2
From Insight to Action
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zclGC3SaLxM
→ “From Insight to Action” SAP – Synfioo integration story (German only, but generated English subtitles available)
General video on Synfioo in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA1bR4VD-XU
3
“Quote” Challenge
Solution
Outcome
From Insight to Action
20% More efficient
transport planning 24% Higher Profit 4.5 x ROI
Synfioo GmbH
How can we ship goods all over the world without knowing where they are once they have left the warehouse? The more complex intermodal supply chains get, the more sensitive they are to any sort of external disruption. The lack of supply chain visibility leads to an inefficient way of handling transport processes and a shortage of planning reliability.
We build a more efficient, fluent and interconnected supply chain by monitoring intermodal, global transport processes in real-time, by making the whole supply chain more transparent and communicative and by providing all transports parties at the right timewith all action-oriented and focused information they need. Our real-time visibility service uses external and internal data sources (incl. IoT) for precise AI-powered predictions of everything that will occur along the supply chain – allowing all parties to prevent major delays and disruptions by making the right decisions ahead of time.
First of all, we enable supply chain managers to constantly monitor their transport processes by making disruptions along the transport route visible. In this way, supply chain managers can act proactively and make necessary changes to transport and production planning at an early stage. This means that processes are optimized and thus made more efficient. The Synfioo services reduce the risk of supply chain managers being helplessly exposed to disruptions. In addition, with the Synfioo Live Prediction model we are able to generate an accuracy of arrival time predictions of over 90% which is essential for planning reliability.
“Synfioo is an open platform as well as a self-learning system: If new information sources are available, we can add them to the system. The more information the system includes, the better our predictability gets, the more cost we can save and the better our service is.
With this openness we can apply it on basically all modes of transport, that’s what is interesting for us.”
Holger Seifart, K+S
„In today‘s logistics, onlySynfioo‘s predictions can helpus reduce uncertainty aboutarrival times.“
Albert-Charrel Ernst, Jan de RijkLogistics
4
Partner Information
“”Contact. The SAP Accelerator program put Synfioo on an equal footing with SAP and established contact with SAP product development and sales team. This led to development cooperation, a partner agreement and the joint "Go-To-Market Campaign". The Accelerator acts as an interface between Synfioo and SAP and leverages client impact.
IT-System. Synfioo was provided with a system landscape as well as a knowledge transfer so that the integration could be developed on both sides.
Resources. The Accelerator team established and accompanied the collaboration between Synfioo and the SAP TM product management and development team.
“Synfioo has hit the nerve of the industry with its software solution. Through a fruitful collaboration, we were able to unlock the full potential of the SAP-Synfioo integration and are looking forward to the upcoming milestones.” Ignatz Schatz, Director Startup Engagement
SAP Startup Accelerator for Digital Supply Chain
Mentor and trailblazer
5
Business Challenge & Objectives
Issues in Supply Chains which lead to delayed deliveries, production downtimes, long waiting times and stockouts:
Our goal in implementing a real-time monitoring platform into the existing SAP Transportation Management system of industry companies like K+S
was to bring transparency to their supply chain in real time. The Synfioo solution collects the required data from over 50 external data sources and
prepares them visually for the user, in order to provide support for a well-founded and proactive decision making. Only those who have an eye on all
disturbing factors and their effects can take countermeasures at an early stage. By decomplexing intermodal and global supply chains, we bring the
Supply Chain Manager back into control.
We are helping SAP’s industry clients to digitize their transport monitoring processes in order to gain efficiency. Using the traffic light color system in
the SAP-integrated “ETA Monitor”, we show which transports are currently affected by disruptions and how critical the need for action is. The focus can
now be placed on the management of exceptions. In addition, we send disruption alerts to all parties involved in the transport process so that they
have access to the required information at any time. According to the motto "No news is good news", we give the assurance that the constant flow of
goods is guaranteed in the absence of disruption alerts.
Based on machine learning algorithms, we can always optimize and thus reduce the risk of a loss of time, money or resources for industry’s
logistics departments. By reducing the susceptibility to external disruptions, stable transport processes can be set up that ensure a resilient supply
chain. The aim is to also provide alternative recommendations for action in the near future on the basis of the data collected. Furthermore, we want
to further improve the accuracy of our ETA predictions, which currently stands at more than 90%.
Supply Chain Complexity➢ Cross border transportations➢ Multi-modal transportations➢ Individualization of shipments
Supply Chain Efficiency➢ Stock reduction➢ Load increase➢ Vehicle size increase➢ Workflow optimization
Supply Chain Sustainability➢ Emission reduction➢ Road-to-Rail-transition➢ Round-trips
Supply Chain Flexibility➢ Short-notice changes
6
Project / Use Case Details
Modern ‘just-in-time’-supply chains are comprised of highly complex, interconnected transport processes. They are often still considered ‘black boxes’ and this lack of transparency can lead to a high risk of losing time and money both for the transport industry as well as manufacturers. Tight time-management makes modern supply chains especially sensitive to unpredicted disruptions of any kind. Every link in the supply chain must mesh smoothly to meet slot bookings.
This is where the SAP – Synfioo integration comes in. Synfioo and SAP have created an integrated real-time transportation visibility solution, enabling a broad customer base to benefit from bundled individual transport data with real-time information on disruptions in the transport chain. Real-time transparency provided by the Synfioo platform will guarantee more planning reliability for multi-modal transports. The accuracy of the arrival time predictions of the Synfioo platform is over 90%. Companies involved in the supply chain are benefitting from the intelligent supply chain control, enhanced visibility and track and trace options as well as early alert if a disruption or delay is detected. This holistic approach is provided to SAP Transportation Management users through the Synfioo platform. The solution establishes real-time end-to-end visibility of intermodal supply chains and is adaptable to any supply chain and every mode of transport (rail, ship, air, truck). In addition to early disruption warnings, Synfioo platform is able to derive and make available concrete recommendations and alternatives for action from the pooled information. These automated notifications and ETA calculation (estimated time of arrival) of transports allow a proactive approach to disturbances and a ‘management by exception’ which saves up to 20% of dispatchers’ worktime, who no longer have to monitor transports and sources of interference manually. The solution highlights just critical sections of a supply chain, focusing the attention of the parties concerned to only the necessary information. With regard to warehouse logistics, the software optimizes inbound control, enabling a more efficient planning of time slots and ramp utilization. Smoother processes and reduced delays increase the asset utilization, resulting in margins of up to 24% profit. The dynamic optimization of transports with Synfioo saves up to 4,50 Euro in operational costs per each 1 Euro invested in Synfioo. Since the solution can now be integrated into already existing SAP Transportation Management solutions, no new software and hardware purchases are necessary. The software is therefore easy to use and can be easily adopted by companies of all sizes.
With Synfioo’s proven ETA expertise, the solution fits to the individual needs of intermodal supply chains of all sizes. Only with Synfioo, data and precise predictions are available for all modalities: truck, train, ship and plane. Only with Synfioo, users experience door-to-door predictions for their complete supply chain – up until the handover to following process, e.g. production. Only with Synfioo, users can automate supply chain monitoring, alerting and re-planning.
7
Benefits and Outcomes
Business / Social IT Human Empowerment
The Synfioo services dynamically
optimize transport processes – and save
therefore up to 4,50 Euro operational cost
per each 1 Euro invested in Synfioo.
The increase of asset utilization will bring
the profit margin up by 24%.
Synfioo software provides disruption
alerts at an early stage. In addition, the
precise Process-ETA can save up to 20%
of the dispatchers working time.
Over 90% accuracy – A 30 - 60%
increase in the accuracy of arrival time
predictions over other prediction
techniques, like the time shift model used
for railway transports.
We bring all transport parties together at
a virtual table and guarantee an efficient
communication across the supply chain.
Dispatchers can provide a more
customer-oriented service.
One API integration of the Synfioo
service – instead of multiple
integrations with hundreds and
thousands of logistics service
providers which are usually
contracted by large industry
companies – saves a lot of IT effort
and interface complexity.
The Synfioo solution leverages the
value of the already existing SAP
TM installation by providing new
insights via the existing system.
Supply Chain managers no longer
have to search information
manually. We process all
information and pass it on in the
form of transparency and disruption
alerts. With our support, we enable
supply chain managers to focus on
the important decisions. Proactive
decision making will put supply
chain managers back in control.
Digitization as a complement to the
long-awaited reward for the job.
Synfioo’s purpose is to be the
facilitator.
What drives us: supply chain
managers that experience how our
solution makes their job easier and
faster and say: “Finally, I can be
home for dinner.”
8
Architecture
Real-time delay data
Road
Congestion, crashs, bans, constructions, border traffic, resting time, weather, etc.
Sea
Port terminal status, location, weather,
loading status container, strike, etc.
Rail
Terminal status, train building, weather, constructions, loading status, strike, etc.
Air
Flight status, location, airport status, weather,
loading status container, strike, etc.
PI
Event Mgmt
Synfioo Cloud
FreightOrder
ETA Predictions&
Detail Info
API
Tour information
Infrastructure (client)Truck GPS Info
ETA Predictions &
Detail Info
Telematics, App, etc.
inside: ETAMonitor
50+ externaldelay factors
9
Deployment
SAP Technologies Used:
Server Processor:
Linux Distribution:
Date of Deployment or POC:
Number of live users:
Mid 2018 - Q1 2019
1 logistics department with SAP TM integration (many more without SAP integration)
unknown
unknown
Transportation Management Production
PI Production
Event Manager Production
10
Emerging Technologies and Use Cases
The following Emerging Technologies and use-cases are part of the project and describe the
contribution
Technology or Use Case Yes/No Contribution to Project1. Machine Learning / Artificial
Intelligence
Yes arrival time predictions and disruption predictions are
computed with ML/AI based on historical and live data
2. IoT Yes Predictions are fueled with a broad range of real-world
sensor data (e.g. positioning, street occupation, etc.)
3. 3D printing No
4. Blockchain No
5. API Economy / Integrate the
Intelligent Enterprise
Yes Integration into existing IT landscapes of industry, logistics
service providers and data providers through APIs
6. Cloud Native / Event Based
Architectures
Yes The whole platform is located in the cloud; real-time data
is handled with event processing technology. Micro-service
architecture.
7. Extending the digital core with SAP
CP / ABAP in SAP CP
No
8. SAP Leonardo Application ( extending
SAP application, using Industry
Innovation Kits or result of Design
Thinking workshop)
No