SAP Global Track and Trace - Part 2

In my first blog on SAP Global Track and Trace (GTT) I went through what Track and Trace means, business drivers and key capabilities of SAP GTT. In addition I went through SAP's vision for SAP GTT, use cases and the SAP GTT application portfolio. It's a comprehensive start to understanding SAP GTT so if you have read it start there and then come back...

As promised, in the first article, let me take you through some of the key details surrounding SAP GTT.

1 - Event-to-Action Engine

The SAP GTT Event-to-Action Engine provides you the ability to define Rules, much like the Rule Set functionality of SAP Event Management (EM), to automatically trigger actions, based on certain conditions, when events are processed for a tracked process instance. These actions could, for example:

• send notifications to specified users

• update the status of the tracked process instance

• trigger a generic message to a SAP Cloud Platform Integration (CPI) scenario for a follow on action to be performed (e.g. communicated with SAP ECC or SAP TM)

The Event-to-Action Engine is part of the key functionality that enables a proactive approach to exception management - It is the enabler to reducing the "Event-to-Insight" and "Insight-to-Action" cycle times.

2 - Overdue Event Monitor

The Overdue Event Monitor is a tool used to detect, on a predetermined periodic basis, planned or expected events (milestones as they were known as in SAP EM) that are overdue.

If a milestone event is determined to be overdue, its status is set to “Overdue” and the Event-to-Action Engine can then be used to trigger additional follow-on actions to address the issue.

The Overdue Event Monitor leverages the Planned Business and Technical Timestamps to evaluate whether an event is overdue or not. It first checks the Technical Timestamp to see if it is populated - If it is then it leverages that for the overdue calculation otherwise it uses the Business Timestamp. The definition of both timestamps are described below.

3 - Difference between Business and Technical Timestamp

SAP GTT allows for the tracking of 2 distinct Timestamps:

1. Business Timestamp refers to the date and times surrounding the event itself. E.g. A delivery PGI business timestamp refers to the date and timestamp of the delivery PGI event itself

2. Technical Timestamp refers to the date and times surrounding the message that tells us about the event. E.g. A delivery PGI technical timestamp refers to the date and timestamp of the message communicating the delivery PGI event to SAP GTT - Note: This could be minutes, to several hours, to several days after the actual event has occurred.

The difference between the Technical Timestamp and the Business Timestamp is determined by the business. E.g. The business can allow a 1 hour offset between receiving the message about a PGI and the PGI event itself. This allows for latency between the communication of several disparate systems in the process as well as contractual obligations in the process, often involving 3rd parties. E.g. A PO acknowledgement could be contractually agreed to be received 24 hrs after receipt of the PO. This implies that the Technical Timestamp for POA = Business Timestamp of PO Sent to Supplier + 24 hrs.

Business Timestamp

• Planned business timestamp = date / time the event is expected to happen.

• Actual business timestamp = date / time the event took place.

Technical Timestamp

• Planned technical timestamp = date / time the message, which reports the event, is expected to be received.

• The Latest planned technical timestamp is used in detecting overdue events.

• Actual technical timestamp = date / time the event message was processed.

4 - SAP GTT architecture

The above diagram highlights the components making up the SAP GTT architecture.

5 - ERP to SAP GTT integration

The integration of ECC master data to SAP GTT is accomplished via IDocs and change pointers:

• DEBMAS - Customer Master

• CREMAS - Vendor Master

• MATMAS - Material Master

• ADRMAS - Address Master

The integration of ECC transaction data (tracked process instance initialization and event creation) to SAP GTT is accomplished via IDocs and BaDI integration (SAP GTT Application Interface similar to that provided for SAP EM):

• EHPOST - Tracked Process Creation (Equivalent to EH creation in SAP EM)

• EVMSTA - Event Creation (Equivalent to event message creation in SAP EM)

6 - App overviews

See Slideshow below for screenshots of the apps

A) Global Track and Trace App

• For business end users

• Track business processes and objects that are created as models in the Metadata Modeling app

• The GTT app provides three track and trace samples: Outbound Delivery, Shipment, and EPCIS (Electronic Product Code Information Services)

B) SAP GTT Meta Data Modeling App

• Plugin for SAP Web IDE

• Generate metadata models

• Include tracked processes or objects

C) SAP GTT Model Management App

• Manage GTT Models - Monitor & Manage run-time GTT metadata models

• Manage Business Rules - Define and Activate rules

• Delete Personal Data

D) Manage Business Partners App

• Manage Business Partner Master Data

E) Manage Locations App

• Manage Location Master Data

F) Manage Product App

• Manage Product Master Data

G) Manage GTT Users App

• Manage user access: Solution Owners, Solution Participants

H) Manage Solution Participants App

• Managing member organizations of a solution: Administrators -> invite business partners of the solution owner

I) Manage Personal Data App

• Data protection -> legal requirements, privacy concerns - Provides compliance with general data privacy regulation (EUs GDPR - General Data Protection Regulation)

• Provides privacy specialists with the tools to protect personal data used in master data

The above screenshots provided with consent from SAP.

7 - SAP GTT and Leonardo IOT Bridge

GTT provides the possibility to integrate with different sensor types, measuring a wide range of parameters. E.g. Temperature and Vibration sensors. It is becoming more and more important to get Supply Chain events closer to the point of occurrence and as near real-time as possible. Often this implies having a sensor on a truck or in a shipped package. This allows for the best and most accurate, up-to-date way of gathering timely data for Supply Chain events.

8 - SAP GTT 1802 Capabilities

Pro-active exception management

• Event-to-Action Engine: Rule Engine (Design), Update Status of Tracked Process, Fiori Notifications, SAP CPI messaging / integration

• Overdue Event Monitor: Periodic monitoring, Trigger follow-on actions -> Event-to-Action Engine

Services for Data Protection and Privacy

• Audit Log

• Personal Data Manager

• Retention Management

Geographical Map

• Using Here services the integration with geo maps is supported. This allows a user to track planned / actual events visually on a map. Different color codes are used for event statuses and event context information.

Enhanced Modeling and Model Management

EPCIS (Electronic Product Code Information Services)

• With the May 2018 release of GTT object tracking and EPCIS support were incorporated into the Core Data Model together with the EPCIS Capture interface supporting various events.

ERPGenie are leaders in the SAP Process Track and Trace space - Please feel free to reach out to us for any questions or contact the author (Kevin Wilson) directly.