Entering content frameProcess documentation Supplementary Logistics Services (SLS) Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Purpose

Supplementary logistics services (SLS) are article-related services supporting logistics. If you use the standard SLS functions, customers can order pre-packed merchandise. Vendors can deliver pre-packed merchandise for a specific purchase order. This document describes how you can do this. It is assumed that both the customer and the vendor use an SAP System.

To increase the efficiency of the supply chain in an effort to achieve more Efficient Consumer Response (ECR), goods that pass through distribution centers are increasingly handled using fast-track processes (for example, cross-docking). The fast-track process only works if the intended recipients already exist in the system at goods receipt. This makes it superfluous for the goods to be placed in storage in the distribution center. The advantages include:

If the vendor has pre-packed the goods for the final recipients, the customer can cross-dock packages containing different articles at goods receipt. When packages contain only the one type of article, however, the final recipients cannot always take complete packages. The vendor therefore pre-packs units containing different articles for the one recipient. For further information about cross-docking, see Merchandise Distribution: Processing Methods.

By integrating specific programs, you can define additional SLS without modifying the SAP System source code. For further information, see also: SLS: Examples of Customer Enhancements.

Integration

The following components are used:

Component

System

Function

Article master

Customer/vendor

Creating an SLS as an article

Additionals

Customer/vendor

Assigning SLS to articles

Collective purchase orders

Customer

Ordering articles for which the vendor is to perform an SLS (for example, pre-packing)

Sales order processing

Vendor

Receiving purchase orders containing SLS data and sub-items using EDI

Shipping and Transportation

Vendor

Creating outbound deliveries with SLS sub-items

Picking and packing goods for SLS sub-items

Goods receipts

Customer

Entering inbound deliveries or rough goods receipts

Goods receipt with quantity check and any necessary adjustment for SLS sub-items

Technically speaking, SLS are additionals. All the functions available for Additionals are available for SLS. For further information, see Additionals.

If you included the costs of SLS in calculating prices for collective purchase orders or sales orders, these costs are also included automatically in invoices and billing documents. The documents always refer to main items and do not contain any information about sub-items.

Process Flow

The process flow describes how to order and deliver pre-packed merchandise.

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

  1. Various recipients order goods from a distribution center.
  2. The distribution center combines the purchase orders from the various buyers in a collective purchase order for issuing to the vendor. When the collective purchase order is generated, the system checks if any SLS are required for the articles and the vendor. If SLS are required, sub-items detailing the recipients and the individual quantities are automatically assigned to each of the relevant items in the collective purchase order.
  3. The customer then transfers the collective purchase order to the vendor by EDI. The vendor's SAP System creates a sales order with SLS sub-items for the collective purchase order.
  4. The vendor generates outbound deliveries with SLS sub-items for this sales order.
  5. The vendor picks and packs the goods in line with the sub-items. The recipient of every package is known, and each recipient receives all articles in a single delivery.
  6. The vendor posts a goods issue and may also send a shipping notification.
  7. Goods are delivered to the customer. The customer posts a goods receipt (if required, referencing an inbound delivery or a rough goods receipt) in the distribution center. If the quantity needs correcting, the vendor indicates this for the sub-items concerned. The user can correct each sub-item online.
  8. After the goods receipt has been posted, the individual packages for the recipients can be cross-docked to the goods issue zone.

Note

The vendor in this case can also be an internal vendor. If the vendor is internal, the collective purchase order is a warehouse order for which the vendor generates deliveries.

 

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