Shipping Link is an integration for Sage 100 developed by ISM (which merged with SWK Technologies back in 2018) that enables you to connect your ERP with third-party service systems like UPS WorldShip and FedEx Ship Manager, and ultimately manage shipments directly from your Sage business management software. It achieves this by allowing you to synchronize data between each application and automatically filling in information for sales and shipping orders, among other activities that help streamline your supply chain operations.
Below is the recap and transcript of a webinar SWK hosted in April that includes a quick demo of how Shipping Link works with Sage as well as UPS, along with an extended Q&A session where the SWK team dove deeper into attendee questions on what else this integration achieves.
Recap of Shipping Link for Sage 100 Webinar
Use this recap to skip to the sections that matter for you:
Demo of Shipping Link for Sage 100 (1:26 – 11:23)
The first half of the webinar consisted of an in-depth demonstration of using Shipping Link, including how it connects with Sage 100 and UPS or FedEx and how this integration works in your ERP.
- [2:17] The demo begins with a quick tutorial on how to access the Shipping Link integration in Sage
- [2:51] Explanation of setting up sales orders in Shipping Link and Sage 100 to interact with UPS WorldShip and FedEx Ship Manager
- [3:49] Overview of data capture, data transfer and order creation options between Shipping Link and external shipping platforms
- [4:59] An example of how to define shipping methods and auto-populate recipient address and other contact details in orders
- [5:52] How to process shipments for third-party systems in Sage 100 leveraging the synchronized data flow
- [6:36] Demonstration of how the data is automatically pulled from Sage 100 into UPS WorldShip via the integration
- [7:46] How to add and process package weight on your shipment and ensure the data is automatically applied
- [8:26] Ready to start creating the invoice for your sales order?
- [10:29] Steps for finalizing and submitting your order to be shipped
Q&A and Webinar Conclusion (11:26 – 22:59)
The second half of the webinar was devoted to a lengthy Q&A session where the SWK team answered several questions clarifying the capabilities of Shipping Link when integrated with Sage 100.
- [12:45] Does Shipping Link also work with FedEx?
- [13:20] What if a shipment is back ordered and not shipped complete?
- [14:36] When and where does shipping data populate into Sage 100 from UPS WorldShip, and how fast is it exchanged?
- [15:09] How exactly does Shipping Link work with FedEx? Is it similar to how it works with UPS?
- [15:37] Does Shipping Link integrate with Scanco in addition to Sage 100?
- [16:41] How are additional charges handled?
- [17:56] Can you automatically charge on a published flat fee amount?
- [19:09] Will Shipping Link include LTL shipments in the future?
- [20:33] Does Shipping Link integrate with CIMCloud and Sage 100 for ecommerce data?
- [22:08] Is there a shipping volume minimum for using Shipping Link?
Refer to the transcript below for more granular information on the Shipping Link integration for Sage 100:
Transcript of Shipping Link for Sage 100 Webinar
0:05
Hello, everyone. My name is Courtney Pollock, and I’m the Customer Marketing Coordinator for SWK Technologies. I’d like to welcome you to our webinar, Discover Shipping Link for SAGE 100, presented by Jeanne Jackson, Beth McNeil, and Carla Brown. Before we get started, let’s go over some housekeeping items. Everyone has been placed on mute to keep the background noise to a minimum. However, throughout the webinar, you can submit any questions you have. If you’d like to submit a question, look for the questions section in your GoToWebinar, and we’ll answer all questions at the end of the presentation.
0:37
We’re also recording this presentation, and it will be distributed tomorrow to all attendees, as well as those who registered but were unable to attend today. And finally, we’d appreciate your participation in our poll and closing survey. With that said, we’re thrilled that you’ve taken some time out of your busy day to be with us on this webinar. SAPK is here to help you fulfill your vision of a smarter and easier way to run your business by providing you with tools, support, software, and industry knowledge whenever you need it.
1:04
So, whether you’re here to explore a new solution or you’re just here to learn, don’t hesitate to ask any questions you have. And as a quick reminder, SWK is constantly sharing important updates and software tips and tricks on our social media channels. Check us out and give us a follow on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube so you don’t miss out. OK, that’s enough from me. I’m going to hand it over to Carla to get us started.
1:26
Hello everybody. My name is Carla Brown here with SWK and I’m very excited to have Jeannie show you one of our products. It’s near and dear to my heart. This was written back in the early 2000’s by one of my programmers and it has been around for a long time. It integrates with Sage 100 we’re really excited to show you the shipping link for UPS and FedEx today. As Courtney said, please feel free to ask questions, and we’ll give a brief overview, and please do participate in the polls. All right?
2:01
I will hand it to you, Jeannie. Thank you.
2:04
Great. Thanks, Carla, and welcome, everyone.
Demo of Shipping Link for Sage 100
2:11
We’re just going to do a quick change here so we can get the demo pulled up.
2:18
All right. Our first stop in our demo is the Shipping Link Options screen, which is found under the Sales Order SWK Shipping Link Setup menu. In this screen, I designate the location in SAGE 100 where shipping information will be populated by Shipping Link and the shipping software. Shipping information may be assigned and retained in Sales Order Entry, Sales Order Invoice Data Entry, or Shipping Data Entry. Today, I will select Sales Order Entry. This allows us to see how the shipping data pulled into Sage 100 from UPS WorldShip will travel from the sales order to the sales order invoice.
3:04
When using UPS WorldShip, the following setup options need to be defined. If a signature is required on UPS shipments for all sales orders, select the Set Signature Required in UPS WorldShip checkbox to automatically select the required signature option in UPS WorldShip when sales order data moves from SAGE 100 to UPS WorldShip. For this demo, I will clear the checkbox. When shipping data is pulled into SAGE 100, the data is stored in shipping link files. When the auto-populate standard tracking file checkbox field is selected, the shipping information also populates the SAGE 100 package tracking file.
3:49
Next, I will specify the capture method, either by package charge or shipment total. The difference between these two options is that the capture by shipment total will allow any handling charges that were added from the shipping software to be included in the freight amount total. Finally, the method of moving the data from UPS WorldShip to SAGE 100 needs to be defined. Two options are available, ODBC or CSV file. For this demo, I will use the CSV file method. After shipping link options and UPS WorldShip mappings are defined, I’ll create a sales order in sales order entry.
4:32
Selecting the next order number button generates a new order number. I’ll select customer number 01-ABF, which pulls in the customer’s default information, including the customer’s name, American Business Futures. Next, I’ll type PO123 in the customer PO number field. This value will be pushed over to the shipping document in UPS WorldShip. I’ll define the shipping method by selecting ground from UPS ground from the ship via lookup list. Notice that John Quinn defaulted to the confirm to field.
5:12
And the email address assigned to the defaulting ship to address code displays in the email field. On the address tab, the ship to address information is different from the bill to address information. The ship to address will be pulled into the UPS WorldShip software. On the lines tab, the item that the customer is ordering is added to the sales order. On the totals tab, note that the ship weight field is blank and the freight amount field is zero. I’ll click accept to save the sales order.
5:52
Next, I’ll access UPS WorldShip to process my shipment. For the demo today, UPS WorldShip was previously set up, including the mappings for the fields between Sage 100 and UPS WorldShip. The first step is to select the import export menu, the key to import option, and then type the sales order number. In the standard UPS WorldShip message, I’ll select no to not update the existing address information with the new address being pulled in from SAGE 100. The information I entered in the SAGE 100 sales order displays on the UPS WorldShip screen.
6:37
Let’s review the data that was pulled into UPS WorldShip from SAGE 100. The customer ID 01-ABF and customer name American Business Futures displays on the UPS WorldShip screen. The Attention field is populated with John Quinn from the Confirm To field on the Header tab in Sales Order Entry. The Address fields display the Sage 400 Ship To address information, including the phone number. The Email Address field is populated by the email assigned to the Email field on the Sales Order Entry Header tab.
7:17
The UPS service field is populated with the ship VM value that was assigned in the sales order entry header tab. The reference number one field displays the SAGE 100 sales order number. The reference number two field was mapped to be populated by the value assigned to the SAGE 100 customer PO field found on the sales order entry header tab. Notice PO123 displays in the UPS world ship field. After the shipping information is verified, the next step is to enter the weight for the item being shipped.
7:53
Typically, customers connect a scale to the UPS WorldShip software, and the weight value is automatically populated when the item being shipped is weighed. After typing in the package weight, UPS calculates the freight and displays the calculated value in the Shippers Cost Publish field. I’ll click the Process Shipment button to process the shipment in UPS WorldShip, print the shipping label, and then the UPS shipping information is pushed back to stage 100. Now let’s review the changes made to the sales order by accessing the order in Sales Order Entry.
8:33
Clicking the Shipping Link button found at the bottom of the Sales Order Entry screen displays the Shipment Order Status dialog box. Note that the tracking number generated by the UPS WorldShip software displays along with the freight amount, weight, and ship date. I’ll click the Capture button as I am ready to invoice the customer for the item that was shipped from UPS WorldShip. Clicking the Capture button designates the shipping information as the information to be used when I create the invoice.
9:06
On the Totals tab, notice that the ship weight and the freight amount fields were updated with the freight weight and freight value calculated by the UPS WorldShip software. These values were populated when I selected the process shipment button in UPS WorldShip. Now that I am ready to invoice the customer’s order, I’ll access sales order invoice data entry. From Sales Order Invoice Data Entry, I’ll create a new invoice by selecting the Next Invoice Number button and then the sales order number.
9:43
Notice that the Shipping link button is also available from the Sales Order Invoice Data Entry screen. Clicking this button opens the Shipping Order Status dialog box where I can view the UPS World Ship information. If I click the Tracking button from the dialog box, The UPS shipping information displays on the UPS tracking website. Since I did not create a valid shipping document in UPS WorldShip during this demo, I am not able to display the tracking information from the website.
10:14
Since I selected to auto-populate standard tracking files and shipping link options, when I click the Tracking button on the header tab, the UPS tracking number displays in the Summary Package Tracking dialog box. Next, I select the lines tab to pull in the item that I sold to the customer and select yes to ship the complete sales order. On the totals tab, the ship weight and freight amount values are transferred from the sales order to the invoice. From here, the invoice is processed and updated following normal SAGE 100 processing by printing the invoice and running the daily sales journal update.
10:56
After the invoice is updated, the shipping information may be viewed in Invoice History. From AR Invoice History Inquiry, I will find the invoice and click the Shipping Link button to view the UPS information. Or, click the Tracking button on the main tab to display the tracking number. And that’s how easy it is to use SWK’s Shipping Link.
Q&A and Webinar Conclusion
11:26
Thank you, Jeannie, for showing us how Shipping Link connects SAGE 100 with UPS WorldShip and FedEx Ship Manager. We are now going to go into a Q&A session. So if you have any questions that you haven’t had a chance to get in yet, please get those in now. We have some Shipping Link expertise here so they can get all your questions answered in real time. And also while we go into Q&A and while you’re getting those questions in, We just want to do a quick poll to find out, you know, we did a quick showing of what Shipping Link can do to connect SAGE 100 with FedEx and UPS.
12:04
So, if you’d like to learn more about how Shipping Link can work with your SAGE 100 setup, let us know and we’ll have the SWK rep contact you and get you some more information. So Beth, Carla, Jeannie, I’ve had a couple questions come in for you during that. So we’re going to leave this poll open for just a second longer, and then we’ll dive in. Okay. Thank you, everyone. I’m going to close out the poll now.
12:41
Okay. So the first question I have for you is, does Shipping Link also work with FedEx?
12:54
I can take that. You want to go ahead, Karina?
12:57
Sure, sure. Yes, it does work with FedEx, and it works very similar to what you saw. We just demoed the UPS integration today, so it does work. The setup is a little bit different the way we go about setting it up, and there’s a little bit of involvement with your FedEx rep, but yes, it does.
13:21
Great. And the next question we have is, What if a shipment is back ordered and not shipped complete?
13:31
I can take that one. As long as the sales order status is open and sales order entry, the information can be pulled into UPS WorldShip and process the shipment again. You can have a second, a third, how many tracking numbers you need to ship complete that order.
13:49
OK, that’s great to know. And another question about capabilities is, can additional fields in UPS WorldShip be mapped to Stage 100?
14:04
Such as length, width, and height, which you saw in UPS WorldShip, it doesn’t exist in core Stage 100. But we can customize shipping link to meet that need.
14:16
So essentially, we can add even user-defined fields stage two and map certain fields if necessary, correct?
14:33
It’s great to know that there’s some customization options there. And then another question we had from the audience is, you know, when does the population of shipping data in stage 100 WorldShip happen? So how fast is this data exchange?
14:48
As soon as the shipment is processed in WorldShip, when we click that button to process that shipment, the data was moved over to Sage 100. So, you don’t have to wait to the end of the day and process everything over.
15:01
Okay. And I know we already touched on FedEx a bit, but I just want to, you know, circle back for another question we had. So, it asks, you know, how does shipping work with FedEx? So, is that way that it works with FedEx pretty much similar to what we just showed with UPS?
15:21
Yes, but you’re going to set up import-export mappings with FedEx support themselves instead of yourself doing it, which is very helpful to have their help.
15:33
Okay. So, we have a, Carla, this one might be for you. So, we have a user out here who’s already using Scanco. So, does this help with Scanco at all? Is there any interaction with transferring that Scanco data into Sage 100 of this interacting together?
15:50 So if you’re using Scanco, it should integrate also. It’s just passing the shipping information from WorldShip or from FedEx, so it shouldn’t really have any effect. Now, if they want to map some of the fields or put anything on the label, that’s all having to do with…if the fields are there in Sage 100, which they are, then that can print, so they should integrate. Jeannie, I don’t know if you have anything else there, but it should integrate with a scan force or a scan co.
16:25
Okay, yeah, so if I know we’ve had a couple of people ask about scan co, so if that’s something you’re using, definitely let us know that you’re interested and we can give you some detailed information about how they all interact together.
16:39
And then, you know, great questions from everyone. So another question we’ve had is, you know, how are additional charges handled? I’m assuming this is for a shipment.
16:51
So like an additional, like an upcharge or something like that, I’m assuming they’re referring to?
16:57
I think so. Is that your question? Yes. He said yes. So like an additional upcharge to the shipments they put in.
17:06
So Jeannie, do you want to take that? I believe, I think I know the answer, but I’d rather have you answer if that’s okay. I believe you can pass additional charges over. That would be more of a custom mapping. Am I correct?
17:19
Yeah, and I’ll lean on Beth a little bit more because she’s had a little bit more experience studying this stuff.
17:26
Hi, everybody. Additional charges, there is the setup in the shipping link setups that you’re taking the package total and not the actual freight. But that is an extra mapping that you have to set up with your WorldShip representative to handle and bring in those extra charges as part of your total freight.
17:50
Yep. Okay. Okay. Great to know. And so we have another question kind of on charges and costs. So this audience member would like to know, can they automatically charge published amount and not their cost?
18:07
publish, so in other words, pass a flat fee. So it’s $10 shipment versus passing the cost. Do you want to take that, Beth, or Jeannie?
18:25
I can take it. It depends on how you use WorldShip. If you have that set up in WorldShip and it’s calculated as your standard freight, we’re just passing that information back. So if you have that set up in WorldShip, and again, you’d have to talk to your WorldShip representative to have that as a flat fee, then we can pull it in.
18:52
Right, because it’s being calculated over there. So whatever the freight copper amount is.
19:00
OK. And this might be our last question, unless we have another last minute submission.
19:05
We’re loving all the great questions. I think this is about expanded capabilities. So this audience member wants to know if the solution is going to be expanded to LTL shipment.
19:21
To my knowledge, Jeannie, do you want me to take that? I don’t think we’re going to move into the LTL space. If we’re looking at LTL, you’re probably looking at a different product, which we do have offerings. But this product is really specific to the simple shipping for FedEx or UPS.
19:43
But happy to talk about LTL. We do have options for that too. And we have a couple different options. So happy to make sure and ping us and we’re happy to get on the phone and discuss the options.
19:58 Yeah, and I think we’re having some other questions. We’ve had some other questions come in, too, about other solutions that might be extended to USPS. So I think if that’s something you’re curious about, just let us know in the post-webinar survey that you want to be followed up with. And we’ll get you some information on if we have something that has those capabilities already available that might work for you.
20:24
We can walk you through what the best fit is. And there’s a couple of different options, sure.
20:30
OK. And I know we touched on Scanco, Carla. We’ve had some audience members asking if this has any capabilities with the e-commerce integration, CIMCloud. So would this kind of work the same way, it’s just bringing that information into Stage 100 for them?
20:47
Yeah, and it’s really bringing the information from the world chip or the FedEx. So it really doesn’t have an integration with the, because the orders come in from CIMCloud or your e-commerce, let’s say, those come in. And then those shipments feed over to UPS or FedEx, right, to say, what is it? All the calculations happen over there, and then it feeds back to Sage. So there’s not a direct interface with our shipping link because it’s all going in between Sage 100 and the shipping solution.
21:16
Is that fair, Jeannie or Beth, if you want to add to that? Does that make sense?
21:26 Cause your tools, the FedEx ship manager, I think it’s called, or the UPS shipping link or the UPS, um, uh, world ship, which are the products that are going to do all the calculations and actually pull the information from your sales orders from Sage 100. So anything that’s coming from e-commerce would come in automatically over sitting Sage 100 and then feed over.
21:51
That was great to know. So it’s really getting all that data into Sage 100 for you.
21:55
Yeah. That’s a good question. Okay. And yeah, a lot of great questions coming in. So again, we got a, we had a big boost in questions right there when I said it was the last one. So potentially our last question again. So is there a certain volume of shipment that a person needs to have to really make this product worthwhile?
22:19 I could take that one too. No, absolutely not. I think what this streamlines is having to go over and hand enter something into the shipping solution or into the FedEx computer or the UPS computer. This does it automatically pushes and pulls information back and forth. So you’re streamlining. So if you’re doing five shipments a day, you’re still saving time. And this is, it’s pretty cost effective too. So there’s not a minimum that we really have.
22:47
Yeah, and avoiding those typos. I know everyone hates that back.
22:50
And the typo is that you have good data and it’s all happening in the background. So not only are you saving time, but the accuracy.
22:56
Good point, Courtney.
22:59
Okay. Well, I think we might’ve had our last boost of questions. So if you do think of additional questions afterwards, do not hesitate to reach out to your SCS rep. Just reach out to us at info at swktech.com. We’re always happy to help. So thank you, Carla, Jeannie, Beth, for showing us how this product works. And thank you, everyone, for taking a little bit of time out of your Wednesday to be with us. We hope you have a great rest of your day. And let us know if you want more information.
23:29
We’re always here to help. Thank you.
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