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Introducing the customer:
This international manufacturing group operates around 200 sites worldwide. After growing through mergers and acquisitions, it runs over 90 ERP instances. As part of a broader digital transformation, the company set out to modernise logistics by integrating internal order systems with Transporeon, the platform used to book haulage services across its supply chain.
The challenge:
Manual data entry slowed logistics and increased risk
Each day, the company’s manufacturing sites produce hundreds of thousands of products for delivery across dozens of countries. To streamline transport bookings, they had adopted Transporean, replacing the time-consuming old system of phoning or emailing haulage companies. But without a Transporean-ERP integration, a costly manual gap remained.
Production and transport orders are generated in the ERP, but logistics staff had to re-enter each one into Transporean by hand. At the pilot site in Germany alone, this meant duplicating up to 400 orders a day. Staff were spending hours manually copying data – introducing the risk of typos, delays, and missed bookings. It was unsustainable and made it difficult to scale efficiently or meet just-intime delivery expectations.
The company needed end-to-end automation: direct communication between ERP systems and Transporeon. But with more than 90 ERP instances globally – including around 50 distinct platforms such as SAP, MFG Pro, Dynamics, and Sage – they couldn’t afford to build bespoke, one-off solutions for each site.
How Sempre became Involved
Building on long-term relationships
Sempre had previously worked with the manufacturer on data reporting projects, including an Informatica-based global sales data warehouse and IBM Cognos dashboards. So when the logistics team needed to link SAP with Transporeon, Sempre was a natural choice.
Sempre recommended using Informatica for the integration, thanks to its flexibility, robust API management capabilities, and ability to work across multiple ERP systems.
Automated, reusable ERP integration at scale
Sempre designed and implemented a real-time integration between SAP – the ERP used at the pilot site – and Transporeon. Drawing on deep Informatica expertise, Sempre built an architecture capable of handling multiple ERP formats and providing a consistent way to send and manage orders via Transporeon.
The solution reads SAP order files, processes and enriches the data, and sends it via API to Transporeon – automating the booking of transport for finished goods.
“Sempre created an entire digital path from orders in the ERP all the way through to a handheld device in a truck, which receives automatic confirmation of what to pick up and when. That’s gamechanging for logistics management.”
To ensure long-term reliability, Sempre worked closely with the company’s logistics and IT teams to map out data requirements, test and fine-tune the integration. The solution supports different business logic, such as cancelled or updated orders, and logs every transaction for traceability.
Crucially, the architecture was designed to be modular and scalable. It features a reusable core processor and a swappable local processor to handle site-specific formats – making it easy to roll out across other locations, regardless of ERP.
“The whole purpose of architecting it this way is to speed up rollout for the next site or ERP. Whereas a site-specific, one-off build would mean starting again from scratch every time.”
For reporting, Sempre set up standardised dashboards for both internal and external use. Instead of relying on emailed spreadsheets and ad hoc updates, private equity investors and lenders now have direct access to up-to-date financial data in a consistent, easy-to-read format.
The Outcomes:
Faster fulfilment, fewer errors, and scalable logistics
The integration eliminated the need for logistics staff to manually duplicate production and transport order data – freeing up time, reduced errors, and enabling near real-time data transfer from ERP to Transporean. It quickly became business-critical at the pilot site.
“The data transfer just happens automatically now, without human intervention. In the same way that nobody at a bank sits there manually processing your request to transfer £50 – it just happens.”
By automating the process, the company significantly reduced the risk of missed bookings or incorrect data – helping ensure goods leave the warehouse on time and reach customers as promised. This supports justin-time logistics and strengthens customer satisfaction.
The integration also improves reporting. A custom logging database tracks every transaction, giving the business insights into issues, order changes, and performance across hauliers and systems. “We can now use the metadata to support business reporting across the whole process,” explains Tom Clark, Head of Delivery at Sempre Analytics.
From an initial pilot with one haulage carrier, the solution has expanded to support multiple carriers and is ready for global rollout. The modular framework means each new site or ERP can be integrated more quickly and cost-effectively than building bespoke each time.
“It’s about designing a solution that works for one factory but is future-proof – giving you the most efficient way to develop and manage it long term. It gives you a platform you can grow with and drive efficiencies across the entire supply chain.”
Working with Sempre
Sempre Analytics is a leading provider of comprehensive data and analytics solutions, empowering organisations to make informed decisions and drive operational efficiencies.
With expertise in Data Management, Business Planning, Business Intelligence, and Intelligent Automation, Sempre Analytics enables clients in industries such as Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Housebuilding & Construction, Higher Education to unlock the full potential of their data.
What sets Sempre Analytics apart is its unwavering commitment to customer success. Working with renowned technology providers, including Informatica, Anaplan, IBM, Microsoft and Automation Anywhere, to deliver innovative solutions, their dedicated team of consultants works closely with clients to develop tailored solutions that deliver real value.
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