Hello Peeps!
Let’s take a closer look at infotypes in SAP HCM and explore how they play a crucial role in managing employee data.
🧩 What Is an Infotype in SAP HCM?
In the SAP Human Capital Management (HCM) module, an infotype is a logical grouping of employee data, such as personal details, address, or payroll information. Each infotype has a unique number (e.g., 0002 for Personal Data, 0006 for Address) and is accessed using transactions like PA30 or PA40.
SAP provides many standard infotypes, but businesses often have unique HR requirements. That's where custom infotypes come in — allowing companies to store specific data that’s not available in standard infotypes.
✅ Why Create a Custom Infotype?
Creating a custom infotype is useful when:
You need to capture client-specific HR data (e.g., vaccination records, bonus eligibility).
The business wants to track custom fields for employees.
You are working on SAP HR implementation or support projects and need to extend functionality.
You want to prepare for real-time SAP ABAP HCM interview questions and project scenarios.
🛠 Step-by-Step: How to Create a Custom Infotype in SAP ABAP HCM
Let’s walk through the full process of creating a custom infotype using transaction PM01.
🔹 Step 1: Open Transaction PM01
Go to the SAP Easy Access screen.
Enter the transaction code PM01 and press Enter.
You’ll see the Infotype Maintenance screen.
🔹 Step 2: Define Infotype Number
Enter a custom infotype number between 9000 and 9999 (e.g., 9100).
This number range is reserved for customer-defined infotypes.
🔹 Step 3: Choose “Create Infotype”
Select the "Create Infotype" radio button.
Enter:
Infotype name: e.g., "ZCUSTOM_BENEFITS"
PS Structure: e.g., "ZP9100"
Subtype option: Leave unchecked for now
Click on Create All to generate:
Data structure (PS structure)
Module pool
Screens (e.g., screen 2000)
🔹 Step 4: Define Fields in Data Dictionary
Go to transaction SE11.
Open the generated structure (e.g., ZP9100).
Add fields like:
ZBENEFIT_PLAN – CHAR10
ZSTART_DATE – DATS
ZEND_DATE – DATS
ZAPPROVED_BY – CHAR20
Save and activate the structure.
🔹 Step 5: Design the Infotype Screen
Return to transaction PM01.
Go to Screen > 2000.
Use the Screen Painter to add labels and input fields.
Arrange the fields to improve usability.
Save and activate the screen layout.
🔹 Step 6: Implement Custom Logic (Optional)
Open the module pool program generated by PM01.
You can write custom code in:
PBO (Process Before Output) – for field formatting
PAI (Process After Input) – for validations
Use MODULE routines to process custom logic.
🔹 Step 7: Activate the Infotype
Once the structure and screen are created, return to PM01:
Select the Infotype again
Click "Generate All" to finalize the setup
Test activation to ensure everything compiles correctly
🔹 Step 8: Test the Custom Infotype in PA30
Go to transaction PA30.
Enter a personnel number (PERNR).
Choose your custom infotype number (e.g., 9100) from the list.
Create a new record and enter values in the fields you defined.
If the infotype appears correctly and data saves without issues — congratulations, you've created a working custom infotype in SAP HCM!
🎯 Best Practices for Creating Custom Infotypes
✅ Always follow SAP’s naming conventions (Z or Y prefix for custom objects).
✅ Use data elements that match the business meaning of fields.
✅ Keep screens clean and user-friendly for HR users.
✅ Test with multiple personnel numbers to validate logic and screen behavior.
✅ Document your infotype design and usage clearly for support and future reference.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Creating a custom infotype in SAP ABAP HCM is a valuable skill for any SAP technical consultant working with HR data. It shows you can adapt standard functionality to real-world business needs.
Whether you're working on SAP implementation, customizing personnel administration processes, or preparing for technical interviews, mastering custom infotypes gives you a solid edge.
Take this as a foundation and explore further with validations, user exits, and integrations using BAPIs or IDocs for more advanced SAP HCM development.
Happy Learing!
Dr. Tech