SAP S/4HANA Overview
SAP HANA is an in-memory database that enables customers to analyze vast datasets quickly and efficiently. SAP S/4HANA is the next generation of enterprise software, built on the advanced in-memory database of SAP HANA. SAP S/4HANA exclusively operates within an SAP HANA database.
Much like its predecessor, SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC), SAP S/4HANA replicates and extends its offerings across various critical business functions. These encompass finance, sales, services, supply chain management, production, controlling, and risk and compliance. Within these functions reside the foundational elements for comprehensive end-to-end business processes, spanning the entirety of operations from order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, plan-to-product, to request-to-service.
To learn more about SAP's history, refer to the following:https://www.sap.com/corporate/en/company/history.html
Transportation Management in SAP
Transportation management supports all kinds of complex scenarios for shipper(s) and logistic service provider(s) around the world, such as the following:
All Scenario Types
For example, inbound, outbound, domestic, and international.
All Kinds of Goods/Cargo
For example, general, bulk, fluid, packaged and loose.
All Shipping Types
For example, Less than Truck Load (LTL), Full Truck Load (FTL), Less than Container Load (LCL), Full Container Load (FCL), and Courier Express Parcel (CEP).
All Movement Types
For example, direct shipment, unimodal, multimodal, port-to-port, door-to-door, and export shipment.
All Stage Types
For example, pickup, pre-carriage, main carriage, on-carriage, delivery, drayage, and haulage.
All Parties and Roles
For example, ordering party, shipper or sender, consignee or recipient, invoicing party, payment party, notifying party, agreement party, importer or exporter, and forwarder or carrier.
All Legal Documentation
For example, House Bill of Lading (HBL), House Air Waybills (HAWB), manifests, and delivery notes.
Evolution of Transportation Management in SAP
The first logistics solution by SAP was the transportation solution that was released as part of SAP R/2.
In 1993, SAP R/3 Logistics Execution (LE-TRA) was released.
In 2000, SAP Transportation Planning/Vehicle Scheduling (TP/VS) was released and enabled transportation network optimization.
SAP TM 6.0 and 7.0 evolved from the SAP Transportation Planning/Vehicle Scheduling (TP/VS) solution.
SAP TM 8.0/8.1 provided a redesigned and simplified architecture.
SAP TM in SAP Business Suite has been enhanced since SAP TM 8.0 and is now SAP TM 9.6.
Transportation management in SAP started as a standalone SAP Business Suite application. Now, transportation management has been incorporated in SAP S/4HANA, and all future enhancements and upgrades will be made to the SAP S/4HANA product.
