Customize Interface

ShipGear allows you to customize the way data is translated between Sage 50 source documents (Sales Orders, Invoices, and Customers), your carrier system(s), and ShipGear. Data is translated using field maps and value translations.

Field Maps define fields that are mapped between the carrier system or ShipGear Input fields and your Sage 50 documents.

ShipGear Input fields are like a reverse map from Sage 50 to ShipGear, where you can choose fields from Sage 50 to write to the ShipGear database. That data can then be used in your eNotify email notifications, or viewed and exported in the ShipGear Dashboard.

Value Translations define how values from the mapped fields are translated between Sage 50 and the carrier system or ShipGear; for example, 1ST SAT  in Sage 50 can be translated to mean FedEx Priority Overnight®.

Write-Back is how ShipGear writes freight and tracking information back to Sage 50 source documents, including the use of custom rules to control how and when write-back occurs.  You can set up write-back for each carrier independently.

This combination of field maps, value translations, and write-back settings defines the "Interface". ShipGear comes with a default interface (My Interface) that allows you to begin shipping immediately. You do not need to set up or customize an interface in order to ship. You can also create multiple interfaces for use with different companies if you plan to map user-defined fields that vary between companies.

If you would like more control over how data is automatically translated between Sage 50 and the carrier system or ShipGear, the following sections give you examples of how you can fine tune an interface for Sage 50 :

• Map any carrier shipment field to a fixed value or to an available Sage 50 field. You can view a pre-defined list of Sage 50 fields for each document by clicking on the magnifying glass icon next to the Sage 50 Source field.
• Map user-defined fields to the carrier shipment fields.
• Customize value translations for field mappings such as “Ship Via” (in Sage 50) to "Service” fields (in the carrier system).
• Map Contact Fields to import contact information.

Open ShipGear Exchange and click the Customize Interface button.

To view or customize Field Mapping, Value Translations, and Write-Back settings, select a document from your Interface.

Change the Target group

You can map and customize fields for all carriers and ShipGear on the Customize Interface screen. To change the target, select from the Target drop-down list.

Field Mapping

This example shows you how to map a user-defined field containing Salesperson information from the Sage 50 Sales Order to a reference field on a carrier shipment screen.

1. In Customize Interface, select the document (Sales Orders, Invoices, etc.).
   
2. Select an Input Field group from the left pane. Here, we will choose Reference because we want to map our Sage 50 field to a field on the Reference tab in WorldShip.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. In the center panel, identify the exact shipment field to map. We selected Reference 3 below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Next, select the Source, on the right pane. Our selection will be Sage 50, so that the value will come from the Sage 50 Sales Order.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Select the Sales Order field to map; here we will select the Sales Rep ID. (You could also select a Fixed Value, in which case you would type in a value.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Click Apply to save the field mapping.
   
   

Value Translations

Many fields in Sage 50 are mapped by default as part of the basic interface (My Interface). If you want more control over how data is translated from Sage 50 into shipment fields, you can add or customize field mapping and value translations to suit your company's needs.

For example, a common field map is from "Ship Via" in the financial system to a type of service field in the carrier system, such as Domestic Service. You can customize this field map based on the carrier values set up in Sage 50, as shown in this example.

1. If you are not already there, click Customize Interface (as in Step 1 above) and select the document (Sales Orders, Invoices, Customers).
2. Click on the Service Input Field group on the left.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. In the center pane, click Domestic Service.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. In My Interface, the Source is set to Sage 50 and the source document field (Sales Order field, etc.) is set to Ship Via by default. Click the "Click here to update value translations" link in order to modify or add values.
   
5. The Value Translations dialog shows you the way Ship Via is currently mapped to the carrier system fields. You can translate the values from the current field to values in the carrier system by making selections from the drop-down lists.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Click OK and then click Apply to save your changes.