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.

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