The following master data tables are available for small parcel carriers:

• Service codes
• URLs
• Weight codes
• Product codes
• Routing information
• Parcel tracking status

You can make all necessary settings and establish communications with small parcel carriers by using the small parcel carrier cockpit. XML-enabled Remote Function Call (RFC) interfaces are defined for some master data.

The shipper account number is the sender's account number with the small parcel carrier. You can store this number in the SAP System in one of the following ways:

• Define an external account number in the small parcel carrier cockpit. This number is automatically included as identification every time an RFC is carried out.
• Define an external account number with the vendor for each company code. If a delivery is made up of orders from various company codes, the number cannot be uniquely defined.

• If the shipper account number is always the same, use the XSI_GET_SHIPPER_ACCOUNT_DEF function module.
• If the shipper account number is different for one shipping point, maintain the standard value for the Shipper account number data field in Shipping point: meta data.
• You can change the shipper account number manually in the delivery, provided you have flagged the field as able to be changed manually.

The service code specifies when the goods are to arrive at the customer's place of business (same day or next day, for example).

• Route

The product code is similar to the service code. Some small parcel carriers differentiate between service and product codes. There are no predefined function modules for product code determination.

You can record routing information regardless of postal code, postal code area or location. You can upload routing information from the small parcel carrier via an XML-enabled Remote Function Call (RFC) interface from the small parcel carrier cockpit.

The parcel tracking number uniquely identifies a parcel or delivery and its shipper account number.

The following two procedures are normally used to create parcel tracking numbers:

• Unique number originating from number range assignment by the small parcel carrier There is a number range interface available for this purpose.
• Unique number resulting from incorporation with the shipper account number

Some small parcel carriers also store other information such as product code or service code in the parcel tracking number.

The last digit is normally a check digit. Some of the major small parcel carriers program some check digit procedures into function module XSI_CHECK_DIGIT_nn. Since most procedures follow the same formula (digit weighting +/- value of modulo n), it is relatively simple to copy an existing routine and make the appropriate changes if you do not find another procedure that meets your needs.

You can also specify sequence numbers by way of an internal number range.

You can use variable substitution to create parcel tracking numbers when you are dealing with compound parcel tracking numbers (UPS tracking numbers, FedEx Astra codes or German Post Identcode, for example).

You still have the option of copying the tracking number (or any other data field) from an external server such as FedEx OnSite Server, for example.

You can store the following URLs in the system for each small parcel carrier:

• URL for the small parcel carrier's documentation (editing meta data, for example)
• Target URL for the SAP Business Connector
• Sample URL for the small parcel carrier's parcel tracking page

You can define as many data fields as you like.