In today’s fast-paced business world, where time is money and efficiency reigns supreme, the smooth and seamless flow of goods from suppliers to buyers is not just a goal but a necessity. However, achieving such seamless coordination comes with its unique set of challenges, from ensuring visibility and collaboration to maintaining control over the entire supply chain process. But fret not, for SAP S/4HANA combined with SAP BNL-GTT is here to revolutionize your transportation management woes, turning them into streamlined success stories!
Supplier-Managed Transportation
The Supplier-Managed Transportation scenario under SAP S/4HANA fosters a collaborative environment between buyers (solution owners) and suppliers (data contributors) through its integrated platform. Leveraging tools like the “Invite Business Partners” app and “Manage Invitations” app, buyers can effortlessly connect with suppliers, laying the groundwork for effective communication and data exchange.
Efficient Process Flow
- The process flow begins with the creation of a purchase order by the solution owner within SAP S/4HANA. This initiates a streamlined workflow, as the purchase order is seamlessly transmitted to the Global Trade Task (GTT) system for processing. Through the Manage Message Logs (MML) app, solution owners (Buyers) can monitor the processing status of the purchase order, ensuring transparency and accountability at every stage.
- Meanwhile, data contributors (Suppliers) utilize the Manage Locations app to maintain location information
- And subsequently generate shipment advice using the Create Shipment Advice (CSA) app.
- This advice is then transmitted to the GTT system for processing, allowing solution owners to track its progress via the MML app and visualize the corresponding shipment details in the Track Shipments (TS) app.
- Upon receipt of the shipment advice, solution owners proceed to create inbound deliveries within SAP S/4HANA. These deliveries are seamlessly integrated into the GTT system for processing, with solution owners monitoring their status via the MML app and accessing detailed insights through the Monitor Inbound ASNs (MIA) app.
Real-Time Visibility and Updates
The GTT system operates a batch job every five minutes to synchronize shipment information between the CSA app and inbound deliveries or freight units. This ensures real-time status updates across the supply chain, enabling stakeholders to proactively manage exceptions and optimize delivery timelines.
Additionally, solution owners can report shipment events through the TS app, triggering automatic updates to the corresponding shipment advice in the CSA app. This closed-loop communication enhances visibility and responsiveness, facilitating agile decision-making and mitigating risks.
Overcoming Challenges with Smart Solutions
While the Supplier-Managed Transportation scenario offers significant benefits, certain challenges may arise, particularly regarding the assignment of purchase order items to shipments. For instance, if a supplier allocate items to different shipment advice, solution owners (Buyers) may encounter difficulties consolidating them into a single inbound delivery or freight unit.
To address this, SAP S/4HANA provides intuitive workarounds. In the LE-TRA shipment scenario, solution owners can create separate inbound deliveries for each purchase order item. Similarly, in the TM scenario, they can generate individual freight units containing goods from a single purchase order item, ensuring efficient handling and tracking.
Summary
The Supplier-Managed Transportation scenario powered by SAP S/4HANA revolutionizes transportation management, enabling seamless collaboration, efficient process execution, and real-time visibility across the supply chain. By leveraging integrated apps and automated workflows, businesses can optimize resource utilization, mitigate risks, and enhance customer satisfaction. Embrace the future of transportation management with SAP S/4HANA and unlock new possibilities for your business.
