Multi-carrier shipping for SAP® Cloud ERP
Connect SAP Cloud ERP (SAP S/4HANA® Cloud Public Edition) to more than 300 parcel services and forwarders using a standardized approach. Event-based, Clean-Core-compliant, and designed for largely automated shipping processes.
What does AEB Carrier Cloud offer for SAP Cloud ERP?
AEB Carrier Cloud for SAP is a multi-carrier solution for companies that want to manage their shipping operations directly from SAP Cloud ERP or SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.
More than 300 parcel services and forwarders can be connected via the central platform. Shipping orders can be automatically transmitted to the selected transport service provider, carrier-specific shipping labels can be generated, and relevant results – such as status information – can be made available for SAP processes.
To this end, HPC Cloud Connector establishes a standardized connection between SAP and AEB Carrier Cloud.
It was developed specifically to meet the requirements of SAP public cloud environments and uses standard SAP mechanisms such as:
- SAP business events
- SAP BTP Event Mesh
- Released SAP APIs
- Decoupled, event-based processing
No custom program code is required within the SAP Cloud ERP core.
Multi-carrier shipping for SAP Cloud ERP: implementing Clean Core with HPC Cloud Connector
SAP Cloud ERP follows different extension principles than traditional on-premise or private cloud systems.
Ideally, custom extensions should not alter the ERP core. Instead, SAP provides standardized APIs, business events, and the SAP Business Technology Platform for side-by-side extensions. SAP Event Mesh makes it possible to subscribe to business events from SAP systems and process them further in decoupled cloud extensions.
At the same time, shipping requires communication with parcel services and forwarders, which use different data formats, interfaces, shipping services, label specifications, mandatory fields, as well as feedback and status information.
HPC Cloud Connector bridges these two worlds: On the SAP side, it uses standard, public-cloud-compliant mechanism. On the carrier side, it hands off the shipping processes to AEB Carrier Cloud, which handles the carrier-specific communication.
This eliminates the need to develop custom integrations between SAP Cloud ERP and each individual carrier for every transport service provider.
How does multi-carrier shipping work in SAP Cloud ERP with HPC Cloud Connector?
1. An SAP business event initiates the process
A relevant event in SAP Cloud ERP triggers the shipping process.
To do this, HPC Cloud Connector uses SAP standard business events – such as events related to deliveries or handling units.
This means that the shipping process does not need to be initiated by manual data transfer or regular querying of the SAP system.
2. SAP BTP Event Mesh transmits the event
The business event is made available via SAP BTP Event Mesh.
Event Mesh enables asynchronous communication: SAP publishes the event, and HPC Cloud Connector can respond to it without requiring a direct, simultaneous connection between the two systems.
SAP describes this model as the foundation for event-based and decoupled extensions of SAP S/4HANA Cloud systems.
3. HPC Cloud Connector processes the transaction
HPC Cloud Connector processes the received event and retrieves the SAP data required for shipping via released APIs.
The relevant delivery, package, and shipping information is prepared for further processing.
4. Shipping data is transferred to AEB Carrier Cloud
HPC Cloud Connector transmits the required data to AEB Carrier Cloud.
AEB processes the shipping order and prepares it in accordance with the requirements of the selected parcel service or forwarder.
5. AEB communicates with the carrier
AEB Carrier Cloud handles the carrier-specific communication with the transport service provider.
Depending on the process, this may include:
- Electronic carrier commissioning
- Transmission of shipment data
- Generation of the shipping label
- Processing of carrier feedback
6. Results are returned via APIs
Results of the shipping process, such as shipping labels or status information, are made available via APIs for use in the subsequent SAP process.
This creates a seamless, event-based workflow between SAP Cloud ERP, HPC Cloud Connector, AEB Carrier Cloud, and the transport service provider.
What functionality does AEB Carrier Cloud offer?
HPC Cloud Connector handles the integration on the SAP side. The multi-carrier functions are provided by AEB Carrier Cloud.
- Create shipping orders automatically from SAP documents. For all transport routes and modes (packages, pallets, containers, LTL/FTL)
- Automatically generate labels in SAP in the native printer language, with flexible process integration
- Integrate high-performance printers (laser, thermal, industrial), connect to tagging and labeling systems
- Ship hazardous goods with legal and regulatory compliance
- Manage multi-package shipments or package-by-package processing
- Shipment tracking and entry certificate
- Determine freight costs per shipment with direct transfer to SAP – always up-to-date for all parcel services and forwarders (optional)
Benefits of event-based integration for SAP Cloud ERP
Clean Core by design
The shipping logic is not implemented as a custom extension within the SAP Cloud ERP core.
Instead, the integration uses standard SAP mechanisms such as business events, APIs, and SAP BTP Event Mesh.
No custom middleware
No extensive custom integration logic needs to be developed for the connection between SAP and AEB.
SAP Event Mesh remains a defined architectural component and handles the asynchronous transmission of SAP business events.
Alignment with SAP standards
The integration is based on SAP business events, SAP BTP Event Mesh, and released APIs.
It thus follows the established SAP mechanisms for cloud extensions.
Faster path to productive integration
Since HPC Cloud Connector provides a preconfigured integration approach, the amount of custom integration logic to be developed is reduced.
However, the actual implementation effort depends on the SAP configuration, shipping processes, data quality, carriers, and the desired functional scope.
High degree of automation
The shipping process can automatically respond to SAP events.
This is particularly suitable for standardized processes in which all necessary shipping data is available and the carrier and shipping service can be clearly determined.
Scalable, asynchronous processing
The event-based architecture decouples SAP from downstream shipping processes.
This facilitates the processing of larger shipment volumes without requiring a synchronous, direct system connection for each transaction.
What companies is the solution suitable for?
The solution is designed for industrial and commercial companies that use SAP Cloud ERP or SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition and want to integrate their multi-carrier shipping in a highly standardized and automated manner.
This approach is particularly suitable for companies that:
- Use or are implementing SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition
- Want to connect multiple parcel services and forwarders
- Pursue a Clean-Core-oriented SAP architecture
- Use SAP BTP and event-based integrations
- Have shipping processes that are closely aligned with the standard
- Already provide the required shipping data in SAP in a structured format
- Can determine carriers and shipping services largely automatically
- Do not need require a separate shipping interface
- Ideally want to run shipping processes automatically in the background
- Prefer a standardized connector over a custom-developed integration
The decisive factor is not so much the size of the company, but the degree of standardization and automation in the shipping process.
Architecture profile with technical details
| Target system | SAP Cloud ERP (SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition) |
|---|---|
| Integration approach | Standardized, event-based side-by-side integration |
| Trigger | SAP standard business events, such as delivery and handling unit events |
| Event communication | SAP BTP Event Mesh |
| SAP data access | Released SAP APIs |
| Return of results | Via APIs, such as for labels and status information |
| Carrier communication | AEB Carrier Cloud |
| User interface | No special user interface required |
| Middleware | Not required in the standard scenario |
How is HPC Cloud Connector implemented?
1. Assess shipping process for suitability
The first step is to determine whether the intended shipping process is sufficiently standardized and can be automated. The following are particularly relevant:
- The triggering SAP process
- Available business events
- Required delivery and handling unit data
- Carrier and service determination
- Desired feedback
- Any manual process steps
2. Configure SAP events and BTP architecture
The required SAP standard business events are set up for the process.
SAP BTP Event Mesh is configured to receive and forward the events. SAP documents the connection between SAP S/4HANA Cloud and Event Mesh as the standard mechanism for this purpose.
3. Connect HPC Cloud Connector
HPC Cloud Connector is connected to the relevant SAP events and APIs and configured to communicate with AEB Carrier Cloud.
4. Set up carriers and shipping services
The required transport service providers and shipping services are activated in AEB Carrier Cloud. This takes into account, for example, contract data, billing numbers, countries, services, and label requirements.
5. Test end-to-end process
The entire workflow is tested:
- SAP business event
- Processing via Event Mesh
- Data provision
- Shipping order in AEB
- Carrier commissioning
- Label generation
- Return of results
- Error and retry scenarios
6. Start production operations
Upon successful completion of the test, the integration can go live – by shipping process, location, or carrier.
Talk with our experts to learn more about multi-carrier shipping for SAP Cloud ERP
Andrej Grohar, expert for multi-carrier shipping directly from SAP®