How To Fix SO696 - Organizational unit "&" could not be expanded

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: SO - SAPoffice: message texts

• Message number: 696

• Message text: Organizational unit "&" could not be expanded

What causes this issue?

A organizational unit could not be expanded because either it was
incorrectly maintained or because no user is (currently) assigned to it.

System Response

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

How to fix this error?

Contact your administrator.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message SO696 - Organizational unit "&" could not be expanded ?

  The SAP error message SO696 indicates that the system is unable to expand or retrieve information for a specified organizational unit. This can occur in various contexts, such as when trying to access organizational structures, roles, or other related data in SAP.
  Causes:
  
  Invalid Organizational Unit: The organizational unit specified may not exist or may have been deleted.
  Authorization Issues: The user may not have the necessary authorizations to view or access the specified organizational unit.
  Data Inconsistencies: There may be inconsistencies or corruption in the organizational structure data.
  Configuration Issues: The organizational unit may not be properly configured in the system.
  Transport Issues: If the organizational unit was recently transported from another system, there may have been issues during the transport process.
  
  Solutions:
  
  Check Organizational Unit: Verify that the organizational unit specified in the error message exists in the system. You can do this by navigating to the relevant transaction (e.g., PPOME for organizational management) and checking the structure.
  Review Authorizations: Ensure that the user has the necessary authorizations to access the organizational unit. This can be checked in transaction SU53 or by consulting with your security team.
  Data Consistency Check: Run consistency checks on the organizational structure data. This can often be done through specific reports or transactions designed to check for inconsistencies.
  Configuration Review: Review the configuration settings for the organizational unit in the relevant customizing transactions (e.g., OOCU for organizational units).
  Transport Logs: If the issue arose after a transport, check the transport logs for any errors or warnings that may indicate problems with the organizational unit.
  SAP Notes: Search for relevant SAP Notes in the SAP Support Portal that may address this specific error or provide additional troubleshooting steps.
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes: Familiarize yourself with relevant transaction codes such as PPOME (for organizational management) and SU53 (for authorization checks).
  SAP Support: If the issue persists, consider reaching out to SAP Support for assistance, providing them with the error message details and any troubleshooting steps you have already taken.
  Documentation: Review SAP documentation related to organizational management and structure to understand how organizational units are defined and managed within the system.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to identify the cause of the SO696 error and implement a solution to resolve it.