Understanding the concept of Routes (LE-SHP) in SAP ERP

Routes are very important in Warehouse shipping activities. In SAP systems, route has a vital role in Order to Cash Process.

This blog post is basically to explain the concept of Route and Route determination in the Logistics Execution process and also provides important resource links at the end.

Route is a fundamental basis to create and plan shipments in SAP systems and also a basis for selection of upcoming Deliveries. You can use routes to determine the itinerary (leg), means of transport like truck, train, plane or ship.

Routes have generally fixed departure point (shipping point) and a destination point ( ship-to-party, ports etc.). Routes enable you to plan transport scheduling.
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Route determination criteria is a as follows

1) the country and transportation zone of the shipping point ---- Customization
2) the shipping condition ---- Default value based on Sales Document Type or from Customer Master of Sold-To Party
3) the transport group ---Default Value from Material Master
4) the country and transportation zone of Ship-To-Party ---- Default Value from the Customer Master of Ship-To-Party.
5) the Weight group ( if the route determination is carried out again at the delivery note level ) ---Customization

The route determination takes place at the item level of sales order or of the stock transport order. When you create a delivery, the route is copied in to the delivery header.

Before starting the route determination configuration, you must divide the locations of your customers into transportation zones for each country wide at

IMG>Logistics Execution>Shipping>Basic Shipping Function>Routes>Route Determination>Define Transportation Zones

Because the route determination depends on the transportation zone of the shipping point, you must assign the right transportation zone to shipping point .at

IMG>Logistics Execution>Shipping>Basic Shipping Function>Routes>Route Determination>Maintain country and Transportation Zone for Shipping Point.

Transport Groups are required based on the form in which material will ship like pallets or liquid form or container etc. at

IMG>Logistics Execution>Shipping>Basic Shipping Function>Routes>Route Determination>Define Transport Groups.

If you want to consider weight of the delivery to determine new route determination at delivery then configure Weight Group.

IMG>Logistics Execution>Shipping>Basic Shipping Function>Routes>Route Determination>Define Weight Groups.

In order to maintain routes, start Tcode OVTC or

SAP menu>Logistics>Logistics Execution>Mater Date>Transportation>Routes>Define Routes>Define Routes and Stages

Once we finish all necessary steps and information, then we can configure a route determination

IMG>Logistics Execution>Shipping>Basic Shipping Function>Routes>Route Determination>Maintain Route Determination

Departure country and Zone with country of destination and receiving zone.

Now we can see how sales order is going to determine the route. First we must maintain the relevant transportation zone( General data- Address tab) and shipping condition( Shipping tab) in the customer master of the relevant ship-to party. Now we must enter the sales order and the result could be route determined in the sales order.
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You can see more information on SAP Route determination from SAP Help Website below
Route Determination
Maintain Route Determination
Define Allowed Actual Route By Proposed Route
Define New Route Determination By Delivery Type
Determining the Rote Automatically