This chapter tells you how to set up the ability for consumers to track the shipping progress of packages that you are sending to them. Each package is scanned by the shipping carrier at various checkpoints on its journey, and information about the progress of the package is stored in the carrier's shipment tracking database.

Consumers access the shipment tracking function through the Check Shipment button, which appears when there is a shipment. When the consumer clicks the button it shows the shipments that are associated with the order. If the shipment has a Shipment Identification Number, the Track Shipment button appears. When the consumer clicks this button, information in the shipment tracking database is delivered to Siebel eSales using a specific, prebuilt Application Services Interface (ASI) named External Shipment Tracking. Some configuration is required to set up this integration.

Integration also uses the published interfaces called Shipment Tracking Interface Request and Shipment Tracking Interface Response. For information about how to extend this integration object, and for more information about how to set up, use, and modify integrations based on ASIs, see Integration Platform Technologies: Siebel eBusiness Application Integration Volume II.

The following terms are used when referring to shipment tracking:

• Shipment. A part of an order that is shipped using the same carrier and shipment method. For example, an order can consist of one air-freight shipment and one ground shipment that have the same destination address. A shipment is made up of one or more packages. More than one order can be included in a single shipment, and a single order can require more than one shipment. In other words, there is a many-to-many relationship between orders and shipments.
• Shipment Tracking Number. Also called Shipment Identification number or Waybill number. A unique identifier used to track a shipment through the delivery system.
• Package. A container for the parts of a shipment. For example, a computer shipment may have a package for the monitor and a package for the computer's CPU case.
• Package Tracking Number. A unique identifier used to track a package through the delivery system.
• Shipment Reference Number. A unique identifier that is defined by the seller and used to track shipments. This number can be used in conjunction with a package, a set of packages within one or more shipments, or all packages within a shipment.