Decision-makers considering the implementation of SAP S/4HANA Supply Chain for transportation management have the option to deploy it either as an in-stack or an extra-stack solution.
In-Stack or Embedded Model:
The in-stack model refers to the internal integration of transportation management with SAP S/4HANA Enterprise Management applications within the same system instance, often referred to as "Embedded". In the Embedded version, the basic scope is included with the SAP S/4HANA Enterprise Management license. However, advanced scope requires an additional license.
Integrating transportation management into the SAP S/4HANA stack allows for the direct processing of joint data within the same system. Using transportation management in an embedded manner eliminates the need for interfaces, as all relevant master data objects are readily available in SAP S/4HANA. Following the "principle of one", there's no requirement for data replication. This reduction in cross-system data exchange significantly decreases the workload for data synchronization.
There is no need for replicating transactional data. For example, the Freight Unit is directly integrated into system-internal predecessor documents without the need for the transportation management business object TRQ, which typically stores replicated order data.
It is important to note that this option may not be suitable for customers seeking a standalone solution with group logistics functionality.
Extra-Stack or Side-by-Side Model:
The extra-stack model refers to the external integration of transportation management with SAP S/4HANA Enterprise Management or ERP applications in separate system instances, often referred to as "Side-by-Side" integration. This option is solely available for advanced transportation management.
The reasons for running transportation management as part of SAP S/4HANA in a side-by-side scenario are as follows:
- ERP instances that are not yet converted to SAP S/4HANA have to be integrated with transportation management as part of SAP S/4HANA.
- There are multiple SAP S/4HANA instances in a system landscape which have to be integrated with transportation management as part of SAP S/4HANA.
Migrating to SAP S/4HANA TM
If you are currently using SAP Transportation Management (9.x), it is likely that a migration to SAP S/4HANA Supply Chain for transportation management will be necessary at some stage. SAP's migration tool can be used to migrate data from SAP TM (9.X) to SAP S/4HANA in a side-by-side or embedded model. It is important to follow the specific sequence of steps mentioned in the following SAP notes for a successful migration:
- SAP Note: 2769186
- SAP Note: 3048402
Depending on your landscape, one of the following four scenarios may occur:
- SAP ERP with SAP Transportation Management (9.X)
- SAP S/4HANA with SAP Transportation Management (9.X)
- SAP S/4HANA with SAP S/4HANA Supply Chain for transportation management
- SAP ERP with SAP S/4HANA Supply Chain for transportation management
The interface used to transfer master data from an SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA system to SAP Transportation Management or SAP S/4HANA Supply Chain for transportation management depends on the destination system. If the receiving system is an SAP Transportation Management 9.x (Business Stack), then CIF (Core Interface) is used. If the receiving system is an SAP S/4HANA system, then DRF (Data Replication Framework) is used.
