Bhavanee Automation Solutions
Capability

Plant data into SAP

Where the plant floor meets the ledger. Measured stock goes straight into SAP, with no one typing it in.

How measured stock reaches SAP without anyone typing it in

How tank levels are posted to SAPLeft to right in three zones. In the plant, level transmitters on the storage vessels feed a GE PLC. On the SCADA node, iFIX SCADA converts level to quantity with the tank calibration table and freezes the values at 06:00 into a time-stamped staging record. A Java routine, with a retry loop and a log, calls SAP over RFC to post stock against material codes, and SAP replies posted or error. The result shows on the SCADA screen as posted or pending, and head office gets a daily exception report of manual overrides with who and when. A one-way interface separates SCADA from the enterprise side, and nothing on the IT side can write to the PLC.PLANT (OT)SCADA NODEENTERPRISE (IT)Storage vesselsLTLTLT1GE PLClevel inputs2iFIX SCADAreads tank levelsTank calibration tablelevel → quantity (t)leveltonnes06:00 freezevalues locked3Staging recordtime-stampedfrozen values4Java posting routineSAP RFC callLog every reply5Retry until it clearsRFC callPosted / errorSAPfunction module over RFCMaterial codes · stock posting6Posted stock and the dailyreport reach head office.SCADA screenposted / pending7Daily exception reportmanual overrides, who, whento head office7one-way interface: nothing on the IT side can write to the PLCData flowRFC callSAP reply

Read it left to right. The numbers follow the data from the tank to SAP. It has run at about 16 IOCL and 6 BPCL plants since 2017.

What happens at 6 a.m.

  1. 1Levels are frozenAt the posting time SCADA freezes every tank level and converts it to quantity with the calibration table.
  2. 2A staging record is writtenThe values are written to a staging record with a timestamp, so the posted figure can always be traced.
  3. 3The routine posts to SAPThe Java routine calls the SAP function module over RFC and posts against each tank's material code.
  4. 4Failures are retriedSAP's reply is logged. A failure is retried and shown as pending on the SCADA screen until it clears.
  5. 5Head office is informedHead office receives the daily exception report listing any manual override with the user and time.

What the plant gets

No manual stock entryStock goes into SAP every morning without anyone typing it in.
Figures that match the gaugesThe quantity comes from the tank level transmitters through the calibration table.
An audit trail for every postingEach posting has a time stamp, a logged SAP reply and a record of any override.
A control network that stays isolatedThe path is one way, from OT to IT. Nothing on the enterprise side can write to the PLC.

Auto dip posting

A "dip" is the measured level in a storage tank. Every LPG plant must post opening and closing stock into the corporate SAP system. Done by hand, the numbers are late, error-prone and open to manipulation. Our system reads tank levels from SCADA and posts them automatically at 6 a.m. every day through a Java routine that calls SAP using a remote function call. It started at IOCL in 2017 and now runs at about 16 IOCL plants and 6 BPCL plants, where it is known as auto dip posting.

How it works, step by step

  • SCADA reads the tank level transmitters continuously and applies the tank calibration table to convert level to quantity.
  • At the posting time the values are frozen and written to a staging record with a time stamp.
  • A Java routine calls the SAP function module through RFC and posts the figures against the plant's material codes.
  • SAP's response is logged. Failures are retried and raised on the SCADA screen so the plant knows if a posting is pending.
  • A daily exception report lists any manual overrides, so head office can see when a measured value was changed and by whom.

Beyond dip posting

  • Production counts, energy consumption and chemical usage into ERP or a central dashboard.
  • Historian and reporting so management sees plant performance without visiting the plant.
  • Secure, one-way data paths from OT to IT that keep the control network isolated.

For project heads and buyers

The tank levels the plant measures at 6 a.m. appear in SAP at 6 a.m. Nobody reads a gauge, writes it on paper and types it in.

Why it matters

Manual stock entry is late, error-prone and the easiest place to manipulate figures. Auditors and head office want measured values, not typed ones.

What you receive
  • Interface routine with logging and retry
  • SCADA screen showing posted and pending values
  • Daily exception report
  • Security review for the OT to IT path
Helpful to have
  • SAP RFC details from your IT team
  • Tank list with SAP material codes
  • Posting schedule
Typical duration

Six to ten weeks per plant; faster where the template already exists, as at IOCL and BPCL.

How a project runs

  1. Scope callWe go through your P&ID, I/O list or tender clause and agree what the control system has to do.
  2. Technical offerA control philosophy, architecture drawing, bill of materials and price. No surprises later.
  3. Engineering and buildDrawings for approval, PLC logic and SCADA screens built, panels assembled and FAT tested with you present.
  4. CommissioningInstallation supervision, loop checks, start-up and operator training on your site.
  5. SupportDocumentation handover and an annual maintenance contract with a named engineer.

What to send us for a quote

Attach these to your enquiry. The three marked essential are enough for us to start a budget.

  • SAP function module or RFC details from your IT teamEssential

    It is the interface we write to; without it we can only guess the data format.

  • Tank list with SAP material, plant and storage location codesEssential

    Each measured value has to land on the right code or the posting is rejected.

  • Posting schedule and approval workflowEssential

    It sets when we post, who approves and what happens to a rejected figure.

  • Network path and firewall rules between the SCADA node and SAP

    The OT to IT link needs your security team's approval, and that approval often sets the schedule.

  • Access to a SAP test or quality system, with a test user

    We prove the posting there before anything touches production stock.

  • Source of each tank figure: ATG, radar, manual dip or SCADA tag

    Posting is only as good as the measurement behind it.

  • Rules for corrections, units and rounding

    Who may edit or repost a value has to be decided before go-live, not after.

Do not have all of it? Send what you have; we work from a site visit for the rest.

What drives cost and schedule

Number of plants and tanks
Each plant adds configuration, test and a site visit, though a template cuts the repeat work.
SAP access and IT approvals
These usually set the schedule more than our build time does.
Existing template
Where we have already built the interface, as at IOCL and BPCL, the job is shorter.
Posting rules
Approval steps, corrections and reversals add logic and testing.
Quality of the measured source
Manual dips or unreliable gauges must be fixed first, or posted stock is wrong.

Typical timeline

  1. Scope and SAP access1 to 2 weeksInterface details, material codes and network path agreed.
  2. Interface build2 to 3 weeksPosting routine, logging and retry written.
  3. Test on SAP quality system1 to 2 weeksTest postings checked with your SAP team.
  4. Go-live and parallel run1 to 2 weeksLive posting alongside the manual process until figures match.
  5. Handover1 weekException report, documents and operator briefing.

Overall: Six to ten weeks per plant; faster where the template already exists, as at IOCL and BPCL.

Budget

Every plant is different, so we price from the I/O list and scope rather than a rate card. Send the documents above and you will have a budget figure within a week, and a fixed price after the scope call.

Send your scope See the scope call step

Projects

IOCL and BPCL, About 22 plants across India

Auto dip posting of LPG stock into SAP

Measured tank levels posted into SAP automatically, removing manual stock entry.

SCADA collects live levels; every morning at 6 am a Java routine posts them to SAP through a remote function call. Running at about 16 IOCL plants since 2017 and 6 BPCL plants.

  • OT to IT
  • SAP
  • 22 plants

Read the case study

Common questions

Is the control network exposed when it talks to SAP?

No. The posting runs from a SCADA-side node through a defined interface; nothing on the enterprise side can write to the PLC.

Related capabilities

LPG bottling plant automation

Complete plant control from one control room: tank farm, pumps, carousels, interlocks and OISD-214 data sharing with the pipeline.

Custody transfer and fiscal metering

Metering skids, flow computers and meter provers, where the measurement settles money and has to stand up to audit.

Fire and gas systems

Detection, deluge valve control, sequenced fire water pumps and jockey pump pressure management to OISD-144.

Pipeline terminals and redundant SCADA

Dispatch and receipt terminals on redundant PLC and SCADA, so a single failure never stops the line.

Planning a plant, terminal, WTP or substation?

Tell us what you are planning, even if the details are still rough. We reply with a technical approach and an offer.

Discuss a project