Question Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario? in Supply Chain Management Q&A

Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

former_member590654 — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 09:03:13 GMT

Hello!

Is the Optimizer program mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

Suppose we want to create a basic prototype with just a list of carriers assigned to the transportation lane, is it obligatory to set up and call the Optimizer to receive such list? Is it possible to omit optimizer and what customizing is needed in such case?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

olena_iavorska — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 09:58:34 GMT

Hi,

please check this info: https://help.sap.com/viewer/54cf405c9d9e4c96bf091967ea29d6a7/9.5.1/en-US/e935629cd7684a2e8769002fe2bf9ebd.html

Here you will find the information on manual carrier selection.

Best wishes

Olena

Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

former_member590654 — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 10:16:37 GMT

Thank you Olena,

SAP Help says that we can choose and assign one specific carrier manually, but the business requirement is to get all available Carriers from the transportation lane as a list in the Freight Order (Subcontracting tab). Can we achieve this w/o Optimizer?

"Manual Carrier Selection. In manual carrier selection, you manually assign the required carrier to your business documents. If you have configured the check against transportation allocations, the system takes into account and checks transportation capacities (transportation allocations) that you have defined for the individual carriers. If, during the allocation, the system finds relevant transportation allocations without capacity or transportation allocations are violated by the allocation, warning messages appear." Carrier Selection

Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

hpuype23 — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 10:31:38 GMT

Hi,

About your link: is this part of basic TM and/or advanced TM?

Thanks,
Hans

Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

olena_iavorska — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 10:52:46 GMT

The Optimizer is not available in basic option.

Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

former_member590654 — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 11:22:20 GMT

But again, this doesn't answer the question - whether we can get a LIST of carriers in Freight Order w/o Optimizer? (Carrier ranking list tab)

When we hit the menu option Subcontracting > Carrier Selection and choose a Carrier Selection Settings we should get a LIST of carriers from the transportation lane, right?

Currently I have received an error message: "Error while calling carrier selection optimizer. No optimizer results".

Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

former_member590654 — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 13:36:34 GMT

Hello,

I made some research I would like to post here some information for everyone who will face the same issue.

Standard carrier selection settings contain a Strategy TSPS_DEF that is used to create a carrier list. Step TSPS_EXEC of this strategy triggers Optimizer by standard. There are several branches of logic inside this step but by standard SAP executes the code for the indicator "A". There are next possible indicators:

A Automatic Carrier Selection (Carrier Selection Optimizer)
P Determination of Available Carriers
C Cost Calculation
D Direct Carrier Selection

Indicator P "Determination of Available Carriers" does not call the Optimizer. If you wish to create Carrier's list w/o Optimizer you have to create your own strategy, replace steps TSPS_EXEC and TSPS_POST (for example, use indicator P) and assign the strategy to the Carrier Selection Settings. Otherwise, you can consider enhancing the standard strategy steps (not recommended).

You can find Strategy settings in IMG path Transportation Management • Basic Functions • Process Controller • Assign Methods to a Strategy.

Also, you can set up a break-point in the next code:

/SCMTMS/CL_TOR_A_PERFORM_CS method /BOBF/IF_FRW_ACTION~EXECUTE "Call the TSP selection for the TOR", here TSPS_DEF is being triggered

or /SCMTMS/CL_PLN_TSPS_IL method TSPS_INNER_LAYER_CALL, here actual call to the optimizer is being used.

IF is_tsps_parameters-mv_tsps_ctrl_param EQ /scmtms/cl_pln_tsps_ol=>mc_ctrl_param_auto. (A)
    "start the automatic process 
    CALL METHOD /scmtms/cl_pln_tsps_il=>tsps_automatic_controller 
      EXPORTING 
        is_tsps_settings     = is_tsps_settings 
        is_tsps_parameters   = is_tsps_parameters 
        it_tsps_input_header = it_tsps_input_header 
        it_order_tsp         = lt_order_tsp 
        it_cm_connection     = ct_cm_connection 
        it_tsps_buckets      = ct_tsps_buckets 
        it_tor_bucket_map    = ct_tor_bucket_map 
        it_tsps_bus_share    = ct_tsps_bus_share 
        it_tor_bs_map        = ct_tor_bs_map 
        it_tsps_lane_data    = it_tsps_lane_data 
        iv_charge_details    = iv_charge_details 
      IMPORTING 
        et_order_tsp         = et_ranking_data 
        et_charge_details    = et_charge_details 
      CHANGING 
        co_message           = co_message.

Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

GRABLERE — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 13:59:59 GMT

Hi Leanid,

the carrier selection is implemented via the process controller framework. Therefore with some small enhancement you should be able to achieve your requirement of doing a simple carrier selection/list.

You can maintain your custom Strategy as seen in screenshot below. If you are familiar with the process controller framework the procedure should be straight forward on how to add some custom logic/custom step. If not you can find it in the puplished TM enhancement guide.

While I did not find the time to implement an example myself some guidance on what you should have a look at:

Standard TSPS Strategy is using method TSPS_EXEC which maps to /SCMTMS/CL_PC_METHODS=>TSPS_EXEC to ultimately call the optimizer. If you check included method /SCMTMS/CL_PLN_TSPS_IL=>tsps_inner_layer_call you will see that here the optimizer call is prepared but there are also alternative cases where optimizer is not used but for example the input is directly taken over to the output of the exec call. This depends on parameter is_tsps_parameters-mv_tsps_ctrl_param, which is per default set to 'A', which triggers the actual optimizer call.

So for you I see two approaches to skip the optimizer call, either add an additional process controller method that changes the controll parameter to e.g. 'P', to have standard exec method just take over the input to the output list. Or completely remove the exec step and include your own step which is just mapping the input to the output of the carrier selection.

Regards,

Emanuel

Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

GRABLERE — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:01:32 GMT

Took some time to write my answer, while you were collecting your own analysis, which is spot on.

Regards,

Emanuel

Re: Is Optimizer mandatory for Carrier Selection in a basic scenario?

former_member860610 — Thu, 11 May 2023 18:27:25 GMT

Hi Leanid Kornikau,

I also faced similar issues. Thanks for sharing your findings here.

Can someone tell me how do I get carrier selection optimiser installed?

Also would like to have VSR optimiser installed and try fully automating the order creation.

Please help with any type of documentation for optimizer installation and running successfully.

Thanks in advance.

Ganesh Patil