Monday Knowledge Snippet (MKS) – 106 S/4HANA 2020 Package Building: Utilization Thresholds

[former_member186731]

The package builder has grown massively with the developments done for Transportation Management 9.6 and S/4HANA 1909. One area of improvement was the introduction of location soft groups: The PB tries to first create mixed packages for all items belonging to locations within a group. When this package is utilized well enough, it can be taken over into the final result and no further consolidation / mixing with other items happen. Unfortunately, this only worked when using the provided enhancement spot method /SCMB/IF_PB_ENHANCE~SET_PACKAGE_COMPLETE as the standard lacked a definition what 'utilized well enough' means. Only completely full packages are taken over as final and this seldom happens in heterogeneous product scenarios.

With S/4HANA 2020, the package builder has been enhanced to offer such a definition in the Package Builder Profile:

Under the grouping settings, you can pick a 'Quantity for Utilization Threshold'. In the 2 fields below you can specify the values for single business partners and location (soft) groups. For example, if you pick volume and 50%, any result pallet for such a group with a volume utilization above 50% should not be mixed further with other items.

So let's take a look at an example. Here is the location soft group:

I run the package builder test report /SCMB/TEST_PB with the following items:

As a result, I see 2 pallets created, but having the locations mixed. After analyzing, I come to the conclusion that actually the pallet for the shopping mall SY_BJ should be fine.

So a activate the thresholds by picking volume and 45%.

I run the scenario again and get this:

I can see that the pallet for SY_BJ was created and finalized. The result pallet for SY_GWP was not above the threshold, and was further filled with items from unspecified locations.

Now a test for business partners. I activate the same feature for business partners:

Items to be packaged:

Result:

It is possible to combine both thresholds.

In addition to the single quantity and threshold value, that can be defined in the PB profile, it is possible for more complex requirements to use enhancement spot /SCMB/IF_PB_ENHANCE~ADJUST_SETTINGS. Parameter CS_SETTINGS_INTERNAL offers the definitions PKG_GRP_UTIL_THRESHOLDS, SOFT_LOC_GEN_UTIL_THRESHOLD, and BP_GEN_UTIL_THRESHOLD, where multiple thresholds can be defined.

Of course it is still possible to use the enhancement spot method /SCMB/IF_PB_ENHANCE~SET_PACKAGE_COMPLETE to decide per result package if it is final or not.

I demonstrated this using the PB test report, but of course this is working also when using the package building in the business documents.

[former_member186731]

Here is the link to the LinkedIn discussion: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6724200202275704832/

[former_member685176]

Marcus, good afternoon!
Is it known when the given solution will appear in the Standalone SAP TM solution?

[former_member186731]

The used Package Builder is the same, independent if you run S/4HANA Transportation Management embedded or standalone.

[former_member685176]

Thank you for your reply!

[former_member599078]

Hi Marcus,

I was wondering if there is a possibility to have this kind of Package Building functionality also available in combination with the ERP S4HANA Sales and Distribution module. Rational behind is that at the moment of entering the sales order (especially containerized deep sea orders) you can see how the load factor develops of the selected containertype (taking also way of loading into account, so palatized or loosely-loaded on slip sheets). Providing that insight protects the order entry clerk of overloading the container or gives the clerk the insight to up-sell on the fly when entering the sales order. Looking forward to your reply.

Regards, Toon van Beek

[former_member186731]

In standard - no.

But I know at least one customer leveraging the combination of Package Building and Load Consolidation to save quite some money in exactly the scenario you have described. The integration into the SO entry screen was done in a custom project, the call into TM also, but from there it is pretty much standard.

[former_member599078]

Hi Marcus,

Good to hear that somewhere out there people did have the same idea considering this idea, could please get me into contact (maybe via solution mangement) with this company?

Would it be worthwhile to post this on the SAP Influencer portal, so the power of TM and SD can be leveraged?

Kind regards,

 

Toon

 

 

 

[former_member186731]

Hi,

I can't disclose the customer name here, but you ca contact me using my SAP mail.

SD knows already, but it would for sure not hurt.

Marcus