Creating an Express Delivery Company 

Use

You can create an express delivery company in order to:

●     Print labels with specific data for shipping using express delivery companies

●     Use EDI to communicate with the express delivery company on a daily basis about packages delivered

●     Be able to track packages you send along their route to the customer

Prerequisites

There are two possible options available for connecting individual express delivery companies to your SAP system.

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       1.      The company provides an XML server.

You can use the XML server to load the data required for the Express Delivery Company Cockpit (Customizing data, master data, and documentation relevant for creating the necessary labels) into the SAP system. You require the SAP Business Connector or an RFC connection.

       2.      The company does not support direct Customizing via electronic means.

In this case, you must enter Customizing data manually, and load master data into the SAP system as required using a report. As a basis, you need the company’s exact specifications for creating the labels, and for electronic data transfer.

In both cases, you should contact the company in good time and ask for current information with regards to the SAP Express Delivery Company (XSI) Cockpit, or ask for support when you implement the interface (including an official acceptance of the labels and/or EDI communication).

Procedure

Automatic Customizing By Reading Data from the Express Delivery Company’s Server

To create an express delivery company in connection with automatic Customizing, proceed as follows:

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       1.      Choose Logistics ® Logistics Execution ® Master Data ® Partner ® Service Agent ® Maintain Express Delivery Company.

The Express Delivery Company (XSI) Cockpit appears. Use this cockpit to carry out all functions related to parcel tracking and express delivery companies.

       2.      Choose Express delivery company ® Create express delivery company and enter an ID for the express delivery company.

       3.      In the RFC Destination field, enter the destination for the SAP Business Connector.

       4.      Go to the Data Provider tab page and in the Target URL for Business Connector field, enter the URL provided by the express delivery company for connecting to their XML server.

       5.      Choose Express delivery company ® Non-SAP System in order to be able to load data from the external system, in other words the company’s XML server.

       6.      Choose Express delivery company ® Load all master data.

The system takes all existing master data from this small parcel carrier and copies it into your SAP system. This process may take a few minutes.

You might need to make some manual entries that the express delivery company should ideally also describe in detail in a URL.

       7.      Activate the express delivery company on the Exp. dlv. cmpny control tab page and save the entries.

       8.      Assigning service agents

                            a.      From the Express Delivery Company (XSI) Cockpit, choose Goto ® Assign svc. agnt to express delivery co.

                            b.      Make a new entry for the service agent for each export ID (for domestic and foreign countries). In other words, you assign a creditor to the express delivery company. If this creditor is assigned later, for example, to a delivery document as a partner of type forwarding agent, then when the delivery document is saved this activates the special functions of the Express Delivery Company Cockpit.

                            c.      Save your entries. The service agent is assigned to an express delivery company.

       9.      Assigning shipping points

                            a.       From the Express Delivery Company (XSI) Cockpit, choose Goto ® Express delivery company and meta data.

                            b.      On the right-hand side of the screen, select the express delivery company of your choice and then choose Shipping point: active on the left-hand side of the screen.

                            c.      Make a new entry on the Shipping point: active screen for each shipping point that is to be valid for this express delivery company.

If you want to make an express delivery company active for all shipping points, choose Activate for all shipping points on the Exp. dlv. cmpny control tab page.

Manual Customizing Based On Express Delivery Company (Label) Specifications

To create an express delivery company in connection with manual Customizing, proceed as follows:

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       1.      Choose Logistics ® Logistics Execution ® Master Data ® Partner ® Service Agent ® Maintain Express Delivery Company.

The Express Delivery Company (XSI) Cockpit appears. Use this cockpit to carry out all functions related to parcel tracking and express delivery companies.

       2.      Choose Express delivery company ® Create express delivery company and enter an ID for the express delivery company.

       3.      Choose the Metadata tab page and Edit meta data to enter placeholders that are required for the relevant express delivery company.

       4.      The placeholders you define here, and the value determination for each of the placeholders (fixed value, aggregation of other placeholders, number range, standard function module, or your own function module), is different for each express delivery company, and is dependent on the company’s requirements with regards to label printing and electronic communication. The service agent might be able to provide you with information to help you maintain these data fields.

In order for express delivery processing to function correctly, it is important that when you enter metadata, for each service agent you enter at least one value in the Qualifier field that creates a direct database reference. This means that in order to avoid errors, there must be at least one placeholder with qualifier TRACKN, SHIPACCT, XSISRVC, ROUTECODE, or PRDCD.

You must also make Customizing settings when you select the Valid for Document Category (see the field help for the relevant objects).

       5.      Once you have maintained the data fields, activate the express delivery company on the Exp. dlv. cmpny control tab and save the entries.

       6.      Assigning service agents

                            a.      From the Express Delivery Company (XSI) Cockpit, choose Goto ® Assign svc. agnt to express delivery co.

                            b.      Make a new entry for the service agent for each export ID (for domestic and foreign countries). In other words, you assign a creditor to the express delivery company. If this creditor is assigned later, for example, to a delivery document as a partner of type forwarding agent, then when the delivery document is saved this activates the special functions of the Express Delivery Company Cockpit.

                            c.      Save your entries. The service agent is assigned to an express delivery company.

       7.      Assigning shipping points

                            a.      From the Express Delivery Company (XSI) Cockpit, choose Goto à Express delivery company and meta data.

                            b.      On the right-hand side of the screen, select the express delivery company of your choice and then choose Shipping point: active on the left-hand side of the screen.

                            c.      Make a new entry on the Shipping point: active screen for each shipping point that is to be valid for this express delivery company.

If you want to make an express delivery company active for all shipping points, choose Activate for all shipping points on the Exp. dlv. cmpny control tab page.

Example

Determining Service Codes

A service code is an express delivery company-specific code that is printed on the label so that the express delivery company can deliver the parcel by the requested time. An example of a service code would be: tomorrow before 8:00, or day after tomorrow before 10:00. You can derive the service code, for example, from the following parameters:

●     Special processing

●     Delivery priority

●     Shipping conditions

●     Route

To specify which of the above criteria the service code is to be derived from, proceed as follows:

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       1.      From the Express Delivery Company (XSI) Cockpit, choose Goto ® Express delivery company and meta data.

A list of all meta data appears for each service agent.

       2.      Choose New Entries. The maintenance screen for metadata appears. For example, define a new data field with the name Servicecd.

       3.      Enter one of the following function modules in the Function module field in the Determine data section of the Details screen:

○     XSI_GET_SERVICE_CD_SDABW to derive service codes from special processing

○     XSI_GET_SERVICE_CD_LPRIO to derive service codes from delivery priority

○     XSI_GET_SERVICE_CD_VSBED to derive service codes from shipping conditions

○     XSI_GET_SERVICE_CD_ROUTE to derive service codes from routes

       4.      In Valid for Document Category, the entries are dependent on the process you require. For example, if you want to perform determination for Servicecd for handling units that were created at delivery level, enter X in the Sales Document Type field, and J in the Document Type of Superior Object field.

       5.      Enter XSISRVC in the Qualifier and Print Field fields. This ensures that the value, determined by the function module you previously selected, is also saved to the database (here table VTRKH), and that the print program can access this value at a later point using the print structure VTRK_D2.

Setting Up Number Ranges

One part of the tracking number is normally a counter from a fixed number range. For this counter, you should create a separate metadata object whose value you can determine by using the Number Range option in Customizing for the metadata.

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       1.      On the detail screen for maintaining metadata object TRACKNCOUN, enter a number range object (TRACK for a non-rolling interval or TRACKN for a rolling interval, for example) and a number range interval in the Value Determination – Number Range area.

You can choose any name you wish for the metadata object TRACKNCOUN. However, we recommend that you use the value Trackncoun at least for the qualifier and print field, since this value is already entered in database table VTRKH.

       2.      You will find all metadata that need number ranges on the Number Range in the Express Delivery Company (XSI) Cockpit tab page. This tab page also contains a function you can use to set up number ranges for this functionality.

If the express delivery company supports this function, there is also a function that you can use to request a new number range from the express delivery company.

If the express delivery company works with more than one number range, for example, dependent on the service selected, then you must write your own function module for determining the value for this placeholder. This function module then provides the numbers from the relevant number ranges on the basis of the conditions required.