SAP S/4HANA and SAP GTS

Will SAP S/4HANA replace SAP GTS?
How to find the best solution for your company in the future.

At the time of implementing a solution for customs and foreign trade, many companies are not sure how to find the best solution for their business. They ask themselves the following question: Should SAP GTS be used as a stand-alone system with immediate availability of all foreign trade functions or are the International Trade components in S/4HANA the optimal tools to meet the requirements of foreign trade? In small and medium-sized companies, the foreign trade functionality SD-FT from the ERP system is often still used.

With the included functional areas Intrastat, Export Compliance, Preference Processing and Documentary Transactions a part of the requirements of foreign trade can be covered. But with S/4HANA SAP has changed the approach to foreign trade processing. Foreign Trade (SD-FT) now becomes obsolete.
Anyone planning to use an IT solution for customs and foreign trade processes should consider individual requirements as well as organizational and system-related options at an early stage and only then decide on SAP GTS or International Trade under S/4.

Although the introduction of SAP GTS under consideration of S/4HANA has an influence on existing processes, it can fully cover the requirements of a company. The basic challenge is to consider the entire changeover and to clarify which solution is the optimal one in each individual case.

Daniel Stelmach, Principal ConsultantCONSILIO GmbH

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Independent platform vs. embedded functionalities

When upgrading from SAP ERP to SAP S/4HANA and SAP GTS you have the following options:

SAP GTS as independent customs and foreign trade platform
SAP International Trade as embedded functions in S/4HANA
SAP GTS as a cloud solution

[Translate to English:] GTS Einsatzmöglichkeiten

Unfortunately, as the number of choices increases, so does the difficulty of making a decision. But no matter which release change you are aiming for, SAP GTS and its realignment offer all alternatives for the different requirements of a company. Every conceived solution has its advantages and disadvantages and thus its justification. Companies that already use SAP GTS do not necessarily have to switch to S/4HANA, because SAP GTS will

continue to be the customs and foreign trade platform and will be continuously developed further. However, it will not be possible for SAP GTS users to access new and improved international trade functions in S4/HANA.
Companies are well advised to deal with the reorganization of export-relevant processes and develop an individual strategy at an early stage in the course of a release change.

Foreign trade functions in comparison

SAP S/4HANA for International Trade:

Tariffing
Classification for International Trade
International Trade Compliance: Legal Control, Embargo
Intrastat
Integration with SAP Global Trade Services and SAP Watch List Screening (in the Cloud)

For customs and preference processing, SAP GTS or corresponding add-ons developed by SAP partners must now be used.

SAP Global Trade Services (GTS):

SAP GTS is the ideal platform if you want to cover all aspects of the legal requirements regarding customs and foreign trade in the long term.

Sanctions list check
Export and Import Management
Customs and preferential processing

This is how we support you on the way to the right solution for your company:

Support in simplifying the SAP system before migration to S/4HANA
Redesign of the export and import processes
Provision of current foreign trade master data and regulations

Provision of the necessary communication services for ATLAS customs clearance
Selection, customization and extension of standard Fiori apps
Support in the conversion of foreign trade functions to SAP add-ons

We advise you on the possibilities, functions and objectives of SAP GTS, taking into account an S/4HANA system, and accompany you from the analysis to the realization and implementation.