Suggest Transport Routes

Automatic Route Assignment Settings

The Transport Management module provides flexible control over when transport routes are automatically assigned to documents. You can configure this behavior separately for Sales, Purchase, and Transfer documents through the Transport Management Setup.

Setup Configuration

Navigate to Transport Management Setup to configure the following settings:

Behavior When Enabled

When automatic assignment is enabled for a document type:

• Transport routes are assigned automatically during document creation
• Routes are recalculated when relevant fields change:
  • Ship-to/Bill-to/Order-to addresses
  • Location From/Location To
  • Shipping dates or other routing-relevant fields
• Assignment occurs silently without displaying pop-up windows
• If no valid route exists, standard validation messages appear

Behavior When Disabled

When automatic assignment is disabled for a document type:

• No automatic route assignment occurs during document creation or modification
• The Transport Route Code field remains empty
• Users must manually assign routes using Actions → Suggest Transport Route
• The “Suggest Transport Route” page will not appear automatically

Suggest Transport Routes

This feature is available only if multiple routes are available for a document (for example two routes defined in Transport Plan having same starting/ending area’s). If the shipment method code requires a transport order and only one route is possible for the supporting document (sales, purchase, transfer, return or transport order), then this route is automatically assigned.

Assign Transport Route

Note: The automatic assignment behavior described below only applies when Automatic Assignment of Transport Route is enabled for the respective document type in Transport Management Setup. When disabled, users must manually trigger route assignment through the Suggest Transport Route action.

To assign a transport route to a document, you must fill in at least the following fields:

• For Sales:

  • Sell-to No.
  • Shipment Date

• For Purchases:

  • Vendor No.
  • Pickup Date (must be the same as the Expected Receipt Date)
  • Shipment Method Code (must be empty or filled with a value that has the boolean “Transport Required on Sales/Purchase” set to “True”)

• For Transfer:

  • Transfer-from
  • Transfer-to
  • Shipment Date Using “Suggest Transport Route” feature from a “Transfer Order” also requires routes for which the “Tariff Assigment Method” is set to “Equally” in the transport plan.

If these requirements are met, the assignment of the Transport Route happens as follows:

1. Transport Plan with Route Sequence:
   • The Order Location Code and the Customer/Vendor Location Code are set on the same route.
2. Transport Plan:
   • Area-From = Location Code of the order
   • Area-To = Customer/Vendor/Location address area
   • If no Location Code is defined, use the Default Company Transport Area Code defined in Transport Setup as the Area-From Code.
3. Date Requirements:
   • Shipment/Pickup date must be between the Transport Plan’s Starting Date and Ending Date.
   • Shipment/Pickup date must match the weekday that the route is set.
4. Shipment Method Code:
   • Must be empty or have a value that requires transport on sales.

If all these rules are followed, the Transport Route Code is automatically filled when creating a document. If several routes are possible, a modal pop-up appears to ask for the appropriate Transport Route assignment.

• Shipping Agent Code and Shipping Agent Service Code defined on the Transport Route are assigned to the Sales Header Shipping Agent Code and Shipping Agent Service Code fields.

Recalculating Route Code

Note: Automatic recalculation only occurs when Automatic Assignment of Transport Route is enabled for the document type.

When the Transport Route is already assigned to a document, if the user changes the Location Code, Shipment Date, Pickup Date, or Expected Receipt Date, the Route Code will be recalculated. If no route exists, the Transport Route Code field will be empty.

Updating Date on Document Header

• If all lines have the same location:

  • If only one transport route matches the first Order Line information, then this route can be assigned to all transport lines.
  • If two or more transport routes match the first Order Line information, the transport route selection page opens, and the user can select the appropriate route for the whole order/order lines.

    

• If lines have different locations:

  • If one Transport Route is available for an order line, it will be assigned automatically to the line.
  • If several Transport Routes can be assigned to an order line, a message pops up informing that no Transport Route can be assigned to the order line(s) because they are assigned to different locations. The message will state: “Some order lines have multiple possible transport routes. You will have to adjust the transport routes for those lines manually.” In this case, the Transport Route is empty on the order line, and it’s necessary to use the Suggest Transport Route function at the line level to assign a specific route.

Suggest Transport Route - Transport Area when Ship-to Code is different from Location

For Purchases

The route suggestion and Transport Order creation follow these rules:

• Pickup Address:

  • If Alternate Vendor Address Code is empty, use the Transport Area and Address from the Vendor Card.
  • If Alternate Vendor Address Code is not empty, use the Transport Area and Address from the Alternate Vendor Address Card.

• Delivery Address:

  • Ship-To = Default (company address):
    • If Location Code (Lines) is not empty, use the Transport Area and Address from the Line’s Location Code.
    • If Location Code (Lines) is empty, use the Default Company Transport Area Code from Transport Setup and the Company Information Address.
  • Ship-To = Location:
    • If Location Code (Lines) is not empty, use the Transport Area and Address from the Line’s Location Code.
    • If Location Code (Lines) is empty, use the Default Company Transport Area Code from Transport Setup and the Company Information Address.
  • Ship-To = Customer Address:
    • If Ship-to Code is not empty, use the Transport Area and Address from the Customer Address Card.
    • If Ship-to Code is empty, use the Transport Area and Address from the Customer Card.
  • Ship-To = Custom Address:
    • If Location Code (Lines) is not empty, use the Transport Area and Address from the Line’s Location Code.
    • If Location Code (Lines) is empty and Transport Area code in Post Code is not empty, use the Transport Area related to the Custom Address Post Code and the Custom Address.
    • If Location Code (Lines) is empty and Transport Area code in Post Code is empty, nothing is suggested.

For Sales

The route suggestion and Transport Order creation follow these rules:

• Pickup Address:

  • Location Code (Header) is empty:
    • If Location Code (Lines) is not empty, use the Transport Area and Address from the Line’s Location Code.
    • If Location Code (Lines) is empty, use the Default Company Transport Area Code from Transport Setup and the Company Information Address.
  • Location Code (Header) is not empty:
    • If Location Code (Lines) is not empty, use the Transport Area and Address from the Line’s Location Code.
    • If Location Code (Lines) is empty, use the Default Company Transport Area Code from Transport Setup and the Company Information Address.

• Delivery Address:

  • Ship-To = Default (sell-to address): Use the Transport Area and Address from the Customer Card.
  • Ship-To = Alternate Shipping Address: Use the Transport Area and Address from the Customer Address Card.
  • Ship-To = Custom Address and Transport Area code in Post Code is not empty: Use the Transport Area related to the Custom Address Post Code and the Custom Address.
  • Ship-To = Custom Address and Transport Area code in Post Code is empty: Nothing is suggested.

When creating a Sales Order, the system checks the Ship-to Code field on the Customer card:

• If the Ship-to Code is filled in: The Sales Order will automatically use the Alternate Shipping Address associated with that code. The system will then suggest a Transport Route based on the Transport Area of the Alternate Shipping Address.
• If the Ship-to Code is not set up: If you change the Alternate Customer Address directly on the Sales Order, a message will appear to notify you of the change and any necessary actions regarding the Transport Route.

This automated process ensures that the most appropriate Transport Route is always suggested based on the selected shipping details.