Transport Management System (TMS) - The Transport Logistics of the Future

• Integration of orders and purchase orders from SAP as well as from other systems
• Creation of forwarding orders & offers
• Management of the life cycle of orders

• Manual or automated transport planning of resources
• Cost-optimized selection of carriers
• Package generation
• Load space planning in 3D
• Map & Gantt based planning

• Monitoring of execution processes
• Comprehensive document management
• Shipment tracking and communication
• Integrated warehouse management

• Freight agreement management
• Freight cost calculation
• Event based billing
• Freight billing and cost allocation
• Cost transparency and visibility

The Freight Collaboration option offers digital networking of shippers and forwarders and thus an environment for efficient collaboration for both business partners. It enables a structured exchange of digital logistics data as well as real-time transport planning and delivery monitoring.

The Global Track & Trace option enables companies to gain real-time visibility into the entire supply chain of materials and products and track shipments. This leads to cost optimization, and risks can be reduced through early problem detection in the supply chain. Access to cloud-based tracking information provides visibility across the supply chain and the ability to compare planned and actual milestones in business processes. The Global Track & Trace option differs from Freight Collaboration's tracking in that it can be customized.

The Material Traceability option of the SAP Logistic Business Network is used for the tracing of material used in production processes. This works through data sharing within the supplier network. This is made up of the suppliers who have taken over individual production steps of the end product. Furthermore, the Material Traceability option makes it possible to trace where the raw materials or precursors used come from and how they were obtained, which ensures a high level of transparency in the supply chain.

Regardless of whether your transportation planning is an upstream or downstream process, the result of your transportation planning is communicated to SAP EWM and used for the subsequent warehouse tasks.

In the case of early transportation planning, which starts before warehouse activities, SAP EWM waits for the results of transportation planning. Execution-driven planning is also enabled, where SAP EWM handles the actual transportation planning. Depending on the configuration, the integration uses further components from SAP TM.

For example, package determination can be transferred to SAP EWM and reused as planned shipping units in the picking process. Likewise, the loading sequence, which is the result of the loading space planning, can be transferred to the warehouse to simplify the loading of the trailer or container.

The usual integration of SAP EWM and SAP TM is essentially based on interfaces defined in advance. Thus, at a certain point in time, one system sends a message to the partner system and waits for a corresponding response. However, in some situations this has the disadvantage that certain events in the warehouse or transport planning have an influence on the previously communicated results, but these are not directly visible on the other side.

In order to circumvent this problem, SAP has for some time been providing the Advanced Shipping & Receiving functionality. Here, communication between the individual solutions is bypassed to the extent that both systems work on one database. So if the warehouse cannot provide the planned quantity for the transport, this is directly apparent in the transport and the transport planning can react accordingly.

For logistics service providers, certain warehouse activities are invoiced based on their real occurrence. As SAP TM has a very distinctive solution in the area of billing, SAP EWM uses it to invoice warehouse services to the customer or to create a credit note in case of a shipper.

For this purpose, agreements are created in SAP TM, for which EWM provides the data basis for cost calculation. SAP TM creates an invoice (logistics service provider) or a credit note (shipper) based on this data.

In the case of transit storage, the integration of SAP TM and EWM enables you to perform temporary storage and transshipment of goods. In this case, SAP TM handles the transportation planning between the individual locations, while SAP EWM handles the loading and unloading activities at the depot or transit locations. This process is used in particular when multimodal transports require intermediate storage.

Particularly when your own fleet is in use, it is advantageous to be able to track the transport process precisely. For this purpose, we offer our own mobile app that provides the order data for the driver and can be used to document the activities. This also includes navigation as well as the replay of geo data for tracking. Numerous functions complete the solution, such as an expense report or empty container management.

In addition to the transport processes, platbricks also has extensive functions in the area of warehouse management and fits in perfectly with your SAP processes here. One of these functions, which also plays a role in transport again and again, is the management of time slot bookings. platbricks offers extensive functions for this in the planning and management of time slots as well as check-in and check-out processes.

As a partner of Timocom, platbricks offers the integration of transports to the Timocom freight exchange. Thus, transports can be tendered and assigned as well as tracked afterward.

Within SAP S/4HANA, you can continue to use LE-TRA until 2030, after which the right of use, which is defined as part of the Compatibility Scope, expires. You can continue to use it in your SAP Business Suite, but there will be no more maintenance for the component beyond 2030.

Short answer: None. At least for the processes and functions, there is currently no possibility of migration.

Here you are spoilt for choice. You can use SAP TM integrated into a system with your other ERP processes or detached from your ERP system. The latter is called a standalone system. The cloud is also an option. Depending on your requirements, there are advantages and disadvantages that speak for one way or the other. Our architects will be happy to provide you with advice and support you in making your decisions.

The "favorite answer" of consultants applies here: It depends.

SAP TM is part of S/4HANA and does not require any further licensing in the basic variant. However, if individual functions are used that are no longer part of the basic variant, corresponding license costs are incurred. Here, too, there are different license packages that you can distinguish between.

The SAP Logistics Business Network (SAP LBN) is a cloud solution that connects shippers and carriers via a uniform interface. SAP TM integrates natively with this solution and can be customized for different processes. We know exactly where SAP LBN adds value and where it reaches its limits.