Lesson Duration: 15 Minutes
Lesson Overview
Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
• Describe the functions and processes in the SAP TM system
• List examples of documents in order management
• Explain ERP and SAP TM-related master data.
Business Example
John is an SAP transportation consultant working with a client, ABC company, to implement the SAP TM system. He is asked by the ABC project manager to give an overview of the SAP TM order management function.
Order Integration
Figure 40: Order Integration - Transportation Requests Creation TSP/LSP forwarding orders are either created manually via the TM UI or integrated from a legacy system via EDI.
ERP logistics integration is accomplished with either SAP PI or Web Services Reliable Messaging (WS-RM). WS-RM is a point-to-point connection option using Web Services.
• Sales orders
• Purchase orders
• Stock transfers
• Sales order returns
• Purchase order returns
• Stock transfer returns
• Outbound deliveries
• Inbound deliveries
• Forwarding orders
• Forwarding (order) quotations
There are significant changes to TM with release 8.0, both from a processing and an architectural perspective.
There are 2 areas of focus in TM 8.0, but the emphasis is really on shippers/suppliers fully integrated with ERP..
Instructor Note: While the TSP/LSP focus is supported, additional TM functionality for TSPs/LSPs will be available from the next release of TM.
Currently, the TSP/LSP focus is handled in TM as forwarding orders and quotations. With the smart integration concept, other transport request (TRQ) documents can be used for the LSP environment too, for example integrating customers’ purchase and sales orders with the customers’ SAP ERP system and TM.
Transportation forwarding orders can originate from a legacy system integrated by EDI.
Manual entry for transportation forwarding orders is also available.
The shipper/supplier focus is fully integrated with ERP (inbound).
This includes sales orders, purchase orders, and stock transportation orders.
SO, PO, and STO returns are also included.
ERP logistics integration introduces the concept of order-based (OTR) and delivery-based (DTR) transportation requirements.
The customer downstream TM processing options are as follows:
• From OTRs only (commonly referred to as TM processes based only on order requested quantities)
• Consuming OTRs with DTRs (referred to as TM processes based on confirmed quantities).
DTRs can be from outbound deliveries (SOs) and from inbound deliveries (POs).
Creation of DTRs from ERP deliveries for shippers/suppliers only is also supported.
Within the customizing in ERP, it is possible to define relevancy of orders for TM integration. These settings will trigger the creation of new documents in TM know as Order-Based Transportation Requirements (OBTR) and Delivery-Based Transportation Requirements (DBTR). Delivery creation from TM will be supported both interactively and by batch processing.
Figure 41: Order Integration - TM 8.0 Main Components
The change controller manages changes to documents that are changed in the system, as well as document changes received from ERP. The change controller can react to the following planning-relevant changes:
• Quantity changes: You can use a quantity tolerance determination condition to determine the tolerances for a quantity change in a business document.
This means that if a quantity changes, the change controller evaluates this condition to dynamically determine whether the quantity change can be classified as relevant or whether it can be ignored. You assign this quantity tolerance determination condition to your business document type (for example, freight unit type). For more information, see the corresponding field help in the Customizing activity for defining the business document type.
• Changes to dates/times: You can use a date tolerance determination condition to determine the tolerances for a date change in a business document. This means that if a date changes, the change controller evaluates this condition to dynamically determine whether the date change can be classified as critical or uncritical or whether it can be ignored. You assign this date tolerance determination condition to your business document type (for example, freight unit type). For more information, see the corresponding field help in the Customizing activity for defining the business document type.
The change controller can react to changes by performing the following actions :
• Remove corresponding freight units from the transportation plan
• Invalidate successor business documents such as freight orders
• Stop the current associated tendering processes
• Stop and restart the current associated tendering processes
• Issue alerts
• Changes to source locations, intermediate stops, and destination locations • Reported execution information • Additional or deleted freight unit in the context of one of the following associated business documents:
Integration of ERP Sales Orders, Customer Returns, Purchase Orders, Returns Purchase Order, Stock Transport Orders and Returns Stock Transport Orders into Transportation Management. Transportation planning in TM with ERP orders, prior to delivery creation, results in an earlier forecast on future transportation and resource demands. Enables tendering, subcontracting and execution in TM with ERP orders prior to delivery creation. Continuously allows reaction to order changes in ERP. Delivery creation based on dates and quantities according to transportation planning results, taking into account transportation constraints like resource availability and transportation durations.
Figure 42: Message Choreography TM – ERP Integration (TM- Side)
Outbound delivery is bulk because the sequence of outbound messages is important. The sequence is important because, it consumes the sales order schedule lines in the chronological order. Because the delivery is created for the item, and independent of the date, the delivery reduces the quantity of the first schedule line. Why V1 behind the InboundDeliveryConfirmation_In_V1 because there are two confirmation services in ERP.
Figure 43: Message Choreography TM - ERP Integration (ERP Side)
The following are all SAP ERP standard abbreviations.
When it comes to order integration there are 2 processes.
1. Ability to do a synchronous call to TM to run the scheduling service. The scheduling service backwards schedule based on the customers requested delivery date to determine the materials availability date (MAD). Once ERP has the MAD, it performs the ATP check. As a result, it can not meet the RDD, then there is TM post-processing which will forward schedule and provide a new delivery date. It provides a later confirmation date. At this point, the CSR can decide further course of action.
2. Asynchronous Call – Sales order integration. Once the SO is saved, depending on the profiles, it will confirm on the RDD or the Confirmed Date.
Interactively, while creating the order, by sales area and order type, will schedule sales orders using the information from the TM system.
How does it know the best route? By default there is a profile in scheduling to determine the best route. It does not figure out all options and allow the user to make the determination. Uses backward scheduling and figures out the material availability date:
• Uses planning profile scheduling logic such as transit time on lanes, runs freight unit builder,
• Little more flexible than route scheduling in ERP.
1. Something determine the relevance for TM based scheduled – TBA.
2. Before doing the ATP, the scheduling service is done at the Order level, not the line item level. Scheduling was previously done at each line item. It will backwards schedule for the full order to come up with a single date.
3. Groups all line items
4. Availability check is performed to come up with ATP from ERP.
ERP is the leading system Changes in ERP will be transferred to and processed by TM Order update Order deletion Delivery update Delivery deletion Subsequent delivery split Transportation Requirements and Freight Units will be updated in TM Configuration will be provided to influence the system behaviour in TM Removal of freight units from transportation plan Invalidation or cancelation / deletion of transportation plan Cancelation or restart of running tendering processes Send update / cancelation to carrier Alert generation
Invalidate / Regenerate successor business objects such as:
• Shipments
• Shipment requests (confirmation data)
• Shipment orders
• Freight orders
Inbound updates on the shipment request are stored in the request area. During activation of the shipment request the data is copied to the planning data. If updates occur, i.e. delivery in SAP ERP is changed then only the requested area is updated automatically. The inbound controller defines how and if this data is copied to the planning data. This copy can then be performed automatically.
The inbound controller works on predefined conditions. Definition of how and when data is copied from the request data to the planning data:
/SCMTMS/IC_TKOVR_SRQ /SCMTMS/IC_TKOVR_FRQ Definition of what is to be triggered in the case of planning-relevant changes (quantity, date, or location): /SCMTMS/IC_STRAT Definition of what is to be triggered in the case of field changes: /SCMTMS/IC_SRQ_FIELD /SCMTMS/IC_FRQ_FIELD Possible actions to be triggered: Alerts User can register himself or herself to specific alert categories Definition per organizational unit (sales org.) Alerts can be viewed via application administration alert inbox Invalidate planning
Instructor Note: Next 3 slides – emphasize on the Order integration – and briefly explain the over-all process. This highlights the possibilities with the Order Integration and how TM could be used to support various processes.
Direct Order Execution is an optional process when the customers transportation requirements are order based only.
ERP Delivery Documents are not used in this process.
The OTR is created from the ERP order.
No OTR changes are possible in TM.
FUs can be automatically created as part of the ERP Integration process or manually created in TM.
OTR processing options are the same as outlined in the basic process.
ERP Order changes that impact transportation are automatically sent to TM where the OTR and FUs are updated as required.
ERP Order changes that impact transportation include:
• Quantity changes
• Pick up and/or delivery dates
• Origin and or/destination changes.
The ERP Logistics Integration process ends with the above.
The process is the same for both the basic and direct order processes.
Planning and execution changes are downstream processes.
An ERP Delivery Split is just another type of update for TM OTRs and FUs This shows the process for an ERP Order deletion.
This results in the deletion of the OTR in TM as well as the FUs in TM.
ERP Logistics Integration processes end here.
Planning and execution are downstream processes.
Instructor Note: Explain the process of Delivery based TRQ (DTR) and how it consumes the Sales order based Requirements (OTR)
Facilitated Discussion
Discussion Questions
Use the following questions to engage the participants in the discussion. Feel free to use your own additional questions.
Lesson Summary
You should now be able to:
• Describe the functions and processes in the SAP TM system
• List examples of documents in order management
• Explain ERP and SAP TM-related master data.
Unit Summary
You should now be able to:
• List the outbound transportation scenarios supported by SAP TM
• Describe the process steps in domestic outbound freight management
• Explain the full container load process in SAP TM
• Process a domestic outbound freight requirement in TM
• List the inbound transportation processes supported by the SAP TM system
• Describe the domestic inbound scenario
• Explain the international inbound logistics scenario
• Explain the ocean carrier booking process supported by the SAP TM system
• Define the basic document and data flow required for ocean carrier booking
• Describe the use of SAP TM by third-party logistics providers such as carriers
• Explain the SAP TM master data requirements for outsourced transportation
• Describe the functions and processes in the SAP TM system
• List examples of documents in order management
• Explain ERP and SAP TM-related master data.