SAP Logistics Business Network (LBN) is a digital supply chain platform that unites different supply chain players for easy freight collaboration. Shippers, Carriers, Logistics Service Providers (LSPs), Visibility Providers, Digital Freight Forwarders, and Carrier Networks can easily connect through the SAP LBN and collaborate to match demand with supply effectively, enhance goods tracking and material traceability.
As a global leader in supply chain visibility, project44 connects, automates, and provides visibility into key transportation processes to generate actionable insights. Through their Advanced Visibility Platform™, project44 helps 3PLs and shippers connect with carriers in real-time. project44 operates the world’s most trusted end-to-end visibility platform that tracks more than 1 billion shipments annually for over 1,000 of the leading brands, including top companies in manufacturing, automotive, retail, life sciences, food & beverage, and oil, chemical & gas. Using project44, shippers and carriers across the globe drive greater predictability, resiliency, and sustainability.
As shipments leave warehouses and travel by the road to other warehouses or customers, one must know where they are at all times, along with the milestones such as departure and arrival. Freight tracking is critical for business success because of its impact on customer service. It also impacts revenue recognition, on-time delivery reports, carrier performance, warehouse preparedness, accessorial charges (for example demurrage) etc.
Learn more about SAP LBN and UberFreight connection demo
In the Novigo test landscape, we connected Novigo's S/4HANA Transportation Management with LBN. The shipper and carrier tenants in LBN allow shippers and carriers to see the freight collaboration results in real-time.
Learn more about SAP LBN and InstaFreight connection in Novigo test landscape.
This demo starts with a freight order in S/4HANA embedded TM created by planning a Sales Order-based Freight Unit. Carrier is assigned, and the trip is from a plant in Mississippi to a customer in Alabama. When we change the status of the Freight Order to ‘Ready for execution’, TransportationOrderGenericTrackedProcessRequest_Out xml will be triggered from S/4HANA TM and sent to Novigo LBN tenant. The FO will be available in the shipper tenant ‘Track Freight Movement’ App. Since the carrier is activated for project44 tracking in the Partner Connections App, PutOrderForTracking message will be sent from LBN to project44.
For testing purposes, project44 uses a simulation tool that posts location status and milestone updates every 5 seconds to LBN (OrderEvents message). In LBN shipper tenant maps, we can see the truck icon moving after every refresh. Milestone events such as Departure and Arrival are also posted, and the same will flow to TM FO via LBN (TransportationEventBulkNotification_In). Moreover, before the arrival event and as soon as the departure event is posted, project44 sends an Estimated Time of Arrival (obtained through project44 analytics and machine learning), and the same will be available in the LBN tracking app. This feature is essential for customer service and other teams to communicate the expected delivery date/time.
This demo helps understand how shipment tracking works in a real production scenario. However, in production systems, project44 and carriers can provide more milestone events such as loading, unloading, etc. If the project44 integration is down and the carrier wants to post the milestone events as a backup option, the carrier can do the same in LBN carrier tenant UI. The data will then be updated to S/4HANA TM FO (execution tab).
By bringing together different supply chain partners, SAP LBN is leveraging digital supply chain capabilities and innovations. With a growing need for freight tracking and real-time statuses such as those provided by project44, companies gain a competitive advantage. The shipment's live location and the milestone events can be later used for various reports and other downstream processes in core ERP (S/4HANA). The standard connection of the S/4HANA TM system with the project44 system via LBN allows all the SAP customers to benefit significantly from this integration.
Novigo, with more than 50 successful SAP TM on-premise implementations, is the leader and the most experienced consulting firm in this domain. Our consultants are well equipped to advise clients about the various aspects of LBN and freight tracking through Visibility Providers such as project44. We anticipate that many companies will need these advanced functionalities in LBN with the growing need for digitization in the industry. Novigo can help you embrace the digital future with carefully tailored solutions to logistics challenges.
