Optimized Shipment Handling

The Logistic Execution SAP ERP module offers numerous functions designed to optimize shipping processes. The corresponding functionality extends from transportation planning support to the automatic settlement of freight charges with logistics service providers. An automatic credit memo procedure (ERS) eliminates the efforts involved in verifying invoices, contributing to the optimization of shipment processing costs.

Handling shipments efficiently is an important part in any logistics chain. This not only ensures that shipments are sent on time and in a cost-effective manner, but also that they arrive at the customer’s premises as scheduled. SAP ERP shipment handling includes the transportation of goods between plants (stock transfers) and the management of incoming shipments as well.

Accrued freight costs can be calculated automatically on the basis of stored freight rates. Freight rates can be paid to logistics service providers and carriers with the creation of credit memos, eliminating the time and effort involved in verifying invoices.

Tools and resources in the form of informative lists, analyses, and monitors are available for shipment monitoring purposes.

Range of features

Shipment generation

  • Individual shipments, consolidated shipments, and intermodal shipments
  • Combine/split inbound deliveries and outbound deliveries into a shipment/separate shipments
  • Provision and use of order queues
  • Use planning profiles
  • Manage master data and define carriers (for example)
  • Make records of modes of transport, texts, partners, etc.
  • Scheduling
  • Determine routes
  • Freight cost estimates after orders are available
  • Status management in shipment document, e.g., registration, shipment start/end

Shipment completion

  • Print shipping documents automatically
  • Make a record of necessary information and characteristics
  • Freight cost calculation and settlement
  • Freight rate maintenance
  • Automatic calculation of costs for each shipment
  • Forwarding of costs to Accounting for posting any provisions and/or controlling account assignments
  • Transfer of accrued freight costs in customer invoice
  • Manual invoice verification or use of a credit memo procedure for settling accounts with service providers (invoice verification is eliminated)

Tools for shipment monitoring in the form of various analyses during materials planning, shipment processing, and for checks.

There are enhancements (user exits) available in order to cover special client-specific requirements.

Interface to subsystem

In the event that shipments have to be arranged and optimized in an external shipment planning system, SAP ERP offers the SD-TPS interface. Further processing takes place in SAP ERP afterwards.

These functionalities are available both in SAP ERP and in SAP R/3.