Maintaining Rate Tables

A rate table is a grouping of prices for transportation services. It is like a price list. The prices (or rates) are listed by validity period in the rate table.

The rate table is a separate business object (/SCMTMS/TC_RATES) and can be used in various calculation sheets to provide flexible maintenance.

You can maintain up to 14 dimensions in a rate table, however, we do not recommend that you model charge management in that way.

There are many options to reduce the number of dimensions in a table. For example, a rate table determination rule can be created to determine which rate table is to be used for the current charge item.

You can define a rate table manually or automatically by using a rate table template with predefined scales and validity dates. You can also maintain a large rate table, with or without scale items, using Microsoft Excel. ​

You can use a rate table template to create a rate table with predefined scales, calculation rules, and validity dates.

In the Define Rate Table Templates Customizing activity, you define rate table templates to transport across different systems and use as templates for creating rate tables.​

To define rate table templates, in Customizing, choose Transportation Management→Basic Functions→Charge Calculation→Basic Settings→Templates→Define Rate Table Templates.

Master data templates can be created and used by users who have no authorization to change customizing. In contrast to templates created in customizing, master data templates cannot be transported across different systems. In the SAP Fiori Launchpad Charge Management Worklist, master data and customizing templates are depicted in their own queries.

The following transactions are available in SAP TM.

In the Customizing activity, you can do the following:

1. Create a rate table template with the following required information:
   • Rate table template
   • Charge type or allow multiple charge types
   • Charge usage
   • Currency
2. Create a rate table template scales with the following required information:
   • Dimension number (indicates the order of the input scales)
   • Scale template
   • Calculation base code
3. Create a calculation rule with the following required information (optional - used in the Validity table):
   • Calculation base
   • Unit of measure
   • Quantity

Similar information can be specified when creating a master data template. The main difference is that if you create a master data template, you can also maintain scale items and values for non-numeric scales.

The figure depicts the basic structure of the rate table and some important fields within each screen area.

These transactions enable different users to define rate table definitions and to maintain rate information.

A rate table contains the following tab pages and screen areas.

You select prepared scales to determine the dimensions of the rate table and to create a rate table based on these dimensions.

You can maintain single rate values or upload and download complete Microsoft Excel sheets. We recommend the following process flow:

1. Create an empty rate table in SAP TM.
2. Download this rate table from SAP TM to an xlsx file (default file type).
3. Open this xlsx file with Microsoft Excel and maintain all the rates there.
4. Save this xlsx file and upload it to SAP TM.

In certain situations, new or changed rates must be approved by a Senior Rate Administrator to become effective. An approval workflow can be activated for each rate table type. Instead of releasing the rate table for usage, the rate administrator can request an approval. The status of the rate table validity interval then switches to "Awaiting Approval". Using SAP Business Workflow, an approval task is triggered and a notification is sent to a manager. The manager receives an approval request. Once approved, the validity interval will then be released and can be used. To use the approval process, the organizational model must be maintained.

You can create multiple rate tables in Microsoft Excel using rate table templates and upload them to SAP TM. You use the mass creation of rate tables (/SCMTMS/TCC_RATE_MASS_CREATE) report to download the Microsoft Excel template, in which you enter the new rate table details, and then you upload the new rate table details to SAP TM.

In the Microsoft Excel template, you can specify the following for each row in Microsoft Excel:

• The way you want the name of the rate tables to be generated, that is, by the system, by using the rate table template name, or by using a rate table name that you provide.
• Whether you want to provide a rate table name. If you do so, you must enter the rate table name in the rate table column. The system adds a number to the end of the name of each rate table to avoid any duplication.
• The rate table template on which to base the rate tables.
• The rate table template to enable the system to create the rate tables. This must be specified.
• The quantity of rate tables. The system creates one rate table if you do not enter a quantity.

The system provides you with a list of rate tables created, and also of those that were not created successfully.

• Mass Maintenance is integrated in rate table maintenance.

• Integration occurs into the master data cockpit query.

• Integration is done using a batch report.

You can use the /SCMTMS/RATE_MASS_UPDATE program to change the values in a single rate table or in multiple rate tables at the same time.

Rate tables for forwarding, freight, and internal agreements are accessible from the master data cockpit query.

To access the master data cockpit, in the SAP Fiori Launchpad, choose Charge Management→Charge Management-Worklist→Master Data Cockpit. 

Choose the relevant agreement type query and enter your search criteria (Purchasing Org and Carrier).

In the personal object worklist result, when you select a line item that contains both a rate table and a calculation sheet, the system opens the Update Rates function when you choose Update Rates/Calculation Sheet Amounts. The system automatically includes the rate table from the selected line item in the update criteria when you open the function.

When you select a line item that contains a rate table and a different line item that contains a calculation sheet only, and choose Update Rates/Calculation Sheet Amounts, the system opens both the Update Rates and Update Calculation Sheet Amounts functions on the same screen.

An example of the mass update of rates is described here.

You want to create a new validity period that contains new rates.

The following table describes the settings in the first existing validity period of January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021:

You must create a new validity period with new rates to cover the period December 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021. The following table describes your inputs to the Update Rates function:

The system creates a new validity period for December 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 with new rates. It keeps the old validity period for 2021, but changes the validity dates to January 1, 2021 to November 1, 2021. The following tables describe the new validity periods:

The system did not update the rate from NYC to SFO, since it was not included in the selection criteria.