This article will cover the most common use case of nShift ApportConnect.
Sections in this article:
Integration with TMS
When configuring the user (read more), you specify a watching path, instructing nShift ApportConnect to monitor that directory for incoming integration files.
If this is the first time you are specifying the watching path, five folders will be created in that directory. Ensure the program has both read and write permissions for the specified path. The watching path is unique and cannot be set up for multiple users.
Note! nShift ApportConnect will detect any file placed in this folder. Make sure the folder is free of unwanted files before nShift ApportConnect begins using it.
Upon discovering a new file in this folder, nShift ApportConnect sends the file to TMS using the domain, username, and password of the user monitoring the directory. The file is then validated, and if successful, one or more consignments are created from its contents.
If the file is invalid, Apport returns one or more errors, telling you what is wrong.
After an integration file has been processed, it appears under the History > Integration section, where you can view the file's status and the created consignments. The file is moved and renamed with a date stamp and can be found in the p_success or p_error directory, depending on its status.
You can easily view the file by clicking the View file button. To see consignment details, click View consignment, and to reprint selected consignments, click Re-print Selected.
Automatic printing
Automatic printing is found under Settings > Manage users > File watcher.
You can opt to automatically print consignments created during integration with TMS. The documents will be retrieved from the consignments created from the integration file. The label (and waybill, if applicable) will be printed using the printer(s) configured for the user performing the integration.
If this option is not selected, you can choose to print the documents at any time from the History > Integration tab.
Response file
If your integration with TMS has enabled the use of a response file, it will be saved in the folder called p_responses. This file usually contains information about the consignments created, validation errors, prices, and other data.
If you are unsure if you have this option enabled or would like to know how it works, please contact nShift TMS Customer Service.
Multi User /Redirecting documents
The settings for allowing Multi user are found under Settings > Manage users > File watcher.
nShift ApportConnect is designed with the vision of having different users set up with their own printers. These users have their own watching paths and will send files found in their respective folders, while printing with their own printers.
If you do not have the ability to output files into different folders/watch paths for various nShift ApportConnect users, there is a way to "redirect" or change the owner of consignments and documents to another nShift ApportConnect user. This feature is called Multi User.
The Multi User feature works by entering additional details into your integration file (the one to be sent to TMS). To enable this feature, set up the users you want to use (for instance, two warehouse users) and be sure to remember their nShift ApportConnect aliases. The integration user has been set up with a watching path, and Allow 'Multi User' is checked. This will be the only user with a watching path and the Multi User feature enabled. All other users do not need this.
Next, you need to add a custom reference in your integration file. The name/type of the reference is printr_user_alias and the value is a nShift ApportConnect alias.
If you are using standard XML to integrate, it could look like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<ConsignmentList>
<Consignment orderNo="9925" automaticBooking="Y" templateName="Bring">
...
<Reference type="printr_user_alias">
<reference>WAREHOUSE1</reference>
</Reference
</Consignment>
</ConsignmentList>
When this file is sent to TMS by the user with a watching path, the consignment will be created (provided all necessary information is present). As soon as the response is returned to nShift ApportConnect, the file/consignment will change ownership to the user specified in the reference (e.g., "WAREHOUSE1" from the picture above). If the provided nShift ApportConnect alias does not exist, a message will be logged, and the ownership will remain with the original user who sent the file. If no reference is provided while Multi User is enabled, the ownership remains unchanged.
After the response is returned and the ownership has changed, the integration history item will belong to the new user. If automatic printing is enabled for the new user, documents will be fetched and printed automatically using the new user's printers.
Example workflow:
Configuration:
- Two nShift ApportConnect users are set up: DemoUser and WAREHOUSE1.
-
DemoUser has a watching path specified and has enabled the Multi User feature, but does not have any printers.
- User WAREHOUSE1 has enabled automatic printing and has some printers set up.
Workflow:
- An integration file containing the reference type=“printr_user_alias” with the value=”WAREHOUSE1” is put in DemoUsers's watching path.
- The file is sent to TMS using DemoUser’s integration credentials.
- The consignment is created and a response is returned to nShift ApportConnect.
- nShift ApportConnect changes the owner of the integration job to user WAREHOUSE1
- User WAREHOUSE1 makes a document request (because the user has “Automatic Print” enabled), with the user's own integration credentials. (In the above example, both DemoUser and WAREHOUSE1 uses the same integration credentials to integrate.)
- The returned documents are printed on WAREHOUSE1’s printers