2545988 - How To Purge or Delete Users In SuccessFactors

• How can I completely delete a user from my SuccessFactors System?
• Is it possible to purge a user and delete their information instead just deactivating them?
• How to purge users in SuccessFactors?

Image/data in this KBA is from SAP internal systems, sample data, or demo systems. Any resemblance to real data is purely coincidental.

SAP SuccessFactors HCM

Important: 

• Export your Employee Export File or UDF file into your desktop (will be used as a Backup) before any purge action.
• Check if the user is EC or No EC User - 2584658 - How to Check if a User is an EC User using the Integration Center - isECRecord Boolean.

 

Step 1: Make sure the users are already inactive.

NoN EC User Only: Set Non EC User to Inactive Via Basic Import

1. Go to Admin Center > "Export Employees" to download the User Data File (UDF).
2. Create a new file copying the first 2 rows, and add only the users to be purged (make sure to change their status to 'inactive').
3. Add or fill companyExitDate column.
4. Then go back to Admin Center > "Import Employee Data".
5. Select 'Basic Import', and upload the UDF created.
6. Import the file.

For:standard-element id="companyExitDate view Guide-chapter: Adding the CompanyExitDate Field to the User Record

<standard-element id="companyExitDate" max-length="128" required="false" matrix-filter="false">
<label xml:lang="en-US">Company Exit Date</label>
<label xml:lang="en-GB">companyExitDate</label>
<label>Company Exit Date</label>
</standard-element>

Employee Central or EC User  or isECRecord = 1 Only

1. Check: 
   • 2584658 - How to Check if a User is an EC User using the Integration Center - isECRecord Boolean

2. Check: configure companyExitDate exist in BCUI or SDM data model as seen below;

3. Guide-chapter: Adding the CompanyExitDate Field to the User Record Chapter: Termination Date Between Employee Central and Standard User Fields;

4. Reference KBAs:

• 2617614 - Employee Profile: How to Configure companyExitDate Field under Manage Business Configuration
• 2643327 - Missing 'Company Exit Date' Field in User Profile for DRTM
• 2614665 - Syncing the Termination Date between Employee Central and the SuccessFactors Platform

4. Terminate EC User: EC User must be terminated before any type of purge. Terminate Options:

• Terminate User via: MSS - UI or Take action - terminate or Import - 2511979 - Employee Central: How Do I Terminate Employees via Import?
• Manager: Can only be terminated via: MSS - UI or Take action - terminate
• Refer to 2614665 - Syncing the Termination Date between Employee Central and the SuccessFactors Platform and Termination Date Between Employee Central and Standard User Fields.

Note: Purge Action only starts after above tasks finished. Download UDF “Admin Center > Employee Export”, and verify that Terminate user has been set to inactive before any purge action.

Step 2: Soft purging users

Important For customer using LMS module , Please view 2179378 - Purge Request fails automatically with "Reviewing..." status and 2088065. Note that this purge will also purge the user on LMS, and the data is not restorable.

NOTE: the users' data is deleted, but username and userID are still stored and reserved on the instance.

1. Go to Admin Center > "Data Retention Management".
2. Under "Manual Data Purge", select "Create New Purge Request".
3. Select the option "DRTM Master Data Purge". (from 2H 2024 release on, the Purge Inactive User request type is deleted for Employee Central - please refer to Purge Inactive User Request Type Is Deleted for Employee Central | SAP Help Portal.)
4. Under "Add purge user criteria", choose "Upload a list of users (by User ID or Assignment ID)".
5. Click "Download Example" to download the template. You can change the value from Assignment ID (default) to User Id if preferable.
6. Edit this file, and add the user id values of all the users to be purged.
7. Back on the system, choose the file and click 'Upload'.
8. Add an approver.
9. Click on 'Launch Immediately'.
10. Later go to "Purge Request Monitor" page, and approve the request under the "Requests Pending Final Approval" tab.Then go to the next tab "Purge Results & Discontinued Requests", and wait until the request is completed.

 

Step 3: Check Soft Purge :  3058601 - How To Check Soft Purge or (Hard or Permanent Purged ) Users 

• 1. Go to data inspector
  2. Select in Entity: Table_USERS_SYSINFO  //Table_EMP_EMPLOYMENT_INFO 
  3. Define filter criteria : Users Sys ID   Equals 
  4. click on show Data
  5. Status: X
  6. x = Purged view: 3375924 - How To check User Status Via Data inspector

 Note: Check DRTM Job run after soft purge

• Go to Scheduled Job Manager
• Job monitor 
• Job Type
  

See Job Type:

• Data Management -- Create Request  ( after initiating the Soft purge )
• Data Management -- Process Request ( after approving the Soft purge )

Step 4: Permanently purging users 

• 2392076 System Identifier Purge - User Permanent or Hard Purge

Option: select "Purge inactive users listed in a CSV file

1. Go to Admin Center > "Data Retention Management.
2. Under "System Identifier Purge", select "Purge inactive users listed in a CSV file".
3. You can upload the same file from the step before.
4. Click 'Submit'.

  Or

1. Go to Data Retention Management
2. System Identifier Purge Job Monitor.
3. Purge all inactive users
4. Submit
5. Check Email receive by approval configure under Manage Email Notification - single Recipient Email

Note: The Purge Inactive User request type for Employee Central is deleted as of Nov 15, 2024. For Employee Central enabled instances, we recommend using the DRTM Master Data Purge request type as it is legally more compliant and provides a centralized purge solution in which country/region and legal entity-based retention times can be configured for inactive employees.

Step 5: Check Permanent Purge

•  3058601 - How To Check Soft Purge or (Hard or Permanent Purged ) Users 

1. Go to data inspector
2. Select in Entity: Table_USERS_SYSINFO  //Table_EMP_EMPLOYMENT_INFO 
3. Define filter criteria : Users Sys ID   Equals 
4. click on show Data
5. Result: NO Data

 Note: Check DRTM Job run after soft purge

• Go to Scheduled Job Manager
• Job monitor 
• Job Type
  

See Job Type:

• Data Management -- Permanent User Purge ( after approving the Hard or Permanent  purge )

FAQ - Additional Information

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

A) Guide: Implementing and Managing Data Protection and Privacy under > Chapter: Termination Date Between Employee Central and Standard User Fields

Q) Is it possible to re-activate purged users which have been soft purged using the legacy purge inactive user Data Retention Management Purge or Data Retention Time Management Purge?

A)  Yes, A soft purge is when the user is still existing at the Database level. View : 2392094 - Re-activate a Purged User Via employee Import Feature

Q) Is it possible to purge user separately in LMS only?

A)  No, it's not supported.

Q) How soft purge user can be reactivated?

A) 2392094 - Re-activate a Purged User Via Employee Import Feature.

Q) Is there an audit report or an option to identified the permanently/hard purged users?

A) Once a user is permanently purged through the DRTM Master data Purge process, all associated records are permanently deleted from the database. Also, the change audit data will be purged too and it's not possible to generate change audit report to track which user has been hard purged. Hence, there is no audit report or option available to identify or retrieve information about users who have been hard purged.

Q) which DRTM job get trigger under Job Monitor  after a purge action ?

A) list of Job Type:

• Data Management -- Create Request  ( after initiating the Soft purge )
• Data Management -- Process Request ( after approving the Soft purge )
• Data Management -- Permanent User Purge ( after approving the Hard or Permanent  purge )
• Data Management -- Expire Request

Q) Maximum Number of Users in a Purge Request?

A) 

DRTM Guide: Maximum Number of Users in a Purge Request

 

A maximum of 10,000 users can be included in single purge request.

For large organizations that are running the data purge for the first time, it may be necessary to purge more than 10,000 at once. If you need to purge a large number of users, set up multiple purge requests and use subject criteria to select fewer people in each request.

After your initial run, it's unlikely that you'll need to purge that many users at once, so a single recurring purge is likely to be sufficient.

 

Chapter: Best Practice for Purging Data Targeting Large Number of Users

 

The planning of implementation projects involving data purge should consider time spent on purging data targeting large number of users.

When the number of target users exceeds 100,000, you need to plan ahead to avoid implementation project delays caused by longer than expected purge process. In addition, a complex data structure affects the performance of purge functions. For example, the purge process takes much longer to complete when your instance is integrated with SAP SuccessFactors Learning.

To ensure that the implementation project is delivered on time, you need to perform a test batch purge targeting 10,000 users. When planning the schedule of the implementation project, use the time spent on the test purge as a benchmark and reserve enough time for purge jobs.

Note: : For Purge User with Multiple Employment Refer to

• 2788892 Unable to Purge User / Employment Because it is a Main Assignment 
• 3016145 - Unable to Purge User with Multiple Employment
• 3558538 - Unable to reactivate purged user with Multiple Employments
• 2788892 Unable to Purge User / Employment Because it is a Main Assignment

 

• 3375924 - How To check User Status Via Data inspector
• 3319018 - How To Enable Feature Data Inspector
• 2615360 - DRTM Master Data Purge for Inactive Users

• 2504995 - What is the maximum number of users I can purge per request? - SuccessFactors 

• 2545988 - How To Purge or Delete Users In SuccessFactors 

• 2584658 - How to Check if a User is an EC User using the Integration Center - isECRecord Boolean
• 2088065 - Data Retention Management - Purge Data - Platform
• 2614665 - Syncing the Termination Date between Employee Central and the SuccessFactors Platform
• 2089382 - User Import Error - Duplicate Username - Platform
• 2457516 - Cannot update/ modify username
• 2392076 - User Permanent Purge Feature
• 2615360 - Data Protection and Privacy - Data Retention Time Management (DRTM) - Master Data Purge for Inactive Users
• 2392094 - Re-activate a purged user via employee import feature
• 3236874 - Soft Purge failed with error Completed with errors
• 3058601 - How To Check Soft Purge or (Hard or Permanent Purged ) Users 
• 2596758 - Soft Purged Users Report
• 2179378 - Purge Request fails automatically
• 3038172 - [Onboarding] DRTM Onboarding Purge
• 3052056 - How to delete or permanent purge an inactive onboardee user - Onboarding
• 2922739 - How to purge integrated external learners using DRM - SAP SuccessFactors Learning
• 2247664 - Compensation & Variable Pay - Not possible to purge user: User belongs to compensation/variable pay form(s) thus can't be purged
• 3301177 - Purge inactive user fails with the error: "User Purge failed. Please check the server log or create a ticket
• 3016145 - Unable to Purge User with Multiple Employment
• 2788892 - Unable to Purge User / Employment Because it is a Main Assignment

• 3548165 - [INTERNAL] - 'Purged User Purged user' Appearing in Search Results for User with Active Employment

• Guide-Chapter- Purge Inactive User Request Type Is Deleted for Employee Central

Success factors, bizx, purge users, inactivate users, data retention management, DRM, username, terminate, userid, LMS, Enable Purge Inactive User request type, ECT-242229, Soft purge, Hard purge, permanent purge, data inspector, Platform, LOD-SF-PLT, LOD-SF-EC, Data Management -- Create Request, Data Management -- Process Request, Data Management -- P User Purge ,Data Management -- Expire Request , KBA , LOD-SF-PLT-DRM , Data Retention Management , LOD-SF-EC-DRM , Data Retention Management - (DRM & DRTM) EC Data Only , How To

SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite all versions