Consistently achieving strong performance in the On Time In Full (OTIF) indicator remains one of the most persistent challenges for supply chain team’s operating in SAP environments. OTIF measures the percentage of orders delivered both on time and in full, making it a direct reflection of supply chain efficiency and a key driver of customer satisfaction.
Yet, measuring OTIF accurately is far from straightforward. To understand its dimensions, companies often need to analyze multiple KPIs in parallel: for example, the percentage of delayed positions, the average delay compared to average lead time, or the time elapsed between each step of the purchasing process to identify bottlenecks. Looking at a single number is rarely enough — only by combining different perspectives can organizations gain a reliable picture of their OTIF performance.
Still, measurement is only the first step. The bigger challenge lies in improving results. To raise OTIF consistently, companies require tools that help streamline and accelerate the entire procurement cycle — from requisition to delivery. Without capabilities that expedite approvals, track delays, and provide visibility into potential disruptions, even the most accurate OTIF measurement will fail to translate into better outcomes for customers.
In practice, the procurement flow in SAP P2P (Procure-to-Pay) environments involves multiple stakeholders and steps (requesters, buyers, approvers, logistics, warehouse, suppliers, etc.), so any misalignment can negatively impact OTIF performance. In addition, a lack of integration or real-time visibility in SAP supply chain management processes makes decision-making more difficult and hinders the ability to ensure complete and on-time deliveries.
In the following section, we examine the internal factors that typically prevent organizations from reaching sustained OTIF performance in SAP, and explore the types of solutions that can directly address these inefficiencies.
Factors That Prevent Meeting OTIF in SAP
Various issues within SAP’s standard processes make it difficult to achieve high OTIF performance. Among the most common factors in the Purchasing module are:
- Purchase requisitions with errors or insufficient descriptions: In many cases, the process is compromised from the start. A poorly created requisition—such as one with incomplete data, vague specifications, or no attachments—leads to back-and-forth clarification emails. The buyer must request corrections, which delays the procurement cycle. These initial inaccuracies often result in incorrect or delayed purchases.
- Delays in requisition correction via email: when a buyer detects an error in a purchase requisition, they often resort to inefficient communication tools like email to request corrections from the requester. This manual, off-system process adds wait time, uncertainty, and risk of error. For example, if the email gets lost or the instructions are unclear, the requisition may sit unresolved for days. And even once the requisition is corrected, the response usually comes back by email — leaving the buyer, who may be managing thousands of requisitions, with the added burden of remembering which correction was requested. The lack of a structured mechanism within SAP to return requisitions with comments hinders a smooth workflow.
- Delays in document approvals (release strategies): Standard SAP release strategies (for requisitions, purchase orders, contracts, etc.) often become bottlenecks. Approvers may not be aware of pending documents in time (e.g., due to not checking their inbox frequently) or may postpone decisions due to missing information (budget availability, historical pricing, urgency of the request). Additionally, if approvals and their lead times cannot be tracked, it becomes much harder to identify where bottlenecks occur in the process. As a result, documents remain pending approval longer than desirable.
- Purchase requisitions without an assigned responsible buyer: In many organizations, purchase requisitions are created in SAP without a clearly assigned buyer to take ownership. This often happens because responsibility is tied only to a purchasing group, which is not always — and in fact not technically — linked to actual SAP users. Best practices in segregation of duties also imply that the purchasing team should not directly edit requisitions, making clear assignment even more important. Ideally, requisitions should be automatically assigned to buyers based on defined criteria (such as material type, plant, or category), while still giving purchasing managers the flexibility to reassign them in cases like vacations or leave. Equally important is providing each buyer with a simple way to identify “which PRs are mine,” ensuring visibility and accountability throughout the process.
- “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it”: as Lord Kelvin famously said. In many organizations, SAP lacks KPIs and reports that provide a full view of the procurement process. Standard functionality does not consolidate OTIF performance or reveal the underlying causes of delays. What’s needed is the ability to see the entire process with the time each step is taking, so users can spot where bottlenecks occur—whether in approvals, supplier response, or transport—and take targeted actions. Measuring OTIF for completed processes, along with the time between steps, gives procurement teams the insights required to shorten cycle times and sustain higher efficiency.
- Lack of unified traceability for purchase processes: In standard SAP, order status information is scattered across various transactions (ME5A or similars for requisitions, ME2M, ME2L, etc. for Pos or individual details in ME23N for GR or invoices). There is no single dashboard where users can view the full lifecycle of a requisition to PO, delivery, and invoicing. This forces teams to rely on manual tracking in spreadsheets, limiting real-time visibility. As a result, issues are detected too late—when delays have already affected OTIF.
- Fragmented communication with suppliers: Most supplier interactions occur outside of SAP, through emails, calls, or messaging apps like WhatsApp. POs sent as PDF attachments, delivery confirmations via email, payment status inquiries—these are scattered across inboxes. This unstructured communication leads to duplicated efforts (e.g., responding to the same query multiple times) and a higher risk of miscommunication. Critical supplier information (such as delay notices or attachments) is not visible to all stakeholders. This lack of integration often results in late or incomplete deliveries, negatively impacting OTIF.
- Disconnected processes between purchasing, logistics, and warehouse: A root cause underlying all the issues above is the lack of seamless integration between internal departments. The source-to-pay process spans several functions, and when each operates in silos within SAP, the organization loses the ability to plan, anticipate, and coordinate effectively. This lack of interdepartmental information flow translates into operational misalignment, reduced productivity, and ultimately, delivery failures. A low OTIF often reflects these internal disconnects, where each team uses SAP in isolation without a unified process vision.
Solutions to Improve OTIF in SAP with Integrated Tools
Low OTIF performance is often a symptom of systemic execution issues within the SAP purchasing process. However, these limitations can be overcome by incorporating specialized solutions that enhance and streamline the procurement flow.
We present three solutions that can significantly boost your company’s OTIF performance by optimizing procurement and logistics processes. Tools like SiTRACK (procurement tracking), SiLI (smart approval releases), and SiPRO (supplier portal), which are components of a fully modular suite covering the entire S2P process, add essential capabilities that close the gaps in the standard SAP model. Below are some of the key features these solutions offer and the benefits they bring:
Automated notifications and approval tracking
SiLI is designed to automate and make data-driven the release of purchase documents in SAP. It enables approval alerts via email or a mobile app, providing all the contextual data needed to eliminate administrative bottlenecks and accelerate release cycles without compromising control.
Integrated supplier communication by document
SiPRO and SITRACK include contextual messaging and automated notifications linked to each document, centralizing communication and minimizing misunderstandings that negatively impact OTIF. In addition, a PO Acknowledgement function can be deployed according to your process, ensuring suppliers confirm receipt and acceptance of purchase orders in a structured and traceable way.
Streamlined purchase requisition entry with templates and validations
SITRACK enables guided requisition creation using templates and early-stage validations, ensuring accurate and complete data that prevent errors and rework.
PR’s return and automatic requester notification in the same platform
SITRACK manages requisition returns directly within SAP, with full traceability and instant notifications, reducing correction time and eliminating reliance on email.
Measurement of processing times and reasons for returns/corrections
SITRACK logs all actions within the procurement process in detail, including time spent at each stage, generating actionable KPIs to identify bottlenecks and drive targeted improvements to boost OTIF.
Automatic assignment and notification of responsible buyers
SITRACK ensures every order has a designated buyer, with automatic assignment and real-time notifications to prevent omissions and speed up order management.
Full traceability from requisition to payment, with stage timing
SITRACK provides a single view of the complete procurement cycle—from requisition to invoice—allowing teams to respond to issues with real-time insights.
Centralized visibility for all stakeholders
SITRACK consolidates procurement-related information into a single access point for requesters, procurement, logistics, and finance teams—removing information silos and enhancing cross-functional coordination.
Want to explore these solutions in more depth?
At Innova, we understand that many of the challenges companies face in SAP are not isolated incidents—they are recurring, structural issues. That’s why we’ve developed solutions like SITRACK, SiLI, and SiPRO, based on real customer experiences and designed to close the operational gaps left by the standard SAP model.
These tools are built to integrate seamlessly with SAP and directly address the key pain points that impact OTIF performance. Whether implemented individually or as a comprehensive suite, they significantly improve efficiency, traceability, and coordination across procurement and logistics processes.
If you’d like to see how these solutions can transform your day-to-day operations, we invite you to request a personalized consultation or a no-obligation demo. Experience first-hand how to boost process performance and improve your OTIF score with real tools built specifically for SAP environments.
