Configuring and Using Rate Preferences

Rate Preferences allows you to configure which rates should be used for a specific lane or rate zone profile. This page describes how you:

• Activate rate preferences
• Define preferred rates
• Query for preferred rates
• Build shipments with preferred rates

Configuration

To be able to use Rate Preferences, you first need to activate it and then define your preferred rates.

1. Navigate to Shipment Management > Power Data > General > Parameter Sets.
2. Enter your Domain Name if you want this to be for the entire domain.
3. Click Search.
4. Select the set to edit.
5. Click Edit (or new if it does not exist).
6. Under Bulk Plan, select Use Rate Preferences.
7. Enter a new value.
8. Click Save.
9. Click Finished.
10. Navigate to Contract and Rate Management > Contract Management > Rate Preference.
11. Enter an ID and a Name for your Rate Preference.
12. Select either a Lane ID or a Rate Zone Profile. Oracle Transportation Management determines in what geographic region the Rate Preference is valid based on this input.
13. Define a window of time for when the Rate Preference is active using the Effective Date and the Expiration Date text boxes.
14. In the Rate Offering section, enter a Rate Offering as part of your Rate Preference.
15. Enter your search criteria to find the appropriate rates.
16. Click Search and Oracle Transportation Management displays the result of your search.
17. Mark the option button next to the rate that you want to include and click Finish.

    Note: You can only select one rate at a time.

18. Click Save.
19. Repeat until you have saved all your preferred Rate Offerings.
20. Click Finished.

Build Shipments Using Rate Preferences

With Rate Preferences activated and defined, Oracle Transportation Management builds shipments with a different set of rates than otherwise.

1. Navigate to Order Management > Order Release > Order Release.
2. Enter your query.
3. Click Search.
4. Select an order release.
5. Select Build Buy Shipment, Build Buy Multi-stop Shipment, Bulk Plan Order (Buy), or Create Buy Shipment Show Itineraries.

For each transport mode you have defined Rate Preferences for, Oracle Transportation Management looks at rates in your Rate Preferences. For the remaining transport modes, Oracle Transportation Management looks at all valid rates. Oracle Transportation Management then builds the shipment using the cheapest rate within these two groups of rates.

Assign a Preferred Service Provider to a Shipment

The action Select Preferred Service Provider only displays rates if you have activated Rate Preferences.

1. Navigate to Shipment Management > Shipment Management > Buy Shipment.
2. Enter your query.
3. Click Search.
4. Select a shipment.
5. Click Actions > Change Service Provider. In the sub-actions, select Change Service Provider.
6. On the Service Provider page, select the Show Preferred Only check box.

For each transport mode you have defined Rate Preferences for, Oracle Transportation Management displays rates from your Rate Preferences. For the remaining transport modes, Oracle Transportation Management displays all valid rates. This allows you to assign a preferred service provider to a previously built shipment.

Assign Least Cost Service Provider Using Rate Preferences

With Rate Preferences activated and defined, the Least Cost Service Provider action considers a different set of rates than otherwise.

1. Navigate to Shipment Management > Shipment Management > Buy Shipment.
2. Enter your query.
3. Click Search.
4. Mark a shipment.
5. Select Least Cost Service Provider.

For each transport mode you have defined Rate Preferences for, Least Cost Service Provider looks at rates in your Rate Preferences. For the remaining transport modes, Least Cost Service Provider looks at all valid rates. Among these two groups of rates Least Cost Service Provider picks the cheapest service provider.

Rate Inquiry

You can consider Rate Preferences when you inquire for rates.

1. Navigate to Contract and Rate Management > Ask Oracle > Rate Inquiry or Ask Oracle > Rate Inquiry.
2. Enter your query.
3. Mark the check box Show Preferred Rates Only.

For each transport mode you have defined Rate Preferences for, Oracle Transportation Management displays only rates in your Rate Preferences. For the remaining transport modes, Oracle Transportation Management displays all valid rates.