Shipping and receiving products come in a later stage of the supply chain fulfillment process. However, it plays a crucial role in determining your customers’ impression of you. Epicor’s Shipping and Receiving module offers a flexible and comprehensive solution designed to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and visibility throughout the supply chain.
From tracking shipments and submitting freight claims to calculating shipping charges and managing complex orders, businesses need robust shipping and receiving capabilities to thrive in this dynamic environment. Additionally, the ability to automate tasks like currency conversions, customs calculations, and inventory management across warehouses and distributorships adds more efficiency to the shipping process.
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Understanding The Epicor Shipping & Receiving Module
Epicor, a leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, offers a comprehensive Supply Chain Management Module (for Epicor Shipping & Receiving) that enables organizations to monitor, track, and manage inbound and outbound items seamlessly.
The Epicor Shipping & Receiving module serves as a centralized application that allows you to effectively monitor both inbound and outbound shipping and receiving processes.
Whether you are tracking shipments against orders, managing subcontract parts sent to suppliers, receiving raw materials for purchase orders, or fulfilling customer orders from stock, this module provides a comprehensive solution.
Read More: Epicor Implementation Explained [+Best Practices]
Key Features & Functionalities of Epicor Shipping & Receiving Module
Centralized Monitoring and Tracking
Epicor’s Shipping and Receiving module functions as a centralized application within the ERP system, allowing companies to monitor and track various sorts of shipments and receipts. All shipping and receiving activities can be conducted and tracked efficiently, whether they are fulfilling client orders, sending subcontract components to suppliers, receiving raw materials, or maintaining stock inventory.
Auto-Invoice Integration
One prominent feature of Epicor’s Shipping and Receiving module is the ability to automatically create invoices in the Accounts Receivable module following the transportation of items to clients, ensuring financial transaction accuracy.
Bill of Lading Customization
The module also allows you to print customized bills of lading forms for shipments. Businesses can customize the bill of lading by including customer information, purchase order numbers, sales order numbers, shipment comments, and weight fields, offering a more professional touch to shipping paperwork.
Container Tracking and Management
Epicor provides a Container Tracking solution for organizations that ship containers. This feature allows you to track and update the status of container shipments as well as the due dates of connected purchase orders. Businesses can use container-related data to change due dates and quantities for purchase order releases, as well as automatically produce receipts upon container arrival. Container classes can be built to describe container properties such as volume and default cost.
Landed Cost Processing
The processing of landed costs is an important part of managing foreign shipments. The Shipping and Receiving module in Epicor contains extensive landed cost capability. It enables firms to precisely track the costs of imported items, such as goods, insurance, and import levies. Businesses can guarantee that the selling or assembly prices represent the genuine cost of items by effectively allocating these costs, hence maintaining healthy margins.
Manifesting and Freight Management
Epicor’s Shipping and Receiving module provides freight cost calculations and compliant package labeling for major commercial carriers like UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS, as well as Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) and ad hoc carriers.
For businesses handling domestic and international shipping, Epicor Manifest offers advanced capabilities:
- International Shipments and Documentation: Seamlessly manage international shipments and generate necessary export documents.
- Multi-Account Support: Easily manage multiple carrier accounts to ensure flexibility and cost optimization.
- Electronic Export Information (EEI) Processing: Facilitate the submission and retrieval of EEI for streamlined compliance.
- Configurable Handling Fees: Customize handling fees to accurately reflect the cost associated with each shipment.
- Automated Hazmat (Hazardous Material) Paperwork: Simplify hazmat documentation and compliance through automated processes.
- Rate Shopping: Compare carrier rates at order entry to choose the most cost effective shipping option.
- Routing Guide and Best Way: Optimize shipping decisions by leveraging routing guides and determining the best shipping methods.
- Automated Blind Shipping: Streamline blind shipping processes by automating label generation and documentation.
- Print or Email Return Labels: Provide customers with convenience by easily generating return labels.
- Order Consolidations: Consolidate multiple orders into a single shipment to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Recommended Reading: Understanding Epicor ERP Cost and Pricing (2023)
Efficient Shipping Processes
The Shipping and Receiving module offers a range of features to support efficient operations:
- Mass Ship: Streamline high-volume shipping by generating labels and documents for multiple shipments at once.
- Subcontract Parts Tracking: Easily track parts that are outsourced for manufacturing or assembly.
- Miscellaneous Shipment Tracking: Manage and track shipments that don’t fit into standard order-based processes.
- Miscellaneous Receipts Management: Efficiently handle miscellaneous receipts and manage inventory updates.
- Pack and Ship/Pack Out Processing: Simplify packaging and shipping processes with streamlined workflows.
- Master Pack Tracking: Track and manage master packs to ensure accurate inventory control.
- Phantom Pack Shipping: Facilitate the shipping of phantom packs, enabling efficient distribution of bundled products.
- Shipping Performance Reporting: Access detailed reports and analytics to monitor and analyze shipping performance.
Quick Ship Feature
Quick Ship simplifies the shipping procedure by allowing rate shopping during the order submission stage. This means consumers can compare shipping rates from several carriers and select the most cost-effective alternative for their products.
Quick Ship also makes communicating between Epicor ERP and other carriers easier. It gets pertinent shipment information from the ERP platform and distributes it to carriers. This integration ensures that all relevant information is sent to the carrier in a timely and accurate manner for effective shipment processing.
Additionally, Quick Ship generates and prints labels, bills of ladings, and export documents required for the shipment. These documents can be easily included with the shipment to ensure compliance with shipping regulations and smooth customs clearance for international shipments.
Relevant Reading: Epicor ERP Integration [Methods, Use Cases & Examples]
Key Steps to Setting Up Your Epicor Shipping & Receiving Module
To harness the full potential of the Epicor Shipping & Receiving module, businesses must:
- Install and Configure: Follow the installation and configuration process to tailor the module to specific business requirements.
- Define Parameters: Configure shipping and receiving parameters, including default settings, packaging options, and handling fees.
- Configure Carriers and Services: Integrate shipping carriers to provide a range of delivery options and enable seamless label generation.
- Third-Party Logistics Integration: Explore integration options with third-party logistics providers for enhanced supply chain management.
How to Manage Shipping Orders Using Epicor ERP
Efficiently manage shipping orders by following these steps:
Creating Shipping Orders: Utilize Epicor to create orders, enter shipment details, and select appropriate carriers and services.
Generating Shipping Labels and Documents: Automate the generation of shipping labels, packing slips, and other essential documents.
Tracking Shipments: Use Epicor’s tracking features to monitor shipments and provide clients with real-time visibility.
Similar reading: Understanding Epicor API Integration [Use Cases + Case Study]
Key Tips to Handling Receiving Processes
Streamline receiving processes using the Epicor Shipping & Receiving module:
Creating Receiving Orders: Create receiving orders by collecting important details such as item amounts and requirements.
Inventory Updates and Reconciliation: Automate inventory changes, reconcile stock levels, and assure proper visibility using inventory updates and reconciliation.
Returns and Exchanges: Manage returns and exchanges efficiently, communicating with vendors and resolving discrepancies.
Automating Shipping & Receiving Processes
Maximize efficiency with automation tools within Epicor:
Setting up Workflows: Create shipping and receiving workflows to automate repetitive tasks and reduce the need for manual intervention.
Barcode Scanning and Mobile Device Integration: To improve accuracy and speed, use barcode scanning and mobile device integration.
Automating Data Entry and Document Generation: Save time and eliminate errors by automating data entry and document generation.
Streamlining Communication: Build seamless communication channels with shipping partners to ensure efficient collaboration.
Importance of Efficient Shipping and Receiving Processes
Efficient shipping and receiving processes offer several benefits, including:
Customer Satisfaction: On-time delivery, precise tracking, and easy returns/exchanges improve the customer experience.
Inventory Optimization: Streamlined operations decrease errors, labor expenses, optimize packaging, and take advantage of favorable carrier rates.
Cost Reduction: Streamlined processes minimize errors, reduce labor costs, optimize packaging, and leverage favorable carrier rates.
Supply Chain Visibility: Accurate tracking and real-time updates increase transparency, enabling for proactive decision-making and resolution of problems.
Business Scalability: Efficient shipping and receiving operations lay the groundwork for expansion, allowing organizations to handle bigger volumes without sacrificing quality.
How To Improve Processes with Integration via DCKAP Integrator
Integrating various systems and applications is crucial to achieving seamless data flow and streamlining processes. When it comes to shipping and receiving operations, Epicor’s Shipping & Receiving Module is a powerful tool. However, integrating it with other systems can enhance its capabilities even further. This is where DCKAP Integrator, a cloud-based integration tool, comes into play.
Centralized Data
The ability to centralize data is one of the key benefits of utilizing DCKAP Integrator to connect Epicor’s Shipping Module with other systems. Data from all sources is consolidated in a single, easy-to-access area by combining diverse systems and apps.
Key benefits:
- Say goodbye to manual data synchronization
- Reduces time spent waiting for information to be available across systems
- Enjoy improved data accuracy
Data-Driven Decision-Making
Making sound business decisions based on reliable data is critical. Organizations can obtain complete insights and analytics by connecting Epicor’s Shipping and receiving Module with other applications using DCKAP Integrator.
Key benefits:
- DCKAP Integrator’s fast data flow and workflows
- Helps analyze shipping and receiving data, detect trends and threats
Improved Data Accuracy & Speed
Manual data entry and synchronization can be tedious and error-prone. The DCKAP Integrator removes the requirement for manual synchronization between Epicor’s Shipping Module and other systems. Any ERP changes are automatically reflected in real-time across all connected platforms.
Key benefits:
- Clarity in regards to business processes
- Reduced errors marring key judgment calls
- Easy and immediate access to reliable data
Better Sales Funnel Optimization
Integrating Epicor’s Shipping Module with customer relationship management (CRM) systems can provide valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. With DCKAP Integrator, organizations gain a holistic view of customer data and can optimize their sales funnel accordingly.
Key benefits:
- Get to know your customer better
- Tailor shipping processes in their favor
- Improve conversion and retention rates
Prioritize Tasks and Goals
Efficient workflow visibility is crucial for organizations to prioritize tasks and goals effectively. Integrating Epicor’s Shipping Module with other systems, such as CRM and project management apps, allows for seamless data flow and improved workflow visibility.
Key benefits:
- Accurately track and manage tasks related to shipping and receiving
- Ensure better collaboration between teams
- Boost organizational transparency
Flexibility & Customization
DCKAP Integrator offers flexibility and customization capabilities, making it easier for organizations to adapt to unique business requirements. When integrating Epicor’s Shipping Module with other systems, such as pricing or product customization tools, changes made in the ERP are automatically updated across all integrated systems.
Key benefits:
- Have the product adapt you to instead of the other way around
- Free up your team’s time to focus on more revenue generating activities than system updates
Suggested reading: Epicor eCommerce Integration Explained [Steps, Methods & Use Cases]
Streamline Your Supply Chain Performance With Epicor’s Shipping & Receiving Module
Epicor uses its significant industry expertise and cutting-edge technology to help distributors, manufacturers, and retailers improve the efficiency of their supply chains. You can minimize wasteful expenses and streamline operations that don’t add value by acquiring a full understanding of your supply chain.
Whether you’re looking to optimize inventory for a single retail store or integrate your global supply chain, Epicor provides a range of solutions, including supply chain management, sourcing, inventory management, data integration, dispatch, and shipping capabilities. And DCKAP Integrator helps you make the most out of your ERP software by helping you connect your Epicor ERP and related modules with your other business applications.
Want to know how you leverage your Epicor ERP performance? Book a strategy call today.
