What is Siemens Digital Logistics (SDL)?

Imagine you're organizing a big party and need to ensure that every detail is in the right place at the right time. Now expand that to a global scale, involving factories, warehouses, carriers and customers around the world. That's the challenge of modern supply chains. Siemens Digital Logistics (SDL) offers advanced solutions to simplify and optimize these logistics operations, helping companies digitize their supply chains and stay ahead.

SDL is designed for any type of industry, built in a modular and scalable way. This means that you can start in stages and evolve as the process matures. We'll explore each of its modules, functionalities and benefits here.

Starting with the AX4

A logistics control tower that acts as a super organizer and plays the role not only of a TMS (Transportation Management System), but also of a MCN (Multi-enterprise Collaboration Network). (To learn more about logistics and its systems, click here). This solution connects all the parties involved - suppliers, carriers, warehouses, customers - on a single platform accessible from anywhere, including via a mobile app for carriers. This means that everyone involved can see what is happening and what needs to be done. If something goes off the rails or needs adjusting, the information is shared immediately, allowing for rapid corrective action.

Who wouldn't want real-time visibility? With SDL, it's possible. Digitize your supply chain to create end-to-end transparency, providing a solid basis for decision-making. Track every stage, from the shipment of materials by suppliers to delivery to the end customer, helping you achieve operational excellence.

What's more, all this information can be integrated easily. AX4 integrates easily with existing systems, such as ERPs, WMS, APS, transporters and other logistics management systems. It facilitates communication between companies and serves as a link between systems and supply chain participants. Reliably plan subsequent steps in the warehouse, in production, in manufacturing or at the customer site.

We know that you need to generate and transmit a multitude of documents. With AX4, you can generate and transmit all the documents required for inbound and outbound transportation operations: pick-up orders, delivery notes, bills of lading and labels. Rules-based validations and automations speed up your logistics processes and ensure smooth operations.

It would be ideal if transporters and suppliers could update dates and quantities to help with crucial decisions, right? With AX4, all supply chain partners have access to the same information, facilitating communication and coordination. With over 500,000 users, the AX4 collaboration platform unites the virtual and physical worlds, improving cooperation between companies and increasing supply chain visibility.

It's worth noting that AX4 has several native modules:

Purchase Order Management: Control supply networks with suppliers and carriers, automating everything from release orders to collection planning and invoice creation. Use centralized purchase order management to confirm supplier orders, add shipping instructions, create delivery notes and provide a transport management platform for collection orders.

Inbound Transportation Management: Guarantee the supply of your facilities with end-to-end visibility. Monitor and control multimodal transportation with milestone plans and real-time tracking information.

Outbound Transportation Management: Improve delivery reliability and customer satisfaction. Integrate data from all parties involved, automate recurring tasks and provide cross-referenced status updates.

Scheduling and Dock Management: Reduce unnecessary waiting times by managing incoming and outgoing vehicles. Efficiently book and release schedules by controlling traffic flows.

Freight Cost Settlement: Create transparency in freight costs with personalized and automatic calculations, generating invoices and credits based on accurate data.

XCargo

In addition, if your company needs to carry out various analyses for decision-making and evaluate different scenarios, mainly involving routes and costs, there is also the XCargo module, which supports these processes and works integrated with AX4.

It offers advanced functionalities for logistics analysis, allowing you to calculate transport costs, plan routes and optimize warehouse locations quickly and efficiently. With map visualization, you can identify where customers and suppliers are, making logistics planning easier. We know that freight tables and cost calculations can be complex, but XCargo allows you to create scenarios for comparing rates, planning budgets and optimizing routes, whether for collection or delivery.

Supply Chain Suite (SCS)

SDL is designed to look at logistics from end to end, including in the long term, with planning and optimization. In this case, we have the Supply Chain Suite (SCS) portfolio.

Once you have established a solid base of data and history, the journey can continue with SCS, an advanced set of tools for planning and optimizing all aspects of your supply chain. Here, we can create a "digital twin" of the logistics operation, making it possible to simulate different scenarios, predict problems and find the best solutions to increase efficiency and sustainability.  

It's not easy to know where to position your suppliers, warehouses or define your logistics network for the best service. With functionalities for tracking all inbound and outbound movements, we use this information to develop more efficient routes and transport plans, optimizing the costs associated with transport, regardless of the mode used. We also highlight the environmental impact assessment functionality, helping to find ways to reduce the carbon footprint.

Where to start?

Now that we know a bit more about SDL, the question arises: where to start? If you're looking to digitize, improve the reliability of your data and centralize information, AX4 is the perfect starting point. This solution offers real-time visibility and collaboration and integrates easily with existing systems. As your operation grows and becomes more complex, XCargo and Supply Chain Suite (SCS) can be added to plan, optimize and manage all aspects of the supply chain, ensuring an efficient, sustainable and cost-effective operation. SDL is modular and adapts perfectly as your industry grows.

NEO has a team of experts ready to transform your logistics management and take your company to the next level with the latest technology on the market. Don't waste time and talk to our team to find out how we can help.