SAP TM -- Process Controller VSR Opt. W/Package Building + Loading Plan + Carrier + Delete Packages

SAP TM — Process Controller

Introduction

Think of the Process Controller in SAP TM as a Lego set — a flexible, modular framework that lets you snap together standard building blocks to assemble any transportation planning process you need. Just as Lego bricks can be combined in countless ways to build different structures, the Process Controller allows you to define your own strategies and methods, combining standard SAP TM functionalities into a complete, automated planning pipeline.

The Process Controller is a framework with which you can define your own strategies, methods, and how your planning process is executed. By assigning a service, you define the area in which the process is to be used — for example, freight unit building, carrier selection, or VSR optimization. SAP delivers various standard strategies out of the box, and methods define the individual process steps of a strategy.

The result? A “No-Click” or lights-out planning scenario where freight orders are built, loaded, and tendered with minimal or zero manual intervention — all assembled from the same standard Lego bricks, configured to fit your business.

The Four Building Blocks

🧱 Consolidation Package Building the Foundation Piece

Every Lego model starts with a solid base. In SAP TM, that base is Consolidation Package Building — the step that converts transportation demands (sales orders, purchase orders, stock transport orders, deliveries) into freight units, and then groups products into physical packages such as pallets or cartons.

Order consolidation groups freight units with the same ship-from and ship-to locations into more efficient shipment quantities. If multiple orders are being shipped to a predefined transportation zone, SAP TM can efficiently schedule, route, and combine these orders — choosing the most appropriate carrier and route.

The Package Builder then assigns quantities of a product to specific packages based on rules defined in the SCM Basis master data. Rules can be defined for each combination of product, customer, and location — and when multiple rules apply, the system always selects the most specific one.

In the Transportation Cockpit, you can choose between the standard consolidation process (mixed packages with products from multiple customers allowed) or exclusive packages (products for a single customer only). Packages created this way exist as a local hierarchy of packages and items within the capacity document.

Configuration Tip: Define your Package Builder Profile in SPRO → SAP Transportation Management → SCM Basis → Pack → Package Building → Define Package Building Profile. Test your setup using program /SCMB/TEST_PB.

🧱 Automatic Load Planning Snapping the Next Brick

Once your packages are built and assigned to freight orders, the next Lego brick snaps into place: Automatic Load Planning. This step determines how packages are physically arranged inside a vehicle or container to maximize space utilization while respecting operational constraints.

New planning strategies are available that can be indicated in your planning profile so that the corresponding functions are performed automatically during manual planning or VSR optimization:

VSRI_CPB — Manual planning with package building based on capacity documents
VSRI_PBLP — Manual planning with package building based on capacity documents and load planning
VSR_CPB — VSR optimization with package building based on capacity documents
VSR_CPBALP — VSR optimization with package building based on capacity documents and load planning

The load plan is available as a hierarchical table (load plan hierarchy) that displays the physical positions and orientation of products and packages. In the 3D load plan, you can manually adjust the load plan by moving objects within a truck using reposition buttons or keyboard shortcuts, with statuses and axle weights automatically adjusted.

Finalizing the Load Plan: After automatic or manual adjustments, you set the load plan status to “Finalized” at the freight order header level under Load Plan Status (Load Planning) → Set Load Plan to Finalized. This step is mandatory before the system can split freight units across multiple freight orders.

🧱 Carrier Selection Connecting to the Right Partner

With freight orders planned and loads optimized, the next brick connects your shipment to the right carrier. Carrier Selection in SAP TM allows your company to determine the right combination of carrier assignments based on cost, equipment availability, priority, and business share goals.

The Process Controller supports multiple carrier selection methods:

Ranking-Based Selection: Carriers are ranked based on costs, priorities, incompatibilities, and business allocations
Optimization-Driven Selection: The VSR Optimizer can simultaneously determine the route, create the freight order, and select the carrier in a single automated run
Tendering Process: Freight orders are offered to eligible carriers via direct or RFQ-based tendering — peer-to-peer or broadcast

The Process Controller supports one-, two- or three-step planning strategies, giving you full flexibility in how you assemble this brick into your overall process:

One-step: Route determination + freight order creation + carrier selection in a single optimizer run
Two steps: Freight order creation → then carrier selection
Three-step: Route determination → freight order creation → carrier selection

Best Practice: For fully automated carrier selection, configure the planning profile with a one-step optimization strategy and define carrier ranking rules in the transportation lane master data.

🧱 Removing Empty Packages the Finishing Piece

Every well-built Lego model ends cleanly — no loose bricks left behind. In SAP TM, the final brick is Removing Empty Packages: a cleanup step that removes any packages created during the building process that were not filled with freight items.

Packages created during capacity-document-based package building exist only locally in the document as a hierarchy of packages and items. The system provides the ability to remove these local packages and items directly from:

A single capacity document (road freight order, trailer unit, container unit, or package unit)
The Transportation Cockpit (bulk removal across multiple documents)

This step ensures that freight orders are clean and contain only packages with actual cargo before being tendered to carriers — guaranteeing that freight charges are calculated accurately based on real loaded quantities, not empty placeholders.

Key Point: Empty package removal should always occur after the load plan is finalized and before carrier tendering.

Key Takeaways

Building Block	Purpose	Benefit
Consolidation Package Building	Groups freight demands into optimized packages based on product, customer, and location rules	Reduces shipment count, improves packaging efficiency, and enables mixed or exclusive package strategies
Automatic Load Planning	Arranges packages inside vehicles/containers using 3D optimization and configurable planning strategies	Maximizes vehicle utilization, reduces freight costs, and supports both automated and manual fine-tuning
Carrier Selection	Assigns the most suitable carrier via ranking, VSR optimization, or tendering — in one, two, or three automated steps	Ensures cost-effective, rule-based carrier assignment with minimal manual effort
Removing Empty Packages	Cleans up locally created package hierarchies that contain no freight items after planning	Keeps freight orders accurate and ensures charges reflect only actual loaded cargo

The Process Controller is your SAP TM Lego set — each building block is a standard, reusable component that can be independently configured and combined in any sequence to match your business process. Whether you need a simple one-step FTL scenario or a complex multi-modal pooled distribution flow, the same standard bricks are available to build it.

Customizing:

Add the Strategy in the FO document type: