When implementing a Transportation Management System (TMS), a recurring question is how to enable efficient communication with carriers.
This need for close communication and collaboration between shippers and carriers has become essential for many organisations. Clear and streamlined exchanges save time throughout the process and improve the overall transport flow, from supplier to final customer.
This question naturally arises when deploying SAP TM, the SAP TMS module integrated into SAP S/4HANA. Below, we detail the three main channels available in SAP TM to collaborate with carriers.
EDI :
Let us start with direct communication from SAP S/4HANA TM. In this context, we refer to PPF (Post Processing Framework).
PPF actions can send emails or trigger EDI messages from various documents, such as freight orders or freight settlement documents, including for:
- Sending a transport request to a carrier partner
- Sending a pre-billing document to a carrier for validation
- Sending a request for quotation
SAP provides standard EDI messages to support quick activation of these communications.
Collaborative Apps :
Collaboration was already introduced through the Collaborative Portal in standalone versions of SAP TM 9.x. Since TM was embedded into SAP S/4HANA, many of these collaborative features have been updated and modernised.
The collaborative portal still exists, now offered through new Fiori tiles available since the 2020 release and significantly enhanced in the 2022 release.
These Fiori applications, which are easy to activate, allow users to:
- Manage transportation service quotations
- Send RFQs to multiple carriers
- Allow carriers to easily submit their quotes
- Allow carriers to accept or reject transport requests
- Monitor freight order execution through real-time updates
Pre-billing management is also expected to be added soon to these Collaborative Apps.
It is important to note that carriers need access to these applications, which requires granting them network access and creating Internet users. This can be done easily through a dedicated tile provided by SAP.
SAP BN4L (Business Network for Logistics) :
The third and most advanced collaboration option in SAP S/4HANA TM is SAP BN4L (Business Network for Logistics).
Within BN4L, two components are directly connected to S/4HANA TM: Freight Collaboration and Global Track and Trace.
Freight Collaboration
The integration with TM enables:
- Tendering processes across all transportation modes, including subcontracting
- Dock Appointment Scheduling
- Reporting of expected events by carriers
- Collaborative pre-billing with transportation service providers
The key advantage of SAP BN4L is the existing network of carriers already connected to the platform. Organisations can interact with these partners without the need for custom mapping or managing complex security requirements.
Global Track and Trace
This component enables S/4HANA TM to receive all unexpected events as well as data from trackers if trucks or carriers are connected to BN4L.
This allows organisations to anticipate delays or deviations and take appropriate action.
The right solution depends on the level of digitalisation you want to achieve, the maturity of your carrier network and your integration objectives.
At HRC Consulting, we help companies define and implement the most effective collaboration model, turning transport communication into a real driver of performance and customer satisfaction.