IoT with SAP Leonardo for your digital supply chain.
Internet of Things (SAP IoT)
The industrial application of IoT is rapidly becoming a “must” for the successful modern supply chain. Due to its 3 key value drivers: vast amounts of new data, advanced analytics, and the breaking of information silos.
The proliferation of increasingly robust sensor technology now enables organizations to gather vast amounts of new, more accurate data on their physical processes. Big data analytics and machine learning are then able to digest this newly available information to provide actionable insight. Finally, IoT gives a comprehensive overview of the organization by breaking the silos that have historically separated business, IT and physical asset data, creating a holistic end-to-end process view that integrates all data layers.

SAP is represented in the IoT space with the SAP Leonardo Ecosystem. Integrating several innovative areas such as Big Data, Machine Learning and IoT, it provides both out-of-the-box products, as well as the tools that enable teams to build custom solutions.
Integration into End-to-End process.
Although IoT applications can provide substantial value as standalone solutions, the true benefit comes from their integration with core supply chain solutions and the broader IT landscape.
As a leader in the end-to-end Digital Supply Chain space, Westernacher specializes in enhancing existing IT solutions with IoT functionality. We believe that IoT solutions are not a replacement, but rather an additional benefit to IT solutions spanning the entire supply chain, including planning, manufacturing, warehousing as well as transportation processes.
CONNECTED FLEET: INTERNET OF THINGS FOR SAP TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT (SAP TM)
Intuitive decision making with IoT for SAP TM.
Existing TMS solutions do not provide sufficient visibility into the operations of commercial fleets. Relying on manual input from users severely decreases data accuracy and introduces human error. The vast amount of new data gathered by IoT sensors allows to make better operational decisions, as well as engage in long-term process optimization. Westernacher has utilized the SAP Vehicle Insights solution to identify three main uses cases for IoT in transportation:
LOCATION MONITORING
Always know where your fleet is. Predict delays, react to route changes and optimize long-term fleet utilization.
QUALITY CONTROL
Monitor the transport conditions of your inventory. Prevent spoilage/damage by reacting to and predicting changes in a timely manner.
EVENT MONITORING
Automatically track and confirm transportation execution stages. Increase transparency and customer satisfaction, while reducing manual involvement.
Collaboration is becoming more and more important in an increasingly connected environment. All transportation-related IoT scenarios can be run in the cloud so that all the parties involved can get live access to the necessary information.
You´d like to learn more. Check out our webinars on SAP Internet of Things with Westernacher.
Want to see a demo of an SAP Connected Fleet on Leonardo?
CONNECTED WAREHOUSE: INTERNET OF THINGS IN YOUR WAREHOUSE
Smooth and efficient warehouse operations with IoT.
If your organization needs a real-time view of your warehouse operations, IoT is your only option. By integrating sensor data in SAP Leonardo with modern warehouse solutions, you can dramatically improve warehouse throughput, inventory planning capabilities and engage an efficient workforce. At Westernacher we have identified four types of projects that can be launched as standalone initiatives or as combinations of integrated enhancements within the warehouse:
AUTOMATED PROCESSING
Decrease labor costs and increase throughput through automated RFID scanning processes or geofencing backed by indoor position tracking.
QUALITY CONTROL
Decrease spoilage/damage and improve warehouse & silo planning capabilities by predicting and preventing unsuitable storage conditions.
INVENTORY LOCATION
Increase inventory location accuracy, resulting in more efficient warehouse task allocation, assignment, and execution while decreasing labor costs.
CONNECTED FORKLIFTS
Automatically assign, monitor and confirm tasks to optimize forklift utilization and increase process automation through geofence position monitoring.
You´d like to learn more. Check out our webinars on SAP Internet of Things with Westernacher.
Want to see a demo of a Connected Forklift solution?
CONNECTED YARD WITH INTERNET OF THINGS AND WESTERNACHER
Seamlessly connecting your yard through IoT.
Large yards combine the complexity of warehouses and commercial fleets. The integration of SAP Leonardo with traditional yard solutions allow for a seamless flow of tasks from the time that an inbound order is scheduled for arrival to when it leaves again with the right contents onboard:
IMPROVED PLANNING
Get advance notice for inbound deliveries, enabling timely preparation for the required yard tasks.
INVENTORY MONITORING
Raise inventory location accuracy, enabling more efficient yard task processing and completion.
AUTOMATED TASK CONFIRMATION
Automatically monitor and confirm Yard task completion, based on resource location and status.
CONNECTED ASSETS WITH INTERNET OF THINGS AND WESTERNACHER
Connecting your key assets with IoT.
IoT allows for a data-driven approach to physical asset management. Rather than rely on the traditional “gut feel” tactic when dealing with vehicles, production machines and equipment, an IoT solution allows you to establish performance patterns, utilization best practices and predictive algorithms that prevent unplanned downtime. By using the SAP Predictive Maintenance and Service together with the Asset Intelligence Network solution, we can help in the following ways:
PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE
Monitor asset health to address issues before they become a problem. Decreasing asset failure rate, total asset unplanned downtime and increase first-time-fix rates.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
Monitor asset performance to identify patterns and establish best practices. Engage in a lifecycle of continuous improvement.
You´d like to learn more. Check out our webinars on SAP Internet of Things with Westernacher.
Want to see a demo of an SAP Connected Assets on Leonardo?
CONNECTED PRODUCTS WITH INTERNET OF THINGS AND WESTERNACHER
Linking all your products with IoT.
It is no longer the case that every step of the value chain must be a siloed component. From production to distribution to after-sale service, the introduction of IoT allows to create a feedback loop of continuous improvement. The Westernacher team has integrated core supply chain solutions with SAP Connected Goods to achieve the following value:
REAL TIME INVENTORY TRACKING
Keep a live count of your product stock and automate the replenishment process to achieve a more customer demand-centric approach and in-time availability of stock.
INVENTORY QUALITY CONTROL
Make sure your products are stored under the right conditions to ensure customer satisfaction.
DEVICE LOCATION MONITORING
Keep track of moveable assets to be sure they are in the right place at the right time.
IN-STORE REPLENISHMENT
Schedule timely deliveries and optimize routes during convenient times, preventing out-of-stock scenarios.
OPERATIONAL MONITORING
Understand how your products perform in real life conditions to improve design and production processes.
CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR
Gain insight into customer behavior patterns and preferences to adjust sales and marketing strategies.
You´d like to learn more. Check out our webinars on SAP Internet of Things with Westernacher.
Want to see a demo of an SAP Connected Products on Leonardo?
Why Westernacher?
Building on decades of SAP expertise and the new SAP Leonardo offerings, Westernacher has assembled a team that acts as a one-stop-shop for any IoT initiative in the digital supply chain. From selecting the right sensors and establishing the right connection to providing customer analytics in SAP Leonardo, we have you covered.
Our approach to IoT is simple: we implement fast time-to-value, ROI-positive initiatives that help achieve specific business KPIs. With our long-standing experience in innovating supply chains, we have been pioneers in the IoT space and already have numerous successful projects under our belt.
Learn more about SAP Internet of Things (IoT) with Westernacher. Watch our webinars now.
Start your transformation journey now. With our workshop offerings.
Learn how to use IoT and transform your business with Westernacher.
We are in the middle of a fundamental change. Digitization has brought about a new customer with new possibilities and requirements.
Companies who can view this challenge as an opportunity will turn it to their business advantage.
IOT INSPIRATION
WORKSHOP
Introduction to the world of
Internet of Things (IoT)
- Technology Introduction
- Customer-relevant business cases
- Mapping painpoints to SAP solutions
- Hands-on technology experience
Duration: approx. 4 hours
Time: a suitable date
Place: on your premises
Price: Free of charge
STANDARD
WORKSHOP
Experience the technology and
get decisionmaker buy-in
- Technology Introduction
- Joint cross-unit case development
- Technology prototype presentation
- Business use-case presentation for stakeholders
Duration: approx. 2 days
Time: a suitable date
Place: on your premises
Price: on an individual basis - only covering costs
PREMIUM
WORKSHOP
Create a prototype through Design Thinking use case development
- Technology Deepdive
- Design Thinking business case development
- Creation of prototype and presentation
- Innovation strategy and roadmap development
Duration: approx. 2 weeks
Time: a suitable date
Place: on your premises
Price: on an individual basis - only covering costs
WESTERNACHER KNOWLEDGE SERIES | WHITE PAPER
Three ways to benefit from connected machines
with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
"Alongside blockchain, big data and digitalization, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the one of the hottest topics of discussion in the technology world. Alongside blockchain, big data and digitalization, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the one of the hottest topics of discussion in the technology world. The promise of IIoT lies in improved operational efficiency through smarter, automated decisions driven by swaths of newly available data [...]"
WESTERNACHER KNOWLEDGE SERIES | WHITE PAPER
Digitalization of the Supply Chain.
"With terms such as ‘digitalization’, ‘Industry 4.0’ and ‘digital supply chain management’ on everyone’s lips, how can we be sure of what sort of technologies fall under these broad terms and more importantly, how are they going to change the management capabilities that are at our disposal? Digital supply chain management can span multiple technologies and include a plethora of ‘buzz words’ but is it more than just hyperbole? Well, yes actually. According to MHI’s 2017 annual survey on next generation supply chains [...]"
WESTERNACHER KNOWLEDGE SERIES | ONE PAGER
Streamline your supply chain with
Connected Forklift on SAP.
Westernacher has teamed up with Kinexon, market leader for indoor position tracking, to create a pioneering Connected Forklift solution for the SAP market. The solution allows you to connect all the moving assets within a warehouse (such as forklifts or trolleys) to provide a holistic overview of live and historic operations through an integration of SAP Leonardo IoT and SAP EWM. The essence of the solution is in leveraging indoor position data within the business context from the WMS system to increase process stability, transparency and automation [...]
Westernacher Insights
Our latest thinking and innovative information on the issues that matter most in business and technology. Check out our latest articles.
SAP IoT and Transportation Management: 4 proven business cases
October 15, 2018 - We can divide the evolution of commercial transportation management into three high-level stages. In the pen and paper era, the process was entirely manual and dependent on the know-how of local resources. As a result, there was no process standardization, visibility or optimization to speak of [...]
To read more about our Westernacher article, click here.
Three ways companies are improving silo management with IoT
September 6, 2018 - Across any industry, silo management brings a similar set of pain points for the operations team involved. Often, inventory must to be stored within a certain range of conditions. Failure to do so can cause anything from spoilage (think agricultural products) to safety hazards (think flammable chemicals). As you can imagine, none of those scenarios are great for an organization’s bottom line [...]
To read more about our Westernacher article, click here.
3 business cases for RFID in the warehouse
July 20, 2018 - RFID has been increasingly emerging as the dark horse of IoT-enabling technology. Possessing the “holy trinity” of technology by being affordable, reliable and durable, RFID has proven to be invaluable for the digitalization of the supply chain. While there is substantial variation in what an “RFID solution” can look like, there are common features shared by any such project [...]
To read more about our Westernacher article, click here.
Are you interested? Contact us today.