We’re experiencing persistent transport issues in our SAP S/4HANA 1809 project management implementation. Transport logs consistently show successful completion status, yet several critical objects are missing in the target system after import. This affects primarily WBS elements and custom fields we’ve configured for project tracking.
Specific observations:
Transport request logs indicate 100% success rate
However, 8 WBS elements and 5 custom fields don’t appear post-transport
We’ve attempted re-import multiple times with same results
Dependency checks before release show no conflicts
Source system objects are valid and active
The missing custom fields include project milestone dates and budget allocation fields that are critical for our financial reporting integration. We’re concerned about data integrity across environments. Has anyone encountered similar transport completion vs. actual object sync discrepancies? What diagnostic approaches should we prioritize?
Your issue stems from multiple root causes that need systematic resolution:
Transport Log vs. Actual Sync Discrepancy:
The transport system reports success at the request level, but individual object import can fail without triggering overall failure. This is especially common with WBS elements and custom fields in 1809.
WBS Elements Not Syncing - Version Conflicts:
The ‘object already exists in different version’ warnings you’re seeing indicate target system has conflicting versions. This happens when:
Direct changes were made in target (bypassing transport route)
Previous transport created different object version
System timestamps are out of sync between landscapes
Resolution approach:
Use SE03 transaction, navigate to ‘Set System Change Option’
Temporarily enable overwrite mode for PRPS table entries
Re-import transport with parameter ‘ignore=X’ to force overwrite
After successful import, immediately disable overwrite mode
Alternatively, use transaction SCC1 for client-specific transport copy with overwrite flag enabled.
Custom Fields Missing - Wrong Request Type:
Your observation about TABU entries is critical. Custom fields for project management should be transported as:
Customizing request (type ‘CUST’) for field definitions
Not as table entries (TABU) which only transport data
Check transaction SE11 for your custom field definitions - they should be in append structures or custom tables. These need to be added to a customizing request using transaction SE10 with proper object type ‘TABD’ (table definition) or ‘FUGR’ (function group) if you’re using field exits.
Dependency Check Limitations:
Standard dependency analysis doesn’t catch all PM-FI integration points. Your missing objects likely reference:
Controlling area settings (transaction OKKP)
Project profile configurations (transaction OPSA)
Settlement profiles that differ between systems
Run transaction CNS_ANALYZE_PROJECT to validate all dependencies for your WBS structure before transport.
Recommended Action Plan:
Create new customizing request for custom field definitions (not table contents)
Use transaction SPDD_CUST to properly capture field metadata
For WBS elements, run report RPSEXPORT in source to export structure, then RPSIMPORT in target with force-overwrite option
Apply SAP note 2847293 if not already implemented - addresses project versioning in transports
Implement transport verification script using report RSWBO052 post-import
Document all master data prerequisites (cost centers, profit centers) that must exist in target before WBS transport
This systematic approach addresses all three focus areas: transport log accuracy, object synchronization, and dependency management. The key is separating metadata transport (definitions) from data transport (instances) and handling version conflicts explicitly rather than relying on automatic resolution.
This draft is based on general SAP S/4HANA knowledge. It has not been verified against your specific version and environment. Practitioners: verify the steps and share your experience below.
Check your transport object list details using SE09 or SE10. Sometimes objects get marked as transported but weren’t actually included in the request scope. Look specifically at the object directory entries for your WBS elements and custom fields. Also verify table entries - WBS elements are stored in PRPS table and custom fields metadata in CUST_ATTR. The logs might show success for the request itself while individual objects failed silently.
I’ve seen this behavior with version conflicts in 1809. Run transaction STMS_IMPORT with detailed logging enabled. Check return codes for each object - you might find RC=4 warnings that don’t fail the overall transport but skip specific objects. Also verify your transport domain configuration hasn’t changed. If WBS elements have dependencies on project definitions or network activities, those parent objects must exist in target first. Missing dependencies cause silent skips even when logs show green.
Thanks for the suggestions. I ran SE10 detailed view and found something interesting - the custom fields are listed in the request but with object type ‘TABU’ for table entries rather than proper customizing objects. Could this be why they’re not transporting correctly? The WBS elements show as PRPS entries but I’m seeing warnings about ‘object already exists in different version’ for 3 of them. Not sure how to interpret that since we definitely want to overwrite with the newer version.
Tested this on S/4HANA 1809 sandbox-to-QA transport route; resolving WBS version conflicts by deleting target-side manual changes before re-importing the request eliminated all sync discrepancies.
The ‘object already exists in different version’ message is your smoking gun. This happens when target system has a newer timestamp or different change request associated with those objects. SAP Transport Management uses version comparison logic that can block overwrites if it detects potential conflicts. You need to either use transaction SE03 to set overwrite mode for those specific objects, or better yet, identify why target has different versions. Someone might have made direct changes in target instead of following proper transport path. For the custom fields marked as TABU entries, those need to be in a customizing request type, not workbench. Check if they were added to wrong request class.
I dealt with this exact scenario last quarter. Your dependency check might not be catching cross-object references. WBS elements can have links to cost centers, profit centers, or functional areas that exist in FI but aren’t obvious PM dependencies. Use transaction CJ20N to display your WBS structure and check all assignment fields. If any reference master data that differs between systems, transport will skip those elements. Also run report RSWBO052 to analyze your transport request contents - it shows object relationships that standard SE09 doesn’t reveal.
Check table E071K for your transport request number - this stores the object keys being transported. Compare entries between source and what actually arrived in target using SE16. For WBS elements specifically, you might be hitting the project versioning conflict that was a known issue in 1809 before note 2847293 was released.