Contents
Release Note
Release Date: January 28, 2024
Introduction
We’re excited to roll out the Customer-to-Carrier Mapping feature in the Warehouse Management System (WMS). This new enhancement lets you assign specific carriers to individual customers (companies), making the carrier selection process during order creation—whether through the user interface or bulk uploads—more streamlined and accurate.
By mapping carriers to customers (companies), you can ensure that only the right carriers are used for each customer’s orders. This helps eliminate errors and ensures compliance with predefined carrier preferences, especially in scenarios where strict adherence to specific carrier requirements is essential.
Problem Statement
WMS users are unable to map customers (companies) to specific carriers or Seller Logistics Partners (SLPs), leading to the following challenges:
- Open Carrier Selection: The system displayed all available carriers during order creation, increasing the risk of incorrect carrier selection.
- Operational Inefficiency: When uploading bulk orders, there were no restrictions on which carriers could be used, causing delays and mistakes.
- Compliance Risks: The absence of predefined carrier lists made it difficult to enforce SLAs and maintain customer-specific agreements.
Key Capabilities
- Carrier Mapping Configuration: Users can now map specific carriers to a customer (company) through the WMS interface, creating predefined carrier lists for streamlined operations.
- Seller Logistic Partner (SLP) Mapping: Users can map Seller Logistic Partners (SLP) to specific customer, which will display all carriers associated with the mapped SLP during order creation.
- Order Creation Integration: During order creation (both UI and bulk uploads), only the mapped carriers will be available for selection, simplifying the process and reducing the risk of incorrect carrier allocation.
-
Exclusions: Carrier mapping will NOT apply to:
- Open API orders
- Return orders
Advantages
- Improved Accuracy: Reduces manual errors in carrier selection by limiting the options to predefined carriers for each customer.
- Enhanced Efficiency: Simplifies workflows by enabling faster and more consistent carrier assignment during order creation.
- Compliance Assurance: Helps enforce carrier-related agreements or SLAs specific to each customer.
- Bulk Upload Support: Ensures that the mapping applies to orders created in bulk, reducing complexity in high-volume operations.
How to Use
Customer-to-Carrier Mapping Configuration:
Step 1: Go to the primary panel and select Customer.
Step 2 : In the secondary panel, click on Customer List and select the desired customer name.
Step 3 : Navigate to the Customer Carrier Mapping tab at the end of the page.
Step 4 : Choose a Mapping Option:
Two mapping options are available:
-
Carrier Mapping:
- Select the Carrier radio button.
- Use the Select Carrier dropdown to search for and select preferred carriers.
- Selected carriers will appear in a table below.
- Remove carriers as needed using the Remove button.
-
SLP (Seller Logistic Partner) Mapping:
- Select the SLP radio button to map Seller Logistic Partners directly.
- Select the SLP radio button to map Seller Logistic Partners directly.
Step 5 : After making your selections, click Save to apply the mappings.
Step 6: The mapped carriers or SLP-associated carriers will now appear as selectable options during order creation.
Important Note: When uploading orders in bulk, only carriers that are mapped to the respective customer will be accepted. If an unmapped carrier is included, an error message will appear for each affected order. The error message will be ‘Validation failed: Shipping Carrier is not applicable for selected configuration’. You can view the details of the bulk upload by checking the Bulk Activities tab.
Summary
The Customer-to-Carrier Mapping feature revolutionizes carrier management in WMS by enabling users to define carrier lists specific to each customer. It is an essential tool for businesses looking to streamline their carrier selection process while maintaining accuracy and control.
Additional Information
**Customer (Company)
A Customer (Company) refers to the end client of the Warehouse Management System (WMS).
**SLP (Seller Logistics Partner)
SLP (Seller Logistics Partner) refers to the logistics provider with whom the seller has a contract for shipping and delivery services. In WMS, the SLP must be configured with key details like authentication, other required parameters like insurance and integration for real-time tracking.
**Carrier
Once the SLP is configured in the WMS, the user can create a carrier with multiple configurations. During carrier creation, the user selects the SLP and assigns a specific service code, such as "Next Day Delivery" or "Same Day Delivery."
Additionally, the user can configure other carrier-specific settings, such as return management and other operational preferences. Once the carrier is defined, it becomes available for selection during order creation. Based on the selected service code, the system will fetch the appropriate shipping label, ensuring smooth order processing and shipping operations.
**Difference Between SLP and Carrier Mapping
- SLP Mapping: Selecting an SLP automatically maps all carriers associated with that specific SLP, streamlining the carrier selection process.
- Carrier Mapping: If you need more granular control, you can individually select and map specific carriers by searching and selecting them one by one.
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