Shipwell's Transportation Management Software (TMS) provides a comprehensive solution for businesses to streamline their shipping processes, manage their orders effectively, and gain valuable insights into their supply chain operations. In this overview, we delve into orders and their features and benefits within Shipwell. Within Shipwell we have v2 and v3 orders. v3 Orders is our most modern order framework where we build new functionality upon. However, we continue to maintain a strong v2 order framework for existing customers on the v2 order framework.
Order Types: Generally, orders come in three main types:
Purchase Orders for inbound freight,
Sales Orders for outbound freight, and
Transfer Orders for internal-to-internal freight.
Within v3 orders we have specific differentiation for order types, while in v2 orders you could have always leveraged custom data to categorize the differences in freight order types but the overall order object itself was the same.
Order Structure: Orders contain certain core elements:
Order information (e.g. Order #, PO #, etc.),
Pickup and delivery information (one pickup and one delivery),
Product-line-item information.
Customer specific custom data (reference, stop-level, and line-item custom data)
Orders are meant to be lightweight objects that efficiently let you provide information within Shipwell. As we continue to develop v3 orders there are additional elements that are being added specific for v3 orders including providing bill-to information, order documents, mixed pallet handling unit information, and order tags.
Order Creation: There are five ways that orders are created within Shipwell:
API integration
Order importer within Shipwell
SFTP flat file delivery of order importer file
Manual Purchase Order entry
Swifty AI order creation
The preferred and most popular method is API integration with a customer’s ERP as this gives you real-time alignment with Shipwell and your ERP. Alternatively, both methods supporting the order importer provide an efficient upload of orders within Shipwell.
Streamlined Order Transportation Management: Once orders exist within Shipwell you will create shipments from orders by leveraging load optimization or identifying which orders go on a shipment manually. Further, for your inbound freight there is the Shipwell Supplier Collaboration Portal that can have your suppliers create orders and save even more time. Then, shipments can be efficiently and effectively bid out, tendered, and assigned to carriers manually or automated via routing guides. Throughout the process you have end-to-end order real-time visibility.
Leveraging v3 orders will allow an order to be on multiple shipments. Further, v3 orders allow you to build shipments from orders with different starting and ending points of the orders themselves for those legs that leverage one or more locations in the middle where different shipments are used to transport the order.
Dashboards and Reports: Shipwell provides users a variety of dashboards and reports that provide order-level information. Shipwell's reporting tools enable users to generate detailed reports on order history, carrier performance, cost analysis, and more, providing valuable data-driven insights for informed decision-making.
For organizations that have their own reporting preference, then ask about Shipwell’s Data Share where organizations can integrate their reporting solutions (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, etc.) into their Shipwell data seamlessly.
Integration Capabilities: Seamless integration with existing systems is essential for maximizing the value of a TMS. Shipwell offers flexible integration capabilities, allowing businesses to connect their TMS with other enterprise systems such as ERP, WMS, and CRM platforms. This interoperability ensures data consistency across systems, streamlines workflows, and enhances overall operational efficiency. For those of you that leverage NetSuite we have a NetSuite app that reduces or even eliminates integration needs depending on your NetSuite instance and integration needs.
In addition to a robust platform that is easy to integrate into, our integration capabilities include an exceptional solution engineering consulting group that will assist you or your integration partner in integrating with Shipwell.
Scalability and Flexibility: Whether managing a few orders or thousands, Shipwell scales effortlessly to meet the evolving needs of businesses of all sizes. With flexible configuration options and scalable infrastructure, Shipwell adapts to changing requirements and grows with your business. Whether you're a small e-commerce retailer or a global enterprise, Shipwell provides the tools you need to optimize your shipping operations and drive business success.