BSH Hausgeräte GmbH is one of the largest manufacturers of household appliances in the world. With end customers, suppliers and logistics partners in more than 100 countries, the company moves thousands of shipments every day by sea, road and rail.

Transparency across these complex supply chains is a challenge. With SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace, BSH has created a global platform that harmonizes transport data from visibility partners and logistics service providers, provides real-time information and sustainably improves the end customer experience.

Global complexity demands digital transparency

BSH’s transport logistics connects the entire company and has a complex network with sea, road and rail transport. Materials are transported to factories worldwide and finished products are transported from there to central and regional warehouses before they are delivered to major customers and consumers. More than 500 logistics service providers are involved, plus a historically grown IT landscape with several different regional ERP systems.

This diversity led to various challenges. Information was often static, outdated, or spread across multiple systems. Information on the transport status and the estimated time of arrival (ETA) was based on the system-maintained, static transit times. In addition, there were increasing expectations from end customers to receive precise and up-to-date information about their orders and deliveries. “In such an environment, transparency is the basis for controllability and reliability,” says Leona-Marie Moser, Change Manager Global Transport Logistics at BSH.

SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace as a data hub

To solve these challenges, BSH decided to introduce SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace as a central data hub. The solution connects ERP systems, logistics service providers, visibility partners and internal roles in the company.

The process begins with the extraction of transport data from the ERP system. SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace supplements this data with events, status reports and ETA information from service providers. The connection occurs either via the SAP Business Network or a standardized API interface. The consolidated information is then not only displayed in the track and trace solution, but also written directly back into the productive ERP system. This means they are available live where operational decisions are made.

It is precisely this return flow that is crucial for BSH. “We didn’t want an isolated solution, but rather a platform that is relevant for company-wide control,” explains Moser.

Structured global rollout

BSH is introducing SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace worldwide. A dedicated development team works agilely, supported by SAP services and support. Standardized templates enable efficient rollouts in countries and regions. At the same time, the team adapts the models to specific local requirements.

BSH today uses three apps in SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace:

• Delivery note tracking for distribution to consumers and trading partners
• Tour tracking for internal transports and major customer tours
• Shipment tracking as a global standard model for sea freight, intercompany and FTL transports

Depending on the process, the solutions rely on different data sources, from the visibility partner to the direct API connection of the logistics service provider.

More end customer satisfaction through real-time information

A main goal is to improve the delivery experience for consumers. The following already applies in many countries: Anyone who orders a large appliance from the BSH range receives a tracking link through which the current delivery status can be accessed – including the desired delivery date, the location of the carrier and automatic updates in real time. The interface adapts to the device and is available directly in the respective country context, including the language.

What was previously often only possible by telephone or by asking the service provider is now available transparently and immediately.

The Digital Twin makes supply chain and planning more reliable

SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace forms the basis for a digital twin of the entire transport chain. An example of this is sea freight. The ships’ ETA information is automatically taken from the visibility network and compared with BSH data.

The updated arrival times are then written back to the ERP delivery notes and are available for planning, logistics and order management.

This eliminates the previous manual maintenance and telephone chain to query the status of the individual devices/containers from the service providers. Deviations are visible earlier and decisions can be made more easily.

Standardization enables scaling

A central success factor is anchoring the tracking requirements in the framework contracts with the service providers. Since BSH controls freight purchasing centrally, the company can make the connection to SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace a standard when drafting the contract. This makes tracking globally consistent and the rollout further accelerated.

In addition, the interaction of standard models and targeted customizing ensures that different transport processes and regional peculiarities can be flexibly mapped.

More transport modes, more automation, more predictive power

The next steps are already planned. BSH wants to introduce track and trace solutions across the board for other transport modes, including rail transport. With predictive analytics, ETA forecasts can become even more precise in the future. In addition, reporting is to be further expanded and supported with additional KPIs.

“For us, SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace is not an IT project, but a transformation project,” says Moser. “We are thereby creating the basis for global transparency and the ability to proactively manage our supply chain.”