SAP configuration is done in tables provided by SAP. You access these tables by using transaction code SM30 and entering the table name. Sometimes the table has hundreds of entries, making it complicated to look for specific entries. I will explain how to use table V_T554S to filter by absence types and conditions and how to use the Enter conditions field. You can use any of these steps for any view table in SAP ERP HCM.

I describe the contents option using the examples of filtering the table for one absence type, filtering the table for multiple absence types, and filtering the table with multiple conditions. I then show how to use the Enter conditions field to filter for single and multiple absence types.

Option 1: Select by Contents

I’m using V_T554S table as an example for the selection By Contents option. Go to table V_T554S (Absence types) using transaction code SM30 (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Absence types configuration table V_T554S

As shown in Figure 1, the table has more than a thousand entries. You might need to know if you missed any required personnel subarea grouping (first column in table V_T554S) for a particular absence type such as VACS (Vacation Scheduled). It is very difficult to scroll down and find the entries. I am going to show you how you can easily filter the fields to look for the absence type VACS with three examples.

Example 1: Filter the Table for One Absence Type

Step 1. From the top menu bar, follow Selection > By Contents (Figure 2).

Figure 2

Top menu with Selection and By Contents highlighted

Step 2. A screen appears with the fields available for filtering. Select the fields you want to filter  by clicking the tab before the text of the field. For example, in Figure 3, I selected the Att./Absence type field. Click the green check icon in Figure 3 to get to the screen in Figure 4.

Figure 3

Fields available for filtering table V_T554S

Figure 4

Filter the table with the absence types

Step 3. Enter the absence type VACS and click the Choose button (Figure 4). The output is the filtered entries with the absence type VACS (Figure 5).

Figure 5

Output showing absence type VACS with different personnel subarea groupings

Example 2: Filter the Table for Multiple Absence Types

Now I will show you how to filter the table for more than one absence type. Suppose you want to find which personnel subarea groupings have VACS and SICK leaves. To do this, follow steps 1 and 2 of the previous scenario. Then enter the absence type VACS and then click the Append button in Figure 4. The screen in Figure 3 appears again, so select Att./Absence type and click the green check icon to get to the screen shown in Figure 6.

Note that you have two options in the Oper. field: AND as well as OR. Select OR from the drop-down menu (Figure 6). Enter SICK in the field contents and click Choose. Figure 7 displays the results of the filtering for vacation and sick absences.

Figure 6

Selection screen for one or more fields

Figure 7

Table showing all the personnel subarea groupings that have VACS and SICK absence types

Example 3: Filter the Table Based on Conditions

You can also filter the table based on different conditions. For example, absence type Leave without pay (LWOP) is configured as valid from the year 1990 to 2003 and again as valid from 2005 (Figure 8). If you want to filter the table for the absence type LWOP and with the start date 01/01/1990, you repeat the process you followed in example 2. Choose AND as well as the Start Date field. The fields available are shown in Figure 3. If you scroll down further, you would see the Start Date field after clicking the Append button. Enter the start date. Select AND in the Oper. column as shown in Figure 9 and click the Choose button. You get the list of absence type LWOP with the start date of 01/01/1990 (Figure 10).

Figure 8

Absence type LWOP with different validity periods

Figure 9

Filtering based on more than one condition

Figure 10

Filtered table showing LWOP with start date 01/01/90

Option 2: Enter Conditions Field

Another way of filtering the fields is using the option available on the main screen of transaction code SM30 to access the tables. Enter the table name and select the Enter conditions option (Figure 11). Click the Display button and the screen shown in Figure 12 pops up. Check the field to be filtered and click the green check icon. Enter the absence type as shown in Figure 13 and click the green check icon. You see a screen with the absence type VACS filtered as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 11

Main screen of transaction SM30

Figure 12

Field Selection screen showing the options available for filtering

Figure 13

Absence type entered

Now if you want to filter more than one absence type, click the Further select cond. button in Figure 13. Enter the absence type VACS and click the Append button. Then the screen shown in Figure 12 appears again. Enter the other absence type SICK (Figure 14). Click the green check icon to get the filtered entries of both VACS and SICK absence types as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 14

To filter two absence types enter the absence types

Venkat Dasika

Venkat Dasika is a certified senior SAP HR consultant. He has been consulting in the SAP HR Time/Payroll modules for more than nine years in private- and public-sector implementations.

You may contact the author at vrsdasika@yahoo.com.

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