Route Mapping Interface Overview

This topic describes how to set up STORIS to interface with your route-mapping program. For information on purchasing the interface program and activating it in STORIS, contact your STORIS representative.

Use the Run the Mapping Interface routine to connect STORIS to a third-party route-mapping program and to auto-route and/or map deliveries generated by orders in STORIS. If using an API route mapping service such as DispatchTrack, the Run the Mapping Interface process is not used.

At this time, the following route-mapping program interfaces are available:  

• ArcLogistics®

• RouteView®

• UPS Roadnet®

• STORIS

The information exchanged varies for each route-mapping program.  

The STORIS routing/logistics web service interface currently works with DispatchTrack. The STORIS interface allows for easier access to the routing data, enabling the interface to be used with other routing/logistic companies. Contact STORIS for more information.

Setup

To set up the interface with your third-party route-mapping program, complete the following steps:

1. Create your delivery routes via the Logistical Route Settings routine. We recommend you create a large route for each day of the week on which you make deliveries.

2. Make sure your zip codes have been set up properly so you can link your routes to the appropriate zip codes.

3. Establish cutoff settings in the Route Capacity Control Settings.

4. Establish and/or adjust route capacities in the Route Capacity Settings.

5. Contact STORIS to activate the Routing/Mapping Interface via the General System Control Settings.

6. For each location you use with the Route Mapping Interface, select your third-party route-mapping provider at the Routing field on the Merchandise tab. This action affects prompts in the manifest programs, for example the Truck prompt in the Build a Delivery/Service/Transfer Manifest routine.  

7. In the product Group Settings, enter the routing information (that is, the Capacity Units, Capacity Weight, and Unload Time (min.) for each product group you deliver. If you leave these fields blank for a product group, then if any products from the group appear on an order, the system gets this information from the Route Capacity Control Settings.

8. In the Advanced Product Settings, define the Unload Time (min.).

9. Set up the route mapping software with assistance from your third-party software representative.

 You must also specify data paths to and from your third-party route-mapping program.  A separate routine exists for each of the following programs, via which you can specify your data paths:

    - ArcLogistics

    - RouteView

    - UPS Roadnet

Interface Processing

When you start the Run the Mapping Interface routine, the system checks for batches already in progress for the selected warehouse. If found, the program prompts you to either continue (OK) with the process or cancel (Abort) and return to the pre-screen prompts.

The program selects all orders with the specified date and location. Note that the program ignores orders that do not have at least one piece reserved A line-item status indicating the system was able to find and allocate inventory to the line item.. The routine creates an ASCII file containing your selected data and transfers it to the PC.

Next, run your third-party route-mapping program. Since you must return to the Run the Mapping Interface routine to upload the routing data back into STORIS, you can do one of the following with your STORIS session while performing the mapping function:

1. Minimize the STORIS session, and then return to STORIS to complete the process.

2. End the STORIS session then restart the Run the Mapping Interface routine later to upload the routing data.

After you complete the mapping process in your third-party route-mapping program, a prompt appears through which you can upload the process information back to STORIS.

If the Auto Build or Re-build Manifest flag has been set in the Run the Mapping Interface routine, the program adds each order to the appropriate delivery manifest and updates the following fields in each order record included in the manifest:  

• Truck Number

• Stop Time

You can also build a manifest manually.

Other Functions

You can now proceed to the picking phase, or you can perform any of the following functions:

• truck packing (via the Load a Truck routine)

• delivery manifest maintenance (via the Manually Assign an Order to a Truck routine)

• manifest printing (via the Print a Delivery Manifest routine)

• print return labels (via the Print Return Labels from Manifest routine)

 If you enable the Load Address Corrections field in the Route Mapping Control Settings, address inconsistencies found by your third-party route-mapping program are automatically updated in STORIS during the upload process.

STORIS has 5-digit limit for truck names. In addition, when uploading routing data from your third-party program, STORIS adds a prefix to the truck name. The prefix includes the location code of the route and a dash (-). Therefore, we suggest you limit your truck codes to one or two digits to save digits for the prefix.

Batch Exceptions

If any batches contain delivery data that has changed in the time between order entry and batch transmission, a warning message appears and you have the option to print an exception A condition or irregularity recorded by the system. Exceptions can appear in reports, for example, items on a delivery manifest that were not delivered. report.  The report indicates orders for which

• the date changed,

• ticket printing was skipped, and/or

• tickets were not printed during the routing process.