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Supply chain
The right goods at the right time – on the line, in the warehouse, at the customer.
Warehouse and production only run as well as the material flow before and after them. That is why we map procurement, materials planning and order processing in SAP so that they fit the warehouse and manufacturing: in the standard where it holds up, with clean extensions where it ends.
Selected clients
Our strength is warehouse and production logistics. For us, supply chain is the link between them – and we bring it with us.
Typical topics
From everyday materials planning
Day-to-day materials planning“Every morning I go through the same hundreds of items just to find the five that are really critical today.”
Materials planner Exceptions instead of routine
Day-to-day materials planning“Sales pulls orders forward, and I only notice when the material is missing.”
Materials planner Rescheduling
Day-to-day materials planning“The forecast from SAP doesn't fit, so I recalculate in Excel and type the figures back into the system.”
Materials planner Forecasts
Day-to-day materials planning“For some items the warehouse is full, for others we have nothing. Nobody knows when someone last adjusted the safety stocks.”
Head of materials planning Stock
Day-to-day materials planning“I correct more master data than I plan.”
Materials planner Master data
Purchasing and sales“Orders go out by email, confirmations come back as PDFs, and nobody knows exactly which delivery date currently applies.”
Head of purchasing Supplier integration
Purchasing and sales“Customer orders come in by email, PDF and phone, and we type everything in by hand.”
Inside sales Order entry
IT transformation“Our materials planning has grown over decades, and our delivery reliability is high. S/4 does not provide for these processes – and we don't want to bend the system either.”
Key user, materials planning Established processes to S/4HANA
IT transformation“Is materials planning in the SAP standard enough for us, or do we need IBP or a specialised system?”
Head of supply chain System choice
IT transformation“APO has been running for fifteen years, and standard maintenance ends in 2027. Nobody has yet explained to us clearly what belongs in IBP and what in S/4.”
IT management APO replacement
Solution overview
Supply chain with SAP, so that warehouse and production are supplied on time
Next level supply chain
Critical items, rescheduling and outliers at a glance.
Demand planning that matches reality, and a defined path for planned figures from Excel into the system.
Adjust safety stocks transparently, spot overstock and shortfalls early.
Order and delivery days per supplier in SAP instead of in the planners' heads.
Check, clean up and permanently maintain planning-relevant master data.
Purchase order, order confirmation and advance shipping notice electronically instead of by email.
AI reads customer orders from emails and PDFs, a person approves them.
IT transformation
SAP standard, IBP or specialised system: a recommendation based on the processes.
Adopt proven planning logic without giving up the clean core.
Assign every APO component to the right successor: IBP or S/4HANA.
Transparency about your own solution and know-how in your own team.
Systems & technology fit
From reorder point to integrated planning
Five levels by planning complexity. For many companies, the first level is enough if master data and parameters are clean.
- Materials planning in SAP S/4HANAClassic & MRP Live, consumption-based, time-phased, with Fiori apps of the MRP cockpit
- Demand-Driven Replenishment (DDMRP) in S/4HANABuffers at decoupling points instead of long-term forecasts
- Predictive MRP (pMRP) in S/4HANASimulation of demand plans against capacities
- SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP)Demand, Inventory, Response & Supply, S&OP
- Specialised systemse.g. RELEX in retail – connected to SAP
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions on the supply chain
Does Flowprime also do pure purchasing or sales projects?
Our focus is on warehouse and production logistics. We take on procurement, materials planning and order processing primarily where they supply the warehouse and production. But then completely, from concept to operation.
Do we need SAP IBP, or is materials planning in S/4HANA enough?
For many companies, materials planning in S/4HANA is enough if master data and parameters are clean. IBP pays off when planning spans several plants and levels, when sales, production and financial planning are to come together in one S&OP process, or when stock is to be optimised across the network. IBP is a separate cloud product with its own licence.
What happens to SAP APO?
APO is part of SAP SCM 7.0. Standard maintenance ends on 31 December 2027; extended maintenance is available at extra cost until the end of 2030. There is no one-to-one successor: demand and network planning move to IBP, detailed scheduling (PP/DS) into the S/4HANA system itself.
Can supplier-specific order and delivery days be mapped in the SAP standard?
Partly. Time-phased planning with a planning calendar covers fixed order and delivery days. However, this is maintained on the material, not on the supplier. With hundreds of suppliers with individual contract rules, you therefore need a concept for deriving and maintaining them, so that the effort does not end up with the planners.
SAP IBP or a specialised system such as RELEX?
That depends on the business model. Specialised systems such as RELEX are particularly strong in retail, for example in store-level forecasting and replenishment. IBP plays to its strengths when planning is to be integrated across sales, production, stock and finance. We evaluate both paths based on the processes.
How do planned figures get from Excel into SAP?
As planned independent requirements, via standard import functions or a lean app with built-in validation rules. The goal is for Excel to remain an input aid and not become a shadow system.
