2691170 - Error Message: “Business Partner already exists” While Creating Business Partner

While trying to create a New Business Partner Organization, we are unable to Save due to the error:

Business partner X already exists
Save failed

*X represents the ID of Business Partner

SAP Business ByDesign

1. Go to Business Partner Data work center
2. Go to Common Tasks view
3. Choose New Business Partner Organization
4. Fill the required/mandatory fields
5. Select Save
6. System throws the mentioned error

1. There is a Business Partner with the same ID X which is already available in the Business Partners view.
2. You have changed the Number Ranges for Business Partners several times which is leading to inconsistencies.
3. Since the External number range was used for manual assignment of numbers during migration, there could be Business Partners in this number range.
4. There is Internal number range used for Automatic number determination where the below changes may have happened.

• Before DD1.MM1.YYYY1

External number range for interval XXXXX - YYYYY (numbers are already taken)
Example: 0000000001 - 0000999999 (numbers are already taken)

Internal number range for interval AAAAA - ZZZZZ
Example: 0001000000 - 0099999999

• After DD2.MM2.YYYY2

External number range for interval XXXXX – YYYYY were changed to EEEEE - FFFFF
Example: 99999999AA - 99999999ZZ

Internal number range for interval GGGGG - HHHHH
Example: 1 - 999999

* XXXXX, AAAAA, GGGGG, are the Begin Numbers in the Interval
YYYYY, ZZZZZ, HHHHH are the End Numbers in the Interval
DD1.MM1.YYYY1 and DD2.MM2.YYYY2 represents the date

Adjust the Number Ranges for Business Partners in the activity General Business Partners in Business Configuration work center.

1. Go to Business Configuration work center
2. Select Implementation Projects view or Overview
3. Search and Open the activity General Business Partners
4. Select Define Number Ranges for Business Partners
5. Maintain the number ranges as required

Consider an example:

For the number range used in migration, the interval from 1 to 0000050012 is already used.
For the automatic number range, the interval from 000100000 – 0001000250 is already used.

Therefore, you only can set the range for the internal interval starting with a number higher than 0000050012 but lower than 000100000, to avoid clashes.
This will allow you to maintain around 49900 more business partners.

Alternatively, you may change the internal number range to start with 0001000251.

* 1 , 000100000, 0001000251 represents the Begin Numbers and End Numbers
0000050012, 0001000250 represents the  End Numbers

To understand the changes made to the number range intervals, you may follow the below steps:

1. Go to Business Configuration work center
2. Go to Reports view
3. Open the Report Configuration Change History
4. Select the tab Fine-Tuning Settings
5. For the activity Number Ranges for Business Partners, download the zip file to view the changes

Further, to list all the Business Partners in the system

1. You may also use an Analytic report to check all the used numbers or
2. Download a list of Business Partners from the Business Partner Data Work center view.

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