ASSOCIATION

Feature to link foundation objects or MDF foundation objects which helps us to filter the child field in job information portlet based on a parent field.

Configuration is bit confusing sometimes.I will try to explain the concept in a simple way.

Parent Child Concept

Parent 

This is the field which is selected first in job information portlet

Child

The field which gets filtered based on the parent

Below steps explains how to  associate an MDF object to another MDF object

MDF FO- MDF FO Association

1. Create object level association
2. Configure field criteria
3. Maintain association data

Step 1 CREATE OBJECT LEVEL ASSOCIATION

Decide the parent and child before creating association

For example:

• I want to associate department and company, both are MDF FO.
• Requirement is to filter department based on company.
• Company value will be selected first and then department.
• Hence company is the parent and department is the child

Association configuration is always created within the child object 

Navigate to Admin center —->Configure object definition—->Select the child object —>department is the child in my example

Scroll down towards the association section

Name 

Give any name of your choice

Multiplicity

“One to One” or “One to Many”

If you want to have multiple departments for One Legal entity then it should be” One to Many” else its “One to One”

Destination Object

Enter  parent object here,its legal entity in above example

Type 

Select valid when if you want the child object to be created independently outside the parent object

Step 2: CONFIGURE FIELD CRITERIA

This configuration is to be added in succession data model or via BCUI

Field criteria’s are always added within the child field

Here department field is the child and legal entity(company) is the parent

Go to admin center—->BCUI—->Job information—->Select the child field department—–>click details—->go to the field criteria section

Following fields to be filled under Field Criteria

1. Destination Field Value
2. Source Filed Name

Destination Field Value

Enter the standard job information field id of parent object here. Parent is company in my example

Source Field name

Enter association name with an extension.This part is bit confusing and any mistakes here will result in filtering issues.

Syntax

ASSOCIATION NAME DOT EXTENSION

How to find association name

Finding association name is pretty simple.Navigate to the child object scroll down to the association section and find the name(check first image)

My association name is cust_toLegalEntity

How to find the extension

Go to the parent object definition and check the label internalCode under the column Database Field Name. Copy the corresponding field name .Here its internalId .This will be extension.

Now we have to combine the association name and extension in below format

associationnamedotextension

cust_toLegalEntity.internalId. Add this in Source Field Name section of field criteria

Above name is case sensitive

Step 3: MAINTAIN ASSOCIATION DATA

This is done via manage data.Navigate to the child object department and associate the company to the department

Step 4:VERIFY THE CONFIGURATION

Go to any users job history.Select company and check whether the department is getting filtered.

Check https://blogs.sap.com/2019/01/14/successfactors-association-troubleshooting/ to know more about how to troubleshoot association configuration