OEM & Lieferant Ausgabe 2/2019 - OEM & Supplier 2/2019 by VEK Publishing

140 IT and Automotive Preference Processing in the SAP Environment: SPEEDI Closes Gaps in SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA By Peter Thurn, Manager of the Customs/Foreign Trade Business Unit, WSW Software GmbH With consistently IT-based and therefore efficient and transparent preferential processing, customs advantages can be optimally exploited in the context of free trade agreements. In the SAP environment, the SPEEDI add-on, which seamlessly integrates with SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA, closes gaps in the SAP standard, and creates investment security, is ideal for this purpose. Thanks to so-called preferential agreements, for example, between the EU and Japan or Canada, companies can deliver their goods and products to these markets at reduced or even zero customs rates. IT-based Preference Processing However, the preferential origin of the goods must be proven for this purpose. The respec- tively required processes are demanding and must be continuously monitored, from the supplier’s request for long-term vendor dec- larations (LTVD) to the costing of products to the issuing of certificates. To make the most of the strategic sales potential of such agree- ments or the opportunities for cost reduction, companies need highly efficient and transpar- ent preference processing. However, this is the issue, especially in the SAP environment, as the foreign trade com- ponents in SAP ERP do not satisfactorily map preference processing. This gap in the SAP standard is closed by tools from the SAP-based SPEEDI platform: the SPEEDI Preference Determination solution and the SPEEDI monitors for requesting and issu- ing LTVDs. They integrate seamlessly into an SAP ERP system and extend it without modifications so that preference processing can be automated and carried out directly in SAP based on consistent data – keyword “single point of truth.” Precisely Determining Preference Authorizations The SPEEDI Preference Determination exactly determines the preference authorization for each salable material in compliance with the rules of the respective agreement, whether the material originates from fixed SAP parts lists or represents configurable parts. Unlike the SAP standard, preference determination can be completed quickly and effectively. It can even be automated across multiple plants or company codes. This is particularly advantageous if compo- nents are frequently exchanged between individual plants or if the material stock of other locations is accessed. If necessary, the determination also considers subcontracting processes correctly – thus, processing steps carried out by external service providers, such as painting, refining, or assembly. If the same material is sourced from multiple sources (multi-sourcing), the solution auto- matically summarizes the preference status for this material in the background (worst- case principle). Fluctuations in the purchase and sales prices are considered at the same time. Customs compliance of the preference determination is always ensured in both cases. Mapping Common Regulations The SPEEDI solution maps all common pref- erence regulations. Within the scope of im- plementation projects, the experts at WSW Software work with the customer to develop the optimal strategy for preference rules and zones, regardless of whether the customer is set up internally or whether the data service of a provider is used. In addition to the preference agreements of the EU, agreements of other economic areas such as the North American Free Trade Agree- ment (NAFTA) can also be mapped. If new requirements or trade agreements arise over time, such as the agreement between the EU and Japan (JEFTA) in 2019, WSW Software of- fers a timely solution update and assists cus- tomers in making the necessary adjustments. Creating and Transmitting LTVDs from SAP ERP The SPEEDI monitors “Request LTVD” and “Output LTVD” create a reliable basis for the customs-conform preference determina- tion. They are available in several languages. Whether LTVD request or customer-related LTVD: The relevant documents can thus be created directly in the SAP software and transmitted electronically or paper-based to Bilder/Grafiken: ©WSW Software GmbH The SPEEDI Preference Determination solution precisely determines the preference authorization for material from fixed SAP parts lists as well as for configurable parts in compliance with the rules of the respective agreement. WSW Software is going to explain, how SPEEDI closes the gaps in the SAP standard in terms of preference processing and how the SAP Foreign Trade components and SAP S/4HANA for Inter- national Trade differ, in detail at a Focus Day on SAP S/4HANA. The event takes place on Thursday, October 10, 2019, at WSW Software at Fußbergstr. 1 in 82131 Gauting. Participation is free of charge. As the number of participants is limited, early registration at https://www.wsw.de/events/fokustag-sap- s4-hana.html is requested. Info

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