1. Introduction
This chapter provides an overview of the document and introduces you to the ShipIT add-on for Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
1.1 About ShipIT
ShipIT is an add-on for Microsoft Dynamics NAV that offers 1 simple solution to deal with carriers worldwide. For your transport orders you can choose the carriers like DHL, UPS, FEDEX, TNT, PostNL, to name just a few. Each of them have their own interface, way of labelling, information and notification, and that is difficult to manage. That’s why idyn developed ShipIT, the easy way to manage your international transport orders from within your Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
Whether you work with just a sales order or the warehouse shipments, a single click takes you to ShipIT. Optionally you can select your preferred carrier or browse through the rates and delivery times. As soon as your transport order is ready, just click ‘Book & Print’ to have it shipped. The only thing you have todo is to put the label on the box. Track & trace links and status updates will automatically appear in Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
ShipIT is developed together with our partner Transsmart, the leading logistics data provider, and they focus on streamlining communications between carriers and ERP systems. Transsmart operates with hundreds of carrier interfaces, and provides idyn a seamless way to work within Microsoft Dynamics NAV. This makes switching between, or adding new carriers, very easy.
The functionality of the add-on includes the following key features:
- Carrier-connectivity with almost every carrier worldwide
- Select carrier depending on best rates and/delivery times
- Real-time connection through web services
- Label printing directly from within Microsoft Dynamics NAV
- Print on any printer within your organization
- Customized e-mail notifications
- Real-time status information of shipments
- Real-time track & trace information within Microsoft Dynamics NAV
- Freight audit services
- BI-reporting
- Extensive Service Level Agreements
- Offer pickup points depending on customer location
- Shipping rates based on shopping cart contents
- Track & Trace info directly available for customers
- Use track & trace and other shipment info in notifications
1.2 About the Document
This document is a user manual, with the guide to setting up the ShipIT add-on for Microsoft Dynamics NAV. It contains specific instructions on configuring the add-on. The guide also covers the installation procedure.
2. What's New in Version 4.0
Main Topics
- Use of API V2 instead of API V1.
Please note that API V1 is no longer supported.
2. Factbox with Transport Order information on all source documents.
3. Improved Carrier Select, to show possible/impossible Carrier/Service Level combinations, dates and prices.
4. Integration of manual and Online Help directly from the application.
5. Check on Item Type, so items of type SERVICE will nog be included in the Transport Order.
6. Better Error representation.
7. Debug mechanism added to the product, so it becomes possible to log all request/ response messages.
8. Filling of field Origin so Transsmart can see which NAV/SI version is responsible for creating a Transport Order.
9. Additional fields (Route ID, Driver ID) added to the Transport Order.
10. Access from Transport Order to the Transsmart Portal overview, not only the Shipment itself.
11. Improved handling of Transport Orders in case of errors, for example the ability to re-book an existing
Transport Order after fixing the mistake.
The Usual Housekeeping
- Implementation of all existing hot fixes from all SI3.X.X version
- Several small fixes (wrong or missing captions etc.)
Documentation
- New manual added to the product. Available from within the NAV add-on as well.
- You are looking at it right now! :) Feedback is welcome!
3. How to Upgrade to ShipIT V4
Upgrade the ShipIT NAV add-on from 3.00 to 4.00:
- Upgrade the application
- Update your Transsmart service URLs https://xyz.api.transwise.eu to https://acceptapi.transsmart.comor https://api.transsmart.com for the production environment.
- Enter your credentials
- Update Master Data via the menu – This fetches all (new) Master Data from Transsmart
- Check/update mapping of NAV data to new Transsmart Master Data.
Label printing
- De-install your current QZ print utility.
- Install the newest QZ tray version and Smart Print utility according to the following manual: https://support.transsmart.com/a/solutions/articles/3000088667
- Configure your printer paths and names in the MyTranssmart portal using your email and password credentials.
4. Installation and Setup
This chapter provides guidance on installation and setup of the ShipIT add-on.
4.1 Installation
Prior to starting the ShipIT setup in a Microsoft Dynamics NAV environment, a Transsmart account should be obtained in order to communicate with the Transsmart webservices for Transport order processing. More info at www.transsmart.com or through support@transsmart.com. Also, the ShipIT granules should be available in your Microsoft Dynamics NAV license.
4.1.1 Install Components
Copy the required ddl’s to the \Add-ins\TranssmartV2\ folder within the NAV service folder on the NAV service tier machine(s). If you run multiple service tiers, then have to repeat this task for all service tiers.
Figure 2-1: ShipIT and Transsmart Installation Components
These components are shipped together with the objects.
4.1.2 Import or Merge NAV Objects
Use the FOB file corresponding with your NAV target version and import or merge objects if applicable.
Figure 2-2: Identify NAV Target Version
Figure 2-3: Import or Merge NAV Objects
Recompile all objects and also all MenuSuite objects and restart the Dynamics NAV client.
4.2 Upgrading Earlier Versions
If you are upgrading an older version of ShipIT it is important to remove the old components first. Please find the following files in the NAV service folder, and delete them. You might find these files under: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics NAV\90\Service or C:\Program Files\Microsoft DynamicsNAV\100\Service.
4.3 Setup
Setup menu of the ShipIT add-on lists numerous sections allowing quite flexible application configuration possibilities both within Microsoft Dynamics NAV and with Transsmart. This chapter describes general ShipIT setup, the user setup, as well as how to setup mappings for the shipping agent, shipment method, currency, and country or region. This chapter also describes Transsmart specific settings used by ShipIT application.
4.3.1. Administration Setup
To access the Administration Setup, in Microsoft Dynamics NAV go to Departments > ShipIT >Setup. Setup menu lists the following items:
Figure 2-4: ShipIT Setup Menu Items
4.3.2 ShipIT User Setup
Choose ShipIT User Setup and enter all relevant Dynamics NAV users and their respective Transsmart credentials.
Figure 2-5: ShipIT User Setup
All users can have their own personal account or share the same Transsmart account company wide,depending on the variety of user specific printer settings.
4.3.3 ShipIT Setup
From Departments > ShipIT > Setup choose ShipIT Setup and fill in all necessary fields.
Figure 2-6: ShipIT Setup
The ShipIT Setup Fields Description table below lists all available fields, values options and description of use for the ShipIT Setup page.
Table 2-1: ShipIT Setup Fields Description
4.3.4 Update Transsmart Master Data
In ShipIT Setup start with entering the API Base URL (in this example a test URL)
Figure 2-7: ShipIT Setup General FastTab Transsmart URLs
Click Update Master Data to connect to Transsmart web services and download all available Transsmart master data:
Figure 2-8: ShipIT Setup Transsmart Master Data
In the example below, two available Carrier ID’s have been downloaded. In the next steps these ID’s need to be mapped to you Microsoft Dynamics NAV Shipping Agents, Shipment Methods,Currencies, and Country/Region codes. In ShipIT > Setup > Transsmart Master Data click Carriers.
Figure 2-9: ShipIT Setup Transsmart Master Data, Carriers
Select a line and click Carrier Profiles to view details on certain shipment methods available from this shipping agent and which methods are ‘mapped’ with your Dynamics NAV.
Figure 2-10: ShipIT Setup Transsmart Master Data, Carrier Profiles
Another example below demonstrates the list of Shipment Method*s, referred as *Incoterms, available from Transsmart:
Figure 2-11: ShipIT Setup Transsmart Master Data, Incoterms
Next step is to ‘map’ the downloaded codes to your Dynamics NAV codes.
4.3.5 Mapping Dynamics NAV Codes to Transsmart Codes
From Departments > ShipIT > Setup > Administration ‘map’ the codes downloaded from Transsmart to your Dynamics NAV codes following the example below. At least one Dynamics NAV code needs to be ‘mapped’ to a Transsmart code for all listed topics:
- Shipping Agent Mappings
- Shipment Method Mappings
- Currency Mappings
- Country/Region Mappings
4.3.6 Shipping Agent Service Mappings
Go to Shipping Agent Mappings and select a line:
Figure 2-12: ShipIT Setup, Shipping Agent Mappings
Click Shipping Agent Service Mappings , and enter the values describing Shipping Agent Service Code, Description and Transsmart code that will refer to your selection.
Figure 2-13: ShipIT Setup, Shipping Agent Service Mappings
In the example, the Dynamics NAVShipping Agent code DHL has been ‘mapped’ to Transsmart Carrier ID 5, with a service level 1DAY.
4.3.7 Verify the Setup
To verify ShipIT setup, go to Departments > ShipIT > Setup > ShipIT Setup. From the ShipIT Setup page click Verify Setup , and verify your setup using the Setup Verification Result page:
Figure 2-14: Verify ShipIT Setup, Result
Check if all necessary fields and tables have been configured correctly. Return to complete the mapping or data synchronization and re-run the setup verification again to ensure successful setup completion. Refer to the table in ShipIT Setup chapter to complete the setup of all other necessary values and settings to configure how ShipIT will behave in your Dynamics NAV application.
5. Running the Functionality
This chapter provides an overview of the ShipIT add-on functionality available within Microsoft Dynamics NAV and some common use cases.
5.1 Test Transport Order
After the setup of ShipIT add-on is complete, you can test your application and start creating Transport Orders. For example, go to Sales Orders, click New and create a normal Sales Order.
Figure 3-1: Using ShipIT, Creating Sales Order
Please make sure to select the values that are ‘mapped’ to Transsmart values in the fields Shipment Method, Shipping Agent and Agent Service, otherwise a Transport Order will not be created based on this Sales Order. After this, enter the Item lines on your Sales Order and click Create Transport Order on the Actions Tab in the ribbon. If a Transport Order has been created, you will see this dialog that allows you to go to the Transport Order immediately.
Figure 3-2: Using ShipIT, Notification on Successfully Created Transport Order
Click Yes and see the resulting Transport Order:
Figure 3-3: Using ShipIT, Resulting Transport Order
The Factbox with Transsmart details indicates codes that refer to the selected Shipping Agent, Shipment Method and Shipment Service. Please return to the posted Sales Order and note the Transport Order Details Factbox got populated with the available logistics information:
Figure 3-4: Using ShipIT, Transport Order Factbox on the Sales Order
The Transport Order is ready to be booked and printed!
5.2 Transport Orders
To open the Transport Orders list go to Departments > ShipIT > Order Processing > Lists and click Transport Orders:
Figure 3-5: Using ShipIT, Transport Orders List
The list of actions available for the Transport Orders is shown on the image below:
Figure 3-6: Using ShipIT, Transport Orders Actions List
Select any Transport Order line in the list and click View or Edit to open the Transport Order Card.
Figure 3-7: Using ShipIT, Transport Order Card, Actions List
The fields on the Transport Order card are self-explanatory. It is worth mentioning that the Additional References FastTab is not present in NAV database and is meant to provide a way to store useful information, for example Driver ID or Route ID. Transsmart is going to use some values in this field for more precise costs calculations and better logistics. The list of actions available on the Transport Order Card is very similar to Transport Orders List and is shown on the image below:
Figure 3-8: Using ShipIT, Transport Orders Actions List
In order to automatically calculate the possible and available Shipping Agent, Shipment Method and Shipment Service combinations, click Carrier Select in the ribbon.
Figure 3-9: Using ShipIT, Carrier Select List
The sufficient lines will be marked with green color while the failing combinations will be marked in red. Transport Order processing is supported by user-friendly error handling. If you forgot to add a Shipping Agent and tried to click Book, you can come back, fix the error and book the Transport Order again.
Figure 3-10: Using ShipIT, Booking Transport Order with Errors
In the example above the error clearly states that a Shipping Agent Code must have a value, and this streamlines a lot finding the reason of a failing processing. As there are no reports in Dynamics NAV containing ShipIT information, it is possible to create a list of reports per Transport Order using the add-on. To create the list of reports click Reports in the Transsmart tab on the ribbon.
These reports will be used (printed) at a specific moment during the handling of a Transport Order (for example before or after booking). The NAV partner and end customer should decide at which moment the reports will be printed. Also, they will need to make a decision about linking a default set of reports to a Transport Order automatically.
5.3 Transport Worksheet
Go to Departments > ShipIT > Order Processing > Tasks and click Transport Worksheet. Use the filter to get the source documents (for example by Shipping Agent), and create multipleT*ransport Orders* from the source document lines.
Figure 3-11: Using ShipIT, Transport Worksheet Processing
5.4 Archiving Transport Orders
It is sometimes necessary to archive a Transport Order, but not make an actual transport booking. With ShipIT it is possible to archive a Transport Order without doing a booking to Transsmart. To see the archived Transport Orders go to Departments > ShipIT > Order Processing > Archive and click Archived Transport Orders.
Figure 3-12: Using ShipIT, Archiving Transport Orders
Attached the ShipIT 4.0 document which is a user manual, with the guide to setting up the ShipIT add-on for Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
It contains specific instructions on configuring the add-on. The guide also covers the installation procedure.