The logistics process in your company defines the basic parameters and procedures necessary for the efficient operation of warehousing and distribution.With the specific settings of the logistics process, you determine, among other things, the following work steps:
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Warehouse bookings: It is determined if and when a warehouse booking takes place.
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Delivery notes: It is defined whether the delivery note is used for the retrieval process.
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Picking: The process can provide that the retrieval and provision of products for packaging (picking) takes place in a separate, upstream work step.
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Document printout: It is determined if, when and where invoices, delivery notes and shipping labels are printed within the logistics process.
The selection and configuration of the appropriate logistics process depends on several factors, including:
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Spatial expansion of the warehouse: The size and spatial distribution of the warehouse have a significant influence on the process design.
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Quantity of different products in the warehouse: The more different products in the warehouse, the more complex the logistics becomes.
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Quantity of shipments per day: A higher shipment volume requires more efficient processes and possibly higher automation.
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Average amount of products per shipment: This influences picking strategy and packaging processes.
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Type, size and weight of products: Special product features, such as pallet goods or products with many individual parts, require special handling processes.
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Number of employees: The number of employees available to handle the logistics process plays a decisive role in the process design.
Xentral offers you a variety of picking processes that you can flexibly combine with each other, ranging from simply completing a sales order without any further process step to complex picking and packing of goods using mobile user interfaces and devices, allowing employees to be assigned to specific packing stations and printers to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of logistics processes.
Note
Suitable for companies without warehousing, few shipments and few products per shipment.
The logistics process: Without warehouse booking, sales orders are only completed via batch processing. No warehouse booking is carried out here. The products are generally listed as always in stock. The shopping cart/ goods icon in the traffic light icon is always green, so all products can be shipped at any time. When the sales order is handed over to the auto-shipment, an invoice and a delivery note are created.
Process:
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Products are always in/ out of stock
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Sales order is completed
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Delivery note and invoice are generated (direct printing possible)
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Stocks are not updated
Tip
Practical tip:
This logistics process is particularly suitable for the following processes:
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The products are always in stock, e.g. own produced goods, which are always available. Or a non-physical product that does not generate stock (e.g. a download, software)
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There are some sales orders to be processed daily that are not to be processed manually (individually or by batch processing), but for a very small number of sales orders of this type, you can alternatively create or continue the invoice and delivery note manually.
Note
Suitable for companies with warehousing, few shipments and few products per shipment.
The logistics process simple warehouse booking without further process is almost identical to the logistics process without warehouse booking. However, the logistics process simple warehouse booking without further process takes stock into account. So the following applies: The logistics process simple warehouse booking without further process completes sales orders by batch processing. A warehouse booking is carried out here. The products are kept in the warehouse. The shopping cart/ goods icon in the traffic light icon is always green as soon as all products for this sales order are in stock. If products are missing or reserved for other sales orders, the light for the stock product remains orange. When the sales order is transferred to auto-ship, an invoice and a delivery note are created.
Process:
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Products are kept with stock
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Sales order is completed
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Delivery note and invoice are generated (direct printing possible)
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Stocks are updated accordingly
Tip
Practical tip:
This logistics process is particularly suitable for the following processes:
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The products are usually in stock and the assortment is very small. For example, the assortment consists of only a single product. Picking from storage locations is not applicable here. Likewise, processing via a packing table is not necessary.
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There are some sales orders that need to be processed every day, which are not to be processed manually (individually or by batch processing). For a very small number of sales orders of this type, you can alternatively create or continue the invoice and the delivery note manually. Important: If no logistics process is used, you will need to log the shipped products out of the warehouse via the delivery note (outsource delivery note) or manually, as there is no warehouse booking in this case.
Note
Suitable for companies with warehousing, few shipments and many products per shipment.
The logistics process simple warehouse booking + scan in the dispatch center keeps the products in the warehouse with inventory (traffic light iconshopping cart/ goods) and book them in the batch processing via the dispatch transfer by a warehouse deduction. Here, the delivery note and invoice are created. The products are picked autonomously by the logistics officer (i.e. there is no output of a pick list or the imprint of the storage location from which picking is carried out on the delivery note. The goods are known or no picking process is necessary, since the assortment is small or known to the logistics officers).
In this logistics process, packing is carried out at the packing table: at the packing table, the dispatch center in Xentral is called up. The packer sees a list of today's sales orders to be packed in front of him and can select one of these sales orders for processing. From this moment on, the sales order is blocked for further personnel at the packing table. The view of the ordered products of this customer sales order opens. These are scanned individually with a hand scanner, for example, or alternatively confirmed with a click/touch. The last confirmed product triggers the printing of the documents (delivery note and invoice). At the same time, one switches directly to the parcel stamp dialog and can print the shipping label with an enter command. The feedback of the tracking number to the customer is done when scanning the tracking number on the shipping label just printed. This scan also triggers the status feedback to an online shop.
Process:
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Products are kept with stock
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Sales order is completed
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Delivery note and invoice are generated and automatically printed if set accordingly
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Stocks are updated accordingly
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The products are scanned individually during packaging (single position scanning at the packing table)
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The tracking number of the shipping label is scanned, a tracking email is sent to the customer
Tip
Practical tip:
This logistics process is particularly suitable for the following processes:
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The products are to be retrieved from the warehouse
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There are many sales orders to be processed every day, which should not be clicked on individually (batch processing)
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The assortment is manageable / known to the employees, so you can work without a pick list
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A check of the picked products should take place at the packing table (scan of the products)
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Or: A scan is necessary as it concerns products with batches or serial numbers that must be printed on the delivery note and assigned to the customer
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The shipping label should be printed automatically without login to an external interface
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Feedback to the customer via a shipping confirmation is required / desired
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Feedback to an online platform (shop) is required
Note
Suitable for companies with warehousing, many shipments and many products per shipment. Processing takes place by shipment.
The logistics process delivery note with storage location + automatic stock retrieval keeps the products in the warehouse with stock (traffic light icon shopping cart/ goods) and posts them off in batch processing via the shipping transfer by a stock deduction.
The products are picked based on the delivery note, and the storage location from which the products are to be removed is also listed on the delivery note.
In this logistics process, packing is carried out at the packing table. However, there is no scanning of the individual products. The dispatch center in Xentral is called up at the packing table. The packer sees a list of today's sales orders to be packed here and can select one of these sales orders for processing. From this moment on, the sales order is blocked for additional personnel at the packing table.
Switching to the parcel stamp dialog takes place immediately after clicking in a sales order. At the same time, the invoice and delivery note are printed. The shipping label is printed with an enter command. The tracking number is reported back to the customer when the tracking number is scanned on the shipping label that has just been printed. This scan also triggers the status report to an online store.
Process:
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Products are kept with stock
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Sales order is completed
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Delivery note and invoice are generated, invoices can be printed on another printer if desired
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Delivery note with printed storage location is automatically printed
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Stocks are updated accordingly
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The delivery note is scanned, then the shipping label is automatically printed
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The tracking number of the shipping label is scanned, a tracking email is sent to the customer
Tip
Practical tip:
This logistics process is particularly suitable for the following processes:
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The products are to be booked out of the warehouse
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There are many sales orders to be processed every day that should not be processed manually individually or by batch processing
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The range is not manageable. It should be picked with the delivery note
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Checking the products at the packing table by a scan is not desired or necessary
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The shipping label should be printed automatically without login to an external interface
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Feedback to the customer via shipping confirmation is required or desired
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Feedback to an online platform (shop) is required
Logistics process delivery note with storage location + automatic stock retrieval + scanning in the dispatch center
Note
Suitable for companies with warehousing, many shipments and many products per shipment. Processing by shipment, products must be scanned individually when packing
The logistics process delivery note with storage location + Automatic stock retrieval + Scanning in the dispatch center manages the products in the warehouse with stock (traffic light icon shopping cart/ goods) and posts them off by batch processing via the dispatch transfer through a warehouse deduction, creating delivery note and invoice.
The products are picked based on the delivery note, and the storage location from which the products are to be removed is listed on the delivery note.
In this logistics process, packing is also carried out at the packing table. At the packing table, the dispatch center in Xentral is called up. The packer sees a list of today's sales orders to be packed in front of him and can select one of these sales orders for processing. From this moment on, the sales order is blocked for further personnel at the packing table. The view of the ordered products of this customer sales order opens. These are scanned individually with a hand scanner, for example, or alternatively confirmed with a click/touch. The last confirmed product triggers the printing of the documents (delivery note and invoice). At the same time, one switches directly to the parcel stamp dialog and can print the shipping label with an enter command. The feedback of the tracking number to the customer is done when scanning the tracking number (via the shipping label just printed). This scan also triggers the status feedback to an online shop.
Process:
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Products are kept with stock
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Sales order is completed
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Delivery note and invoice are generated, invoices can be printed on another printer if desired
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Delivery note with printed storage location is automatically printed
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Stocks are updated accordingly
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The delivery note is scanned, then the shipping label is automatically printed
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The products are scanned individually during packaging
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The tracking number of the shipping label is scanned, a tracking email is sent to the customer
Tip
Practical tip:
This logistics process is particularly suitable for the following processes:
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The products are to be retrieved from the warehouse
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There are many sales orders to be processed every day that should not be processed manually individually or by batch processing
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The assortment is not manageable. It should be picked with the delivery note.
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A check of the picked products should take place at the packing table (scan of the products)
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Or: a scan is required, as these are products with batches or serial numbers that must be printed on the delivery note and assigned to the customer
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The shipping label should be printed automatically without login to an external interface.
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Feedback to the customer via a shipping confirmation is required or desired
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Feedback to an online platform (shop) is required.
Note
Suitable for companies with warehousing, many shipments and few products per shipment.
The logistics process logistics center (2-step picking) maintains the products in the warehouse with stock (traffic light icon shopping cart/ goods) and posts them off in batch processing via the dispatch transfer through a warehouse deduction.
Products are picked using a digital pick list. This pick list contains all sales orders that have been handed over to the auto-shipment. Within this pick list, sales orders are sorted in ascending sales order by storage location. For example, picking can be done in one pass within a room using a picking trolley.
Practical tip: At the packing table, the goods are additionally scanned per sales order. This picking process is suitable if the goods are known or the assortment contains different products, so that the right product (all products have been picked into one cart) can be immediately reached. If this is not the case, this picking process or other picking processes can be extended using the multi-order picking module. Here, the products are picked according to the delivery note, but the products of several sales orders are nevertheless collected simultaneously on one cart (e.g. in visible storage boxes).
In this logistics process, packing is also carried out at the packing table. The dispatch center in Xentral is called up at the packing table. The packer sees a list of today's sales orders to be packed here and can select one of these sales orders for processing. From this moment on, the sales order is blocked for further personnel at the packing table. The view of the ordered products of this customer sales order opens. These are scanned individually with a hand scanner, for example, or alternatively confirmed with a click/touch. The last confirmed product triggers the printing of the documents (delivery note and invoice). At the same time, you switch directly to the parcel stamp dialog and can print the shipping label with an enter command. The tracking number is reported back to the customer when scanning the tracking number (via the shipping label just printed). This scan also triggers the status feedback to an online store.
Process:
2-step process: separation of retrieval and packaging/ shipping:
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Provision of products for all shipments (without shipment assignment)
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Packaging and franking of individual shipments
Level 1 (collective processing):
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Sales order is completed
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Stocks are updated gradually during retrieval
Level 2 (processing by shipment):
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The products of a shipment are scanned individually during packaging
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With appropriate setting, delivery note and invoice are automatically printed
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The shipping label is automatically printed
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Shipping label tracking number is scanned, tracking email to customer
Tip
Practical tip:
This logistics process is particularly suitable for the following processes:
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The products are to be retrieved from the warehouse
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There are many sales orders to be processed every day that should not be processed manually individually or by batch processing
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The range is relatively manageable - the products are known to the sales order picker and packer
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It is to be picked with a digital pick list (list of all products to be picked today with display of the storage location and ascending sorting by shelf).
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A check of the picked products at the packing table should take place (scan of the products)
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Or: a scan is required, as these are products with batches or serial numbers that must be printed on the delivery note and assigned to the customer
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The shipping label should be printed automatically without login to an external interface
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Feedback to the customer via a shipping confirmation is required or desired
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Feedback to an online platform (shop) is required
The logistics processes described above (also called picking procedures) are available for shipping goods in Xentral.You select the desired logistics process in the module Projects > Open specific project > Tab: Settings > Tab: Logistics / shipping for each individual project.
Using the options in the quick selection picking procedures area, you can set up a logistics process with the most common default settings.
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One-stage: individual picking with parcel label
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Two-stage: Picklist with dispatch center
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Two-stage: multi-order picking with a dispatch center
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Fulfiller or external producer
The logistics process is preselected and saved with the appropriate settings.
Note
Alternatively, you can select your process in the shipping process and picking area and adjust the settings individually.
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Picking Process |
The following picking processes are available:
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Hide storage location on delivery note |
For staging procedures with the keyword delivery note with storage location, the storage locations of the products are displayed by default in the position table of the delivery note. This option eliminates the display of the storage location. For all other staging procedures, the storage location is never displayed on the delivery note.
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Group picking runs according to delivery notes |
This option modifies the behavior for a picking run with multiple delivery notes. If this option is enabled, the table in the selected picking run is split between the different delivery notes. Therefore, if there are delivery notes with the same product, this product is split into individual lines and not displayed cumulatively in one line. |
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Picking run with multi-order picking |
Important
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Sorting picking slip |
Type of sorting of the respective storage locations. The first drawn storage location of each position is decisive for the sorting. There is no splitting of the individual positions.
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Deactivate auto-shipping as standard |
The auto-shipping enabled setting is disabled by default for jobs in this project. |
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Document printer level 1 (picking) |
Select a printer from the drop-down list to assign it to this module. The assignment is for level 1 of picking, i.e. for the picking process. For example, you can select the printer where you want the shipping documents with storage location to be printed as a batch.This printer can be located directly in your warehouse. |
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Document printer level 2 (shipping) |
Select a printer from the drop-down list to assign it to this module. The assignment is for level 2 of picking, i.e. for the shipping process at the packing station. For example, you can select the printer where you want the invoice or a second copy to be printed for self-collection or export shipments. This printer can be assigned to a packing table. If you want to use multiple packing tables side by side, you can set the printer configuration per packing table in your Xentral user account. |
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Delivery note position: labels |
Enable this option to print labels for delivery note positions. |
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Delivery note position: label printer |
Select the printer for which labels for delivery note positions are to be printed. This option is only relevant if you have enabled the previous option delivery note positions: Labels. |
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Delivery note position: label type |
Select a label to use for printing labels for delivery note positions. |
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Delivery note position: Label sorting |
Type of sorting of the respective labels:
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Invoice |
Select the number of copies for the invoice: 0 means no invoice, 1 means an invoice, and you can also specify whether the invoice will be printed or emailed.
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Additional printout for export orders |
Printout of additional documents if the document is on the tax status ‘Export’. ‘0’ means no additional copy, ‘1’ means an additional copy.
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Picking slip |
Choose whether you want to print a staging slip: ‘0’ means no staging slip, ‘1’ means a staging slip.
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Pick list |
Choose whether you want to print a pick list: ‘0’ means no pick list, ‘1’ means a pick list.
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Only generate the invoice in the shipping process |
The invoice for a sales order is not created (generated from the sales order) until you process it under ‘Warehouse > Dispatch Center’. This is useful, for example, if you want to attach the invoice to the package instead of sending it separately. Warning
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Print delivery note |
Choose whether you want to print a delivery note. Entering 0 means no delivery note, 1 means a delivery note.
Note
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PDF attachment |
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Print sales order |
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Print shipping label |
Important
For example, you can use this function if you process 1-piece sales orders whose packaging is already included in the product packaging and you need to stick the shipping label. A risk of confusion of the product recipients is excluded, as you only send identical products with quantity ‘1 pcs.’ |
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Shipping confirmation / tracking |
Send your customer a shipping confirmation including tracking number as an email.You can find the email template in the Business Letter Templates module. |
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Invoice |
Select the number of copies for the invoice. Entering 0 means no invoice, 1 means an invoice. You can also specify whether the invoice will be printed or emailed. |
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Additional printout for export orders |
Printout of additional documents if the document has the tax status Export. The input 0 does not mean an additional copy, 1 means an additional copy. For example, you can process a sales order with tax status export through a logistics process, in which case an additional copy will be printed for an invoice with tax status export if you chose option 1. |
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Auto. Proforma invoice for export |
Choose whether you want to print a pro forma invoice if the document has the tax status Export. Entering 0 means no pro forma invoice, 1 means a pro forma invoice. For example, you can process a sales order with tax status export through a logistics process, in which case a pro forma invoice with tax status export will print an additional copy if you chose option 1. |
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Delivery note |
Choose whether you want to print a delivery note. Entering 0 means no delivery note, 1 means a delivery note. You can also send the delivery note by email. In the case of the self-collect shipping method, a double printing is initiated when the delivery document is first printed. |
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PDF attachment |
Printout of a PDF attachment in the document. Optionally sent by email. |
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Automatically print shipping label |
In combination with a shipping process with scanning in the dispatch center, the shipping label and its tracking number are automatically confirmed after scanning a delivery note or product under ‘Warehouse > Dispatch Center’, so the employee no longer has to confirm the creation of the shipping label with Enter during shipping. |
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Double bill for self-collectors and cash |
For sales orders with cash and self-collection method of payment, a second invoice copy is created in the dispatch center and printed out. |
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Capture printing by tracking number |
In conjunction with the Create invoice only in the shipping process option enabled in the Level 1 (Pick/ Order Picking) area, the tracking numbers are printed on the invoice as soon as the shipping label is scanned. |
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Auto reservation in warehouse |
Auto-reservation in the warehouse (for all already approved sales orders): Reserves the goods for all already approved sales orders for this project ascending by date.The reservation is made automatically when clicking ‘Calculate Auto-Shipping’, but can also be made manually per sales order.
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Project warehouse |
For sales orders and delivery notes in this project, products may only be retrieved from the warehouse that has been uniquely assigned to the project. The traffic light icon will thus remain red if there is not a sufficient quantity of products in the sales order on the project warehouse. Similarly, sales orders from other projects may not access the warehouse (bidirectional relationship). Note: The ‘Preferred warehouse’ field may not be filled if this setting is enabled. Important
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Preferred warehouse |
Sales orders and delivery notes in this project are retrieved from this warehouse. If there is insufficient stock on the Preferred Warehouse, the location light turns red. Other projects may also retrieve from this warehouse (unidirectional relationship). Note: This option stings the project warehouse hooks above it.
Note
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Preferred warehouse for productions |
Productions in this project are outsourced from this warehouse. If there is insufficient stock on the Preferred Warehouse, the location light turns red. Other projects may also outsource from this warehouse (unidirectional relationship). Note: This option stings the Project Warehouse setting. Note
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Shipping center 2 steps |
Splitting the steps at the packing table between two people/users:
Once all products have been scanned in the dispatch center, the user is not redirected to the shipping label dialog, but back to the overview in the dispatch center. The next user who accesses the job ends up directly in the shipping label printing. |
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Shipping center product name from master data |
In the dispatch center, the product name is displayed from the master data of Xentral, even if the product name is different on the documents (order confirmation, invoice) or in the online shop. |
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Show storage location in dispatch center |
The storage location from which the product is removed is displayed in the dispatch center. |
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Dispatch center no automatic forwarding for franking |
After successfully scanning all products in the shipping center, no automatic redirection to the parcel brand dialog will occur; instead, the user must click a button to get there. |
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Disable automatic batch retrieval |
Batches are not automatically retrieved, but must be retrieved manually in the dispatch center or, for example, via the Transmissions module. |
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Disable automatic best before date retrieval |
BBDs are not automatically outsourced, but must be outsourced manually in the dispatch center or, for example, via the Transmissions module. |
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Disable automatic retrieval of serial numbers |
Serial numbers are not automatically outsourced, but must be outsourced manually in the dispatch center or, for example, via the Transfers module. Note: The Serial Numbers tab in the delivery note is only displayed if this option is enabled. Note
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Make all batches / best-before dates searchable |
If this option is enabled, the product scan will display all batches & BBDs from the product in the dispatch center. If this option is disabled, only the batch/BBD that has been retrieved for the shipping process will be displayed in the dispatch center. |
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Automatically adopt best before date / batch if clear |
If an product's batch/BBD is unique when scanned at the dispatch center because there is only a single batch/BBD of the product on the selected storage location, then that batch/BBD is inserted directly and the next scan is loaded. |
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Always automatically preselect the best before date / batch |
The preselection is carried out according to the FIFO procedure. |
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Allow EAN scanning |
When scanning a product in the dispatch center, the EAN may be scanned instead of the product number. Note
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EAN, manufacturer or product no. limit to project |
If product number is scanned, allow other numbers (within the project) as well. Product on other projects are not scannable. |
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Allow scanning of external shop numbers |
When scanning a product in the dispatch center, the foreign number of the product may also be scanned from the shop instead of the product number. |
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Postage check |
Postage check traffic light in the sales order will only turn green if postage is available as a product. Postage check will turn the traffic light in the sales order to orange by default if: Tip
Note: If almost all sales orders are created by hand and generally no postage is charged, it is recommended to turn off the postage check. If most sales orders are imported via an online platform (the postage is calculated automatically via the shop, for example, and handed over to Xentral in the sales order), the postage check only applies to the few sales orders that are created manually. |
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Cash on delivery Check |
Cash on delivery check traffic light in the sales order will only turn green once two postage products are included in the order.The second postage product reflects the cash on delivery fee. |
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Follow-up confirmation |
Send regular follow-up confirmation by e-mail to the customer if goods could not yet be shipped. |
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Self-collection mail |
If a sales order is scanned using the self-collection shipping method at the dispatch center, the customer will automatically receive a collection reminder by email. |
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Number of days difference in delivery |
Number of days between the desired delivery date and the date delivery warehouse to be set in the sales order by default. |
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Automatically create pro forma invoice when exporting |
A pro forma invoice is automatically created for sales orders with taxation ‘export’. |
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Sales order check installed |
A customized function can be entered here (only possible as programming). |
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Bills of materials expanded automatically |
Just-in-Time BOMs explode in the job. Valid for the 1st level. In the product master data, the Just-in-Time BOM must be marked with this property: Resolve / explode in the job. If sub-BOMs are also to be resolved, this must be defined in the system settings. |
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Delete customer approval |
After the sales order has been completed, the customer release in the customer's address master data is deleted. |
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Only take over stock items |
When a sales order is continued into a delivery note, only the stock products are adopted into the delivery note. |
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Online shop project |
If a sales order is imported from an online shop that contains a product of this project, the sales order will also be booked to this project, for which the Multiproject Shop option must be enabled in the online shop settings.
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Production: Display storage locations according to FIFO |
In production, the available storage locations are displayed in order according to the FIFO principle (First In First Out). |
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Production: Each work instruction on a separate page |
In the work instructions PDF of a production, each individual work instruction is printed on its own page. |
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Fast production: Activate automatic release of orders |
When a production is completed, the associated sales order is completed. |
If a project is not just a sales channel within your organization, but has its own stationery and domain, for example, you can choose an email address that differs from your company standard.
Note
This setting may require IT administration or support from a partner.
If the default is sufficient for you (a head office and a suitable e-mail address in the central settings, e.g. versand@xxxx.de), you should not choose this setting to avoid unnecessary system complexity.
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Selection of an email account for sending the logistics documents. |
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Name |
Optional: Name of the sender of the email. |
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Signature |
Here you can specify different address data, e.g. if you use a different branch for a project. |
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Greeting formula |
If you have not defined a standard greeting formula or would like to output individual information only for one project, you can adjust this here. |
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HTML template |
HTML template for email view. This setting overrides global system settings. Note: You can preview the HTML code on the internet by searching for “HTML Online Editor” and using one of the websites. |