Depending on your business processes and warehouse layout, packing tasks can be separate from shipping tasks. They can be done at different workstations and times, or at the same workstation but at different times. Furthermore, different workstations can have different kinds of packing or shipping tasks assigned to them. With ShipHawk, you now have the flexibility to get all these packing and shipping tasks done at the right time and place with easy-to-use workflow screens. These workflows are different from the regular order process in ShipHawk, where workers use a more detailed screen for packing. The new parcel workstation is designed for booking a shipment all in one session. Rather than using the Order Details page to manage both packing and shipping, a warehouse worker at a workstation can use a purpose-built workflow page to pack boxes and build pallets in a simplified user interface, streamlining printing and labeling for cartons and pallets.
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Once this feature has been enabled for your account by ShipHawk, your admin users can configure the workflows and the workstations that meet your business requirements and warehouse layout.
Warehouse workers at workstations can then follow the workflows to pack items into boxes or pack boxes onto pallets efficiently and accurately.
This guide covers the following topics:
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Configuring Workflows and Workstations
In ShipHawk, a Workflow is a configurable set of steps to be done in one flow, and a Workstation is the physical location where the Workflow takes place.
A Workflow can be associated with more than one Workstation, but you can have only one Workflow per Workstation today.
As an admin user, follow these steps to configure Workflows and Workstations.
Enabling Workstations
Contact ShipHawk to enable Workstations and specify a Subdomain for your account. Specifying a Subdomain for your account is needed so that ShipHawk can provide the full URL for a workstation’s purpose-built page. While this account setting is configured by ShipHawk, please work with your ShipHawk account manager to identify a suitable subdomain name for your account.
Once enabled, your admin users can then configure the Workflows and Workstations in ShipHawk.
Configuring Workflows
A Workflow for a Workstation must be configured before you can configure a Workstation.
You can configure a custom workflow for box packing or pallet packing, or you can select a simple parcel shipping workflow.
As an admin user, you can configure a new Workflow to be assigned to one or more Workstations:
From the Settings gear icon drop-down, choose Settings.
In the left navigation panel, scroll down to the Workstations settings: Workflows and Workstations.
Select Workflows to open the Workflows page.
Select ADD NEW WORKFLOW. The Add new workflow screen is displayed:
In General Settings, in Workflow Name, enter a descriptive name for your new workflow.
In Workflow Configuration, you can configure a Custom Workflow or use a premade workflow for Simple Parcel Shipping.
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Custom Workflow
Select Custom Workflow.
In Workflow Steps, you configure the steps you want to be done in a single workflow session.
Choose Box Packing to pack SKUs into a box to ship parcel or pack onto a pallet, or Pallet Packing to pack SKUs or packed boxes onto a pallet.
Box Packing Configuration
For Box Packing, click the CONFIGURATION toggle to view and set the workflow options when packing SKUs into a box to ship parcel or pack onto a pallet:In AFTER PACKING, select Open proposed shipment details so that the Order Details page opens automatically for doing the shipping tasks. In Allow user to Print, select Carton Labels or Container Labels. If selected, you can then select Auto Print for automatically printing labels.
Pallet Packing Configuration
For Pallet Packing, click the CONFIGURATION toggle to view and set the workflow options to pack SKUs or packed boxes onto a pallet:In AFTER PACKING, select Open proposed shipment details so that the Order Details page opens automatically for doing the shipping tasks. In Allow user to Print, select Carton Labels or Container Labels. If selected, you can then select Auto Print to automatically print labels.
➡️ When done, in the upper right corner of the page, click ADD NEW WORKFLOW.
Simple Parcel Shipping Workflow
Simple parcel shipping workflows are a good fit if the warehouse workers only need to enter the dimensions and weights of the boxes being shipped, and the carrier and service are automatically selected by rules defined in ShipHawk.
Simple parcel shipping workflows are not a good fit if workers need to:
State which items go in which boxes
Change any routing related information
Add hazmat, dry ice, carrier accessorials, and so on
Provide SSCC carton labels
Rerate the shipment with the packing configuration and pick the cheapest rate
Important: in a simple parcel shipping workflow:
A scanned order must have a single proposed shipment
A proposed shipment must have ‘Picked’ status
A proposed shipment must have the ‘Source System ID’ specified (typically specified in ERPs such as NetSuite).
To define a simple parcel shipping workflow:
Select Simple Parcel Shipping.
Specify the Workflow Type as either Single package shipping or Multi package shipping.
When done, in the upper right corner of the page, click ADD NEW WORKFLOW.
Configuring Workstations
When you have one or more Workflows configured, you can apply them to one or more Workstations.
A Workflow can be associated with more than one Workstation, but you can have only one Workflow per Workstation today.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites for configuring a Workstation:
A Workflow must already be available for the Workstation (see Configuring Workflows).
A Workstation must be assigned to a Warehouse already configured in ShipHawk (see https://shiphawk.force.com/success/s/article/How-to-set-up-your-Warehouse-Locations ).
A Workstation can be assigned Scales and Dimensioners that have already been configured in ShipHawk (see https://shiphawk.force.com/success/s/article/Connecting-a-Scale).
Adding a New Workstation
As an admin user, you can configure a new Workstation as follows:
From the Settings gear icon drop-down, choose Settings.
In the left navigation panel, scroll down to the Workstations settings: Workflows and Workstations.
Select Workstations to open the Workstations page.
Select ADD NEW WORKSTATION.
On the Add new workstation page, specify General Settings, Printers, Scales and Dimensioners, and Label Format, as described in the following sections:
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General Settings
Workstation Name: enter a brief, descriptive name for the workstation.
Workflow: select the workflow you want to assign to this workstation. The workflows available on the drop-down are previously configured as described in Configuring Workflows.
Warehouse: select the warehouse where this workstation is located. (Warehouses are defined in ShipHawk from Settings (gear) icon > Warehouses.)
Printers
Download the PrintNode application from https://printnode.com/download/ , install it, and then use credentials displayed on the screen to sign into the PrintNode application.
Once PrintNode is installed, your printers will be available for selection from the drop-downs for Laser Printer and Thermal Printer.
If needed for your setup, you have the option to Print labels upside down.
NOTE: The printer assignments only apply to printing carton labels or container labels in the workflow. If you open the Order Details page to ship, you will be using the current user's printers.
Scales and Dimensioners
Scales and dimensioners are connected to ShipHawk using PrintNode.
Select the computer and scales for this workstation from the Computers and Scales drop-down menus.
Label Format
In THERMAL LABEL FORMAT, select one of the following:
4x6
4x6.75 (with Doc Tab)
4x8 (with Doc Tab)
4x8 (with Doc Tab with Items)
4x8 (with FedEx SEL-169)
Save the New Workstation
Finally, cnce you have completed the Add new workstation fields, click ADD NEW WORKSTATION in the upper right corner to save the workstation and add it to ShipHawk.
Workstation Page
The user interface page for a Workstation is made available on a distinct URL so that a computer screen can show only just what’s needed by warehouse workers to complete a Workflow.
To open a Workstation page, on Settings > Workstations, simply click on the name of Workstation. The page will open in a new browser tab window.
For your reference, the Workstation page URL format is:
https://www.shiphawk.com/workstation/ <workstation_name>?subdomain=<account_subdomain>
Where:
<workstation_name> is the name of a Workstation configured by an admin user.
<account_subdomain> is the subdomain configured for your account by ShipHawk.
Updating Workflows and Workstations
As an admin user, you can update Workflows and Workstations following the same steps you used to configure them. Keep in mind that when you update a Workflow, the changes to that Workflow will apply to all Workstations that are using the Workflow.
Using Workflows at Workstations
As a warehouse worker, you work from a streamlined page for your Workstation.
For example, the Workstation screen simply looks like this:
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Packing Boxes (or Packages)
As a warehouse worker, to pack boxes or packages at a Workstation with a Workflow for packing boxes or packages:
From the Workstation screen, scan or enter the identifier for a proposed shipment. This identifier can be an order number, an LPN (License Plate Number, which is a unique barcode or RFID identifier for a handling unit ), or Tote number (a container identifier).
The screen shows the proposed shipment items in ITEMS and the packing details in PACKAGES.
In ITEMS, you can pack the items individually by clicking PACK, or pack them all at once by clicking PACK ALL. For PACK, initially it packs one item. From the MULTIPLE QUANTITY pop-up screen, you can pack more than one at a time. You can scan items or enter the quantity on the pop-up screen. You can scan one and then update the quantity manually to reduce the number of times you have to scan an item. When ready, click DONE.
In PACKAGES, you have the following optional settings:From Materials, select the type of materials from the drop-down (default is none).
In Length, Width, and Height, specify the dimensions of the package. In Weight, specify the weight of the package. Click the Scales icon to get the weight information directly from the scale at the workstation.
Items in the package are listed under ITEMS IN PACKAGE. Identify the items in the package: scan them or select SKU or UPC.
When done packing, click CLOSE PACKAGE.
Packing Pallets
NOTE: Currently, to pack pallets using this new packing workflow feature, the boxes (or packages) must first be packed using the new packing workflow (as described in the previous section, Packing Boxes / Packages).
As a warehouse worker, to pack pallets at a Workstation with a Workflow for packing pallets:
From the Workstation screen, scan or enter the identifier for a proposed shipment.
The screen shows the proposed shipment packages in ITEMS and the pallet details in PALLETS.
In ITEMS, you can pack packages individually onto pallets by clicking PACK, or pack them all at once by clicking PACK ALL. For PACK, initially it packs one package. From the MULTIPLE QUANTITY pop-up screen, you can pack more than one at a time. You can scan packages or enter the quantity on the pop-up screen. You can scan one and then update the quantity manually to reduce the number of times you have to scan a package. When ready, click DONE.
In PALLETS, you have the following optional settings:From Materials, select the type of materials from the drop-down (default is none).
In Length, Width, and Height, specify the dimensions of the pallet. In Weight, specify the weight of the pallet. Click the Scales icon to get the weight information directly from the scale at the workstation.
In Value, enter the total value of the packages on the pallet.
In Material Weight, enter the total weight of the packages on the pallet.
In Freight Class, select the freight class from the drop-down. These classes can include:
50 – Durable freight that fits on a standard 4' × 4' pallet (50+ lbs per ft3)
55 – Bricks, cement, hardwood flooring, construction materials (35–50 lbs per ft3)
60 – Car accessories, car parts (30–35 lbs per ft3)
65 – Car accessories and parts, boxed books, bottled drinks (22.5–30 lbs per ft3)
70 – Car accessories and parts, auto engines, food items (15–22.5 lbs per ft3)
77.5 – Tires, bathroom fixtures (13.5–15 lbs per ft3)
85 – Crated machinery, cast iron stoves (12–13.5 lbs per ft3)
92.5 – Computers, monitors, refrigerators (10.5–12 lbs per ft3)
100 – Car covers, canvas, boat covers, wine cases, caskets (9–10.5 lbs per ft3)
110 – Cabinets, framed art, table saws (8–9 lbs per ft3)
125 – Small home appliances (7–8 lbs per ft3)
150 – Auto sheet metal, bookcases (6–7 lbs per ft3)
175 – Clothing, couches, stuffed furniture (5–6 lbs per ft3)
200 – Sheet metal parts, aluminum tables, packaged mattresses, aircraft parts (4–5 lbs per ft3)
250 – Mattresses and box springs, plasma TVs, bamboo furniture (3–4 lbs per ft3)
300 – Model boats, assembled chairs, tables, wood cabinets (2–3 lbs per ft3)
400 – Deer antlers (1–2 lbs per ft3)
500 – Gold dust, ping pong balls (less than 1 lbs per ft3)
In NMFC, enter the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC).
Packages on the pallet are listed under PACKAGES.
When done packing, click CLOSE PALLET.
Shipping
Currently, while packing can be completed using this packing workflow feature with the streamlined screens, the steps for shipping are completed from a separate Order Details page.
NOTE: In the future, a simplified screen for shipping tasks will also be available.
Current Limitations (2022.7.0)
Please note the following current limitations as of the 2022.7.0 release:
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You will not be able to create a workflow that involves shipping directly after packing a box/pallet. Today, packing workflows only encompass the packing of items (SKUs) into boxes, or the building of pallets, and do not allow you to then move forward to book on the same page. You must ship this through the Order Details page, Ready-to-ship (RTS) mode, or through bulk processing. An easy workaround for this is to have the workflow open on one browser tab, and the Order Details page open on the other. After packing on the packing workflow, you can ship it on another page. To have the Order Details page open on another page, when configuring a Workflow, select the Open proposed shipment details option.
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Alcohol, Hazmat, Limited Quantity, Excepted Quantity, Lithium Batteries are not supported.
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Automatic application of Masterpacks is not supported.
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The Smart Packing™ recommendation is not displayed in the workflow, and will have no impact on the packing process. Workflows are initially for those who want smooth functionality for manually packing an order. You can use Smart Packing on the Order Details page, and also use packing workflows for different orders.
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Proposed shipment consolidation is not possible through workflows at this time.
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Carton or Pallet labels printed out upon packing a box/pallet will only have information available to them in the packing stage of the fulfillment process. If you want ShipHawk to print out carton labels with the carrier and service when a box is packed, you must wait until the shipment is booked before printing the carton label. There is also not a way to manually input what the carrier and service will be at this time.
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See the following pages for information on how to configure and use this feature:
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