Edit Shipment Parcel Contents
Defining the contents of each parcel that you're shipping is not required by AcctVantage or Easypost. However, in some instances it might be required by your trading partner or EDI platform. If you need to define the contents of each parcel, here's how to do it.
Setup
The only setup that needs to be done is to determine when (or if) you want to be prompted to edit parcel contents.
- Navigate to Administration > System Configuration.
- Select Shipments from the drop-down menu.
- Double-click the 'Show parcel contents editor?' setting.
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Here are definitions for each preference:
- Never: This is the default setting. You will never be prompted to edit parcel contents.
- Ask: The system will prompt you to edit parcel contents each time you either create a new shipment or add a new parcel to an existing shipment.
- Always: The system not prompt you to edit parcel contents. When you either create a new shipment or add a new parcel to an existing shipment, the parcel contents editor will automatically open.
- For Web Integration Orders Only: This works the same as the 'Always' setting except it only applies to orders imported via web integration.
- Script Controlled: If you have some other logic that you'd like to apply in order to determine when the prompt appears, we can address specific situations via custom script projects.
If you have the above preference set to Ask, you will see this dialog each time you either create a new shipment or add a new parcel to an existing shipment.
1. Parcel Contents Editor overview
Once you decide to edit the parcel contents, you'll be presented with the Parcel Contents Editor. The screenshot below is how the editor will look before any parcel contents have been set.
Hazmat status has recently been moved to the parcel instead of the shipment. This configuration matches with how carriers treat parcels containing hazardous materials.
Header area
- Parcel #: Assigned by the system.
- Custom Label Reference: A custom field that appears on some carrier's labels.
- Parcel Dimensions (Length, Width, Height & Weight): This section will be blank until the parcel contents have been set and the shipment is complete. After the shipment is complete, this area will change into a Parcel List which contains the details of each Parcel.
- Tracking Number: If you are processing the shipment via Easypost, this field can be left blank since the tracking number will be auto-assigned. If not using Easypost, users have the option to manually enter a tracking number here.
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Insurance Value: Enter the insured valued for the parcel. If no amount is entered here, the package will only carry the default insured value offered by the carrier.
- Insured By: Select who the parcel is being insured by.
- Hazmat: Select the appropriate hazardous materials code for the parcel.
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SSCC: Serial Shipping Container Code -- this is used for labeling of bulk shipments.
- Generate SSCC: Click this button to create a unique SSCC for the parcel. This code incorporates the GS1 Company Prefix, which can be entered in Administration -> System Setup -> Shipping.
- Palletized: Indicates the parcel is shipped on a pallet.
Detail areas
- Sales Order Line Items: This is a list of the line items on the order that have a Qty Ship > 0.
- Ship All: This will add ALL Sales Order Line Items to the parcel.
- >>: Highlight a group of line items and click the double-right arrows to add those line items to the parcel.
- <<: Highlight a group of lines that have already been added to a parcel and click the double-left arrows to remove them from the parcel.
- Clear Parcel: This will clear ALL line items from the Parcel Contents area.
- Parcel Contents: This is a list of Sales Order Line Items that have been added to the current parcel.
2. Edit the Parcel Contents
The easiest way to illustrate how this works is by analyzing the quantity columns.
- Qty Ship: This is the same as the Qty Ship from the Sales Order detail page.
- Qty Remaining: This equals Qty Ship - Qty Packed. This value will update when line items are added to a parcel. The value is cumulative; it does not reset for each parcel that is added to a Shipment.
- Qty Packed: This is the quantity of each line item that has been added to the current parcel.
In the screenshot below:
- I've added WDGT-S and WDGT-L to the current parcel (see: Qty Remaining = 0 and Qty Packed = Qty Ship).
- The part number WDGT-M has not been assigned to any parcel (see: Qty Remaining = Qty Ship)
At this point we can either assign WDGT-M to this parcel or save this parcel and create another. We're going to add those items to a different parcel.
After you finish adding line items to the parcel, click OK to save. You will then be brought to the Shipment screen. At that point you can either add more parcels or process the shipment. At any point you can modify the contents of any given parcel.
3. Add more parcels or process the shipment
After you save the first parcel's contents, you'll be taken to the Shipments screen. Now, you can either add more parcels or continue processing the shipment.
To add another parcel, click the Add Parcel button.
If you made a mistake and need to correct an existing parcel, click Edit Parcel Contents.
4. Add more parcels
When you click the Add Parcel button, you will be returned to the Parcel Contents Editor so you can assign the contents of the next Parcel (note: the Parcel # has incremented). This can be repeated as many times as necessary to ship all line items.
This time I have added the part number WDGT-M to its own parcel. Now that all line items have been assigned to a parcel, the Qty Remaining is zero.
5. Process the Shipment
After you add all of the parcels to the shipment, you can continue processing the shipment.
On the row where we added the second parcel, you can see all of the parcels for this shipment by clicking the All tab (the number in parenthesis is the number of parcels).
Here you can see each parcel's dimensions and whether the parcel contents have been 'Set' or 'Not Set'. Use the trash can icon to delete parcels, if necessary.
6. Parcel contents have been assigned and shipment has been processed
After all parcel contents have been assigned and the shipment has been processed, you will able to see all of the related parcel and shipment detail in one place. Go to the Shipping tab of the Sales Order to see all shipments and parcels related to this order.
- Double-click any of the parcels where the Contents columns displays "Set" in order to drill into the detail.
- If the Contents columns displays "Not Set", you can drill into the detail and set the Parcel Contents.
Under the Parcel List area, you can see a list of all parcels pertaining to the selected shipment. Highlight each parcel to see the contents.
Unlike some areas of AcctVantage, Shipments and Parcel Detail are not affected by posting! Neither the Parcel Contents Editor nor the Shipments screen are ever locked. You can add Shipments and add/edit Parcel Contents at any time.
7. Parcels list view
Navigate to Sales -> Parcels to see a list of Parcels in listview format.
