Executing Shipments

Once a shipment is executed, it can no longer be planned with different orders or be acted on by the bulk planner. Execute a shipment to indicate that it is ready to move freight. Some shipments are executed automatically while others must be executed manually. Set shipments to execute manually when you want to review them prior to transport.

How you create shipments affects how they are executed. For example, shipments you create using the bulk planner in the Process Manager are executed automatically, while those you create in the Shipment Manager are executed based on settings in the Agent Manager. Also, you can define transportation modes to affect shipment execution. The settings you select in the Power Data, Workflow Parameters topic influence which shipments are automatically executed.

After the shipment is executed, the system attempts to secure resources for transporting the freight. Secure resources by tendering the shipment to a service provider or by creating a pickup notification.

Note: Executed shipments have a shipment status type and value of REVIEWED_EXECUTE.

Workflow Parameters

Use the Workflow Parameters Power Data topic to define the criteria for executing shipments by domain based on transportation mode. The parameters Plan or Execute and Percent Full affect shipment execution. Both parameters must indicate that the shipment executes automatically before the system can execute the shipment; otherwise, you must execute the shipment manually. The parameter Prepare to Arrange Transport determines whether the system attempts to tender an executed shipment.

The Percent Full parameter reduces your total number of shipments by not creating under utilized shipments (e.g., two truck load shipments with equipment that is 8% loaded). Shipments that have not been executed can be re-planned closer to the capacity of the equipment group.

Creating Manual Shipments

Shipments that you create in the Shipment Manager are executed based on the Settings for Shipment as Work in the agent manager.

Bulk Planning

Shipments created as the result of bulk planning are automatically executed. Bulk planning can be done using the Process Manager, or the Build Shipments page.

The bulk planner attempts to plan groups of orders at the same time to produce the most efficient shipping. When you run a bulk planning process, shipments that are not executed are unassigned and the system attempts to re-plan them. For example, two shipments that have not been executed and are both 45% full may be combined, creating one shipment that is 90% full.

Integration

Orders that you receive through integration can be set up to execute automatically or manually. Execute orders automatically when you want them acted on as soon as they are received.