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Release Notes - 5.0

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Written by Yannick De Coster
Updated over 10 months ago

We are pleased to inform you that we have successfully launched a new version of our Control Tower, 5.0

Major feature:

  • Ocean - Multiple shipping containers

New features:

  • Visibility on carrier booking status

  • Routing setting "Fastest with traffic"

  • Opening hours in stop type settings

Feature improvements:

  • Ocean - Show all events in history

  • Order type as additional filter for surcharges & rate zones

  • AOR settings for shipping containers

  • Schedule calculation improvements

  • Material order workflow improvements

🚀 Major feature

Ocean - Multiple shipping containers

This implementation provides the possibility to support multiple shipping containers on a Multimodal/Ocean transport order.
​
It has an impact on various areas in Control Tower like Stops, Milestones, Costs, Parts, Creation of On-carriage/Empty container return transports.

With the release 5.0, we do not support:

  • Creation of Pre-carriage transports --> Will be supported with 5.1

  • Demurrage/Detention/Storage costs --> Will be supported with 5.2

How to create multiple shipping containers? (expand)

  1. Create a transport order

  2. Within the section "Container" you can add one or multiple shipping containers, by clicking on "New"

  3. To create at once multiple container click on the arrow next to "New"

  4. After creation the shipping container(s) are shown in the Transport Order [container type + container number]

    1. Multiple shipping containers added

  5. Containers can also be copied by clicking on the button "Copy"

    1. Which data will be copied?

      1. Container type

      2. Port of loading quay

      3. Port of discharge quay

  6. After saving the Transport Order the shipping container(s) details are shown in:

    1. Transport order

    2. Single columns e.g. Container number

    3. Shipping container dialog by clicking at "Shipping containers"

      1. Open shipping container details

Separation of Shipping containers and Containers in Parts (expand)

Shipping containers will be in future only selectable at the container section within the transport and containers will be further select able at the "Shipping units" section within the transport.

Also a a fixed list of industry-standard shipping containers (ISO code + name) are added automatically to each division.

Link Material Orders to Shipping containers (expand)

This release introduces the capability to link Material Orders (MO) to Shipping Containers, enhancing the functionality for customers to provide detailed information to carriers regarding the contents of containers. This link establishes a reference between Material Orders and Shipping Units within the containers, offering valuable insights for on-carriage and empty container return processes.

Key Functionalities:

  • Linking MO to Containers:

    • Customers can now associate Material Orders with specific Shipping Containers.

    • This association allows for a detailed breakdown of container contents, aiding carriers in understanding the cargo within each container.

  • Identification for On-Carriage and Empty Container Return:

    • Customers can add linked Material Orders to a shipping container, facilitating the identification of relevant information for on-carriage and empty container return processes.

    • This feature streamlines communication and coordination between customers and carriers during the post-loading stages of transportation.

  • Non-Mandatory Information:

    • Mandatory linkage is triggered when a TO involves multiple shipping containers, or when an On-carriage or Empty Container TO is created.

How to link?

The containers can be linked either at the container section itself or during the creation of the On-carriage/Empty container return transport.

More details

  • One Material Order cannot be linked to several shipping containers within the Main Haul, but one container can be linked to several Material Orders.

  • If a Material Order was deleted/removed from the Transport Order

    • The former reference will stay in linked Empty container and On-carriage transports

  • Linking of Material Order(s) required at the moment of:

    • Creating on-carriage/Empty container return, if more as one container

    • If not formerly linked, user will be informed to link before he can create On-carriage transport(s)/Empty container transport(s)

      • If the user creates e.g. On-carriage per Material Order (2 Material Orders are in the Transport Order) he can assign multiple containers to the Material Order but not to another Material OrderOne Material Order cannot be linked to several shipping containers within the Main Haul, but one container can be linked to several Material Orders.

      • If a Material Order was deleted/removed from the Transport Order

        • The former reference will stay in linked Empty container and On-carriage transports

      • Linking of Material Order(s) required at the moment of:

        • Creating on-carriage/Empty container return, if more as one container

        • If not formerly linked, user will be informed to link before he can create On-carriage transport(s)/Empty container transport(s)

          • If the user creates e.g. On-carriage per Material Order (2 Material Orders are in the Transport Order) he can assign multiple containers to the Material Order but not to another Material Order

New process to create On-carriage, Pre-carriage, Empty container return transport orders (expand)

By switching to support multiple shipping containers, which also could be linked to Material Orders a new processes how to create in Control Tower On-carriage, Pre-carriage, Empty container return transport order was established.

The "Drayage order creation" dialog shall support the user to create their related transport orders of a Multimodal Ocean transport.

If an On-carriage or Empty container return Transport Order is required it will be shown

Step-by-step description

  1. Create Main Haul transport order with an Ocean booking + at least one container

  2. Depending on the incoterm and if Export or Import the transports On-carriage, Empty container return TO´can be created

  3. The drayage dialog can be opened by:

    1. click on the column of the On-carriage/Empty container Transport Order

    2. or using the context menu by right click on the Main Haul Transport Order

  4. The "Drayage dialog" will lead the user through the creation process, depending on the Main Haul transport.

  5. Also its just possible to create/select type of On-carriage Transport Order before creating the Empty container TO

More details

  • Within the "Drayage dialog" the user will be able to:

    • Link container(s) to Material Order(s)

    • Edit the location

      • Changing the location is only possible if there is only 1 material order/container

      • Changing of the location applies only to the respective On-carriage/Empty container return Transport Order

  • On-carriage has to be set up/created before the Empty container return transport can be created

Shipping container based Milestones (expand)

Milestone Creation Logic:

  • The system will create shipping container milestones only for transport orders of types main-haul, pre-carriage, on-carriage, or empty container return/pickup.

  • Standard road orders will not have any shipping container-specific milestones.

Main-Haul Transport Order Milestones:

  • Depending on the ocean booking type, the main-haul transport order can have the following shipping container milestones:

    • Port to Port:

      • STOP: Port of Loading

        • Milestone: Container Loaded POL (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Vessel Departure POL

      • STOP: Port of Discharge

        • Milestone: Vessel Arrival POD

        • Milestone: Container Discharge POD (multiple/per container)
          ​

    • Port to Door:

      • STOP: Port of Loading

        • Milestone: Container Loaded POL (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Vessel Departure POL

      • STOP: Port of Discharge

        • Milestone: Vessel Arrival POD

        • Milestone: Container discharge POD (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Full container gate out (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Depart

      • STOP: Delivery

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Deliver (multiple/per Material Order)

        • Milestone: Depart

      • STOP: Empty container gate in (if applicable)

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Empty container gate in (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Depart
          ​

    • Door to Port:

      • STOP: Empty container gate out (if applicable)

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Empty container gate out (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Depart

      • STOP: Collect

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Collect (multiple/per Material Order)

        • Milestone: Depart

      • STOP: Port of Loading

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Full container gate in (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Depart

        • Milestone: Container Loaded POL (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Vessel Departure POL

      • STOP: Port of Discharge

        • Milestone: Vessel Arrival POD

        • Milestone: Container discharge POD (multiple/per container)
          ​

    • Door to Door:

      • STOP: Empty container gate out (if applicable)

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Empty container gate out (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Depart

      • STOP: Collect

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Collect (multiple/per Material Order)

        • Milestone: Depart

      • STOP: Port of Loading

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Full container gate in (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Depart

        • Milestone: Container Loaded POL (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Vessel Departure POL

      • STOP: Port of Discharge

        • Milestone: Vessel Arrival POD

        • Milestone: Container discharge POD (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Full container gate out (multiple/per container)

        • Milestone: Depart

      • STOP: Delivery

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Deliver (multiple/per Material Order)

        • Milestone: Depart

      • STOP: Empty container gate in (if applicable)

        • Milestone: Arrive

        • Milestone: Empty container gate in

        • Milestone: Depart

      Example Milestones Door to Door

On-Carriage + Empty Container Return Transport Order Milestones:

  • STOP: Full container gate out

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Full container gate out (multiple/per container)

    • Milestone: Depart

  • STOP: Delivery

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Deliver (multiple/per Material Order)

    • Milestone: Depart

  • STOP: Empty container gate in (if applicable)

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Empty container gate in

    • Milestone: Depart

Empty Container Return Transport Order Milestones:

  • STOP: Empty container pickup

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Empty container pickup (multiple/per container)

    • Milestone: Depart

  • STOP: Empty container gate in

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Empty container gate in (multiple/per container)

    • Milestone: Depart

Empty Container Pickup Transport Order Milestones:
​Supported release 5.2 and higher

  • STOP: Empty container gate out

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Empty container gate out (multiple/per container)

    • Milestone: Depart

  • STOP: Empty container gate in

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Empty container delivery (multiple/per container)

    • Milestone: Depart

Pre-Carriage + Empty Container Pickup Transport Order Milestones:

Supported release 5.2 and higher

  • STOP: Empty container pickup

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Empty container pickup (multiple/per container)

    • Milestone: Depart

  • STOP: Collect

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Collect (multiple/per Material Order)

    • Milestone: Depart

  • STOP: Full container gate in

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Full container gate in (multiple/per container)

    • Milestone: Depart

Pre-Carriage Transport Order Milestones:

Supported release 5.2 and higher

  • STOP: Collect

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Collect (multiple/per Material Order)

    • Milestone: Depart

  • STOP: Full container gate in

    • Milestone: Arrive

    • Milestone: Full container gate in (multiple/per container)

    • Milestone: Depart

More information

Deletion of Last Shipping Container:

  • If the last shipping container is deleted from a transport order with shipping container milestones, the system will delete all information related to the shipping container milestones for that order.

On-Carriage Order Deletion:

  • If the last container is deleted from a main haul or on-carriage Transport Order, the first stop of the on-carriage Transport Order will change from Full container gate out to Transport Order collection stop, along with a collection milestone.

Pre-Carriage Order Deletion:

  • If the last container is deleted from a main haul or pre-carriage Transport Order, the last stop of the pre-carriage Transport Order will change from Full container gate in to Transport Order delivery stop, accompanied by a delivery milestone.

Count Milestones per Shipping Container:

  • The milestone component in the transport order grid will show a count per shipping container.

  • Users can update scheduled and actual times for the following milestones per container:

    • Full Container Gate in

    • Container Loaded POL

    • Container Discharge POD

    • Full Container Gate out

    • Empty Container Pick up

    • Empty Container Gate In

These enhancements provide users with greater flexibility, control, and visibility in managing container milestones throughout the transportation process.

Example Milestones multiple Shipping Containers

Shipping containers selectable within Rate zones + Surcharges for "By Unit" + "By Unit combined" (expand)

By introducing the option of selection Shipping containers within the costs will help to find the correct price related to the shipping container(s).

Therefore two options can be used.

By Unit combined

  1. Additional Selection Option:

    • An additional selection option, labeled "Shipping Containers," has been introduced below the "Handling Units" section. This allows you to specifically tailor your configurations when dealing with combined unit rates.

  2. Mutual Exclusivity:

    • Handling units and shipping containers are now mutually exclusive. If you select one, the other selection menu will be disabled, preventing conflicting configurations.

  3. Single Value Selection:

    • You can now select only one shipping container value from the list, streamlining the configuration process for combined unit rates.

More details (expand)

Matching Logic - Rates:

  • Handling Multiple Shipping Container Types:

    • If a transport order includes multiple shipping container types (e.g., a 40' and a 20'), the system will find matching "By Unit Combined" rate zones for each shipping container. If a match is not found for each individual container, "By Unit Combined" rates will not be considered.

  • Handling Multiple Handling Units:

    • If a transport order has both shipping containers and other handling units (e.g., boxes, pallets), and no rates are found for shipping containers, the system is permitted to match other "By Unit Combined" rate zones with different handling unit types.

  • Override Values:

    • The system will use calculated or manual override values for each handling unit on the transport order as input for quantity. Shipping containers, having no overrides, will be counted based on the total available on the transport order.

  • Cost Comparison:

    • The system will use the sum of all combined freight costs of type "By Unit Combined" to compare against other rate class types during the final "cheapest rate comparison."

  • Multiple Cost Lines:

    • For each unique handling unit/shipping container, the system will add multiple cost lines of type "Freight" for billing leg(s), enhancing clarity in cost breakdowns.

Surcharges and Rates MD tables:

  • For rate class type = By Unit, in the rate zones and surcharges table, allow the user to select multiple shipping containers

By Unit

Multiple Container Selection:

  • In rate zones and surcharges tables, users can now select multiple shipping containers when the rate class type is "By Unit." This allows for a more comprehensive and precise configuration.

More details (expand)

Matching Logic - Rates:

  • Handling Multiple Container Types:

    • If a transport order includes more than one shipping container type (e.g., a 40' and a 20'), each shipping container must be enabled on the matched rate zone. The rate zone must cover each unique shipping container on the transport order; otherwise, it cannot be used.

  • Single Container Usage:

    • If the transport order has only one shipping container (e.g., a 40'), and the matched rate zone is applicable for multiple shipping containers (e.g., a 40' and a 20'), the rate zone can still be utilized.

  • Handling Mixed Units:

    • If the transport order includes one or more shipping containers but also other handling units (e.g., boxes, pallets), and no rates are found for shipping containers, the system is allowed to match rate zones with other handling unit types.

  • Rate Type Comparison:

    • For "By Unit" rate class, if the transport order has at least one shipping container, the system will disregard all other unit rates not based on shipping containers during the final "cheapest rate comparison." Other rate class types, such as by distance or weight, will still be matched and compared with the shipping container unit rate.

🚀 New features

Visibility on carrier booking status

The new feature aims to display the status received from carriers regarding bookings and alert users of any errors during the process.

  • To see, on TO grid, the booking status of shipments (via TransSmart own CT integration , CTI Nshift or direct connection with carriers)
    ​

  • To see the error feedback message when a booking with parcel shipment from external carriers or CTI integration occurs

  • To set a personal alert (UI and/or /email) in case the booking of my parcel shipment has an error.

How to register a Carrier Booking Status ?

  1. The carrier bookings status can be registered via 2 options:
    ​

    1. By the result of our CT direct integration with TransSmart, following below logic, if the call...

      1. returns with success (labels received), the field is changed to “Booked”

      2. returns with an error, the field is changed to “Error”

      3. is canceled, the field is changed to “Canceled”
        ​

    2. via our PARTNERS API (Transporeon HCSKB ), enabling to receive status from any external partner.

      1. Possibly status: “Booked”/”Error”/”Canceled”

How to see and filter a “Carrier Booking Status” ?

On Transport Order Grid, look for “Carrier Booking status” column and click on the arrow on the first line in order to open the filter options with all the available status

How to see the error details?

You can click the Error message on the Transpor Order Grid and you will be redirect to Transport Order details > History > All Events grid, then search for => “Carrier Booking Status - Error”

How to see the generated events for each Carrier Booking Status?

The events can be shown by the Carrier Booking Status column on Transport Order grid and they will be also shown on Transport Order details > History > All Events grid

How to receive personal alerts for each status?

You can configure it on your alerts by going to “My Account” > “My Alerts”, Transport.Order. Select the respective checkbox fields and if alert or email

  • Carrier Booking Status - Booked

  • Carrier Booking Status - Canceled

  • Carrier Booking Status - Error

How to enable/disable events for Carrier Booking Status?

You can enable/disable it via Control Tower Roles and check proper fields on the events section:

  • Carrier Booking Status - Booked

  • Carrier Booking Status - Canceled

  • Carrier Booking Status - Error

Routing setting "Fastest with traffic"

This new feature allows user to compute the route details (distance and drive time) based on live traffic data if available or the most relevant historical data.

How to use it?

Within the Settings > Routing settings dropdown menu, you may configure routing to be calculated based on the "Fastest with traffic" algorithm.

For every order matching the routing settings filter, the system will then compute drive time and distance according to your selection.

Opening hours in stop type settings

This new feature allows user to automatically calculate arrival and departure time of a transport at specific location taking into account the different initial delay or handling time that might be relevant whether the transport would arrive inside or outside opening hours.

How to use it?

Within the Settings > Stop type settings dropdown menu, you may configure initial delay and handling time parameters which depends on the opening hours of the selected location.

You cannot use the opening hours option unless you are filtering the setting based on a location.

You may set up opening hours stop type settings based on opening hours even though the location does not have yet defined opening hours. The system will display the below warning.

🌈 Feature improvements

Ocean - Change: All Events Shown In History

All ocean relevant events are moved in one History view. The formerly tab in History "Multimodal Bookings" is removed.

Order Type as Additional Filter for Surcharges & Rate Zones

Feature description

  1. Basics Tab Enhancement:

    • An "Order Type" filter has been added below the "Transport Mode" field on the Basics tab of the rates and surcharges configuration interface.

  2. MD Upload Excel File Update:

    • The MD (Masterdata) upload Excel file has been updated to include a new column for "Order Type." Administrators can now include order type information directly in the upload file for streamlined configuration.

  3. Rate Explorer Filter:

    • Order Type is now available as a filter option in the Rate Explorer. Administrators can easily refine their search and view rates and surcharges specific to a chosen order type.

Benefits

  • Configurational Precision:

    • Administrators can now fine-tune rates and surcharges by applying filters based on order types, ensuring more precise and targeted configurations.

  • Simplified Data Import:

    • The addition of the "Order Type" column in the MD upload file simplifies the process of importing and configuring large datasets.

  • Enhanced Exploration:

    • The Rate Explorer now offers an additional filter option, enabling administrators to swiftly explore and analyze rates and surcharges specific to chosen order types.

Step-by-step description

  • Go to Master Data

  • Cost Management

  • Select either Rate Zones or Surcharges

  • Select at "Order type" the corresponding order type to consider it for the cost calculation

AOR settings for Shipping Containers

In alignment with the existing functionalities for Material Orders, Transport Orders, and Ocean Bookings, users now can designate an Area of Responsibility (AOR) to control access to pertinent data. With the recent integration of Shipping Container features, we have further enhanced this capability, extending the option to establish AOR settings for these elements.

  • Shipping Container AOR allows an admin to configure an AOR for the shipping container entity based on the carrier and division. This AOR is exclusively for External Events. The grid view will not take into account this AOR, it will rely exclusively on the TO / MO / SO AOR respectively.

How to set an AOR for Shipping Container?

  • Go to Control Tower AOR

  • Select the AOR you would like to edit/add

  • Enable the Shipping Container checkbox

  • Add a new group

  • Add a division field

  • select your desired division

  • Add a carrier field

  • select type “Contain”

  • Multi-select carriers values

Schedule calculation improvements

Requested delivery earliest column in transport order data grid

In the transport order data grid, you may select to display the earliest requested delivery date of all material orders part of the transport order shown in the grid.

You must have the proper user role defined to see this new column. Activate in Admin > Rights management > Control tower roles dropdown menu, and search for the Columns > Transport orders section to select all fields that seem relevant to your role.

Material order settings schedule auto-complete

We fix some interface glitch when the user would update the material order settings for auto-complete schedule option.

Support master data excel upload for maximum delivery lead time & maximum distance

You may upload maximum delivery lead time and maximum distance as part of service level master data excel upload.

Material order workflow improvements

Block order activation if collection or delivery are poorly geocoded

Within the Settings > Material order settings dropdown menu, you may configure the criteria to allow activation to validate the geocoding quality of the used location for either collection or/and delivery. The material order will not activate unless it complies to the expected quality level of location.

Reset material order approval flow if settings are updated

Within the Settings > Material order settings dropdown menu, you may configure the approval flow for your material order. It will then require manual validation by a user of the order for the selected case.

When the order is modified and matched a different setting, the approval flow will then reset and restart to ensure compliance to the new order parameters.

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