Streamlining Dangerous Goods information exchange between Shipper and Carrier using SAP BN4L

[tom_hornstra2]

Last week I passed my Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (ADR) exam, granting me certification as a Safety Advisor for Road Transport according to ADR for the next five years:

This deeper dive into ADR—the Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road—makes it hard to underestimate the tremendous value of integrating SAP S/4 HANA for Transportation Management with SAP Business Network for Logistics. Here’s how this integration supports efficient, compliant Dangerous Goods handling:

For shippers using SAP S/4 HANA for Transportation Management, connecting with carriers through BN4L enables seamless logistics management. The shipper can either request a quotation from the carrier or directly send the Freight Order. If the Freight Order involves Dangerous Goods, the shipper is required to provide the carrier with all necessary information on the hazardous materials, including packing information. This ensures the carrier is prepared for safe and compliant transport.

In SAP S/4 HANA, if a material is classified as Dangerous Goods and is planned for a Freight Order subcontracted via BN4L, the carrier will see these details in the Freight Order or Freight Quotation Information tabs in BN4L:

A hyperlink labeled "Yes" will expand to reveal detailed Dangerous Goods (DG) information, which can also be displayed in multiple languages.

Let’s consider the Dangerous Goods Information provided here:

UN Number: In this example, UN 1202. This number links to extensive information in ADR's Table 3.2.1, including the specific labels needed (e.g., label number 3 for flammable liquids, see below).
Proper Shipping Name: The official designation that will have to appear on the waybill.
DG Class: In this example: Class 3, indicates flammable liquids.
Packing Group: III indicates the Packing group, which indicates the degree of danger it presents for the carriage
Tunnel Code: A code like (D/E) signifies tunnel restrictions. If the transport would be a bulk or tank carriage, transport would not be allowed through tunnels classified D or E, however since we are dealing with packaged materials, transport is only not allowed in tunnels that are classified E.

And additionally, indications for marking environmentally hazardous materials.

Importance of Compliance

ADR regulations set stringent requirements for each party's responsibilities (Chapter 1.4). Shippers (called consignors in ADR) must furnish carriers with accurate, traceable information. This exchange enables carriers to understand the nature of the goods and ensures they can fulfill their obligations, such as applying appropriate vehicle markings (in this case, only orange plates) and providing crew safety instructions in the necessary languages (languages that the members of the crew can understand).

Enabling this integration
From a TM and BN4L perspective, this integration requires minimal customization; it operates out-of-the-box with standard TM and BN4L. Populating Dangerous Goods master data typically involves specialized solutions, such as the new SAP Product Compliance solution or SAP EHS / Product Stewardship (now referred to as Product Compliance Classic). These solutions enrich the material data with regulatory-required Dangerous Goods information (e.g., ADR for road, IMDG for ocean, RID for rail transport). In Transportation Management, this data can be accessed at the product level:

While BN4L streamlines Dangerous Goods information exchange, parties should always verify the data to ensure regulatory compliance and accuracy.