We kicked off 2024 with adding many more useful features and functions to SAP Business Network for Logistics. This blog post continues my monthly series and gives you an overview of some of the highlights of the 2404 release. This time, there are two updates, that will require action on your end:
- New platform for SAP Cloud Integration
- Update of maps by 3rd party provider
Moreover, this blog proudly presents our recent SAP Innovation Award Winner ‘Corona’ – the company, not the virus. Make sure to read to the end and learn about their success story!
Cross SAP Business Network Freight Collaboration and SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace
New integration platform for SAP Cloud Integration
SAP Business Network for Logistics is run on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) leveraging the various services provided by the platform. One critical service used by the network is SAP Cloud Integration, which acts as the single integration platform. It enables customers and partners to maintain necessary connectivity configurations using apps, such as the ‘System Connections’ app or the ‘Configure Partner Connections’ app.
SAP Cloud Integration used by SAP Business Network for Logistics is currently hosted in the Neo environment of SAP BTP. The Neo environment in SAP BTP has been deprecated and will be sunset on December 31, 2025 (see SAP Note 3351844).
SAP Cloud Integration is also offered in a multi-cloud foundation in SAP BTP, which is the new platform that will be used by the network. As a result, existing connections from your backend Transportation Management systems (SAP Transportation Management standalone or Transportation Management embedded in SAP S/4HANA) and your API/SFTP connections will become invalid after the sunset (December 31, 2025). You need to migrate your connections to the new integration platform.
Migration guides will be made available on the user interface and on SAP Help Portal as part of the upcoming monthly releases. As of June 22, 2024, any new connections will be created in SAP BTP, Cloud Foundry environment. Read more here.
Code List Documentation
Deprecated values in ‘Means of Transport’ code list
The former code list values have been deprecated. You will be able to continue using the old values in existing mappings for some more time and don’t need to migrate immediately.
Relevant for SAP Business Network Freight Collaboration only: As of May 18th, 2024, the old values will be hidden on the user interface. You must use the new values instead.
Deprecated value in ‘Event Reason Code Description’ code list
CARRIER_OUT_OF_NETWORK has been deprecated. Please switch to CARRIER_OUT_NETWORK before May 18th, 2024.
SAP Business Network Freight Collaboration
Dock appointment scheduling: notification emails updated
The email notifications for shippers and carriers in dock appointment scheduling have been harmonized and restructured. The most important data is now listed under ‘Appointment Details’.
We also changed the subject of the email notifications so you might have to adapt your email rules.
SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace
Fiori launchpad was updated to a higher version of UI5
The UI5 version of Fiori Launchpad for SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace is upgraded to 1.120.10.
Update of maps by 3rd party provider
The HERE Map Tile API is used by SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace to retrieve map tile images and create a complete map in the fulfillment tracking applications. The service has been upgraded by the 3rd party provider to HERE Raster Tile API v3.
To ensure that the map in your applications can work as usual, you must migrate to HERE Raster Tile API v3 manually by June 2024. For more, see HERE Map Service Migration Guide in the Application Help.
Enhancement to business data export
The functionality to export business data has been enhanced. Solution Owners can now export based on ‘last changed time’ or ‘creation time’.
Additionally, the user interface of the export business data pop-up was improved. You can view requests and exported files with their completed time and status in a table.
For more, see Guide for Model Administrators.
Enhancement to specification of attribute-based authorization
When specifying a value for an attribute in the role using “ReadServiceAttributeTemplate” on SAP BTP cockpit, your entry should start with the role name followed by an exclamation mark, in this format: “RoleName!Value”.
For details, see Specify Attributes in the Role Using “ReadServiceAttributeTemplate”.
All Fulfillment Tracking apps: carrier reference document table added
On the ‘Event Details’ pages of fulfillment tracking applications, solution owners can now view carrier-related documents in a table.
Use Case Example: SAP Innovation Award Winner 2024 – Corona Industrial S.A.S
Corona Industrial S.A.S (Corona) is a Colombian multinational with more than 140 years of business history dedicated to the manufacturing and marketing of products for the home, construction, industry, agriculture and the energy sectors. With 29 manufacturing plants, six divisions, and ~1500 trucks transporting goods each day the company needed to streamline and optimize their logistics operations by connecting their own fleet, and 3rd party carriers, to a digital supply chain network in support of customer demand. Corona’s focus is on best-in-world class innovation as a market leader.
They aspired to have a central “Control Tower” providing visibility into the movement of goods, to track and monitor shipments, optimize routes, lower the carbon footprint, and ensure timely delivery as well as establishing a collaboration platform for tendering and subcontracting with carriers.
Corona deployed SAP Business Network for Logistics, SAP S/4HANA Cloud Transportation Management, private cloud edition, and SAP Integrated Business Planning enabling a seamless integration of logistics processes.
Before, logistics processes and operations were labor-intensive and inefficient:
- Tracking and visibility processes involved manually checking the status of shipments, contacting carriers for updates, and manually updating tracking information was labor-intensive.
- Carrier selection involved manually reviewing carrier options, contacting carriers individually, and negotiating rates and terms.
- Routing and scheduling involved manually determining the most efficient routes and schedules for shipments.
- Physical handling transportation-related documents such as bills of lading, shipping labels, customs forms, and invoices was paper-intensive and inefficient.
- Freight audit and payment processes involved manually reviewing carrier invoices and verifying the accuracy of charges.
With the help of SAP, Corona established an entirely new setup:
- Corona team can select the most suitable carrier for each shipment based on predefined criteria such as cost, transit time, and carrier performance.
- Planning of freight movements by considering various factors such as costs, carrier capacities, delivery time windows, and route optimization.
- Shipments are planned and carriers are selected enabling Corona to execute and track the shipments with visibility into the entire transportation process, including pickup, delivery, exceptions, and delays.
- Collaboration with carriers, truckers, stakeholders, and customers with visibility into shipment status, leading to improved coordination and efficiency across the supply chain.
- Integrated financial systems to automate accurate payments based on the actual activities performed, reduced errors, and improved accuracy.
Why SAP:
Corona chose SAP because it has a transportation and logistics solution with global coverage, that will allow them to collaborate and integrate with many organizations. By using the SAP Business Network for Logistics and SAP S/4HANA Cloud Transportation Management it guarantees a more fluid native integration of logistics tools, including the SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) that is already implemented in one of their operations in Mexico. They say that: “SAP gives us an excellent capability of scalability for other regions and other operations, innovating together.”
If you would like to know more, follow this link to Corona’s Innovation Award Pitch Deck 2024.
Please share and amplify our new features and assets!
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The above summarizes the key innovations for 2404. We hope you enjoy the new capabilities. Thanks for reading the blog post and stay tuned!
A full overview of the 2404 release can be found in the following link.
To learn more about SAP Business Network for Logistics visit SAP - Business Network for Logistics.
For further questions and feedback related to the blog, please check the Q&A area and feel free to post your questions in the link with the tag SAP Business Network for Logistics.
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