Inter-organizational Cooperation with SAP Solutions: Design and Management of Supply Networks (SAP Excellence)

This book describes the potential for cooperation in supply networks as well as the use of SAP solutions in an inter-organizational context. The focus of attention lies on application from the fields of XML/EDI, Data Warehousing, Supply Chain Management, and Electronic Markets. In addition, five case studies from the automotive industry (Bosch, Goodyear, Schenker, Porsche and SupplyOn) give the reader a detailed view of how SAP solutions can be successfully put into practice. The second edition has been totally revised and updated according to the new releases of SAP software solutions and includes recent developments in the management of inter-organizational cooperation.

The theme is logistics management, using SAP, in an extended supply chain or a corporate hub and their vendors. There are three key sub themes in the book: (1) an explanation of the business benefits of extending buyer-seller systems in an extended supply chain (with an emphasis on using the Internet as the communications infrastructure), (2) specifics on how to accomplish this using SAP, and (3) evidence that it can be done.

I like the practical approach taken by the authors - instead of succumbing to the temptation to careen off into blue sky solutions, they stick with what can be done in the here and now. Although it's almost blasphemy to discuss EDI when everyone else seems to be hyping web services and other approaches and solutions that are relatively new, the authors show the strengths and weaknesses of this proven approach. They also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of XML, although ebXML is curiously missing. The reason its absence is so curious is that the EC appears to be wholeheartedly embracing it, and this book has a distinct European bias, especially in the chosen case studies.

More importantly, though, this book goes into the details SAP's internet components and how they relate to other modules that support logistics and supply chain management for an enterprise. The details go well beyond technology - this book gives equal treatment to business and technical issues, and that is one of the reasons why it's so valuable to the primary and secondary audiences I cited above. Although I thought ebXML should have been covered in depth, I found this book to be complete and to realistically cover the topic's key issues.