Transportation Scheduling in SAP

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Introduction

Transportation scheduling (Outbound Scheduling) is a standard SAP functionality which can be used to determine more accurate confirmed delivery date to the customer.

During sales order creation, user has to enter the customer requested delivery date in the sales order line item. Based on the address where the ship to party is located and where goods are delivered from (Plant / Shipping point) and system determine a route for this delivery. This route contains number of dates required for the transportation (Transportation lead time). Based on above information, system executes the transportation scheduling in below sequence.

1. Backward scheduling is always carried out first

2. If backward scheduling determines a material-availability deadline (VBEP / MBDAT) or transportation-scheduling deadline that lies in the past, the system automatically carries out forward scheduling to determine a delivery deadline that can be confirmed.

3. Based on above system either confirms the customer requested delivery date or propose a new confirmed delivery date (VBEP / EDATU)

See below illustrations for more info.

 When transportation lead time in the route is SUFFICIENT to meet the requested delivery date

 When transportation lead time in the route is NOT SUFFICIENT to meet the requested delivery date -> A new confirmed delivery date is proposed

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 When transportation lead time in the route is NOT SUFFICIENT to meet the requested delivery date (Customer accepts deliveries in a particular day of the week, Eg: Wednesday)-> A new confirmed delivery date (Which matches to the day customer accepts, next possible Wednesday) proposed

Routes

Route is the geographical transportation path which used to deliver goods to a customer. The route determines the schedule and the means of transport in shipping, and influences transportation scheduling plan.

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You can configure the system to determine correct route automatically for a sales order item based on the delivery address of the ship to party. Same route determination can be triggered at the delivery document creation as well. (See the Route determination section in this document)

In order to define a new route, you need to maintain below points in the system.  Modes of transport

 Shipping types

 Transportation connection points  Route stages

Define Modes of Transport

Under this IMG activity we need to define the possible mode of transportations. Eg: By Rail, by post, by air

IMG Path:

Define Shipping Types

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IMG Path:

Define Transportation Connection Points

This IMG node is used to define all key points in a route. This step is optional and can be used only if you want to go in to details of each route with all key points (train stations, custom posts, etc with their lead times) Eg:  An airport  A train station  Border crossing  Sea harbor

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IMG Path:

Let's say I want to transport goods from Klimovsk (A), Russia to St Petersburg, Russia (C) via Moscow, Russia (B).

Geographical locations:

In that case, I have to define all key points (A, B and C) as connection points. You can categorize the each point by using "Characteristic attribute"

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"Total waiting time" at the corresponding transportation connection point in calendar days can be maintain under "scheduling". This will be used to calculate the transit lead time of the route.

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Therefore my route is RU RZC -> RU MOS ->RU SPP.

Define Routes and Stages

Under this IMG node you define the route required for the business requirement.

IMG Path:

If you want to define routes in a simplest manner, directly maintain the route ID and description with the total lead time. Refer below image.

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As per above shown route settings, my final delivery lead time to the customer is 20 days. (Transportation lead time is 10 and transit lead time is 10)

If you want to add all connection point details to this route, you can use the node. But this step is optional.

 Press button to add a new stage

 For the above mentioned route, first stage is from Klimovsk (RU RZC) -> Moscow (RU MOS). Enter the transportation lead time in days. For my example it takes 2 days.

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 Save the stage and create the next stage in the same route. When you press back button, you will be able to see the stage in the overview screen.

 To add the next stage, place the cursor in the last row and press . Now you should be able to see a new line added below as Itinerary 3.

 Add the next stage and maintain the lead time for that stage using button. You have to place the cursor in the starting point of that stage.

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Using and buttons, you can change the screen to display all stages. Eg: With button;

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Now let's go back to total lead time of the route.

In the route header I specified 20 as lead time, where transportation lead time is 10 and transit lead time is 10.

But for stage 1 (RU RZC -> RU MOS), transit lead time was 2 and for stage 2 (RU MOS ->RU SPP), transit lead time was 10. Therefore sum of my stage transit lead times are 12, which is not equal to the transit lead time 10, which is mentioned in the route.

We can check this type of inconsistencies using button.

 It checks and compares the route values for transit time, driving time, and distance with the total for the respective values in the route stages.

This check involves the following steps:

o Is the transit time of the route less than the total of the overall times of the relevant route stages?

o Is the travel duration of the route not equal to the total of the travel durations of the relevant route stages?

o Is the distance of the route not equal to the total distance of the relevant route stages? Here the system checks whether the value total for the transit time in the stages is greater or the same as the value in the route. In the case of the driving time and the distance, the system checks whether for the transit time the values total in the stages is exactly the same as the value in the route.

Now if I highlight all routes and press the button , system gives below message.

My route is highlighted as due to above mentioned inconsistency. If you know the stage lead times are accurate, then you can use the button to pass the sum of stage values in to route level.

 Before clicking

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Now you can clearly see the transit lead time of the route was changed to 12. If there is no inconsistency found, system will give below message;

Conclusion

Now my final delivery lead time to the customer is 22 days. (Transportation lead time is 10 and transit lead time is 12)

Route Determination

Define Transportation Zones

Under this IMG node, you have to define transportation zone based on the country. This will be used as a factor to determine the correct route in the sales order processing, together with other factors such as;

 Country of origin - From the shipping point address

 Country of destination - From the ship to party address

 Shipping conditions - From the ship to party

 Transportation group - From the material master

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IMG Path:

Maintain Country and Transportation Zone for Shipping Point

After defining all transportation zones for each country where you have shopping points, now you need to assign them to relevant shipping point. This IMG node allows you to define the correct transportation zone for your shipping point.

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IMG Path:

Once you do this, same is visible in the shipping point definition IMG node as well. If you want you can change it in the definition IMG node through address settings.

IMG Path:

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Changes can be done using the button

Define Transportation Groups

Transportation group is a mandatory requirement in SAP to determine the correct route. This is coming from the material master "Sales General/Plant" tab - "Trans. Grp" field.

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Since it is a mandatory requirement to determine the route, we have to ensure all material masters are maintained with a correct value in this field.

Hint:

Using material type configuration setting, make sure this field is a mandatory field for data entry at material master creation/change.

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Define Weight Groups

This is only used if the route determination has to be done at the delivery creation.

Route determination is initially done at the sales document creation. But during delivery document creation you can configure the system to carry out route determination again. At this step system use weight of the delivery in to account to determine the new route apart from the values it used to determine the route in the sales document. (i.e: Destination country, Departure country, Transportation zone, Shipping conditions and Transportation group)

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Maintain Route Determination

Under this IMG node, you define how the route should be determined in the sales document/delivery document.

In the sales order, the route determination is dependent upon the following factors:  Country of departure/departure zone of the shipping point

 Country of destination/receiving zone of the ship to party  Shipping conditions of the ship to party

 Transportation group of the material master

For route determination in the delivery document weight group also comes in to play in addition to what I have mentioned above.

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IMG Path:

You have to maintain all relevant combinations for departure country /departure zone (Based on the shipping points) and destination country / destination zone (Based on the country and destination zone of the ship to party)

 Click on button

 Enter relevant data Eg:

 Before go in to the sub node (to maintain other factors), make sure you save your data. Else system will give below message

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 This table is a complex data entry table, where you will not see the ship to party anywhere, but it is used on the table. For example, if you use the button , you can search the relevant data using the shipping point option.

Eg:

For the above search, system locates the below record. (As my shipping point is assigned to transportation zone 3600000001)

 To set the route determination in the sales document, first highlight the relevant zone combination and double click on the node.

 Click on button and maintain relevant combinations and the respective route which needs to be determined.

As per above screen, if your goods to be shipped from transportation zone "3600000001" (Based on the shipping point) to transportation zone "3600000002" (Based on the address of the ship to party), where his/her shipping condition is "01" and loading group is "0001" (From material master), the route "360001" will be determined automatically. Therefore transportation lead time will be calculated based on the route "360001”.

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Maintain Transportation Relevance

Under this IMG node, you have to specify the transportation relevance for delivery types, delivery item categories and your routes. Otherwise delivery documents with routes will not be able to combine in to a shipment.

All delivery types and delivery item categories must be set as relevant for transportation as well. All routes that are to be used for the shipment document (VT01N) must also be set as relevant for transportation.

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You can do same when you create your route as well. In the route, mark the field "Rel.Transport"

Define New Route Determination by Delivery Type

In this IMG node, you can define for each delivery type whether or not route determination should be repeated by the SAP during delivery creation.

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IMG Path:

Define Allowed Actual Route by Proposed Route

If you want to enter an alternative route instead of the route that was proposed by the system, then you need to maintain this IMG node. You can define the allowed actual routes for each proposed route.

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IMG Path:

Activate transportation scheduling

Define Scheduling By Sales Document Type

In this IMG point you can define whether transportation scheduling needs to be activated for a specific sales document type or not.

IMG Path:

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Define Scheduling By Shipping Point

Under this IMG node, you can define the type of delivery scheduling for each shipping point. If you want to influence the load/ pick and pack time based on route that is determined, mark "A" for "Determine load. time" field

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Test scenario

If I create a sales order with a ship to party who has below data;

 Shipping condition - 01

 Country - RU

 Transportation zone - 3600000002

With a material which has transportation group "0001" and shipping point "3610", system will automatically determine route "360001".

Lead time calculation bases on proposed route

Now let's see how the lead time of the route comes in to play.

System gives below message when I enter the quantity in the sales document.

"Confirmed Delivery date" is moved to 14.10.2011 as 22 days are included for transportation. If you remember, the route which determined in this case 360001 has 22 days lead time (Transportation lead time 10 and transit lead time 12). That's the reason why the date was moved like that.

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Note:

Shipping point will be determined based on the delivery plant - 3610, shipping condition - 01 in the ship to party as well as loading group in the material master.

 If you want to re-determine the route in the delivery document, maintain the node under with shipping condition, transportation zone and weight group.

Technical information

It is always advisable to use a LSMW to upload route determination configuration. You can use the transaction "0VRF" to record the LSMW recording.

Route determination data are stored in the table - TROLZ Please see below OSS notes for more info!

 Note 1579665 - Scheduling - Date lies on a non-working day  Note 146829 - Process flow of route schedule

 Note 547961 - FAQ: Shipment and transportation scheduling in R/3 system

Author: Anupa Wijesinghe

E-Mail: anupaw@gmail.com / anupaw@learnsaptips.com Website: www.learnsaptips.com

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Disclaimer

This article is done based on my research and readings, unless otherwise stated. The views expressed are my own and not of anyone else.

Author accepts no liability for the content of the articles in this website or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Using this information is at the users own discretion and responsibility.

Transportation Scheduling in SAP

Contents

Introduction

Routes

Define Modes of Transport

Define Shipping Types

Define Transportation Connection Points

Define Routes and Stages

Route Determination

Define Transportation Zones

Maintain Country and Transportation Zone for Shipping Point

Define Transportation Groups

Define Weight Groups

Maintain Route Determination

Maintain Transportation Relevance

Define New Route Determination by Delivery Type

Define Allowed Actual Route by Proposed Route

Activate transportation scheduling

Define Scheduling By Sales Document Type

Define Scheduling By Shipping Point

Test scenario

Technical information