Freight Management Master Data

Master data is used to make Freight work in the desired way. Freight include the following types of master data:

General data

General data include shipping offices, planning groups, freight specific address data, and user profiles.

  • Planning groups
    Planning groups are used for load building and/or freight order clustering purposes. Planning groups are allocated to freight order lines as a preparatory step for transportation planning or freight order clustering.
  • Shipping offices
    Shipping offices are used to group freight orders as a preparatory step for transportation planning or freight order clustering. For further information, see The use of shipping offices and planning groups.
  • Address data
    Address data includes loading and unloading lead times and load and unload date tolerances. Address lead times indicate the time required for loading and unloading at addresses, including loading and unloading tolerances. Tolerances indicate the time span by which you are allowed to deviate from planned load or unload dates. For further information, see Load and unload date/time tolerances and Address lead times.
  • User profiles
    User profiles are used to allocate number groups for shipments, loads, load plans, and freight order clusters to individual users. Individual users have their own groups of shipments, loads, and so on to avoid locking problems that result if several users try to access the same records.

Transportation master data

The purpose of transportation master data is to provide the load building and freight order clustering engines with information about required types of transport, transport conditions, and information as to the possibility of combining particular items with other items. For example, if sending an armored truck to pick up a consignment of garden furniture would be the result of our transport planning efforts, reconsidering the master data setup would seem appropriate. Also, to prevent, for example, foodstuffs from being put in a load that also carries toxic materials, the combineability of items must be set up properly. Transportation data can also be used as criteria to group freight order lines into planning groups. Therefore, an additional purpose of transportation data is to provide information for the freight order grouping process. Transportation master data include the following data:

Freight order control master data

Freight order control master data include the following data:

  • Freight order types
    For further information, see The use of freight order types.
  • Volume classes
    A volume class is allocated to a particular range of volumes, for example, from one cubic foot to five cubic feet. Volume classes can be used to determine the planning group of freight order lines.
  • Weight classes
    A weight class is allocated to a particular range of weights, for example, from 10 kg to 50 kg. Weight classes can be used to determine the planning group of freight order lines. For further information, see The use of volume and weight classes.
  • Freight service levels
    Freight service levels are used to calculate transportation times for originating orders and freight costs. For further information, see The use of freight services levels and Calculation of estimated freight costs.
  • Freight classes
    Freight classes are used to calculate the transportation costs of freight orders. For further information, see The use of freight classes.
  • Matrix definitions
    A matrix definition is a key element of a plan matrix. Matrix definitions are defined in the Plan Matrix Definitions (fmfoc1110m000) session. For further information, see Plan matrices and matrix definitions.
  • Planning group priorities
    Define planning group priorities by linking matrix definitions to shipping offices in the Plan Matrix Definitions by Shipping Office (fmfoc1115m000) session. For further information, see Plan matrices and matrix definitions.
  • Plan matrices
    A plan matrix can be used to select the planning group that must be allocated to freight order lines. A plan matrix consists, basically, of a planning group and a group of attributes and attribute values that serve as selection criteria for planning groups. You can define plan matrices in the Plan Matrix (fmfoc1120m000) session.

Item master data

Item master data include freight related attributes for items.

  • Default item data
    You can define default item data in the Items - Freight Defaults (fmfmd1101m000) session.
  • Item data for specific items
    You can define data for specific items in the Items - Freight Management (fmfmd1100m000) session.
  • Item dimensions by unit
    You can specify transport related item dimensions in the Item Dimensions by Unit (fmfmd1110m000) session.
  • Item data by item/business partner
    You can define freight related data for combinations of items and business partners in the Items - Ship-from/to Business Partner (fmfmd2100m000) session. For further information, see The use of items in Freight Management.

FRC and FRI master data

The purpose of defining freight rating and costing master data is to create a framework of rates and criteria for rate allocation that enables the freight cost calculation functionality to reference the correct freight rates. The FRC and FRI master data group includes the following data:

  • Additional cost data
    Additional cost data constitute a framework for defining extra charges and criteria to allocate extra charges to shipments and freight order cluster lines. When a shipment or particular freight order cluster lines meet the criteria for extra costs, the extra costs are added to the normal transportation costs. For further information, see To allocate additional costs.
  • Rate basis numbers
    Rate basis numbers consist of various criteria that are used to determine the normal costs of transportation of freight orders or shipments. When a freight order or shipment matches the criteria of a particular rate basis number, the freight rate book associated with the rate basis number is used to determine the transportation costs. For further information, see Calculation of estimated freight costs and Rate basis numbers and rate books.
  • Zones
    Zones are regions defined by zip code ranges, city ranges or distances within which particular transport rates apply. These zones are used in Pricing to define freight rate books. For further information, see Zones.

Load building master data

The purpose of defining load building master data is to provide the load building engine with information about fixed routes. The load building master data includes the following data:

  • Standard routes
    A standard route covers a range of addresses. These addresses are defined by zip codes or by areas. You can define standard routes in the Standard Routes (fmlbd0150m000) session. For further information, see The use of standard routes and To define and use areas in Freight.
  • Route plans
    You can define route plans in the Route Plans (fmfoc1150m000) session. For further information, see The use of route plans.