Package Dimensions with Multiple Items
M
Mushy Parrotfish
Retailers with products that are large and volumetric often require:
- Rates at checkout (to ensure they charge correctly and do not affect their conversion rate by offering a flat rate that is too high, or lose out on margin with a flat rate that is too low.
- Rates in dispatch - to make decisions around which carrier to use.
We currently support this for single items in orders (for certain platforms that make this available to us) and we do to some degree for multiple orders but not all the ways retailers have asked for.
For example; if an order has multiple items there are a number of ways it can be packed and therefore affecting the rate returned by the courier.
It would be ideal to offer a packing method in settings so that retailers can choose which method suits them.
Some of the ways I have noted that retailers pack today are:
- Combine all items together in one larger carton/pallet - we are doing this to some degree
- Send each item seperately in their own carton
- Stack items
Using the above 3 user story, here is a practical example:
Order : 123456
Product A 40 x 40 x 40 cm
Product B 20 x 20 x 20cm
Product C 10 x 10 x 10cm
Option 1. Add up dimensions Eg 70 x 70 x 70 and return the rate based on that weight - we can do this today
Option 2. Return a rate for each line then add them all up together - requested feature
Option 3. Stack these to the longest dimension 40 x 70 x 70cm - requested feature
There may be other options to explore.
Alex
Happy New Year! 👋 We've rolled out a new packing algorithm - available for you to use right away! This innovative feature efficiently organizes items into packages based on the items dimensions and the packages configured in your account.
As of now, this feature is exclusively available for the import process; we're not supporting it for checkout rates yet. But, we're definitely considering its potential for future integration in that area.
Keen to hear your feedback! Check out the details in our changelog post. Share your thoughts in the comments or email me at alex.lesa@starshipit.com. Your insights help us improve :)
https://starshipit.canny.io/changelog/assign-your-packages-intelligently
A
Aegean Hummingbird
The way StarShipIt calculates the dimensions now in multiple item parcels is completely wrong, and costing us a fourtune.
If we sell a product that has a box say 10x10x10cm and we sell one of them, everything is fine.
If sell a multiple it is not. Say we sell 3 of them, SSI puts the dimensions as 30x30x30cm.
The real dimensions would be 10x10x30cm.
SSI has planned the size of 9 units when we are sending 3.
Real world example #1
This order #374724: https://app2.starshipit.com/orders/printed/489560265
3 x CB5004 - each CB5004 is 10x22x28cm
Real Package size is 10x22x84cm = 4.2kg cubic = $8.48
Instead SSI calculates package size at 30x66x84cm = 41.58kg cubic = $25.63
#2
This order #374703: https://app2.starshipit.com/orders/printed/489332815
2 x CW0211 - each CW0211 is 31x29x27cm
Real Package size is 31x29x54cm = 12.14kg cubic = $25.32
Instead SSI calculates package size at 62x58x54cm = 48.55kg cubic =$69.76
These are two recent examples. I estimate this is costing us over $100/day in freight overages.
Alex
Happy New Year! 👋 We've rolled out a new packing algorithm - available for you to use right away! This innovative feature efficiently organizes items into packages based on the items dimensions and the packages configured in your account.
As of now, this feature is exclusively available for the import process; we're not supporting it for checkout rates yet. But, we're definitely considering its potential for future integration in that area.
Keen to hear your feedback! Check out the details in our changelog post. Share your thoughts in the comments or email me at alex.lesa@starshipit.com. Your insights help us improve :)
W
Wealthy Quail
Alex: This is a great improvement, but can I suggest 2 further improvements.
1) an option to have an attribute for products that are "ship ready" ie don't need packaging into an outer package.
2) an option where products without dimensions are assumed to be "loose" items (ie not in a box) and if combined with other items that do have the dimensions, use the packaging logic for the second box (documentation says that if ANY item has no dimensions than the default package will be used).
A
Anthony Davies
open
George Plummer
planned
R
Resulting Crow
Customer: JIELDE (DEC customer)
Preference would be that each item is calculated separately and added together.
I.e Package 1: 37 X 39 X 97 and Package 2: 37 X 39 X 97
The calculation would be:
(37 X 39 X 97 / 5000) + (37 X 39 X 97 / 5000) for a total weight of 56kg