption
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Thisshouldselectallofyourdata.NowusethecontrolCtocopy
Thenusepastespecialandvaluestooverwritetheforumulaswithtext
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Nowyouhavejustcellsoftext.Youcanmanuallycleanoutthenumbersfromthefirstfewrows.You
canalsodeletecolumnsKandLatthispoint(configurationlevel)
Thiswillgiveyouamuchcleanerspreadsheet
Deletenonconfigurationnodes
Nowreducethesizeofthespreadsheetbykeepingonlytheconfigurationnodes.Thiscanbedoneby
filteringontheIMGactivitycolumnforblankrowsandremovingthem.
Todothisinsertchangethecellvaluesinrowonefrom1,2,3etcto.IuseL1,L2,L3etcand
configurationnodeasbelow
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Nowselectthewholeareaagainusingthefindandselectfunctionthistimeusingcurrentregion
function
Nowinsertatablewithheaders
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Nowselecttheconfigurationcolumndropdowninthetableanddeselectallvaluesandselectonly
blanks
Thisnowshowsonlythenonconfigurationnodes
Selectallrowsanddeletethem,nowyoucanremovethefiltertoleaveonlytheIMGconfiguration
nodes
NowyouhaveanexcelspreadsheetwithonlytheconfigurationnodesintheIMGeachwiththeirfull
menupathstructurecontainedinthatrecord
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UnfortunatelySAPparseslongernamestoanextracolumnsoinsomecasestheendsofwordsarein
columnJyoucouldmanuallycopythembackintothecorrectcolumnorjustdeleteit.
WhatNow?
Nowyouarefreetoaddyourowncolumnstoshowscope,ownership,completion,anddocumentation.
Soitsreallyuptoyouhowyouusethisspreadsheet.
Shouldthisbedoneonallprojects?Probablynot.Therearebettertoolsprovidedinsolutionmanager
etcformanagingscope/etc.howeverifyourteamisdiverseandforinfrastructureandtraining
purposedyoudonotwanttorolloutformaltoolstoalargenumberofusers,youcangenerallyrelyon
mostpeoplebeingabletoopenandupdateanExcelspreadsheet.AndwithMicrosoftstightintegration
withotherofficeproducts,adetailedprojectplantisonlyafewclicksaway
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Extracting SAP's Configuration IMG To Excel: Preparing The IMG Format

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Create a list of in and out of scope nodes to assist with scoping

Extracting the IMG to Excel

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