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Shipping Setup

Merchandise

Centralized Order Entry

Publication

Miscellaneous Product

Default Shipping Product

Shipping Product

Shipping products in NetForum enable you to designate shipping rates and regions that you can apply to other products in your inventory that you sell. For example, you might apply a flat rate or a percentage rate based upon the order for shipping charges or you might deliver only to the eastern United States for one product. However, before you can set-up and apply these shipping products and rates you must first make sure you have the shipping carriers set-up that you are going to use for your merchandise inventory such as UPS or FedEx. For more information on designating your shipping carriers, see the section on Inventory Setup and Shipping.

The five standard Group Item Links (Add, Find, List, Run Query, Query Central), are available in the Shipping Product group item.

Adding a Shipping Product

Once you have added the carriers you will use through Inventory Setup, you are ready to enter a shipping product to NetForum so that rates and regions can be applied to the merchandise you sell. Note that fields in bold in NetForum are required fields. You will not be able to save or apply your shipping product until these fields are complete.

To add a new shipping product to NetForum , follow these steps:

  1. Select the Inventory tab.
  2. On the Group Item Overflow Menu, click Shipping Product.
  3. Select Add Shipping from the drop-down menu. The Add Shipping page displays.
  4. Product Code: Your product code is often based on a combination of business unit and carrier so that it is easy to remember.
  5. Carrier: This field is required and contains a drop-down of the shipping carriers you designated during Inventory Setup such as UPS, FedEx, or the USPS.
  6. Service: This field is also required and is often used as a product name for shipping products such as in the example above; OLB FedEx Shipping.
  7. Region: This drop-down will contain the shipping regions this product will ship-to. It is set-up in Inventory Setup as well along with your carriers. You do not have to specify a region if this will not be restricted.
  8. Description: This field contains more descriptive information about your shipping product if needed.
  9. Price/Rate: This field enables you to enter a flat rate that you wish to charge for shipping. It is required.
  10. Percentage: Use this field if you want to base your shipping charges on a percentage of your merchandise total. Note that if you have both a price and a percentage entered for a shipping product, the percentage rate will override the price/rate you have entered.
  11. Start / End Date: You can use start and end dates to designate how long this shipping charge will be in effect. For example, you may want to advertise discounted shipping for a particular product but only for a specified period of time.
  12. Min / Max Weight: You can specify and minimum and maximum weight that shipping charges should apply to. If a product exceeds (or does not meet) the amounts specified in these fields, the shipping rates will not be able to be applied to the product.
You also need to specify account information for your shipping products in the G/L Information section of the Add Shipping page. However, if you have not used the Accounting module to setup your General Ledger accounts first, you will be unable to complete this section.
  1. Business Unit: Specify which business unit or entity will use this shipping product. This drop-down will already be populated. You will only need to change it if you use more than one entity for your organization and you want to change this.
  2. Project: This drop-down can be used for organizations who track time and projects.
  3. A/R Account: Drop-down used to designate your accounts receivable account.
  4. Revenue Account: Drop-down used to designate your revenue account.
  5. Liability Account: Drop-down used to designate your liability account.
  6. Return Account: Drop-down used to designate your returns account.
  7. Write-Off: Drop-down used to designate your write-off account.

Once all required fields have been entered, click the Save button to enter the new shipping product into NetForum .

Finding a Shipping Product

Finding shipping products that have been entered into the NetForum database is easily accomplished. The Find function is universal throughout NetForum and detailed on the Find topic.

Finding shipping products within the Inventory module follows the same format and function. You may search by the following:

  • Carrier (A drop-down of all current shipping carriers you have previously set-up will appear)
  • Product Name
  • Product Code
  • Description

The Advanced View checkbox allows you to conduct boolean searches to broaden and narrow your search as needed.

Managing Shipping Product Records

Navigating to the Shipping Product Profile

The Shipping Product Profile is displayed once you have entered a new shipping product into the NetForum application. If you want to navigate to and view a specific profile page:

  • Click on the Inventory module from the Module Menu drop-down.
  • On the Group Item Overflow Menu, click Shipping Product. You can then choose to List Shipping or click on Shipping Product to Find a Shipping product.

Depending upon which shipping product you choose, its Shipping Profile page will display.

Shipping Profile

The Shipping Profile displays the product code, business unit, carrier, and service name. It also specifies a sell order if specified when editing your profile.

You are able to specify different rates per shipping product and carrier if you desire. For example, you might create a base shipping product called "OLB FedEx Shipping" as in the example above and then use the Info Tab and its corresponding child form shipping rates to set a ground rate, air rate, and so forth for this particular carrier.

This is discussed in more detail below.

Info Tab

Shipping Rates Child Form

The Info tab on the Shipping Profile contains one child form; the shipping rates child form.

This child form is most often used to designate different rates or regions for one carrier. Note by the screenshot below that after you first enter your shipping product the child form has the first rate you entered and a description taken from the service name you entered. For example, our sample uses a flat rate of $10.00 and the carrier name is OLB FedEx Shipping.

You first step will be to decide how many methods of delivery you will need for this carrier (ground, air, priority, etc.) and then the rate and region (if applicable) for each method. You may modify the first line item - OLB FedEx Shipping - by clicking the Edit Record or Pencil.gif button which brings up the Edit Shipping dialogue box as illustrated below.

Notice that the display name has been changed to 'ground' - the first delivery method - and that the flat rate of $10.00 (the original price) has been kept.

Your next step will then be to add as many additional methods as you need using the Add Record or button. Your final shipping rate child form will then look similar to the screenshot below.

Additional Information

Using the InternationalShippingPremium system option to add a premium to shipping charges if address is an international address