ISTech Support Forum

ISTech Support Forum
http://www.istechforum.com/YaBB.pl
Evo-ERP and DBA Classic >> Program Offerings >> UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
http://www.istechforum.com/YaBB.pl?num=1112736832

Message started by JNAPIER on 04/05/05 at 13:33:52

Title: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by JNAPIER on 04/05/05 at 13:33:52

We use UPS and Fed-Ex a ton. We use V-Technologies Star-Ship for processing them. I have set-up the generic Btreive interface for DBA. It works great but to set it up to write the freight and tracking # back to the sales order it requires a real time ADE protocol set-up. See the link

[/url] http://vtechnologies.com/Docs/ADE_Spec.pdf[/url]

Maybe if their is enough interest with other DBAERS we could find a cool way to implement this?

John

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by wildco on 04/11/05 at 06:53:32

Both UPS and Fedex software have built-in capabilities to link to the DBA database. Currently, we just use it to type in our sales order number and populate the address fields, but the system can write back and stick the tracking number in the SO notes.

The only issue we ran into with UPS was that the address line 2 field name has a space in it which the UPS software cannot deal with. It also does not work well for international addresses as the countries are not selected from a drop-down menu in DBA.

This has saved us many $$$ in not having to retype all those addresses.

Just a suggestion.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Mike_Habich on 04/11/05 at 07:20:11

Would you...or someone...be kind enough to give detail of how to do this?

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by wildco on 04/12/05 at 05:13:44

What I did was call UPS and Fedex and set up appointments with their system integrators. The integrators came out and actually did the work. We had to set up a DSN? on the host machine for pervasive. Then, you can use the integrating programs built into world ship and ship manager to get at the DBA database via the file.ddf file (same one used for Crystal).

You then just have to know the correct filename (I believe it is BKARINV, and the ship-to fields in that file), reference them appropriately, and its off to the races. We chose to bring in the data by Sales Order Number, but any identifier could be used (P/S #, Inv #, etc).

All in all, it was relatively painless and works quite well. We have not yet tried to write the tracking number back to the SO notes. This is because I don't know the file/field for the first note line in the SO. It would also require training in our office to prevent order entry from using that field ever when entering an order.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by David Waldmann on 04/20/05 at 08:01:57

UPS is offering a free "Webinar" on integration of UOWS. Go to http://upspreferred.webex.com to sign up (I think you have to be a "UPS Preferred Customer").

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by wildco on 08/15/05 at 11:00:05

One small request: we cannot fully integrate our UPS system with DBA due to the naming conventions of the shipping address fields in the BKARINV.B files.

The way I understand it, lines 2 and 3 of the address have a space in them (something like BKARINV.SHPAD 2 instead of BKARINV.SHPAD2). It this something easy to change (to remove the space) or would it be a major undertaking?

If we could fully integrate DBA with UPS, I think it would help many people here.

If this is a big deal, the work around is obviously to put the entire address in the first address line ;D

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by JNAPIER on 08/15/05 at 11:11:47

We have both UPS and Fed-Ex ODBC mapped and works great. We use Address line 1 for the attention or M/F field. Address 2 and 3 for the actual address. No problems what so ever. Fortunatly when we started with DBA this is the way we imported all of the addresses. 8)

John

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by wildco on 08/18/05 at 10:55:07

Are you doing an import based upon sales order # (or some other #) or did you just bring in the addresses into the address book.

I am very interested in getting this fixed if possible to prevent errors.

Thank you for your help!

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Lenette on 08/18/05 at 11:00:06

Previously, I attend the Webinar offerred by UPS. Now I am ready to start on this project and I have contacted my UPS Rep.

Is this a LIVE link or will it be export/import??

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Tim Keating on 08/18/05 at 19:10:01

It could be either but there is no reason not to do an ODBC connection to the sales order data which will give you a direct lookup.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Lenette on 08/19/05 at 06:30:39

Thanks... i just wanted to make sure that it was LIVE info.... otherwise there would be no point for our business to change procedures.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Tim Keating on 08/19/05 at 07:40:41

It's live to the extent that it picks up the ship-to address from the sales order. If you change the customer's address in AR-A after issuing the sales order the change won't be picked up in UPS/FedEx.

It's proven to be a big time saver for us as well as eliminating input errors and has also elimited the issue of unsynchronized databases between DBA and UPS computer.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by wildco on 08/22/05 at 10:28:01

Tim,

Are you able to import data from all address lines on the sales order? I can only get the first address line (and I would love to get them all, it would save some mistakes :D)

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Tim Keating on 08/22/05 at 12:24:25

Maybe its my ignorance, but I believe I've linked to all three address field without a problem. I either don't understand or can't duplicate the problem discussed above.

I linked as follows (DBA :: UPS):

BKAR_INV_SHPA1 :: Street Address

BKAR_INV_SHPA2_1 :: Room/Floor/Address 2

BKAR_INV_SHPA2_2 :: Department/Address 3

We don't issue too many sales orders with data in the second and third lines, but I did create a dummy order with data on those lines and it pulled into UPS.

Maybe there's a problem we haven't uncovered yet, I don't know.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Lenette on 08/22/05 at 13:26:12

Tim,

did you have to do any "prep-work" to dba before you started the automation?? Such as, address format (like w/ the USPS people). What happens if UPS doesn't like the info pulled in from DBA? Does it write back any corrections for the next time?

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Tim Keating on 08/22/05 at 14:17:11

Lenette:

1. UPS is not real sensitive about address formatting but, since its a good idea anyway, we did some grooming to USPS standards. (I could write a book with some of the junk we cleaned up.)

e.g. in a Phone Number Field: 209-523-5555 ASK FOR MIKE

2. Since you are just mapping text fields there really isn't anything that wont pass into the UPS database. Since DBA isn't big on input masks, you really need some procedures and training for those doing data entry.

3. Setting up a write-back routine is probably possible but I'm not sure if would be preferable. If we find an error, we write it on a copy of the sales order and send it back to sales for correction.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Lenette on 08/23/05 at 06:27:37

Tim, I could add chapters to you book as well ;D Thanks for all the input.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by wildco on 08/24/05 at 12:30:04

Tim, thanks for the information.

Somehow, we cannot even connect our BKAR.INV.SHPA( 2) and BKAR.INV.SHPA( 3) to the UPS system because of the blank space. Since you have been able to connect, I believe that I must have set up the DSN or ODBC incorrectly. I will look into it.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Lenette on 08/26/05 at 11:33:57

Tim,
I met w/ my UPS Rep this morning and she is forwarding our info to the Integration Dept. of UPS. After our conversation, I thought of a few more questions. Could you tell me how your company handles the following (assuming that BKARINV is the linking table):

SHIPVIA field is limited to only allows for 15 charactors.
There is not a phone # field. Do you use a shipping line?
Freight Collect & 3rd Party Billing.
Do you link the City & State or can the Zipcode populate them?

I'm sure all have more questions as time goes by... because I am really excited about the automation.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Lenette on 08/26/05 at 12:34:11

Tim... I know the answer to the SHIPVIA question. Lenette

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Tim Keating on 08/26/05 at 14:25:30

I'll see what I can contribute;

1. The phone number is not stored in the BKARINV file. To import this would require a link to the BKARCUST file. My UPS tech did not feel that this link was possible because the join field had to be the same as the lookup field (BKAR_INV_SONUM in our case) and, of course, this field does not exist in BKARCUST. I wasn't sure that he was correct and thought there should be a way to link BKARINV and BKARCUST using the BKAR_INV_CUSCODE field.

So we can't bring in phone, fax, email or other fields requiring a link. Maybe your UPS people will figure it out.

2. We bring in City, State and ZIP separately but they are validated by UPS.

3. We have plans to pick up Ship VIA and Freight Terms in the future but it presents a little challenge. UPS has discreet Ship Via terms :

Next Day Air
2nd Day Air
Ground
...

But, in DBA, you can type anything in this field. You can't pick from a list or use an input mask as far as I know without customization.

So we plan to standardize our Ship Via/Terms codes to something that can be passed into UPS via a lookup table:

UPSGRDCOL = UPS Ground Collect
UPSREDPPD = UPS Next Day Air Prepaid
FEDEXPTPB = Fedex Express Third Party Billing
YELSTDPPA = Yellow Freight Standard Prepay and Add
...

It's just tough because we have so many combinations and DBA doesn't have a seperate field for Freight Payment Terms.

Also, we're at the whim of the data entry person to type the code accurately.

Although it's not perfect, the address import has been a big time saver.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Lenette on 08/26/05 at 19:51:41

Tim, thanks for the info. I totally forgot to ask about the email reference so I'm glad you mentioned it. I will let you know how it goes with my UPS tech.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Lenette on 09/11/05 at 14:55:39

Friday we automated DBA w/ UPS. Of course, this was only a partial automation since DBA does not have a place for several UPS prompts.

What is the possible of ISTS expanding DBA to allow for:

A place for freight payment terms (prepaid, freight collect, third party, etc.)?
If it's third party, a place for that customer's info. (I know this might be a stretch, but even if it allowed for a CUSTCODE then the shipper could go from there.)
A place for UPS account number?
A place for Ship to phone #, fax # and/or email address? (We do a lot of drop ships or shipments where the bill to or the ship to is not the person receiving the confirmation).
A place to indicate if it's a residential address?

I'm sure I'm not the only one wanting this... but I would be willing to throw a few $$ in the pot to get this towards the top of the list.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Lenette on 09/12/05 at 11:55:23

In addition to my last post....

I think this extra info could be via a button on the SO screen... use it if you want... don't if not. As it's really not important to appear on the SO printout but is valuable internally. ;D

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by bwesson on 01/31/06 at 15:10:27

For UPS, we're having nothing but success using the add-on from Addsum accounting. See the website at http://www.addsuminc.com/index.html?ups.htm

We are on the January, 2006 update of EVO.

Title: Re: UPS and FedEx Shipping Automation
Post by Teresa_Shirley on 02/27/06 at 14:54:57

We are looking into purchasing the Addsum software to link our UPS info to DBA. Does anyone use this software to link with FedEx? Please let me know any other info you have regarding this software.

Thanks.

Teresa Shirley
CheckSum LLC