Pacejet will soon be releasing improved shipping integration for the NetSuite WMS module (formerly known as Ebiz); today's post provides details on what's coming in this exciting new solution option. If you are not familiar with NetSuite WMS, think of it as an "expansion pack" for larger / higher-volume distribution operations with more sophisticated pick-pack-ship features and mobile scanning.
For users who bump up to NetSuite WMS, Pacejet's multi-carrier shipping system integration adds support for LTL carriers, use of 3PL's, expanded parcel, international paperwork, freight quoting, rate-shopping, automatic printing, silent/no-ui shipping, and other features in one cloud solution without multiple on-premise software systems.
SHIPPING AS AN INTEGRATED PART OF THE WAREHOUSE:
The next Pacejet for NetSuite Bundle (v6.0) incorporates NetSuite WMS support (formerly Ebiz) into the standard Pacejet Built for NetSuite (BFN) software release. One key benefit of integrating NetSuite WMS support into the standard Pacejet BFN bundle is that users can leverage other Pacejet features such as Freight Quoting or Rate Shopping alongside enhanced shipping execution. Another advantage of this structure is that Pacejet can issue improvements, bug fixes, and new features more frequently and make them easily available and compatible with the broader set of NetSuite and Pacejet features. When users activate NetSuite WMS shipping support in the Pacejet BFN bundle, the configuration is altered as follows:
- Ship Manifest and Open Task Records = These enhanced WMS records become the source of shipping details such as from/to addresses and item contents in shipments instead of Item Fulfillments.
- Packing in WMS = Package details including dimensions and weight captured in WMS will flow automatically to Pacejet and out to carriers, although Pacejet features like scale integration remain available if users need them.
- Multi-Carrier Shipping System = The full range of carriers in the Pacejet network are available to WMS users, so users can activate support for any LTL, 3PL, and expanded parcel carriers and services needed for their business.
- Carrier Data Capture = As carrier shipping transactions are executed in Pacejet details like tracking numbers and freight price are captured into Shipment Manifest records.
- Freight Terms and Billing = Industry standard Freight Terms are provided on Sales Orders via the Pacejet tab to bill freight as Prepaid, Prepaid and Charge, Third Party, Collect, Bill Consignee, etc...
- Multiple Carrier Accounts = The Pacejet tab on customers includes enhanced records for multiple third party carrier accounts (e.g. UPS, FedEx, etc...) which can be recorded and automatically used during the shipping process.
- Commodity and LTL Data = Users who want automated handling of export HST, NAFTA and other commodity data or automated management of LTL freight class details can use the commodity feature on the Pacejet tab for items.
UNIQUE FEATURES TO CONSIDER:
As you consider expanding your configuration to use NetSuite WMS, here a few unique value-add features to consider using with enhanced Pacejet shipping tools:
- Freight Quoting = Although not directly related to WMS operations, Pacejet freight quoting for sales orders, sales quotes, and purchases orders is another value-add feature that NetSuite WMS users can leverage to reduce their overall cost of shipping.
- Automatic Printing = Fully automated printing of carrier labels, bill of lading, export paperwork, custom labels, packing lists, and other documents is available using the standard Pacejet Print Connector feature for thermal and laser printers.
- Coordination for Multiple Packages = Pacejet will read and update the Package ID and Toal Packages fields to monitor the creation of multiple packages in NetSuite WMS and make orders available to ship only when all packages have been created.
- Automatic Shipping with No UI = If NetSuite WMS is configured to set CustomField3 to a value of "A" and set the System field to a workstation ID, Pacejet will automatically transact with carriers, print documents/labels, and update ship manifest records without user involvement (only when all packages are ready).
- Automatic Staging = The NetSuite WMS CustomField3 is used with Pacejet automatic staging to manage data handling while minimizing the load and governance restrictions in NetSuite. Ship Manifest records staged for shipping are marked with an "I" as part of this process.
- Asynchronous Updates = The recently released "Async ERP Update" feature is available with NetSuite WMS to increase overall throughput. In this setup, NetSuite update transactions are activated and processed in the background as users continue scanning and shipping the next order.
WHEN, WHERE, HOW:
Please let us know if you're interested in early piloting and implementation fo NetSuite WMS and we'll do our best to include you in the process. Both the Pacejet 15.4 release and the Pacejet NetSuite BFN bundle 6.0 release are officially scheduled for Q4 of 2015, but we're currently expecting these updates to be available in late September (although only quarter-level release dates are commitments, not monthly estimates). Stay tuned to the blog for final delivery notes and details.
LEARN MORE:
See freight quoting demo video if you're just getting started:
