In today’s globalized enterprise marketplace, efficient and reliable shipping operations are the lifeblood of any company, ensuring products reach customers on time and in prime condition.
SAP Shipping software solutions, like SAP Transportation Management, Extended Warehouse Management, and Supply Chain Management, revolutionize how organizations approach their shipping and logistics needs, ensuring shipping processes are conducted effectively and efficiently.
From advanced transportation management to real-time tracking, SAP’s suite of shipping tools is reshaping the way businesses manage the intricate web of their supply chain and logistics operations.
This article will discuss the key components and capabilities of SAP Shipping software, how it helps users streamline and optimize their shipping processes, and where our SAP consulting team can come in to help.
What is SAP Shipping?
Shipping is integral to the sales process and is a critical component of the SAP Sales and Distribution module. SAP Shipping software is designed to help companies perform outbound delivery and other shipping processes, like picking, packing, freight payment, and carrier services, in a single platform.
A shipment in SAP is a document that contains all the goods consolidated by a ship-from party and transferred from an issuing location to a destination location, allowing users to create shipments manually or automate the shipping process to meet organizational needs and requirements. Shipments form the basis of planning, executing, and monitoring shipment processing and transportation operations.
Here are the two main classifications for shipment in the SAP system:
- Planned shipment: Flexible with regard to type and size in the SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) component
- Final shipment: Fixed with regard to type and size, as most of the associated shipments are already packed or loaded
Key Features of SAP Shipping Software
Here are some critical areas related to shipping and logistics included in SAP software:
SAP Transportation Management (SAP TM):
SAP TM is a solution that helps organizations optimize transportation and shipping processes, including features like route planning, carrier selection, and real-time tracking of shipments.
SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM):
While primarily focused on traditional warehouse management operations, SAP EWM also includes outbound logistics and shipping functions, ensuring that goods are efficiently prepared for shipment.
SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM):
SAP SCM offers modules for supply chain planning and execution, which may include order fulfillment and shipping planning.
SAP Order Fulfillment:
The SAP Order Fulfillment module helps companies manage the entire order-to-cash process, including the shipment and delivery of products to customers.
Integration with Third-Party Shipping Solutions:
SAP Shipping software provides pre-built integrations with third-party shipping and logistics providers to streamline shipping processes, generate shipping labels, track shipments in real time, and ensure customer shipping needs are met, no matter what.
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) for Shipping:
SAP Shipping systems can be configured to support EDI, facilitating electronic communication between organizations, including sharing shipping-related information, capturing tracking numbers, and monitoring shipment links and costs.
What is a Shipping Point in SAP?
A shipping point is an independent entity in which goods and shipments are processed, monitored, and delivered, giving users easy access to critical shipment documentation, streamlining the enterprise shipping process, and leading to efficient shipment and transaction management operations.
Shipping point determination in SAP SD depends on three key factors, including:
- Shipping condition from customer master record (SC): An agreement with each customer on how and when the shipments will be delivered.
- Loading group from the material master record (LGrp): An agreement determining how the goods will be loaded depending on a specified loading group from the material master record.
- Delivering plant (Plnt): An agreement determined per order item from either manual entry or the customer or material master record.
Understanding the SAP Shipping Point Table
Here are the most important database tables for shipping points in the SAP system:
TVST: Organizational Unit: shipping points, found in SAP SD – Material Maintenance
TVSTZ: Organizational Unit: shipping points per plant, found in SAP Logistics Execution – Basic Functions
LIKP: SD Document: Delivery Header Data, found in SAP Logistics Execution – Shipping
S005: SIS: Shipping point/Route/Forwarding Agent, found in SAP Logistics – Data Collection
VBAP: Sales Document: Item Data, found in SAP SD – Sales
VBAK: Sales Document: Header Data, found in SAP SD – Sales
MARC: Plant Data for Material, found in SAP Logistics – Material Master Data
EKPO: Purchasing Document Item, found in SAP Material Management – Purchasing
VBRP: Billing Document: Item Data, found in SAP SD – Billing
How Can We Help?
Whether you need help outlining plans for a new SAP module implementation or integration, additional support aligning your shipping processes with industry best practices, or just an extra hand balancing prices and costs for efficient shipment; Surety Systems is here to help.
Our senior-level, US-based SAP consultant team has the skills, experience, and proven track record of success to help you manage your most critical project teams and maximize success in the long run.
Partnering with the Best
Interested in learning how SAP Shipping software and innovative add-ons can help you configure your shipping software with minimal disruption to critical business operations and improve shipping documentation? Ready to get started on a project with our team of expert SAP consultants?
Contact us today!
