Shipment rules

Shipment rules are specifically set up to select a shipment method for orders. Creating these rules in Spotler Connect ensures that orders are forwarded to Fulfilment software using the correct shipment method.

In this article, you will learn more about:

• Shipment rules in Connect
• Examples of shipment rules
• Differences between regular data rules and shipment rules
• Shipment rule overview
• Data flow
• Current shipment rules and order of rules
• Creating new shipment rules

Shipment rules in Connect

Most fulfilment packages offer the possibility of setting up shipment rules for their software. However, using the shipment rules in Connect provides several advantages:

• Flexibility: A common issue with shipment methods is that E-fulfilment software expects terminology that does not always match the terminology used in a webshop checkout. For example, a customer-friendly phrase like Tracked parcel delivery by DHL might be preferred, whereas an E-fulfilment partner expects a specific code such as DHL8600. By setting up rules in Connect, any terminology can be used.
• Finetuning: Shipment methods can be selected based on standard properties such as shipping address, weight, and time of order, but also on any additional order data, like the products contained in the order, the originating shop, or any accompanying metadata.

Examples of shipment rules

Examples of shipment rules that can be created in Spotler Connect include:

• When an order is created with shipment method PostNL mailbox parcel, adjust shipment method to 9889 before exporting it to E-fulfilment.
• When the order contains a product with barcode 123, adjust shipment method to Cold transport.

The examples above are simple. More complex shipment rules can be created by using AND and OR conditions to form a set of necessary conditions. For example:

• When the order is created between 22:00 and 23:00, weighs less than 2kg, and is less than 50cm wide, adjust the shipment method to DHL same-night delivery.
• When the products in an order weigh over 50kg, adjust the shipment method to Europallet AND send an email notification with specified content to info@efulfilment.com.

Differences between regular data rules and shipment rules

Shipment and data rules are similar in that both use criteria to process orders. However, differences exist:

• To check for matching shipment rules, the list is evaluated from top to bottom for any new order. A shipment rule is applied when the first match is found, and further rules are not checked. This means that only one rule (the first match) is applied per order.
• Unlike regular data rules, shipment rules do not have global rules. Setting up shipment rules for all e-fulfilment integrations in an account is impossible. In cases where multiple e-fulfilment partners exist, shipment rules must be set up individually for each integration.

Shipment rule overview

The shipment rule overview shows any specific shipment rules that have been set up. It provides a summary of all rules in the account.

Data flow

The overview’s top part displays the number of rules that have been set up for a connector and shows the flow of data: from Spotler Connect (the symbol), through modification via rules, to the connector.

Current shipment rules and order of rules

The bottom part of the shipment rule overview displays the current set of shipment rules. The following actions can be performed:

• Change the order of the current set of rules by clicking the dot menu next to the test button and selecting Change execution order. This allows for dragging and dropping the order of the rules.
• Test shipment rules with the Test button. This feature shows which shipment method would be selected based on an existing order and the current set of shipment rules.
• Activate or pause current shipment rules by clicking on the status tag. Changing the status from Active to Paused causes a paused rule to be disregarded in the shipment rule checker.
• Edit, duplicate, or delete a rule by clicking the dotted menu on the right side of each rule.

Creating new shipment rules

The creation of a shipment rule is similar to the creation of a regular data rule. For details, please see rule creation.