Re: When to switch from LE-TRA to TM?

Hi,

SAP TM has long completely overshadowed LE-TRA in general with superior usability, process flexibility, very comprehensive transportation planning, execution and charge management and decision support capabilities. It also benefits (unlike LE-TRA) from on-going, strong solution investment. 

Here some details that I screened with developers a while back - and since there are more advantages. Perhaps some of these capabilities help your decision:

• TM also supports sales-order-based planning / sales order scheduling for earlier transportation planning, booking, subcontracting (LE-TRA is delivery-based only)
• TM has a powerful transportation cockpit with interactive, map-based planning, transportation
  network & route visualization; drag-and-drop manual planning; automatic zero-click
  optimization planning; embedded transportation execution visibility
• TM has manual to automated optimization planning.  (LE-TRA: manual and semi-automated planning only & no optimization)
• TM supports comprehensive constraint-based planning (driving times, equipment requirements, bookings, ...); improved resource allocation (according to weight, volume, transportation units,...); better stage optimization (separate pre-, main and on-carriage planning) & load optimization.
  • LE-TRA: simple rules-based planning i.e. same start / finish dates
  • LE-TRA: Route-based planning. No lane-specific planning with distances, and durations.

• TM has superior mode-specific planning with mode-specific schedules (truck, ocean, air
  freight & rail), mode-specific distance planning (GIS info); and freight prebooking.
• TM has strong rules-based carrier determination, selection, tendering and collaboration (TM: has fully and semi-automatic rules-based carrier determination & tendering based on freight agreement, cost,priority, lane allocation, or business share; multiple tendering variants (direct, peer-to-peer, broadcasting); real-time request for quotation monitoring; carrier collaboration (TM collaboration Portal, or web-based UI & mobile application). LE-TRA: no carrier determination logic).
• TM supports dynamic, responsive change management (order, delivery, shipment, execution changes)
• TM has integrated freight execution visibility, tracking and event reporting
  • TM: map integration for freight order status, embedded SAP Event Management & Integrated Mobile Solution for carrier transport & event notification;  and better
    information granularity for cargo management (i.e. cargo loading status), resource tracking...
  • TM: Inbound & Outbound execution status management
  • LE-TRA: Outbound-based execution / milestone tracking
• TM has enhanced freight agreement management (enhanced validtiy, version and history management,tarif structures, calculation..., as well as strategic freight procurement and selling. LE-TRA: complex table entry, less granularity, poorer version management)
• TM has superiror costing & charge management (inter/intra company
  costing & revenue distribribution; activity-based costing; condition-based
  costing (dangerous goods, bulky goods); profitability analysis)
• TM has comprehensive decision support: Dashboards with KPI reporting, embedded analytics, (LE-TRA: Logistics Information System-based > limited report availability)

Best wishes,

Natalie