Who is it ideal for?
FUTURA Engineering offers construction and project procurement teams the tools they need for requests based on item lists, awarding, and billing – especially in technically demanding, project-oriented environments.
Building construction & civil engineering
Plant engineering & large-scale technical projects
Energy suppliers & network operators
Facility Management / Technical building equipment
Substantially simplify construction and project procurement with SAP
Technically complex construction and infrastructure projects involve high sourcing efforts – especially when item lists are only partially supported in SAP purchasing. This results in media discontinuities and additional manual work.
FUTURA Engineering closes this gap: The solution seamlessly integrates GAEB-based item lists with SAP and ensures end-to-end, structured processes as well as transparency at item-level — even in downstream processes such as service entry and billing.
GAEB-based item lists directly in SAP
GAEB-based item lists can be created, maintained, and processed in full compliance with GAEB standards – without the need for manual data entry or system discontinuity.
- Creation & editing of GAEB-based item lists
- Support for the SAP MM-SRV data model (item category "D")
- GAEB and Excel import/export
Structured request and awarding processes
Pricing and negotiation rounds are clearly presented and compared, ensuring transparent and fair award decisions.
- Multi-stage bidding and pricing rounds
- Transparent price comparisons
- Automatic application of changes and supplements to purchase orders
Supplier integration & collaboration
Suppliers can easily participate free of charge via the FUTURA supplier portal – ensuring clear communication and smooth processes.
- Submission of quotatons via the supplier portal
- Audit-proof communication & logging
- Service entry as self-service on synchronized GAEB-based item lists
Source-to-pay for construction and infrastructure projects – in the SAP standard
FUTURA Engineering makes GAEB-based item lists a central component of technical procurement in SAP S/4HANA.
All steps – from the initial planning, request and negotiation phases through to service entry and billing – are handled digitally, natively within SAP, and in real time. This ensures that CAPEX projects and OPEX measures remain transparent and actively manageable.
Create and organize item lists
Clean, GAEB-compliant item lists form the basis for awards and evaluations. FUTURA Engineering also supports the efficient processing of large item lists with more than 1,000 items.
Start an item-list based request
Requests can be created directly in SAP – whether using a purchase requisition, an item list, or an existing service contract. Service lines can be expanded, suppliers added, and all data can be transferred to suppliers in a structured format.
Compare quotations & negotiate
Incoming quotations are automatically displayed in a highly effective price comparison tool. Price and negotiation rounds can be clearly managed, compared, and recorded.
Award & transfer to S/4HANA
Once the decision is made, all items are transferred to SAP and with precise item-level accuracy – as a purchase order or a contract. Supplements are automatically incorporated into the purchase order, and budgets can be precisely managed thanks to real-time commitment reduction.
Record & bill services
Suppliers enter their services directly through the FUTURA Supplier Portal. The measurements automatically generate service entry sheets in SAP, ensuring that billing is verifiable, transparent, and itemized down to the exact line item at all times.
FUTURA is the perfect solution for our processes thanks to its excellent integration with our SAP ERP system. Not only do we save time in the purchasing process, we now have a much better overview, which is very useful in price negotiations.
Purchasing Manager Thomas Brandl, Regenburger Energie. und Wasserversorgung AG & Co KG (REWAG)
Taking GAEB a step further – the bridge between planning, purchasing and SAP
GAEB stands for „Gemeinsamer Ausschuss Elektronik im Bauwesen“ (Joint Committee on Electronics in Construction) and is the German standard for electronic data exchange in the construction industry. It defines a standardized format for item lists – the structured listing of construction services with quantities, prices, and line items – that planners, construction companies, and clients can exchange regardless of the system they use.
GAEB provides the transparency that is often lacking in the standard SAP system when it comes to complex construction and infrastructure services. FUTURA Engineering seamlessly connects GAEB structures with SAP S/4HANA and consistently integrates them into the sourcing and RFX process: Supplements, measurements, and service line items remain fully traceable – from planning through billing.
Investment projects: Controllability
despite "planning during construction"
In many projects, services are planned in the AVA system but are managed in SAP only as a flat-rate 1-LE purchase order. The result: Commitments do not match actual costs; supplements are missing, and budgets spiral out of control.
With FUTURA Engineering, all item lists and changes are fully transferred to SAP.
- Automatic order changes in the case of supplements
- Real-time commitment reduction for precise budget control
- Performance and cost progress can be viewed at any time
- Structured price comparisons at line item level
Maintenance & unplanned services:
Transparency instead of flat rates
When it comes to repairs or malfunctions, it’s often unclear what services were actually provided. Billing is typically done on a flat-rate basis based on hours or materials—without verifiable line items.
With FUTURA Engineering, suppliers can create their own GAEB-based item list for billing that shows exactly what work was performed.
• Detailed feedback on services rendered
• Transparency in framework agreement call-offs
• Evaluation of services directly in the SAP contract
Facility Management & technical building equipment: Full control over maintenance contracts
In technical building equipment, maintenance and service contracts typically span several years and cover multiple systems – heating, ventilation, plumbing, elevators, and fire protection – often involving different service providers. In SAP, such contracts are frequently managed only as blanket framework agreements.
With FUTURA Engineering, all GAEB-based maintenance services follow the same structure as construction projects – each service call is recorded as a separate item on the item list and remains clearly assigned to the respective framework agreement.
- Multiple service providers and trades can be managed simultaneously under the same framework agreement
- Recurring maintenance visits documented with precise location details instead of being billed at a flat rate
- Suppliers enter service records directly in the Supplier Portal
- Evaluation of the entire contract term directly within the SAP contract
Product Overview: FUTURA Engineering. Construction and project purchasing in S/4HANA.
GAEB is the key to transparent budget management and verifiable billing in service procurement. Request, comparison of quotations, and service entry – all consistently structured according to the GAEB standard in S/4HANA.
Modular implementation. Quicker to go live. Fully integrated GAEB structures in SAP
SAP-native GAEB integration
Bids can be created directly within SAP or imported as a completed GAEB bid from the architecture or planning firm—both processes continue within the same SAP MM-SRV data model without any disruption.
High participation rate among suppliers
Service providers can use their GAEB structures and participate free of charge via the FUTURA Supplier Portal. Registration is a one-time process and does not require the purchase of any software.
Modular rollout instead of a big bang
Request and awarding processes can be implemented wihout the service entry process. Get started in as little as 8 weeks, depending on the selected feature set – full implementation follows at your own pace.
FAQ about FUTURA Engineering
What is FUTURA Engineering?
FUTURA Engineering is an SAP-native, cloud-based solution for end-to-end planning, requests, awarding, and billing of construction, infrastructure, and technical procurement projects. The solution connects the GAEB environment with SAP S/4HANA and seamlessly integrates planners, consumers, purchasers, approvers, and suppliers into a single digital process.
FUTURA Engineering is part of the FUTURA platform.
Who is FUTURA Engineering suitable for?
FUTURA Engineering is designed for organizations with complex technical procurement needs: Manufacturing and plant engineering, infrastructure projects, energy utilities and grid operators, as well as maintenance and facility management organizations. It is ideal for any situation where GAEB-based item lists, technical specifications, and SAP-based processes come together.
What scope of processes does FUTURA Engineering cover?
FUTURA Engineering covers the entire source-to-pay process: From creating item lists to multiple bidding rounds, quote evaluation, awarding, and contract management, through to item-specific service entry and billing in SAP. Maintenance activities can also be managed digitally via framework agreements, including automatically generated service entry sheet. FUTURA Engineering covers the entire process for CAPEX projects and OPEX measures.
How does FUTURA Engineering support work with GAEB-based item lists?
GAEB-based item lists can be created, imported, and edited in a structured manner, supported by standardized GAEB-XML interfaces, a master item list, and direct collaboration between planners, consumers, and purchasing. Item lists can be imported into requests without any media discontinuity and, once approved, can be fully created in SAP. Each item is created as a service line in the SAP backend – providing the basis for transparent contract awards, supplements, and verifiable billing.
Which request types does FUTURA Engineering support?
The solution covers all standard request types: Limited requests, direct awarding, multi-level sourcing processes with iterative pricing rounds, and GAEB-based requests for construction projects. This enables compliant, flexible, and efficient awarding processes.
What is the difference between FUTURA Engineering and FUTURA Smart?
FUTURA Smart and FUTURA Engineering are both cloud-based platforms that enable seamless integration with SAP S/4HANA. However, they differ in their focus and scope of application:
| Feature | FUTURA Smart | FUTURA Engineering |
| Area of application | E-sourcing & strategic and operational purchasing | Construction, plant engineering, and maintenance projects |
| Process focus | Requests, quote management, negotiations | Planning, requesting, handling, and billing of construction and engineering projects |
| Data integration | SAP data (purchase orders, product master data, contracts) | GAEB Standard for item lists & request for construction projects |
| Supplier management | Automatic invitation, digital submirrion of quotes | Collaboration with suppliers in development and construction projects |
| Billing processes | Automatic purchase order and contract creation in SAP | Service entry sheets, billing based on construction progress |
| SAP data model | New data model compatibility with Lean Services and Item Hierarchies | Use of the SAP MM-SRV module for service procurement |
Get started quickly, work easily, scale flexibly – ready for real SAP purchasing?
Your contact for questions about FUTURA Smart
Hartmut Schwadtke
Managing Director
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Here's what you can expect during the live demo:
Live walkthrough right within the system – no slides
Specific reference to your sourcing process
Time for your questions
About 30 minutes, no sales pitch
Request a demo — free, no-obligation, and specific,
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