23.04.2026
KION Group: Using BDF EXPERTS and SAP PPG to create a central data bridge between engineering and logistics
The KION Group, a leading global provider of intralogistics solutions, plays a central role in global supply chains. From forklifts and warehouse equipment to complex automation systems—the products come in a wide variety of configurations and require seamless coordination between engineering and logistics.
But what happens when a business transformation encounters a large number of different, historically evolved engineering systems? How do you create a central, consolidated data layer that captures the information from these heterogeneous systems and passes it on in an organized manner to procurement and manufacturing?
The challenge at KION was to build a bridge that translates the diversity of engineering systems into a centralized technical order structure (TOS). The goal: to reliably supply logistics with requirements and lay the foundation for global transformation.
The Starting Point: Heterogeneous Data and the Search for the Underlying Structure
The specific catalyst for the project was the KION Business Transformation, which required a realignment of processes and systems. The biggest challenges were:
- Diversity of engineering systems: A solution had to be found that could supply data equally to the large number of different engineering systems.
- Generic interface to the TOS: The creation of a generic interface that establishes a central Technical Order Structure (TOS) to capture all equipment included in the order.
- Harmonization with the project system: The chosen approach had to not only serve the generic engineering interfaces but also harmonize with the project system to provide logistics with the correct requirements.
The primary business objective was to create a central data consolidation layer in SAP that processes various input data from a wide range of engineering systems and then makes it available, in an organized manner, to the relevant logical processes in procurement and manufacturing.
The solution: SAP PPG as a central data integration platform
BDF EXPERTS implemented a solution based on SAP Product and Process Governance (PPG) to introduce the TOS as a central data structure as part of order-related engineering.
The solution included the following key elements:
- Introduction of the TOS: The Technical Order Structure (TOS) serves as a central structure in which configurable materials and static materials without a configuration component are recorded.
- PS Integration and Automation: PPG triggers PS integration (Project System) to create direct purchase requisitions. These are processed largely automatically in Purchasing and trigger the requirements at the local production plants or external suppliers.
- Handling Incomplete Master Data: The introduction of the virtual material within the TOS makes it possible to transfer material from the engineering system, even if the master data is initially incomplete. The data is then cleaned up (e.g., correction of the configuration valuation) locally in SAP directly for the order.
BDF EXPERTS’ unique approach focused on the generic preliminary planning level of SAP PPG. This makes it possible to process information from upstream systems, even if some of it is still incomplete during the order processing phase. In addition, text-based demand requests (e.g., for services) can be entered into TOS in a functionally and technically correct manner.
The solution directly supports KION in its business transformation and its technology and system leadership in the world of automation. Centralized data consolidation makes logistics more efficient and harmonizes processes between engineering and manufacturing.
”The KION Business Transformation required an approach that would integrate the wide variety of our engineering systems into a centralized logistics structure. The implementation of the Technical Order Structure based on SAP PPG provided us with exactly this centralized data consolidation layer. Particularly impressive was the collaboration on equal terms with BDF EXPERTS, which enabled us to successfully master this complex, international challenge and reliably supply logistics with the necessary resources.”
James Wang, KION Group IT
What sets it apart: Flexibility in the transformation project
What makes this project unique is the successful international collaboration across time zones and the realization that transformation projects involve not only a transformation of the software but also of the processes. With SAP PPG, KION was able to adopt an approach that flexibly and generically meets the diverse needs of customers in the industry.
Potential new customers are likely to be particularly interested in how SAP PPG functions as a generic planning layer to integrate heterogeneous engineering systems and automatically supply logistics with demand data.
About KION Group AG
KION Group AG is a German multinational corporation headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. The company is publicly traded and listed on the MDAX. KION operates in the material handling, intralogistics, and supply chain solutions sectors. This primarily includes industrial trucks (e.g., forklifts, warehouse equipment), automation systems, and warehouse technology, as well as software and system solutions for optimizing supply chains worldwide. The company serves customers in over 100 countries and is one of the world’s leading providers in its industry, with approximately 42,700 employees worldwide (as of the end of 2024). KION is a global industry leader in the industrial truck sector and the market leader in industrial trucks in Europe. Its core brand, Dematic, is one of the leading global providers in the field of warehouse automation.
Über BDF EXPERTS
BDF EXPERTS is the brand of bdf consultants GmbH, a leading SAP Silver/SolEx Partner with comprehensive expertise in the areas of Digital Supply Chain and Corporate Finance & Treasury (CFT). For more than 25 years, BDF EXPERTS has been helping companies achieve measurable value creation through end-to-end digitalized processes based on SAP ERP and S/4HANA. In the area of Digital Supply Chain, BDF EXPERTS has developed particular expertise in holistic data management. With SAP PPG (Product and Process Governance), BDF EXPERTS offers an innovative solution for the centralized management of all product and process data in SAP, thereby laying the foundation for data-driven business models. The consulting services cover all business processes of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)—from data import and document management (SAP DMS) to the entire supply chain (SAP SCM, MM, PP, PS, SAM).
In the area of Corporate Finance & Treasury, BDF EXPERTS offers specialized solutions for financial processes, cash management, risk management, and compliance. Through customized SAP implementations, we optimize cash flows, increase transparency, and support informed decision-making in the treasury function.
Its clients range from innovative medium-sized companies such as Groz-Beckert and Thermofin to global corporations such as Schüco, Scheuch, Haniel, Hilti, Bitburger, thyssenkrupp, and many others. The company employs 55 people at its locations in Düsseldorf and Munich. Through BDF EXPERTS AG, a subsidiary of bdf consultants GmbH based in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, the company serves clients in Switzerland and Austria.
