Automate and Optimize the Rating, Routing, Consolidation, Manifesting, and Tracking

The Descartes Advanced Pick, Pack and Ship™ solution automates and optimizes the rating, routing, consolidation, manifesting, tracking and post shipment analysis for all your carriers.  The core capabilities of this module include:

Automated Freight Rating

  • Industry-leading, multi-carrier compliance engine to route small package carriers
  • Truckload (TL), Less than Truckload (LTL), and fleet; incorporates a variety of different rating methodologies with uniform execution
  • Compliant with all major North American carriers
  • Service level selection based on transit time routing and/or arrival date
  • Density and cube rating
  • Order/multi-piece level routing and rating
  • Rule-based shipment consolidation logic
  • Buy/sell (alternate) shipment rating
  • Multi-class rating (LTL/TL)
  • Real-time order consolidation with shipper alerts
  • Specific Point Location Code (SPLC) rating—key function specific to Descartes – ensures a match between the Ship-To address and Carrier’s city list of service points
  • Dynamic rating capabilities ensure that shipments are rated progressively from parcel shipments through to LTL loads based on incremental parameters such as number of pieces, pieces and weight, cube, class and pallet levels
  • Build independent shipping loads within one carrier
  • Supports private insurance and self insurance
  • Zone skipping and drop shipping rating
  • Rule-driven handling charge
  • Fuel surcharge management
  • Precise terminal rules are applied for all LTL carriers to ensure 100% audit caliber rating accuracy

Shipping Labels and Documentation

  • Compliant shipping labels and manifesting documents
  • Full export control from three sources
    • host download
    • system default information, and
    • prompts for shipper to complete any missing information – generates all required documentation based on country and carrier
  • HAZMAT/Dangerous Goods documentation
  • VICS Bills of Lading (BOL)
  • One End-of-Day, Master Bill of Lading (MBOL) for all orders to a destination
  • Automated barcode processing capability
  • Email notification provides proactive, self-service package tracking functions
  • Customer segment support for extended label lengths (data and formula driven)
  • Extensive reporting capabilities

Automated Execution of Shipping Process

  • Processing speed (6x to 10x faster than traditional systems)
  • Ad hoc shipping ‘on-the-fly’
  • Advanced pack and hold and release functionality
  • Future ship enables the user to prepare shipments in advance of the actual ship date
  • Routing / carrier changes with automatic void
  • Automatic allocation of freight costs by GL code
  • ‘Piece at a time’ processing and labeling
  • Weight checking by line with tolerance level
  • Flexible rules to apply freight charges to consolidated orders
  • Maximum freight cost allowance per order

The modular design of the Descartes Advanced Pick, Pack and Ship means that it can be configured to support supply chain management, order planning, RF picking, pack verification, returns management, transportation management system (TMS) and warehouse management functions.

 

Knowledge Center Articles  

Transportation Management System (TMS): The ‘Secret Sauce’ 

Most users primarily rely on a TMS to cut their freight costs. But there are other benefits. For example, a TMS reporting and analytics module can identify if the lowest-cost carrier is actually delivering on time all the time. If not, the shipper is wasting time, money and resources putting out fires, thus negating any rate savings. Less employee time spent on transportation management means more time spent on other issues such as inventory control.

7 Keys to Drop-Shipping Success

Retailers and distributors are turning to drop shipping (sending goods directly from the supplier to the customer) to increase the number of products they offer...