Vendor Master Table in SAP

To run your business smoothly, you must learn how to manage your vendor data properly. Yet, many organisations struggle with incomplete information, outdated records, and miscommunication with suppliers. SAP’s Vendor Master tables provide a structured framework to store, manage, and track vendor information across different domains to address specific challenges you might face in building a reliable community of suppliers. 

What is the Vendor Master Table in SAP?

The vendor master table is a central database used by a company to store and retrieve vendor-related information. This table simplifies how every team of a business, from procurements to accounts payable, interacts with vendors. As every member of your business is accessing unified information, this eliminates the risk of errors, such as incorrect payments or miscommunication with suppliers. 

When you manage several vendors without streamlined data, it becomes difficult to keep a tap on efficiency and meet compliance with regulations. However, the vendor master table offers a single source of truth and makes it easy to bypass these challenges with ease. In short, when used properly, the vendor master table is an ideal tool to maintain stronger supplier relationships and improve operational workflows.

Primary Vendor Master Table in SAP 

In SAP, the vendor data is organised into several key tables, each with a specific purpose. In this regard, let’s take a look at some primary vendor master tables where you can store essential vendor information for use across procurement, finance, and logistics. 

LFA1 (Vendor Master General Selection)

This section holds essential vendor information, such as:

• Name
• Address
• Tax identification number
• Contact details 

LFB1 (Vendor Master Company Code)

LFB1 holds the financial transactions of vendors of a particular company code. It records data such as:

• Payment terms
• Reconciliation accounts 
• Tax information

LFM1 (Vendor Master Purchasing Organisation Data)

This table stores purchasing-related information for vendors. You can store and access data like: 

• Order currency 
• Terms of payment and delivery
• Minimum order value 

LFAS (VAT Registration Numbers General Section)

The LFAS table is primarily used to maintain and store the VAT registration numbers of vendors for various tax purposes.

LFBK (Bank Details)

As the name suggests, this table stores vendor banking information, such as account numbers and bank codes. The importance of this table is highly imperative for accurate and efficient electronic payment processing. 

SAP Tables for Vendor Master Functionalities 

SAP has different types of special tables to store specific vendor-related functionalities. Let’s take a look at some important tables and their roles. 

ADR6 (Vendor Email Address) 

You will find the email addresses of all vendors in this table for seamless communication related to purchasing orders and payment confirmations. 

BKPF (Accounting Document Header)

BKPF links vendor master data to accounting documents. Through this table, you can get an overview of financial transactions associated with specific vendors. 

BSIK (Open Vendor Items)

BSIK lists outstanding payments for vendors. You will frequently depend on this table to track pending invoices and cashflow management. 

BSEG (Accounting Document Line items)

This function allows the accounting document items to be used as a data source for downstream functions, such as payments, credit memos, and adjustments. 

EINA (Purchasing Info Record General Data)

EINA links vendor and material data. It stores purchasing-related info, such as pricing and delivery terms, to support procurement processes.  

EINE (Purchasing Info Record for Purchasing Organisation)

This table serves as a central repository of information about potential suppliers and their offerings. It can be maintained at a plant level or at the purchasing organisation level.