When Execution Becomes a Bottleneck

Corporate strategy and infrastructure aside, the key factor limiting enterprise performance in this context is the inability of SAP environments to reflect physical reality at scale.

From operational execution to tackling a broader logistics challenge

Bulk and liquid logistics environments place particularly high demands on execution processes. Large delivery volumes, strict regulatory requirements and constant physical variability caused by temperature, density or handling are part of everyday operations. In such settings, even minor discrepancies between planned and actual quantities can soon lead to billing delays, compliance risks and a need for revisions—which often have to be done manually.

Addressing these challenges requires the systematic validation and reconciliation of operational data before it reaches commercial settlement. This is the execution layer upon which Implico has built its expertise. Entering the value chain at the point where operational data must be validated, reconciled and translated into reliable commercial settlement, Implico enhances SAP standard modules with advanced rule-based AI solutions. By complementing SAP-led supply chain processes, all execution data—including volumes, deviations, losses and gains—can be processed accurately at scale and rendered auditable within the existing ERP landscape. At the same time, these solutions support full processes automation and the complex manual processes. 

A recurring pattern across bulk and liquid industries 

Across industries such as agriculture, chemicals and mining, organizations face common challenges with regard to execution. Large material flows are subject to unavoidable physical variances between planned and actual quantities, while execution data is generated across fragmented sources, including terminals, vehicles, carriers and external systems. When SAP landscapes are not designed to absorb this variability in a systematic way, organizations compensate through manual intervention. This increases reconciliation efforts, lengthens billing cycles, and makes auditability harder to maintain.

Over time, execution itself becomes a bottleneck that limits scalability and ties up operational and financial resources. This can rarely be attributed to a lack of SAP functionality. Rather, it is the absence of specialized automation at the execution layer, particularly in industries that do not rely on dedicated SAP industry solutions for secondary distribution.

Bulk execution automation as a complementary process to SAP

Resolving such bottlenecks is where Implico’s portfolio of solutions excels. SAP S/4 Hana SDM enhances SAP architectures with rule-based AI-led automation for secondary distribution and bulk logistics that is fully aligned with clean-core principles. SDM complements existing SAP modules by addressing execution scenarios that SAP standard processes are not designed to handle systematically. The solution is fully integrated SAP Transportation Management (TM) and SAP Trader and Scheduler’s Workbench (TSW), elevating these modules to a higher level of execution automation.

At its core, SDM focuses on validating, reconciling and posting operational data, so planned and actual figures from logistics and finance are aligned automatically. This creates a consistent foundation for billing, reporting and compliance workflows, while significantly reducing manual reconciliation. Because the approach to automation is standardized and rule-based, it can be applied across industries with similar execution characteristics – without introducing customer-specific development into the SAP core.

This approach reflects the thinking behind Implico’s industry-agnostic positioning. Capabilities originally developed for highly demanding secondary distribution environments are not treated as industry-specific; rather, bulk execution automation is understood as a transferable capability that can be applied across all industries dealing with bulk and liquid processing, wherever comparable execution patterns exist. The decisive factor in all cases is the ability to reconcile physical reality with commercial and financial processes at scale.

What this means for customers and partners

For SAP customers, this provides a scalable way to extend their SAP landscapes. Rather than relying on extensive custom development or long-term manual workarounds, organizations can extend their SAP landscapes with specialized execution automation that remains scalable and upgrade-safe. This leads to improved efficiency, faster settlement, better data quality and reduced compliance risk.

For SAP partners and system integrators, the implications are equally relevant. Proven execution solutions developed in one industry can often be reused in adjacent sectors when the underlying process logic is comparable. In this context, success depends less on industry labels and more on the ability to stabilize and automate the execution layer consistently within SAP.

At the same time, platforms such as SAP Business Technology Platform provide the architectural framework to integrate such extensions cleanly and in a future-proof manner. This supports a modular, SAP-centric approach to supply chain execution.

Outlook—execution as a strategic capability

Bulk and liquid execution is increasingly evolving from an operational concern into a strategic capability. Organizations that are able to align physical movements consistently with commercial processes are better positioned to scale operations without having to address a proportional increase in complexity. At the same time, this can minimise financial and operational risk while accelerating transparency and decision-making across the enterprise.

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