Manifest Shipments
Manifest shipments via an automated or manual manifesting process.
About shipment manifesting
Shipment manifests are reports that provide confirmation of package retrieval from a fulfillment center, or origin. Some carriers require a manifest report for shipments. The manifest report typically includes a single barcode with all details of the shipping packages retrieved so that your organization can invoice shipments and verify:
- the total number of packages by carrier;
- the number of items;
- package type; and
- recipient and sender details.
Within the Shipium system, you can set up automated manifesting or manifest manually on demand:
- Schedule Manifest. Manage the manifest process via a carrier schedule, with established days of the week and times for carrier pickup at your origin; or create custom manifest dates and times, with single or multiple pickups per day.
- Manual Manifest. Create a manifest on demand for a carrier account, or override an existing manifest schedule.
- Manifest Summary Report. Input a date range and receive an on-demand report of shipments that were created during that time.
Fulfillment center needed for scheduled manifesting
You must have a fulfillment center, or origin, configured within the Shipium platform to create a manifesting schedule. You can find information in Origins.
Manual manifesting with carriers
Manual manifesting is the process by which your organization can create a manifest for a carrier on demand. This process is required if additional shipments are created at your fulfillment center after the scheduled manifesting has occurred but before the delivery driver arrives for package retrieval.
For example, your organization's automatically scheduled driver pickup occurs at your fulfillment center at 5 pm, resulting in a driver's manifest shipment summary for the scheduled driver pickup printing at 5 pm, but you need to create additional shipments after the manifest has been created and before the delivery pickup has occurred. You'll need to manually create a manifest in the Shipium Console to ensure all packages are manifested as required by the carrier.
Create or update a manifest schedule
To create a new or edit an existing manifest schedule, you'll first need to log in to the Shipium Console. Once logged in to your account, in the lefthand navigation menu, you'll select Carrier Selection and then Manifest.
Next, you'll select Schedule Manifest from the dropdown menu.
After choosing Schedule Manifest, your organization's list of fulfillment centers will appear in the Manifest Schedules section of the page. You can either use the dropdown menus to find a particular carrier account for a fulfillment center and then add a manifest schedule, or locate the fulfillment center in the list.
If you've selected the desired fulfillment center from the list in Manifest Schedules, options for setting up manifesting will appear, depending on if the fulfillment center already has a manifest schedule. If it does, the Edit and Delete buttons will enable you to edit or delete the manifest schedule associated with that fulfillment center, as shown in the following screenshot.
If, however, the fulfillment center has no manifest schedule, the Add button will appear.
To add a manifest schedule, you'll need to provide the following information, as shown in the screenshot below:
- Manifest Schedule Name. This is the human-readable name that your organization will use to refer to the schedule.
- Holidays. You can select multiple values from a dropdown list of holidays.
- Custom Manifest Dates. You can add multiple custom manifest dates and times, allowing for multiple pickups in one day.
- Manifest Times. You can add multiple times for a scheduled manifest for each day of the week applicable to the selected fulfillment center.
Manually manifest a carrier account on demand
To manually manifest for a carrier account, you'll first need to log in to the Shipium Console. Once logged in to your account, in the lefthand navigation menu, you'll select Carrier Selection and then Manifest.
Next, you'll select Manual Manifest from the dropdown menu.
After choosing Manual Manifest, your organization's list of carrier accounts with existing manifest schedules will appear in the Manifest Schedules section of the page. You can also view the last and next manifest events for each carrier account.
Historical manifests
If you're looking for previous manifests, you can find your organization's manifesting history by using the primary Select Manifest Action menu to select Manifest Summary Report, where you'll find a history of all manifests.
You can either locate the carrier account and manifest schedule in the list, or use the dropdown menus to find a particular carrier account for a fulfillment center (beginning with the Fulfillment Center dropdown).
Generate a manifest report on demand
If you select a carrier account without a manifest schedule, the Manifest Carrier Account button will appear, enabling you to manifest for the selected carrier account without using an existing manifest schedule.
A message alerting you that you're creating a manifest report without using an existing manifest schedule will appear.
After clicking Manifest, you'll be taken to the Manifest Summary Report homepage view of all your organization's manifest reports. The newest one you generated will appear at the top of the list.
Manually manifest a report without impacting upcoming scheduled manifesting
Once you've selected the desired carrier account you wish to manifest from the list of carrier accounts, the Manifest Carrier From Schedule button will appear, enabling you to create a manifest for the selected schedule without affecting future scheduled manifests, unless there is a manifest scheduled within the next hour. If there is an upcoming manifest within the hour, you'll need to override it to proceed.
A message alerting you that you're creating a manifest for the selected schedule will appear.
After you select the Manifest button, you'll be taken to the Manifest Summary Report homepage view of all your organization's manifest reports. The newest one you generated will appear at the top of the list.
Override a scheduled manifest
Once you've selected the desired carrier account you wish to manifest from the list of carrier accounts, you'll see the Manifest Carrier From Schedule button. You can view the manifest schedule name and the next manifest event for the carrier account to ensure you're overriding the correct schedule.
A message alerting you that there is a manifest scheduled for the carrier account occurring within one hour will appear, providing the option to Override or Manifest without Override.
If you choose to Override the upcoming scheduled manifest, Shipium will add the override to the manifest schedule and start the manual manifesting process. The regular scheduled manifest will be disregarded for that one time.
If you elect to Manifest without Override, a manifest will be created for the carrier account immediately and the regular upcoming manifest will occur as scheduled.
Generate general manifest summary reports
To generate a general manifest report, you'll first log in to the Shipium Console and access Carrier Selection and then Manifest.
You'll see three data fields on the page: Fulfillment Center, Carrier, and Date Range.
- Fulfillment Center. Select the fulfillment center, or origin, for which you are manifesting the shipment.
- Carrier. Select the desired carrier from the dropdown menu.
- Date Range. Use the dropdown calendar to select your applicable date ranges for the shipment you wish to manifest.
Once you've selected your date range and fulfillment center and chosen your carrier, a general Summary Manifest report preview will be generated. You can select Print to print the report.
View past carrier shipment summary manifest reports
You can access your organization's record of manual manifests via the Shipium Console.
- As with setting up your organization's manual manifesting, in the lefthand navigation menu, select Carrier Selection and then Manifest.
- You'll need to complete the three required fields: Fulfillment Center, Carrier, and Date Range. Then you will select the View Manifest Reports button.
- You should now see a list of your organization's past shipment summary manifest reports applicable to your selected date range and fulfillment center, any of which you can download as a PDF file by selecting the Download Report button next to the report. If the report is unable to be downloaded, the Download Report button will be replaced with a download status, such as "Manifest Pending".
FAQ
Q: How long can I access a manifest report in the Shipium Console?
A: You can retrieve previous manifesting reports for up to one calendar year in the console.
Q: Can I schedule multiple pickups in one day when using scheduled manifesting?
A: Yes, you can customize your scheduled manifesting to occur multiple times in a day for a fulfillment center.
Resources
Your Shipium team member is available to help along the way. However, you might find these resources helpful:
Updated about 1 month ago