The actual quantity cannot be estimated precisely beforehand, for example, when transporting bulk freight. When the transportation execution starts, the actual quantity must be recorded as well. This process in the SAP TM functionality is called discrepancy handling. Discrepancies are a hassle for transportation execution because they might affect the choice of vehicle resource being used for the transportation or lead to a different charge calculation. Therefore, discrepancies must be discussed with the shipper before transportation can continue. The transportation process starts as usual, requested quantities are entered into a forwarding order, and freight units are created out of this document. After the freight units are planned, the execution of the transportation can begin. The carrier now physically receives the cargo and checks the actual quantities against the requested quantities. This checking and reporting is performed by the carrier and communicated to us as the freight forwarder. We will then enter the actual quantities in the freight order’s items.
If the carrier does not receive the cargo as planned, you must report the discrepancy. In general, you can differentiate between two types of discrepancies as follows:
- Quantity discrepancies: The actual quantities are different from the requested quantities because of a change in the quantity, gross weight, or volume.
The actual quantity, the actual weight, or the actual volume is lower than expected.
The actual quantity, the actual weight, or the actual volume is larger than expected.
You have received an unexpected cargo.
- Other discrepancies: Discrepancies that are not caused by a change in quantities are called other discrepancies. If the cargo is damaged, or documents are missing for the cargo, these events can be recorded as other discrepancies.
There is a dangerous goods item that you have not designated as such.
The packaging of an item is damaged.
You have received over dimensional or high-value cargo.
A different equipment type or package type has been used.
Customizing Discrepancy
Before you can handle any discrepancies in SAP TM, you define the discrepancy types in Customizing.
You can define different types of discrepancies in Customizing by following the IMG menu path Transportation Management→Freight Order Management→Define Discrepancy Profile.
In this Customizing activity, you can define discrepancy types and associate them with predefined events and discrepancy subcategories. Further, among the discrepancy types associated with the same event, you must select one discrepancy type as the default discrepancy type. You can also define lower or upper discrepancy tolerances.
You can define discrepancy profiles. If you do so, you can assign discrepancy types with different stop categories to them. You can assign discrepancy profiles to freight order types, freight booking types, and transportation unit types.
Methods of Entering Discrepancies
The following options are available when reporting discrepancies:
- Report quantity discrepancies in the Items tab of FO, FB, or TU and actual values in the Quantities tab of the item details.
- Report other discrepancies in the Items tab of FO, FB, or TU and enter detailed information in the Discrepancies tab of the item details.
- Add any necessary attachments to a reported discrepancy within the Attachments column on the Discrepancies tab of the item details.
- Add any necessary notes to a reported discrepancy within either the Note or the Notes column on the Discrepancies tab of the item details.
It is possible to unassigned FUs for which discrepancies have been reported. FUs can be unassigned from a FO, FB, or TU in the FO/FB/TU screen or in the transportation cockpit. While the discrepancy and the block or blocks still exist on the freight unit level, they are removed in the FB, FO, or TU. This means that the cargo (without the goods of the unassigned FU) can proceed with further processing.
Features
When a discrepancy is reported in an FO, FB, or TU document, the system automatically blocks the subsequent stages of the transport when reported discrepancies are not yet resolved.
For freight units, further planning and execution are blocked.
For freight orders, freight bookings, and transportation units, execution and invoicing blocks are set.
In SAP TM, you can select a checkbox in the freight order, freight booking document, or transportation unit that prevents the system from setting a block.
If there are unresolved discrepancies in a document, it is not possible to set the freight execution status to Freight Ready for (Un-) Loading. Moreover, a block on an unresolved discrepancy implies that no goods receipt can take place; therefore, you cannot set the cargo receipt status.
Resolving Discrepancies
During execution, discrepancies can be determined between the actual quantities and the quantities that have been ordered by the customer. Furthermore, exceptions can occur, such as missing or damaged cargo. This data can be sent from SAP EWM to SAP TM, and either copied into the freight order or freight booking automatically, or entered into the freight order or freight booking manually.
The customer service agent or transportation planner must decide with the ordering party how to proceed with the discrepancies. Depending on this decision, the customer service agent can adjust the ordered data to the actual data, or can plan the subsequent delivery of missing cargo.
To support the exception handling process, the following functions of SAP TM have been added or enhanced:
Discrepancy profile with the option to define discrepancy subcategories
Personal object worklist (POWL) for discrepancies
Copy of actual data from freight document to ordered data of forwarding order
Change of forwarding order data after execution has started
Assignment of local freight document items to forwarding orders and freight units
Manual freight unit split after execution has started
Manual corrections of items, for example, after transfer of data from SAP EWM
Conditions for Using the Resolve and Undo Resolve Buttons
You can use the actions associated with the Resolve button for specific discrepancy types only. The following conditions apply:
- Resolve discrepancy:
This action is permitted for all discrepancy types, except for discrepancies with the subcategory Missing Cargo. You cannot execute the Resolve action for this subcategory if the Quantity Update column in the Customizing activity Define Discrepancy Profile has the value Split Predecessor Document.
- Resolve missing cargo (retain FU item):
You can execute this action for discrepancies with the subcategory Missing Cargo only if the Quantity Update column in the Customizing activity Define Discrepancy Profile has the value Split Predecessor Document.
- Resolve missing cargo (delete FU item):
You can execute this action for discrepancies with the subcategory Missing Cargo only if the Quantity Update column in the Customizing activity Define Discrepancy Profile has the value Split Predecessor Document.
- Resolve unexpected cargo (assign FWO item):
You can execute this action only for discrepancies with the subcategory Unexpected Cargo.
You can use the action associated with the Undo Resolve button for specific discrepancy types only. The following conditions apply:
The discrepancy must have the status Resolved.
The discrepancy must not have the subcategory Missing Cargo. If the discrepancy does have the subcategory Missing Cargo, the action Undo Resolve can be executed only if the Quantity Update column in the Customizing activity Define Discrepancy Profile does not have the value Split Predecessor Document.