Shipping Solutions Professional includes an Integration Utility that allows you to link the software with your company’s accounting, order-entry or ERP system. This powerful utility allows you to import an entire order or set of orders from your accounting system into Shipping Solutions Professional to be able to produce your export documents, file your SED information electronically through AES, and fulfill your export compliance requirements.

There are three primary advantages for using the Integration Utility:

1. Dramatically reduce the time it takes to complete your export documents. By importing an entire order into Shipping Solutions Professional, a company may import 50% to 75% of the data required to complete the various export forms. This is particularly valuable if you ship many products with each export.
2. Eliminate redundant databases. Because you are importing an entire order into Shipping Solutions Professional, you are typically importing all the contact and product information from your accounting system. This eliminates the need to import, store and update your contact and product information in the Shipping Solutions databases. (Since most accounting systems don’t allow you to store intermediate consignee and freight forwarder information, you may still find it advantageous to use those databases in Shipping Solutions Professional.)
3. Reduce data entry errors. Because you are importing data from your accounting system, you don’t need to retype important information. No retyping means no chance of typos.

In order to import your orders into Shipping Solutions Professional, you need to import two text files: the document header and the line item information. The document header file contains all the information that applies to your entire shipment including exporter, consignee and shipping information. The line item data includes information related to each separate line item of your order. Every order can have multiple line items.

After you've created your header and line item files from your ERP or accounting system, you need to complete a simple, one-time setup using the screen below.

Setting Up Shipping Solutions Professional’s Integration Utility

• Select Field Delimiter—Your first choice on the Integration Utility Setup Window is to select the type of delimiter that divides your data fields: comma, tab or pipe.
• First line of data contains field names—Check this box if the first line of your data files includes titles for each of your fields. If they do, these field names will be displayed to make it easy to map the data in your files with the Shipping Solutions Professional fields.
• Locate Header File—Click this button to display a Search window that will allow you to navigate through your computer to locate the header file of your shipment. (The header file will include all your order information not specifically related to your products.) Once you have located it, click on the file and then click on the Open button to select it.
• View File—Once you have selected your header file, you can click this button if you want to view the contents of the file.

The Integration Utility includes a screen to map the data fields in your
accounting system with the data fields in Shipping Solutions Professional.

• Field Mapping—Click on the Field Mapping button to open a mapping window that displays a table with three columns:
  • SS Pro Fields—This column lists the Shipping Solutions Professional fields that contain the header information for your order.
  • Your Fields—Use this column to select the appropriate data field in your header information file for the various Shipping Solutions Professional field. Clicking in one of these fields will bring up a drop-down menu from which you can select the field from your data file that should be imported into this particular field in Shipping Solutions Professional.
  • Linking Fields—Your first data field must be designated as the linking field so that the header information is tied to your line item information.
• Locate Details File—Now repeat the above steps with your line item data file to locate the data file and map the data with Shipping Solutions Professional. (The details file will include the information specifically related to the line items in your shipment.)
• Save—By clicking on the Save button, you are saving this integration setup so that every time you run the integration process, Shipping Solutions Professional will know where to go to retrieve the data and where to insert the data in Shipping Solutions. Click on the Cancel button to cancel the setup process without saving it.

(For a complete list of data fields for both the Header File and Line Item Detail File, go to the Integration File Structure page.

Run Integration Utility
Once you have set up the Integration Utility, you can now import your orders from your accounting, order-entry or ERP system by simply clicking the Run Integration Utility button. When completed, Shipping Solutions Professional will display a message stating "data loaded".

You can now go to the EZ Start screens to review and edit your data. Since most accounting, order-entry and ERP systems are designed for domestic orders and shipping, you will need to review each screen and enter in the remaining data such as intermediate consignees and forwarding agents; export license numbers and types (if required); and inland, ocean and/or air waybill information. However, in a typical setup, the import process will replace most of your manual data entry.

Automate the Integration Process
If you're looking for a way to automate the process of moving your order information out of your accounting or ERP system and into Shipping Solutions Professional, our Data Exchange Manager (DXM) will help you do exactly that.

The DXM contains an executable file that is called from a script or run manually from the command line on a MS Windows computer. When used with a script that your company creates to extract data from your accounting or ERP system, the DXM provides a flexible method to move data between systems. In addition, the DXM logs each transaction recording each successful operation and detailing any errors that occur.

Available for only $995, the DXM is the perfect way to help automate your export documentation and compliance process. Check out the Data Exchange Manager Online Instructions for more details of how the DXM works.

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