Consignments

Select Enter Consignment from the Consignment menu. Most of the work done in SendIT is performed from the consignment screen.

Enter a Consignment

Data entry in SendIT is configurable, so the screen can be customised to meet the needs of the user (fields in white are the normal data entry fields and the cursor will tab through these fields. Colour fields cannot be reached using the tab, but can be access with the mouse.) In typical use, data entry involves the following steps:

• Select a receiver or enter a new receiver
• Record any customer reference numbers (eg. invoice, order, pick slip etc.)
• Enter details about the items making up the consignment (number, type, description, weight, cubic.)
• Record any specific instructions for delivery.

Default values will usually suffice for the other consignment fields.

Selecting a Receiver

SendIT can store receiver details in a database to avoid repetitive data entry. These receivers are retrieved from the database using the select field on the consignment screen. SendIT requires all receivers stored in the database to have an account number, however, the application can be configured to generate account numbers for new receivers.

The application will be pre-configured to select receivers either by account number, or by name (this behaviour can be changed however by ticking the checkbox at the end of the Select field.)

Begin typing the account number or receiver name, and a drop-down list will appear containing all matches from the database.

You can select an item from the list using the keyboard arrow keys or the mouse, or type in the complete account number or name and press enter. If you type an account number or name and press enter, and the entry cannot be found in the database, then the cursor will drop down to the receiver fields so you can enter the details for the new receiver. By default, SendIT will save the new receiver when the consignment is saved.

SPECIAL CASE: If your configuration is set to retrieve receivers by account number, then you can enter one-off addresses using the special account “0”. Using this account number will drop the cursor down into the receiver address fields so you can enter the one-off address. The address will not be saved in the receiver database.

Customer Reference

SendIT can store multiple references, eg. an order number, an invoice number, a picking slip number, or multiples of each.

To record a single reference number against a consignment, enter its value into the Customer Reference field. The value in this field will print on the address labels.

To record multiple references, click on the Refs button.

Enter each reference into the New Reference field and press Enter to add it to the references list. To remove an entry from the list, just click on the entry you want to remove.

Press Enter when the New Reference field is blank, or click the Close button,  to close the form.

Item Details

SendIT records details (weight, cubic measurements, type, description, and contained dangerous goods) about each individual item. By default, the Consignment Items form will popup automatically when entering a new consignment, or it can be manually opened by clicking the Items button.

If all items in the consignment are different, then the details for each item will need to be entered one at a time. If you have multiple items of a similar weight and size, they can be entered in bulk.

Select the Item Type from the drop-down list (using mouse or arrow keys) or type in the item code. For existing types, the weight, measurement and description fields will be filled with default values (these can be over-written.) If you enter the code for a new type, you will be prompted to save the type so that it can be recalled in future.

If the package contains DGs, enter the UN number, and select the appropriate entry from the drop-down list.

When you enter off the description field, the item record will be added to the list (alternatively, click the Add button.) To remove a record from the list, just click on the record you want to remove.

Save and Print

Once all details have been entered, the consignment will automatically be saved when you enter off the last field. In the default configuration, Special Instructions is the last field, so pressing Enter or Tab with the cursor in that field will save the consignment.

If the auto-save is successful, then labels and a connote will automatically print for the consignment if required. (Auto-printing of labels and connotes is configurable for each carrier – the default is to print labels only.) After printing, the screen is cleared ready for the next consignment.

Alternatively, the consignment can be manually saved by clicking the Save button.

Find a Consignment

Click on the Find button to open the search screen.

Enter your search criteria in the search fields and click the Search button to find a consignment. If you click Search without entering any criteria, all consignments in the current database (SendIT archives data monthly, so the system comprises a current database, plus a monthly archive database for each of the past twelve months.)

Unless a date or date range is entered as part of the search criteria, then only the current database is searched.

Click on a consignment in the list to view the details in the consignment screen.

Reprinting Labels

Some or all labels for a consignment can be reprinted, as long as the consignment is still active (a consignment is no longer active in the system once that consignment has been included in a transfer file.)

To reprint all labels for a consignment, find the consignment, either through the search screen, or if it’s a recent consignment, you can scroll through the consignments using the previous or next buttons. Once the desired consignment has been found, click on the printer button.

To select individual labels to print, click on the Label button to open the Label Print form.

Type in the consignment number and you will receive a drop-down list of matching labels (there is a three-digit suffix on the consignment number representing the label number, i.e. 001 = label 1.) Select the start and end labels in the range you want to reprint, and click the Insert (single right-pointing arrow) button.

You can insert multiple ranges to the list. You can also remove items from the list by selecting them and clicking the Remove (single left-pointing arrow) button. You can clear the list by clicking the Remove All (double left-pointing arrows) button.

Once the desired labels have been selected, click the Print button to print the labels.

Manifesting Consignments

Consignments are typically manifested at the end of the day, but can be manifested multiple times throughout the day.

To manifest consignments, select Carrier File Transfer from the File menu on the main screen, or click the Transfer button on the consignment screen.

The Carrier’s list (top left) will show a list of all carriers, and the number of consignments available for manifesting. All consignments for the selected carrier with a release date up to the current date that have not been manifested are available. Consignments that had been entered with a future release date cannot be manifested until that release date.

Generating the Manifest

Typically you will be releasing all consignments, so select the carrier (all available consignments for that carrier will be listed in the Consignment List and selected for manifesting) and click Create Manifest.

Some users however will prepare freight for despatch, but may not despatch the freight immediately (eg. they may wait for payment before releasing the goods.)

To select consignments for release, just select your carrier, and tick the consignments you want to manifest (by default, all consignments are ticked, so you just need to untick the consignments you want to hold.)

NOTE: Clicking on the column header above the tick boxes will select/deselect all consignments:

Alternatively, you can use the filter option to select consignments for release:

E.g. you may want to manifest freight for each state separately (in this case you would choose a Sate from the State drop-down list.

NOTE: By default, manifests are generated with the current date as the release date. If you require a different release date, change the release date in the Consignment Filter section before generating the manifest.

Transferring the Manifest

SendIT will automatically transfer the manifest when it is created, so this step is no longer necessary. Occasionally, however, the carrier may request that you re-send their manifest. In this case, select your carrier, select the manifest (or manifests) you need to resend, then click the Transfer button.

Printing the Manifest

To view a copy of the manifest, click on the Print Manifest button. If you do not select a manifest from the list, then the system will select the first one (most recent) from the list.

The format of the Manifest is determined by the selection made in Manifest Format combo. If a carrier has a specific format manifest they require, that format will be selected when you choose the carrier.

Printing Connotes for a Manifest

Typically, connotes are printed by the carrier from the transferred manifest, leaving the SendIT user with a “paper-less” system. However, there may be circumstances where a customer is required to print connotes. The SendIT connote is designed to be printed on plain A4 paper, and best quality is achieved with a laser printer.

To print connotes for a manifest, click on the Print Connotes button. If no manifest has been selected from the list, then the connotes will print for the first (most recent) manifest.