Xentral offers different ways of defining your logistics process. This guide gives you an introduction and overview of the possibilities. You can find in-depth information in the Related articles section and the following videos:

Goal

After completing the steps from this article you will learn how to use Xentral to streamline your fulfillment process. This process includes picking and packing, automatically sending the needed mails (or emails) to your customers, automating your stock write-off, and other valuable features.

Note: A pick run does not work across projects.

Prerequisites

To enable logistics processes in Xentral, please ensure that you:

created a project in Xentral. Each logistics process is represented by at least one project in Xentral
set up your warehouse
have stock numbers for at least some of your products. You can’t pick products without a stock number
selected the stock item check box for each product you want to include in this process. You can do this in the product detail settings
learned about delivery notes in Xentral. Have a look at that document type before setting up your logistics process

Workflow

The standard Xentral logistics process consists of three main steps:

Handover of the order to the logistics process (auto dispatching)
Picking products
Packaging and printing the shipping label

General structure

To find logistics settings in Xentral go to Master data > Project> *Select your project* > Settings > Logistics / Shipping.

You control all of the following settings on the Logistic/Shipping page.

Xentral refers to pick and pack as a two-stage process. For this reason, we divided settings into stage 1 (picking) and stage 2 (packing). Starting picking and packing can be seen as two different events. Each event triggers specific actions in Xentral.

Xentral sends each order to the logistics. This handover activates the settings in stage 1 and, therefore, the picking process. This handover (auto dispatching) can be manual, semi-automated, or fully automated.

Stage 2 (packing) happens as soon as all your products have been picked for each order. The packing stage triggers the printing of your shipping label, tracking email, and the status replies to your online shop (if existing).

Between stage 1 and stage 2, you can activate a confirmation of each product. The Xentral user must then submit all products by scanning or clicking. This confirmation guarantees maximum safety to ensure that all needed products are picked and packed.

You can use the four readily available options to fill in some settings in advance and then add other settings later:

One-stage: individual picking with parcel label
Two-stage: Pick list with dispatch center
Two-stage: Multi-order picking with a dispatch center and
Fulfiller or external producer

You can refer to this article to get a detailed explanation of all settings. The following guideline will just introduce you to the most crucial fields.

Your first decision: How to pick?

With the Picking process dropdown menu, you define the overall picking procedure. The following happens for each choice:

Without stock posting

The system creates a delivery note and an invoice when auto dispatching happens. Use this setting if you don’t need any Xentral logistics.

Simple stock posting without further process

The stock number in your warehouse decreases automatically, but nothing else happens. Use this setting if you work with a fulfillment partner or your warehouse is small and all other processes happen manually.

Delivery note with storage location + automatic stock write-off

The system creates delivery notes which contain the storage location of the product. Your stock numbers decrease automatically. Use this setting if you pick products by delivery notes instead of picking lists.

Scanning in the dispatching center

This option activates the product confirmation. Before the system prints your shipping label, it requests confirmation of each product to be delivered. The validation happens via scan or a click in the Dispatching center module.

Logistics center

This option separates your picking from your packing process. You can use this setting if picking and packing are done by different employees or at different times.

To use picking lists, activate the setting picking list in Stage 1 (picking/order picking). Xentral prints your picking list as soon as the auto dispatching happens. The list contains all orders which are given to your logistics at once.

If you don’t want to display your warehouse locations on your delivery note but want to use something similar for your picking process, you can activate the picking slip option in stage 1.

Note: For both features, don’t forget to set the corresponding field Number of copies to higher than zero.

What documents can Xentral print and send?

Xentral can automatically send delivery notes, invoices, and tracking emails to your customers. Apart from email, it is possible to print documents to put them into your parcel. You can find all settings in the tables for Stage 1 and Stage 2.

Settings in Stage 1 (picking / order picking)

Stage 1 represents the starting event of your picking process. The mailing and printing happen as soon as the auto dispatching happens. This stage allows sending invoices via email. Printing is possible for invoices, delivery notes, picking lists, and DHL labels.

The check box Only generate the invoice in the shipping process will postpone the creation of your invoice to the packing process (stage 2). This option is helpful if you want to print the tracking code on the invoice.

Note: The Print shipping label check box represents a unique case, and you can only use it for DHL in combination with a fully automated process.
If you use another carrier, you don’t need to select this check box for printing your labels. For DHL, you only need this setting if you want to print all required labels at once before you pick the products.

Settings in Stage 2 (pack)

Stage 2 allows you to send or print invoices, delivery notes, and tracking emails automatically. The tracking email contains the tracking number and a link by default. This stage is triggered when you scan or open your delivery note in Fulfillment > Shipping center.

The check box Automatically print shipping label skips the confirmation of each label print. With that setting, it is enough to scan or choose your delivery note in Fulfillment > Shipping center to generate the label. If you activate a picking process containing Scanning in the dispatch center the label print will require confirmation by scan or click of each product.

Note: If you want to send the corresponding emails from a different email address, you can use the fields at the bottom of the settings. You should first connect your email inbox in the module email accounts and then enter the email address from the Email field.

Additional settings

You can activate additional settings in the Option section (below Stage 1 and Stage 2). The most commonly used are the following:

Auto reservation in warehouse (recommended to be active): As soon as you receive an order, Xentral reserves needed products in your warehouse to fulfill the order.
Project / Preferred warehouse: Select this option if a specific project is only allowed to reduce stock numbers of a particular warehouse
Record batches / best before dates / serial numbers in shipping center: Select this option if you want to track that information in Xentral. They will be requested when packing your parcel in Fulfillment > Shipping center.
Bills of materials expanded automatically: Select this option when selling bundle articles, represented by JIT (just-in-time) lists in Xentral. This setting will guarantee the stock write-off for all JIT components.

Common issues and questions

Can I use a mobile device for picking?

If you want to use mobile devices to display your picking runs, check out the module Multi-Order picking or watch this video (in German). You do not need a specific scanning device.

How can I restructure my picking lists?

Creating a more complex structure of picking lists is possible by using the Batches module. This module allows you to gather specific orders by certain criteria of your picking lists.

Deep dive articles: