Superhub / Forward Stocking Location

End-to-End Operating Model — Cloud Supply Chain & Global Operations
1–2d
Transit SLA
93%
US Coverage
~$30M
CapEx Savings
5,560
Total Positions
Legend
Physical move
System / ERP
Exception
Decision
System signal
Physical doc
Freight move
1
Plan & Forecast
IBP demand planning
2
Build & Replenish
SI Factory → FSL
3
Store & Manage
FSL warehouse ops
4
Distribute
FSL → Data Center
5
Receive & Live
DC dock → install
🏭
System Integrator
Ingrasys · Wiwynn · Lenovo
Quanta · ZT
5 SIs · 19 factories
~2 WEEKS
1
Build FG Racks
Manufacture L11 Storage, Compute, GPU racks at SI factory per Build Order
Build OrderProduction
2
Serialize & GR
RSN assignment, goods receipt, as-built BOM/genealogy
ASNOBD
3
STO Collaboration
Ack STO from MSFT, prep outbound shipment
STO AckPGI
Route Decision
~70% direct to DC
~30% through FSL
IFS/IBP + OFM
Return & Rework
Returns from FSL; rework/disposition
📊
Microsoft
CSCP · SCOM · SCOPe
IFS · SAP IBP
Planning & ERP
P1
FG Demand Forecast
IBP generates inventory plan; automated WH levels
IBP Plan
ERP
P2
Create STO
Stock Transfer Order: SI Factory → FSL
STO via SAP
P3
IFS/IBP Routing
FSL vs Direct; OFM human-in-loop
OFM Approval
RDD
P4
Create Ship PO
Ship PO when DC calls for inventory (RDD)
Ship PO
P5
Invoice & Settle
P2P; FG on SI books until DC GR → MS books
InvoiceAsset Xfer
🚚
TMC / RMS
Managed Freight
(MMF)
All FSL freight
4
Book Inbound
Assign carrier, schedule SI factory pickup
Carrier Booking
GROUND
REGIONAL
5
Inbound Transit
Ground trucking SI → FSL (no cross-border)
In-Transit
10
Book Outbound
Assign carrier, schedule FSL pickup
Carrier Booking
1-2 DAYS
1-2 DAYS
11
Outbound Transit
93% US DCs ≤2d; hero regions 100%; cross-border 3-5d
In-Transit
🏢
3PL Warehouse
DSV / DBS
Cherry Valley IL
Venlo NL
6
Receive & Inspect
Verify RSN, condition, qty vs STO
GR Confirm
7
Store (FIFO)
US: 2,160/3,300
EMEA: 2,260 pos
On SI books; non-valuated
WMS
8
Inventory Mgmt
Cycle counts, adjustments, state transfers, holds
Adj/Count
24 HRS
9
Pick, Prep & Stage
DC calls → DSV picks per Ship PO; stages for load
OBD ≥1d prior
Returns to SI
Rework/damage → blocked stock → STO back
🏗
Data Center
CO+I · DC Ops
150+ Global DCs
End customer
12
Dock & Receive
GR at DC; FG → MS books; asset settlement
GRInvoice
13
Install & Go Live
Rack install → W2L live; RSN lifecycle complete
W2L Live

🎯 Purpose & Business Case

  • Reduce DC delivery transit from 5-7 days → 1-2 days
  • Enable Warehouse to Live (W2L) build-to-stock model
  • Support +25% YoY cloud demand with improved predictability
  • Deliver CapEx savings by reducing in-transit inventory
  • Reduce carbon emissions ~60% via consolidated distribution

📈 Key Performance Metrics

FSL → DC Transit1-2 days (93% US)
Hero Regions100% ≤ 2 days
Prior Baseline5-7 biz days
Volume via FSL~30%
CapEx Savings~$30M
Transport Savings$4M-$8M/yr
CO2 Reduction60%

🏛 Governance

  • US Ops: Horacio Ochoa Gomez
  • EMEA Ops: Altani Blakos
  • 3PL: DSV/DBS (both sites)
  • Freight: MMF via RMS/TMC (all legs)
  • Inventory: SI books until DC GR
  • Trade: SI is IOR/EOR at FSL
  • US Go-Live: Feb 2024 (Cherry Valley)
  • EMEA Go-Live: Sep 2024 (Venlo)

Scope

In Scope
  • L11 Storage, Compute, GPU racks
  • All 5 SIs (19 factories, 7 countries)
  • US FSL — Cherry Valley, IL
  • EMEA FSL — Venlo, NL
  • STO + Ship PO flows
  • Returns & rework
  • Serialization tracking (RSN)
Out of Scope
  • T2 component hubs (Arrow/DSV VMI)
  • India / Brazil / Australia FSLs
  • SI-managed freight (WWT)
  • Build order execution

Key Abbreviations

FSL — Forward Stocking Location
STO — Stock Transfer Order
Ship PO — Ship Purchase Order
ASN — Adv. Shipment Notice
OBD — Outbound Delivery
GR — Goods Receipt
PGI — Post Goods Issue
RSN — Rack Serial Number
MMF — MS Managed Freight
W2L — Warehouse to Live
BTS — Build to Stock
BTO — Build to Order
IOR/EOR — Importer/Exporter of Record
IBP — Integrated Biz Planning
IFS — Intelligent Fulfillment Sys
RDD — Requested Delivery Date

🔌 STO Signal Chain — SI Factory → FSL (14 Steps)

StepActionOwnerSystem SignalDirection
1Demand & Supply Planning at FSLMicrosoft (IBP)IBP PlanInternal
2Create STO RequestMicrosoft (SAP ECC)STO via UOSMS → SI
3Receive STO, create in SI systemsSISTO AckSI → MS
4Confirm STO to ship from factorySISTO ConfirmSI → MS
5Send confirmed STO to TMCMicrosoftSTO to TMCMS → TMC
6Create load plan from STOTMCLoad Plan signalTMC → MS
7Send Load Plan to SIMicrosoftLoad PlanMS → SI
8SI creates OBD from Load PlanSIOBDSI → MS → SAP
9Pick, Pack, Ship per STO + Load PlanSIPGI / Loaded ASN (with RSN)SI → MS → DBS
10Track in-transit milestonesTMCMilestone signalsTMC → MS
11Receive products at FSLDBS (DSV)GR @ FSL (with RSN)DBS → MS
12Send GR to SIMicrosoftGR @ FSLMS → SI
13SI posts GR in their systemsSIInternal GRSI internal
14E2E Serialization & Lifecycle trackingAllRSN eventsCross-system
Source: Superhub Overview — Purpose & Processes (Master File), Slide 7; SC Core Services Solution Design §3.2.1

📦 Safety Stock & Stocking Rules

  • Safety stock targets aligned monthly across CSCP based on Weeks of Supply (WoS) targets
  • Only onboarded SIs stock at FSL: Ingrasys, Lenovo, Wiwynn (Quanta onboarding planned)
  • Only high-volume SKUs: minimum 20 racks per SKU at FSL; low-volume SKUs held at factory
  • Only Direct Warranty (DW) at FSL — SAP plans at MSPN level and cannot stock both SIW and DW (system design constraint)
  • Some inventory kept at factory for direct-to-DC shipments (geography + customs driven)
  • Actual on-hand at FSL includes cycle stock — ~20% higher than safety stock targets
Americas flow-through rate80%
EMEA flow-through rate50%
Min racks per SKU at FSL20
Americas FSL capacity3,300 positions
EMEA FSL capacity2,260 positions
Source: FSL Safety Stock Strategy (Sep 2024)

⚙️ System Architecture (16 Key Systems)

SystemPurpose
SAP ECCCore P2P, inventory, financials, returns
SAP IBPUnified demand/supply planning
SAP MDG S/4Master data (+ OnePDM, D365, SKURef)
SAP CS (S/4 Add-On)Corporate Serialization & asset lifecycle
SAP GTSGlobal trade management & reporting
SAP Ariba SCCForecast/PO/RMA supplier collaboration
CSCP Sourcing 365Supplier negotiations, FG purchase prices
TMC (Navisphere)Freight mgmt & carrier tracking
DBS WMS3PL warehouse inventory management
StratusShipment tracking & milestone visibility
UOSUnified Order Service (signal routing)
OSSOrder Status Service (tracking)
CO+I AppsDC asset & inventory movements
CDE / EDLData lake reporting (Power BI)
MS-Auth / MS-InvoiceContract approvals & supplier invoicing
VertexTax calculation on procurement
Source: Superhub Overview IT Engg, Slides 9-10

🚀 Ship PO Signal Chain — FSL → DC (10 Steps)

StepActionOwnerSystem Signal
1DC capacity planning & reservationSCOM / CPDemand signal
2Create Ship POMicrosoft (POA → SAP ECC)Ship PO via UOS
3Ship PO sent to SI (B2B) + TMCUOS → Supplier Collab GatewayShip PO + Orders IDOC
4TMC creates load planTMCLoad Plan to LP Service → SI + LSDO
5DSV/DBS creates OBD from load planDBS (FSL)OBD → Unified Shipment Service
6DSV/DBS picks, packs, ships; sends ASNDBS (FSL)ASN (with RSN) → UOS → SAP (PGI)
7TMC tracks in-transit milestonesTMCMilestone signals → MS
8DC receives goods (GDCO)CO+I / DC OpsGR signal → GR Service → SAP ECC
9GR acknowledgment flows to SI + StratusSAP → Func. Ack → OSS → GatewayGR Ack + Invoice trigger
10Asset settlement & financial closeMicrosoft (SAP ECC)FG → MS books; invoice & payment
Source: SC Core Services Solution Design §3.2.2; Superhub Overview IT Engg, Slides 12-18

🏠 Warehouse Specs

  • US (Cherry Valley, IL): 350,000 sq ft facility
  • EMEA (Venlo, NL): 22,000 sqm (+ 22,000 sqm available for expansion)
  • Fully integrated with SAP ECC (system of record)
  • DBS WMS manages physical inventory ops
  • FIFO withdrawal enforcement

🚚 Network Coverage

  • 1-day delivery: 73% of US DCs (IL, VA, TX, IA hub)
  • 2-day delivery: 93% of US (adds WA, AZ, QC)
  • Hero regions: 100% within 2 days
  • Satellite regions: 98% (exception: Quebec)
  • EMEA: 50% flow-through from Venlo

📑 Source Documents

  • Superhub Overview — Purpose & Processes (Master, 32 slides)
  • Superhub Overview — IT Engineering (40 slides)
  • FSL Safety Stock Strategy (Sep 2024)
  • SC Core Services Solution Design (Aug 2023)
  • Superhub Spec ENG Final
  • FSL Architecture Design Review (77+ slides)
  • FSL Operating Models (5 slides)
  • BCL Interview — Aaron Bowman (May 2026)
42%
ICMs for LP / OBD / ASN cleanup

42% of ICMs generated in Mar–May 2025 were opened to clean up LP / OBD / ASN milestones.

9
Change types driving LP cancellations

9 change types in the documented current-state matrix trigger load plan cancel, change, or cancel → new handling.

Manual
Cleanup path in use today

OBD / ASN cleanup is a manual process handled through email and ICM after post-OBD cancel / change events.

5–15
OBD / ASNs manually deleted per day

Cloud Logistics Ops is asked to manually delete 5–15 OBD / ASNs per day via email or ICM in the documented current state.

🔄 Normal LP Lifecycle

Current-state signal chain from the FSL Architecture Design Review. Selecting a cancellation scenario highlights the steps touched by the documented reservation, Ship PO, and load plan actions.
1
IBP STRIBP generates the replenishment trigger.
2
SAP ECC STOSTR becomes a blocked STO and is sent to TMC.
3
SI STO AckSI creates the STO in their system and returns STO Ack.
4
SI ConfirmSI confirms the STO is ready to ship from factory.
5
TMC Load PlanCarrier is assigned and route is planned from the confirmed STO.
Point of No Change
6
LP Distributed to SIMS sends the LP to SI, unblocks the STO, and OBD creation starts.
7
RSN AssignmentSI assigns RSNs; current-state rule is 1 OBD per LP and 1 line per RSN.
8
PGI + Loaded ASNSI picks, packs, ships, and sends PGI plus loaded ASN.
9
In-Transit MilestonesTMC tracks the shipment while it moves to the receiving location.
10
GR with RSNDBS receives at FSL and posts goods receipt with RSN.
11
GR Sent to SIMicrosoft sends GR to SI and SI posts GR in their system.
Documented point of no change: once the load plan is distributed, downstream OBD / SN documents already exist. Cancel / change activity after this point drives the manual cleanup process documented in the Architecture Review and JCAB playbook.

🏭 SI Response Behavior

Current-state response from Architecture Review slides 58–59. The dividing line is whether OBD already exists at the SI.
Before OBD exists
Positive FACK
IngrasysAlways positive if STO FACK was positive
LenovoPositive only
ZTPositive only
Automatic LP cancel / change prior to OBD is documented as Yes for all three SIs.
After OBD exists
Negative FACK
IngrasysNegative — OBD already exists
LenovoNegative — OBD already exists
ZTNegative — OBD already exists
Post-OBD LP cancel / change moves into manual cleanup because the SI cannot auto-process the request after OBD creation.
Document relationships supported today: 1:1 (STO → LP → OBD → ASN) and 1:N delivery splits are supported. N:1 consolidation and partial / short ship are not in scope, and multiple ASNs sharing one LP fail in DBS because DBS cannot change an existing LP.

🧭 Cancellation Scenario Matrix

Documented current-state change triggers from the BRD current-state section. Click a row to highlight the lifecycle steps touched by that scenario.
Change TypeDC Reservation ActionShip PO ActionLoad Plan Action
MSF / MSPN ChangeCancel → NewChangeCancel → New
Quantity ChangeCancel → NewChangeCancel → New
Ship-from ChangeCancel → NewChangeCancel → New
Destination / DC ChangeCancel → NewSame country: Change
Diff country: Cancel → New
Cancel → New
Supplier ID ChangeCancel → NewCancel → NewCancel → New
PO CancellationNoneCancelCancel
DC ETA Date ChangeChangeNoneThreshold: GT X → Cancel → New (if not picked up); LT X → Change
Price ChangeNoneThreshold: GT X → Cancel → New; LT X → ChangeNone
Carrier ChangeNoneNoneChange
Select a current-state scenario to highlight the lifecycle steps touched by the documented reservation, Ship PO, and load plan actions.
Featured
In-Transit DC Reroute — Current-State Process
This swim lane shows the documented current-state reroute path when an in-transit MDM shipment receives a leadership-approved DC change exception.
Documented current-state pain 42% of ICMs in Mar–May 2025 were opened to clean up LP / OBD / ASN milestones, and Logistics Ops manually deletes 5–15 OBD / ASNs per day through email or ICM.

📝 JCAB Decision Rules

  • Racks in transit → Reject
  • Within TMC SLA → Reject
  • Racks aged 6 months or more → Reject
  • Super-geo change → verify no lock is causing the cross-geo issue
  • More than 4 weeks from JCAB creation → Accept
  • 4 weeks or less → Reject unless SCOM Leadership + CP approve the exception

⏳ DC ETA Push-Out Rules

  • Racks in transit → Reject
  • Ship date within TMC SLA (ground = 2d, air = 7d) → Reject
  • When leadership override is granted, Cloud Logistics Ops sends the reroute instruction to RMS / TMC manually.
  • If OBD already exists, the SI response is negative FACK and cleanup moves to email / ICM handling.
SCOM / OFMJCAB intake and exception approval
1 · Intake
JCAB submitted
SCOM / OFM receives the in-transit DC change request on the MDM shipment.
2 · Standard Rule
Default answer = reject
Per SOP, racks already in transit are rejected unless leadership authorizes the exception.
3 · Override
Leadership override required
SCOM Leadership + CP approval is the gate for proceeding inside the 4-week window.
Cloud Logistics OpsManual coordination bridge
4 · Manual Notify
Reroute instruction sent to RMS
Cloud Logistics Ops manually sends the new destination and reroute instruction to RMS / TMC.
RMS / TMCCancel original LP, then create replacement LP
5 · Cancel LP
Original LP cancelled
RMS cancels the original load plan and sends the cancel signal to Microsoft and SI.
9 · Create New LP
Replacement LP created
RMS creates the new load plan using the approved destination DC.
SAP ECC / SINegative FACK and manual cleanup zone
6 · SI Response
Negative FACK
SI rejects the cancel / change because OBD already exists.
7 · Manual Cleanup
OBD / ASN deletion via ICM
Engineering teams and Logistics Ops clean up the old documents through email or ICM.
8 · Status Gap
RSN status limbo
RSN and shipment state remain misaligned until the cleanup work finishes.
10 · Recreate Docs
New OBD / ASN created
The new LP is distributed to SI and SI creates the replacement OBD / ASN.
CarrierPhysical move
11 · Redirect
Truck physically diverted
The carrier redirects the in-transit truck to the newly approved DC.
Destination DCReceipt and close
12 · Receive
GR at new destination
The new DC receives the racks and goods receipt is posted at the new destination.

🔍 Current-State Gaps & Open Questions

Source: FSL Architecture Design Review (Anjali Rajurkar/JP Hadjiandreou, 2024) · JCAB Process Playbook (SCOM/OFM) · FSL Load Plan Change Management BRD — Current-State Section (Charlotte Byers/SCOM, June 2025) | MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL