2087991 - Foundation Objects: How to Delete Foundation Objects

• How to delete a Foundation Object
• Is it possible to permanently remove a Foundation Object?

• SAP SuccessFactors HXM Suite
• SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

Mass deletion of Foundation Objects data is not supported due to the risks associated with modifying this type of data. Foundation Objects must be deleted individually through the User Interface.

NOTE: It is imperative that no users have the target Foundation Object, data that is to be deleted, in their Employee Central data set. You can check this by running a Person and Employment Export Ad-Hoc report to check if any users have EC data records with the Foundation Object value populated with that you would like to delete.

In terms of classification,  the following data objects are identified as legacy Foundation Objects:

• Location Group , Geo Zone,  Location, Pay Range, Pay Grade, Pay Component, Pay Component Group, Frequency, Dynamic Role, Workflow Config,Event Reason

Validation and Safety Checks

Before Making Changes:

1. Run Person and Employment Export:

   • Include your Foundation Object
   • Filter for records using the target invalid values
   • Verify no active employee assignments exist

2. Create Backup:

   • Export all Foundation Object data before modifications
   • Export affected employee compensation data
   • Store backups securely for rollback if needed

3. Test in Preview Environment:

   • If available, test the inactive status approach in Preview first
   • Validate that inactive objects don't appear in employee assignment dropdowns

Via UI:

You can delete Foundation Objects via Admin Center > Employee Files > Manage Organization, Pay and Job Structures

Modify Status Field:

• Select the specific Foundation Objects you want to deactivate
• In the object details, locate the Status field
• Change the value from "Active" to "InActive"
• Click Save

Delete Foundation Objects

There are two scenarios regarding the deletion of Foundation Objects:

• Not migrated to MDF -

• Migrated to MDF -

1. In the Search drop down select the type of object  you would like to edit.
2. Next to that box select the specific object.
3. On the left hand side in the History box, click ‘Permanently Delete Entry’. This will remove the foundation object from your instance.

Employee Central Import Configuration for Data Cleanup

Template Setup for Compensation Data Deletion:

Standard Compensation Import:
Required Columns:

1.  User ID
2. Sequence Number
3.  Company
4. Operation (set to "DELIMIT")
5.  Effective Start Date

Job History Cleanup Import:
Required Columns: 

1. User ID
2. Sequence Number
3.  Company (mandatory to avoid validation errors)
4.  Operation (set to "DELIMIT")
5.  Effective Start Date

Configuration Steps:

Prepare Import File:

• Export existing employee data to identify records with invalid Foundation Objects
  Create CSV with only records that need cleanup
• Set Operation column to "DELIMIT" for deletion

Import Process:

• • Navigate to Admin Center > Data Management > Import Employee Data
  • Select appropriate template (Compensation Information or Job History)
  • Upload prepared CSV file
  • Run Validate before executing import
  • Execute import after successful validation

Compound Delete Configuration 

Prerequisites:

• Enable Compound Delete must be activated 
• The Admin Center  Manage Employee Central Settings  Enable Compound  Deletion setting is enabled. This setting is required to download the required import file template

Important Prerequisites:

• Verify no employees have the target Foundation Object values in their Employee Central data
• Run a Person and Employment Export Ad-Hoc report to check for existing references: 2413486 : 2317955 : 2092850  
• NEVER delete Foundation Objects that have been used for employee data - this breaks historical audit trails

Employee Central Data Foundation Object Deletion

FAQ - Additional Information

Q) Where can I get information on this from the Guide?

A) Guide: Managing Mass Changes in Employee Central   

    Chapter- Deleting Employee Data with a Single Entity 

    Chapter- Foundation Objects

More information on "Compound Delete" feature can be found in Employee Central Imports Admin Guide >> Working with Data Imports >> Working with Employee Data >> Deleting Employee Data

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