Citation :

Rajashiva Ramalingam, "Toward a Maturity-Based Framework for Transportation Visibility: Diagnosing Organizational Readiness in SAP Transportation Management Implementations," International Journal of Computer Trends and Technology (IJCTT), vol. 74, no. 4, pp. 1-9, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/22312803/IJCTT-V74I4P101

Abstract

Companies that spend money on enterprise transportation management systems often find that the visibility they expect does not match the technology they have put in place. This paper contends that the issue does not stem from the platforms themselves, which have undergone substantial enhancement, but rather from the organizational conditions that determine the effective utilization of these platforms. Based on a structured review of the literature on supply chain management and evidence from the implementation of SAP Transportation Management (SAP TM) in the SAP S/4HANA environment, this study presents the Logistics Visibility Maturity (LVM) framework. The LVM framework is a diagnostic tool that measures an organization's readiness in three areas: transportation planning transparency, shipment execution monitoring, and logistics analytics usage. The LVM framework shows a four-level maturity progression that helps organizations figure out where they are now, what gaps are keeping them from full visibility, and how to make targeted improvements. The results show that the most important change is not going from having no system to having one, but from just having a system to using it regularly. This is a detail that is often missed in current implementation guides. The framework offers a theoretical advancement in supply chain visibility research and a pragmatic approach for logistics organizations implementing TMS.

Keywords

Digital Supply Chain Transformation, Logistics Visibility Maturity, Organizational Readiness, SAP Transportation Management, Transportation Management Systems, Visibility Framework.

References

[1] Sunil Chopra, and P. Meindl, Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation, 7^th Ed., Pearson Education, pp. 1-528, 2019.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[2] David Simchi-Levi, Xin Chen, and Julien Bramel, The Logic of Logistics: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications for Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Springer Science & Business Media, pp. 10-420, 2018.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[3] Martin Christopher, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 5^th Ed., Financial Times Publishing, pp. 50-400, 2016.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[4] Alan Rushton et al., The Handbook of Logistics and Distribution Management, 6^th Ed., London, U.K.: Kogan Page Publishers, pp. 100-620, 2017.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[5] SAP SE, Transportation Management with SAP S/4HANA, Bonn, Germany: SAP Press, pp. 1-550, 2022.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[6] Gartner Inc., “Transportation Management Systems Market Guide,” Gartner Research Report, Stamford, CT, pp. 1-35, 2023.
[Publisher Link]

[7] Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, Global Supply Chain Visibility Report. [Online]. Available: https://cscmp.org/CSCMP/CSCMP/Develop/Reports_and_Surveys/Reports_and_Surveys.aspx

[8] Petri Helo, and Yuqiuge Hao, “Artificial Intelligence in Operations Management and Supply Chain,” Production Planning & Control, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 1-12, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[9] D.J. Bowersox, D.J. Closs, and M.B. Cooper, Supply Chain Logistics Management, 5^th ed., New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, pp. 200-650, 2020.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[10] A. Gunasekaran, and E.W.T. Ngai, “Information Systems in Supply Chain Integration and Management,” European Journal of Operational Research, vol. 159, no. 2, pp. 269-295, 2019.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[11] SAP SE, SAP S/4HANA Supply Chain Management Architecture Guide, SAP Documentation Portal, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://pages.community.sap.com/topics/s4hana/supply-chain

[12] Erik Hofmann, and Marco Rüsch, “Industry 4.0 and the Current Status as Well as Future Prospects on Logistics,” Computers in Industry, vol. 89, pp. 23-34, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[13] Hartmut Stadtler, Christoph Kilger, and Hartmut Stadtler, Supply Chain Management and Advanced Planning, 5^th Ed., Berlin, Germany: Springer, pp. 150-480, 2018.
[Publisher Link]

[14] Dmitry Ivanov, Alexander Tsipoulanidis, and Jörn Schönberger, Global Supply Chain and Operations Management, Springer International Publishing, pp. 30–350, 2019.
[CrossRef] [Publisher Link]

[15] Alan McKinnon et al., Green Logistics: Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Logistics, 3^rd Ed., London, U.K.: Kogan, pp. 60-380, 2018.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[16] Deloitte Insights, Digital Supply Networks: Transforming Supply Chain Management, Deloitte Research Report, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.deloitte.com

[17] IBM Institute for Business Value, Supply Chain Visibility and Transparency in the Digital Age, IBM Research Report, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.ibm.com

[18] World Economic Forum, Digital Transformation of Logistics: Industry White Paper, Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 1-45, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.weforum.org

[19] Kannan Govindan, and Mia Hasanagic, “A Systematic Review on Drivers, Barriers, and Practices towards Circular Economy: A Supply Chain Perspective,” International Journal of Production Research, vol. 56, no. 1-2, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[20] J. Waters, Global Logistics and Distribution Planning, 4^th Ed., London, U.K.: Kogan Page Publishers, pp. 90-410, 2017.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]