Smart Packing^TM is a proprietary bin-packing algorithm that determines the best way to pack an order. ShipHawk uses an item’s weight, dimensions,characteristics and business-specific rules to pack items into boxes and boxes onto pallets.

ShipHawk lets you store Product SKU information to add shipping details not otherwise available in your ERP or eCommerce source system.  By bringing product data into ShipHawk, ShipHawk can make better smart packing, rating and fulfillment decisions and eliminate redundant data entry.

This guide covers the following topics:

Introduction

About Smart Packing^TM

Smart Packing^TM is a proprietary bin-packing algorithm that determines the best way to pack an order. ShipHawk uses an item’s weight, dimensions,characteristics and business-specific rules to pack items into boxes and boxes onto pallets.

About Product Catalog

ShipHawk lets you store Product SKU information to add shipping details not otherwise available in your ERP or eCommerce source system.  By bringing product data into ShipHawk, ShipHawk can make better smart packing, rating and fulfillment decisions and eliminate redundant data entry.

About the Documentation

This document provides instructions for setting up your product catalog to use ShipHawk Smart Packing^TM. This document guides you through each step of this process with detailed instructions and tips for optimizing your fulfillment workflow. 

This document is intended for your system administrator.

Smart Packing Overview

This chapter provides a broad overview of the steps necessary to begin using Smart Packing^TM. 

Smart Packing Setup Checklist

To receive Smart Packing suggestions for each proposed shipment, you must complete the following setup and configuration steps:

• Setup your Product Catalog by importing or uploading your product information.

• Configure Smart Packing settings.

• Upload and enable packing materials.

It is recommended that you do the steps in the listed order.

ShipHawk Definitions

Product Sku Configuration

The product catalog in ShipHawk is an essential source of shipping data that drives how ShipHawk handles items in our system. Correctly configuring your product SKUs drives much of the behavior of the ShipHawk application. The following section provides a conceptual explanation of how ShipHawk interacts with product shipping data.

Product SKU concepts

ShipHawk collects two types of information from a product: product data and product shipping data. Product data refers to basic information that describes the item, such as a product SKU code, a description or an image of the item. Product shipping data refers to aspects of the item that will impact how it is shipped and informs ShipHawk workflows. Shipping data for an item includes information such as:

• dimensions and weight, 

• whether the item is serialized or lotted, 

• if the SKU is a kit,

• harmonization codes and freight classes.

This shipping data determines how ShipHawk handles and optimizes the shipment of each product SKU as well as what screens a user sees in ShipHawk.

Product hierarchies

Products in ShipHawk are organized into different hierarchical shipping levels called Packaging Levels. The levels that products are organized into help determine how an order is packed, rated and which workflow that a user sees when creating a shipment.

Packaging Levels

A packaging level is an industry term that indicates how many of a child SKU are contained inside the parent SKU.  A parent SKU has an assigned minimum quantity that triggers the system to use the shipping data of the parent SKU instead of a child SKU.

Consider the following example:

In this example, an individual coffee mug is assigned the child SKU 30011-1. This child SKU belongs to the parent SKU 30011, which contains 10 of these coffee mugs. Each parent SKU is assigned a minimum child SKU quantity. This example SKU has a minimum child SKU quantity of 9, which determines when you ship the parent SKU instead of the child SKU. If a customer purchases 9 mugs, then our packaging levels dictate that parent SKU 30011 is shipped. If a customer buys 8 mugs, then our packaging levels require that we ship 8 items of child SKU 30011-1 because the order minimum of 9 mugs is not reached.

Packaging levels are critical pieces of shipping data because ShipHawk must know which SKU to rate. Carriers will return different shipping rates for 8 individual mugs versus one large carton of 10 mugs. The parent SKU is used in cases where items arrive at a warehouse in pre-packed cartons containing some multiple of the child SKU, such as a case of 10 mugs. The warehouse does not unpack this case, but instead stores it as received. In the scenario that 9 mugs are purchased, it is much easier to remove 1 mug from the case of 10 for shipment than repacking the mugs into another box. These packaging levels are set by the customer based on their experience of how best to ship multiples of an item.

Kits

A kit represents a collection of product SKUs that are being sold together as one item. A kit is usually (but not always) composed of a few related items, such as a camera, the camera’s rechargeable battery, and the camera’s flash. The kit is one product SKU composed of different separate parts that must be shipped together in one shipment. Each of these separate parts are considered Kit SKUs  in ShipHawk.  You may hear these referred to interchangeably as SKUs contained in a kit, Kit SKUs or Kit Components. 

In addition to specifying which SKUs belong to a Kit SKU, ShipHawk supports the following actions for kits:

• Show each of the Kit SKUs as their own line on Commercial Invoices and specify the percent of total value assigned to each Kit SKU.

• Show only the Kit itself on the Commercial Invoice.

These features are frequently used when shipping kits internationally.

Shipping data for Kits also has special features.  Shipping data may be configured at the Kit-level or the Kit-SKU-level.  Some kits are already pre-packed. 

For prepacked Kits, customers must set up Kit-level shipping data. When shipping data (Item) is set on the Kit-level, the Kit SKU shipping data is ignored by ShipHawk when Smart Packing or Rating.  Users may still verify each of the Kit SKUs during fulfillment, but this helps ShipHawk choose the right fulfillment method for the prepacked Kit.  

For Kits that require packaging, customers usually delete the Item data on the Kit. This tells the system that we must use the Kit SKUs for packing and shipping decisions.  Most customers who do not have pre-packaged Kits configure their Kits this way. 

Items

An item (referred to as a SKU Component when present on a SKU) is considered the base packaging level for an Order Line Item or SKU in ShipHawk. It is the lowest level of the packaging hierarchy and is a unit  intended for individual sale. An item is generally the consumer-level product unit that is available for purchase at the checkout or online. In industry terms, an item is sometimes referred to as an each or base packaging unit. 

Every product SKU that ships has at least one packaging level in ShipHawk. By default this packaging level is one unpacked item, which is the most common (and recommended) scenario. 

Some goods, however, have more than one box or item that must ship together in its base packaging level. An example is a sectional sofa. The sectional is necessarily packed into several parts due to its size, but is actually considered one item because it is sold as one unit. To deal with these types of products, ShipHawk allows a SKU to contain multiple items, which ShipHawk considers a SKU-component. Each SKU-component has its own shipping data, because the components of an item may be different sizes. Because these multi-item SKUs are considered one product, ShipHawk prohibits users from shipping them separately on different shipments.

Kits also contain item data. If a kit SKU does not contain an item, ShipHawk looks for item data in each of the specified kit-components instead. If item data does exist in a kit SKU, ShipHawk ignores the kit-components and uses the kit-level item data. 

Each item must be assigned an item type. The item type describes how the item exists in your warehouse, and ShipHawk provides the following options in the User Interface:

• Unpacked: An individual item that requires packing before shipment.

• Parcel: A box that can only be shipped using a parcel service. You cannot ship a parcel using LTL services. These items cannot be palletized.

• Box: A shortcut for creating a Handling Unit Item Type with Handling Unit Type “Box” that can be shipped using LTL or parcel carrier. Smart Packing will not attempt to palletize items configured as “Box”. Do not select this option if you wish to palletize the item. Instead, use Unpacked with the unpacked item type ID for “Box”.  This tells ShipHawk that the item itself does not require packing, and that it may be packed with other items into larger boxes or onto pallets.

• Crate: A shortcut for creating a Handling Unit Item Type with Handling Unit Type “Crate” that can be shipped using an LTL or parcel carrier depending on the dimensions and weight of the item. Rarely used in ShipHawk. Only use if you explicitly know you are crating items. 

• Pallet:  A shortcut for creating a Handling Unit Item Type with Handling Unit Type “Pallet”. When a Pallet is selected, the User can provide handling unit packages like Box, Drum, Carton, etc. which are used to accurately define the handling units displayed on the bill of lading. Pallets can only be shipped with LTL carriers. 

The most commonly used type of item is unpacked items, which are usually loose objects that cannot be shipped until they are put inside some kind of outer container for shipping. To more accurately ship an unpacked item, ShipHawk suggests that you assign it an unpacked item type ID, which is a proprietary system ShipHawk has built that defines the shipping characteristics of this item. The data provided by an unpacked item type improves ShipHawk’s ability to pack and rate the item. Unpacked item type data is only used when Smart Packing™ is enabled. ShipHawk supports a large catalog of unpacked item types, but the most common are the following:

• Generic unpacked item. These items are a broad category of loose items that must be packed in a parcel for shipping. This is a catchall category and is the default choice if you leave the field blank.  This is a safe and recommended starting point for new Smart Packing users.

• Box. These items come to the warehouse individually boxed or represent items that can be shipped in their own packaging or not. How these boxes are treated depend on the quantity ordered. If a customer only purchases one item, the item will ship in its own box. Once the order has enough boxes to palletize based on the weight or number of boxes, the Smart Packing™ algorithm will suggest packing on a pallet to reduce shipping cost. 
  Unpacked Box item types will never be packed in a larger box. 

• Clothes. Clothing is shipped either rolled or folded to optimize packing efficiency. Clothing item types must have a height under 2-inches before rolling or folding. 

ShipHawk does not provide a full list of supported unpacked item types as items are constantly being added and updated.  If you have a question about how to achieve a certain result with your product catalog or Smart Packing™ in general, contact either your ShipHawk support representative. They will work with you to determine the right unpacked item type ID for your product. The unpacked item type ID is also necessary for mapping data to NetSuite and other functionality that your organization may wish to use in the future.

New Product Screen Reference

➤ Product data

➤ Product shipping data

➤ Kit SKUs

➤ Items

➤ Manage Customs Data

Manually adding a new product to ShipHawk

Product information can be added to ShipHawk in one of three ways:

• Manual data entry using the ShipHawk interface.

• Uploading products data to ShipHawk using a .CSV file.

• Importing product data via an integration, such as NetSuite or Shopify.

The following sections provide detailed procedures for how to import your product catalog using each of the listed methods.

To manually add a product

1. You can access the new product creation screen in one of two ways:

   1. Click the expansion button next to the Products link in the top menu of the ShipHawk dashboard. 
      

      

      
      
      

   2. Click the Create a New Product link. The Products screen appears. The new product creation window populates on the right side of the screen.
      

      

2. Complete the Product section of the new product creation window.

   1. Enter a unique SKU number in the SKU field that is consistent with your organization’s naming convention.
      

      

   2. Enter a descriptive name for the product in the Name field.
      

      

   3. Enter the product’s UPC code in the UPC field.
      

      

   4. Enter a description of the product in the Description field.
      

      

   5. If your product contains any child SKUs, enter values for the child’s SKU, quantity, minimum quantity, and price per child item in the fields associated with child SKUs.
      

      

   6. If you have an image of your product, enter the URL where the image is hosted in the Image URL field.
      

      

   7. Select the Ships Individually check box if you wish to create a single package shipment for items where this setting is enabled.
      

      

   8. If your product is serialized or lotted, select the correct option from the Serialized/Lotted field. Doing this will change how ShipHawk treats this item during pack-verification.  Serialized/Lotted items must have a serial or lot #. 
      

      

3. If your new product is a kit, complete the Kit SKUs section.

   1. Click the + Add SKU link under the Kit SKUs section. New fields appear.
      

      

   2. To show kits as a single line item for on ShipHawk generated commercial invoices, click the Show as one line item for customs field. If unchecked, all the kit-component SKUs will be listed on the commercial invoice.

   3. For this SKU, select the number of this specific kit-component in the QTY field.

   4. Enter the SKU number for this kit-component.

   5. Enter the % of the total kit value this kit-component represents using the % of Total Value field. ShipHawk will calculate the individual values of each kit-component based on the sales price of the kit that syncs to ShipHawk.

   6. If your kit has multiple child-SKUs whose SKUs differ from one another, click the +Add SKU link in the Kit SKUs section and repeat the preceding steps until complete.   

4. To add items to your new product, complete the Items section.

   1. Click the + Add Item button under the Items section. 
      

      

   2. Enter a description of your item in the Description field.

   3. Enter a commodity description of your item in the Commodity Description field.

   4. Enter the price of your item in the Price field.

   5. Enter the quantity of this item in the QTY field. (1 is the default value of this field.)

   6. Select the Unpacked option from the Item Type field. (Parcel is the default.) New fields appear.
      

      

   7. Enter the unpacked item type into the Unpacked Item Type field. This field is relevant if you have enabled Smart Packing™.

      1. Box (ID: itm_kEZnjabt in Production)- An item that can ship in its own packaging and does not require packing into another package before shipping, but MAY be packed into a larger box when other items are present or onto a pallet.

      2. Generic Unpacked Item (ID: itm_g8z4CTW2 in Production) - Loose items that need to be “Smart Packed” before shipping. 

      3. Clothes (ID: itm_khNbfek5 in Production) - Items that can be rolled or folded from the original  dimensions as stored in ShipHawk. Items must be less than 2” in height prior to packing.

   8. Enter the item’s dimensions into the Length, Width, and Height fields.
      

      

   9. Enter the item’s weight into the Weight field.

   10. Select the correct freight class from the Freight Class field.

   11. Enter the NMFC code into the NMFC field.

   12. Select the Requires Crating field if the item must be packed into a crate for shipment.

       

   13. Select the ORM-D field if your item qualifies as such.
       

       

   14. Select the Hazmat field if your item qualifies as such.
       

       

   15. Complete the new hazmat fields.

   16. To add customs data to this item, click the International Customs Data link.

   You will be redirected to the Manage Customs Data screen.
   
   

   

   q. Complete the customs fields and click the Finish button to save. Your customs data is displayed in the Items section.

r. Click the + Add Another Item button to add any additional items to  your SKU.

5. Click the Create link at the top of the screen to finish.

Repeat this procedure for all products you want to manually add to your product catalog.

Uploading product catalog by .CSV file

You can upload a large amount of data to ShipHawk at once by entering all the necessary data into a .CSV file. .CSV files must follow a specific template in order to successfully upload all your data. Each type of data upload - packing materials and products - follows a different template format. The templates for each of these types of data upload are easily accessible in ShipHawk.

To download the ShipHawk Product Upload Template, navigate to the Product screen and click the Actions drop-down menu. From here, you have the option to download the sample .CVS file.

To correctly configure your .CSV file:

1. For each type of data upload, ShipHawk provides detailed templates that show the required data columns and their correct order.

2. Download the template file and save to your computer. The file is a spreadsheet file (.xlsx).

3. Open the template file and read the instructions included in each template. Each template file contains detailed definitions for both required and optional columns. Additionally, each template file contains a sheet that shows how the final .CSV file should be formatted using dummy data.

4. Create your own spreadsheet based on the template. One way is to make a copy of the sample template and complete it with your own data.

5. Once you finish, save the .xlsx file as a .csv file.

The following sections provide instructions for how to upload each type of .CSV files.

To upload your product catalog via .CSV file:

1. From the Products screen, click the Actions drop-down menu. 
   

   

   
   

2. Click the Import Products link. The Import Products screen appears.
   
   

   

3. Select the CSV File option from the Import from drop-down field.
   
   

   

   
   

4. Select your integration from the Choose an Integration drop-down field.
   

   

5. Click the Choose File button and select your previously configured .CSV file.
   

   

6. Click the Start Import button.
   

   

7. A confirmation message appears upon successful upload.
   
   

   

Importing product catalogs via integration

The following section provides detailed procedures for importing your product catalog via an integration in ShipHawk.

To import products from NetSuite

1. From the ShipHawk dashboard, click on the Products drop-down menu from the top bar and select the Product Import/Export menu option.
   

   

   
   You will be redirected to the Product History screen.
   

   

2. Click on the Actions button to access additional menu items. 
   

   

   
   

3. Select the Import Products option. The Import Products screen is displayed. 
   

   

4. Select the eCommerce Integration option from the Import From field.
   

   

5. Select your NetSuite integration from the Choose an Integration drop-down field.
   

   

6. Click the Start Import button to initiate your product catalog import.

7. A message populates confirming that the import has begun.
   

   

8. The import job is added to a queue and will begin processing which may take several minutes or more.  

Proceed to the next section to set up your packing materials. The Smart Packing™ algorithm must know what packing material options you have available to determine the best way to pack an order.

Packing Materials

To use the Smart Packing™ algorithm, you must configure your packing materials in ShipHawk. Each packing material that exists in ShipHawk’s system must include the following basic information:

• Name

• Material type: box, envelope, or pallet

• Outer Dimensions

• Inner Dimensions (for boxes)

• Weight of the packing material itself

• Maximum weight this packing material can hold

• Max Pallet Height, the height of items that can be stacked on top of your pallet (excluding the height of the pallet itself) 

In addition to these required data, ShipHawk supports an additional feature that allows users to assign certain packing materials to specific warehouses if your organization has more than one warehouse. You may make a packing material available to all warehouses or specify specific ones.

ShipHawk’s Smart Packing™ algorithm uses a size-first optimization strategy. The smallest possible packing material is selected that will contain the shipment. In some cases, there may be a slightly larger flat-rate packing material that will ship for less. These cases, however, are generally rare.

ShipHawk supports two methods of packing material configuration:

• Upload packing materials to ShipHawk via a .CSV file, or 

• Manually enter packing materials from the ShipHawk UI.

Depending on the number of packing materials your organization needs to configure, you may choose either of these options.

Configuring packing materials

The following section provides detailed instructions for manually adding a new packing material using the ShipHawk interface. For instructions on how to correctly configure a .CSV file for importing your packing materials, see Appendix A at the end of this document.

To manually add a Packing Material

1. From the ShipHawk dashboard, select Settings ⚙️ icon > Settings > Packing Materials from the top right corner.
   

   

   
   You will be redirected to the Packing Materials screen. 
   

   

   
   

2. Click the Add Packing Materials button to be redirected to the Add Packing Material screen.
   

   

3. Complete the Create Packing Material section.

   1. Enter a unique name for your packing material in the Name field.
      

      

   2. Select an option that describes your packing material type from the Kind drop-down field.
      

      

   3. Enter the weight of the packing material in the Material Weight field.
      

      

   4. Enter the maximum weight that can be packed into the packing material in the Max Weight field.
      

      

   5. Enter the packing material’s length, width, and height  in the Length, Width, and Height fields under the Outer Dimensions section. These dimensions should be the outer dimensions of the packaging. Note that outer dimensions are fixed in space, the system does not assume these can be flexed in any direction. 
      

      

   6. If you selected Box as the packing material type, you can enter the box’s inner dimensions under the Inner Dimensions section. Inner dimensions are useful to include if you package your products with any kind of insulation or loose fill materials. This ensures the packing algorithm selects a box with appropriate outer dimensions for fitting both the product and insulation (filler) material. 
      

      

      
      

4. To add multiple packing materials at once, click the Add Another Material link at the bottom of the Create Packing Material section. 
   

   

   Additional fields will populate.
   

   

   
   

5. To assign specific packing materials to specific warehouses, click to expand the Assign to Warehouse(s) section. New fields will populate.
   

   

6. Complete the Assign to Warehouse section.

   1. If you have multiple packing materials, you can assign them in bulk to specific warehouses by selecting the warehouses from the Bulk Action drop-down field.
      

      

   2. To assign an individual packing material to specific warehouses, select the warehouses from the Warehouse field for each new packing material.
      

      

7. Click the Add Packing Material button to finish.
   

   

Repeat this procedure for all your available packing materials.

Uploading packing materials via .CSV file

Like the product catalog, you can upload your packing materials to ShipHawk using a correctly configured .CSV file. All .CSV files must be configured correctly to successfully import your data. ShipHawk provides example files to help customers format their .CSV files correctly. To download the ShipHawk Packing Materials Upload Template, navigate to the Packing Materials screen by clicking Settings ⚙️ icon > Settings > Packing Materials. From here, you can download the sample .CSV file by clicking on the Add Packing Material drop-down menu.

To upload your packing materials to ShipHawk

1. From the ShipHawk dashboard, click Settings ⚙️ icon > Settings > Packing Materials.
   

   

2. Click the + Add Packing Materials button. 
   

   

3. Click on the Import Packing Materials (CSV) link. The Upload Packing Material (CSV) pop-up screen is displayed.
   

   

4. Upload your prepared .CSV file. A message populates to confirm the upload.
   

   

5. Click the Close button to finish.

Smart Packing Settings

Smart Packing™ provides suggestions about which items to pack into each box and/or onto each pallet for a given order. When Smart Packing™ is enabled, ShipHawk takes into account the packing materials available at the originating warehouse to select the best way to pack an order. 

The ability to anticipate how the items in an order are packed helps ShipHawk choose the right carrier and service for each order.  Accurate packing lowers shipping costs, helps recover or pass through the right costs to end customers and speeds up order fulfillment by reducing the number of decisions required in your warehouse.

Configuring Smart Packing settings

The Smart Packing™ algorithm can be customized to fit your organization’s fulfillment needs using a few system settings. These settings can be found in ShipHawk’s Settings dashboard.

To configure Smart Packing

1. From the ShipHawk dashboard, click the Settings ⚙️ icon > Settings in the upper right corner of the screen.

2. Click on the Smart Packing tab on the left menu to be redirected to the Smart Packing screen.
   

   

3. Select the Enable Smart Packing option to enable the Smart Packing™ feature.
   

   

   
   

4. Set the Smart Packing options based on your business requirements.
   
   Require pallet(s) when box count exceeds: Enter the maximum number of boxes before you require the use of pallets.
   
   Disable smart packing when item count exceeds: The maximum item count allowed by default (2000) before Smart Packing is disabled automatically. Smart Packing large orders can impact system performance and the response time for in-cart rating and order processing. Contact ShipHawk to update this value.
   
   Put packages from the edge of each pallet: The distance in inches that a package can be from the edge of a pallet.
   
   Let ShipHawk create custom box sizes: Select to have Smart Packing recommend custom box sizes.
   
   Try pallet(s): Specify to try using pallets when the weight exceeds a specified value (default: 150 lbs) or the dimensional weight exceeds a specified value (default: 150 inches).
   
   Treat items as spikes: for items that are longer than a specified value (default: 24.0 inches) where their aspect ratio (Length : Width) exceeds a specified value (default: 10.0 inches).
   
   Treat boxes as spike boxes (boxes that can carry spike items): for boxes when the box aspect ratio exceeds a specified value (default: 40.0 inches) but not a specified value (5.0 inches).
   
   Treat boxes as regular boxes (boxes above that aspect ratio will be skipped for regular items): when the box aspect ratio (Length : Width) does not exceed a specified value (default: 10.0 inches).
   
   

5. When done, click UPDATE SETTINGS.

Packing Material Transformations - Telescoping and Cut Down

When calculating proposed shipments, Smart Packing will always pick the smallest packing material (material containers), that can fit the items in the order. By default, Smart Packing algorithm will pick from the enabled boxes based on container size. However, there are certain instances when shippers may want to transform or modify a material container to optimize package size. Telescoping and Cut Down are two ways to transform containers to reduce package sizes. If Smart Packing is able to fit all items into a single material container that is less than three cubic feet, ShipHawk will recommend using that container for packing. Smart Packing will never try to transform material containers of less than 3 ft³. For larger shipments and packages, Smart Packing can be configured to automatically recommend that packers “cut down” larger boxes to reduce the package size, which may reduce shipping cost. This approach will recommend reducing the height dimension only, based on the common practice of cutting box edges and scoring sides to reduce box size. For more information, see Packing Material Transformations - Telescoping and Cut Down .

ShipHawk Admin-Only Smart Packing Settings

Some Smart Packing settings are reserved for ShipHawk support administration only.

Smart Packing Limitations

ShipHawk’s Smart Packing™ algorithm does not cover certain packing configurations. Refer to the following chart for the packing scenarios that ShipHawk does and does not support.

The following use cases are not supported

The following features/use cases are not supported by Smart Packing^TM.  If you believe you  need one of the following features, our product team would love to speak with you to learn more about your specific use cases.  You can coordinate time with the product team with your account manager.

• Nesting (packing items into the void space of other items)

• Limitations with packing materials

• Making a Packing decision based on Shipping Rates

• Assigning or restricting packing materials to specific SKU(s)

• Use a large box if a flat rate or special service would be cheaper

• Programmatically decide to band or strap boxes together 

• Mix-SKU / Mixed carton packaging levels

• Like-item packing and product groups

• Fewest mixed pallets

• HAZMAT will not pack with non-HAZMAT items

Nesting

ShipHawk does not programmatically nest items with Smart Packing. Nesting describes a packing configuration wherein items are stacked so that one item goes inside the other to reduce the amount of space taken up in the package.  An example of nesting is a stack of baseball caps or garbage cans. 

Limitations with Packing Materials

Inside Dimensions: Packing Materials do not allow users to set different inside and outside dimensions. The same dimensions are used for both inside/outside dimensions. 

Packing Materials or Carrier Containers that are “Envelopes” have preset heights. Because of this, Smart Packing does not “flex” the height dimension based on the contents and flexibility of the envelope. Envelopes/Polybags are treated like rectangular prisms with fixed dimensions. 

Making a packing decision based on Shipping Rates

Currently, the algorithm determines how to pack items by creating packing variants that minimize void space. The Smart Packing algorithm first determines the best packing material, then gets rates for the given package. Because of this, ShipHawk may select a bigger box when multiple smaller boxes would be a better choice. For example, shipping FedEx Ground in one big box is cheap locally, but in some cases - like shipping cross country, shipping in multiple smaller FedEx One Rate boxes could be a cheaper option to meet customer delivery promises. 

Assigning or restricting packing materials to specific SKU(s)

ShipHawk does not allow users to assign specific packing materials to a specific SKUs. ShipHawk allows users to assign a specific packing material at the order-level only. This cannot be configured at the item-level.  If you create a Rating Rule or Shipping Policy to tell ShipHawk to use a certain packing material, all items in that order will be packed into the box selected.  

Use larger box if carrier rate would be cheaper

In some edge cases, using a larger flat-rate box may result in a cheaper overall shipping rate. ShipHawk currently optimizes void space first, so this edge case is not supported. 

Banded / strapped crates and boxes

The Smart Packing™ algorithm will not propose shipments where boxes or crates would be strapped or banded together. 

Parent-SKUS / packaging levels

You can not create a Parent SKU that contains different Child SKUs.  In other words, packaging levels can only be created for the same SKU, you cannot create packaging levels (i.e. Parent SKUs) that relate to more than one Child SKU.

It is possible that you may be looking to solve the use case with Kit. See the Kits section of this document for more information.

Like-item packing and product groups

In some cases, certain types of products should be packed together.  ShipHawk does not support product groups to force certain items to pack with other like items. 

Fewest mixed pallets

In some areas of retail compliance, retailers may require the shipper to arrange pallets such that there are the fewest mixed pallets - pallets that contain different items - in order to simplify their receiving process.  The Smart Packing algorithm will optimize for space and will not optimize for fewest mixed pallets. 

HAZMAT and Non-HAZMAT items

Smart packing will not pack HAZMAT (Dangerous Goods, Limited Quantity, ORM-D) with items that are not hazardous.  Smart packing packs HAZMAT items into their own packages.