Delivery information setup

This article describes how to set up delivery information for the Landed cost module.

Shipping ports

Shipping ports identify where goods are being shipped from and to. For each voyage, a "to" port and a "from" port are defined, based on the journey that is selected for the voyage vessel. Shipping ports are used to build the legs of a journey and also the voyage activities. They're typically defined by using the name of the city and the country/region where the physical shipping port is located.

To work with shipping ports, go to Landed cost > Delivery information setup > Shipping ports. There, you can view, add, and remove records for your shipping ports. The following table describes the fields that are available for each record.

Field Description
Shipping port Enter a unique identification name/number for the shipping port.
Description Enter a description of the shipping port.

Tracking control center

You use the Tracking control center to set up the lead times, status updates, and flow of information that is associated with a voyage as the shipping containers move from one leg to the next. When you create a tracking control record, it's associated with a specific leg of a journey for a voyage. When a voyage updates a leg, the associated record will be updated and filled in as defined. You can update tracking information for individual voyages from the All voyages page.

To open the Tracking control center, go to Landed cost > Delivery information setup > Tracking control center.

The Tracking control center shows one of three page views, depending on the value that is selected in the Create type field in the list pane: Blank, Lead time, or Status update. Each create type updates a different set of information that is associated with the progress of a voyage from the point of origin to the final destination.

Common rule settings

The following table shows the fields that are available for all three create types in the Tracking control center.

Field Description
Source table, Source field These fields identify a source table and field in the database. The rule will load the value in the field and then use it in the way that is defined by other settings of the rule.
Target table, Target field These fields identify a destination table and field in the database. The rule will load the value in the field and then use it (or overwrite it) in the way that is defined by other settings of the rule.
Activity This field identifies the type of activity that should be applied to a shipping container that is matched by a rule.
Matching criteria This field determines how the system identifies a match for a rule. In each instance, the system reviews the data in the source and destination tables to determine whether and when a field should be updated in the target table.

For example, the source table is Voyages, and the target table is Purchase header or Purchase lines. The Voyages table has a From port value of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Purchase header table has a From port value of Shanghai. A rule is then created that has Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the "from" port. In this case, the values of the Matching criteria field will work in the following way:

  • Both – The target field won't be updated, because one of the two ports doesn't match.
  • Source – The target field will be updated, because the source table's "from" port is Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
  • Target – The target field won't be updated, because the destination table's "from" port is Shanghai (not Hong Kong Special Administrative Region).
Copy action The available values are Copy and Default. Select Copy to copy the value in the source field to the destination field. Select Default to set a static value for the destination field.
Default When the Copy action field is set to Default, the Default field defines the default value of the destination field. For example, if the action is related to a port update, and the Copy action field is set to Default, the Default field identifies a port.
Leg This field identifies the leg of the journey that the specified action occurs for, such as loading or customs.
Service provider If a specific service provider is used for the current status update/leg of the journey, this field identifies the service provider. Service providers are defined in the vendor account.

Lead time rules

The lead time is the estimated time that a voyage will require to complete a defined leg of a journey for a voyage. The lead time of each leg of a journey is used to calculate the estimated delivery date of the voyage. That date is then entered in the Confirmed delivery date field on every purchase line in the voyage.

You use lead time rules to manage updates of dates. Activities are automatically generated when a journey template is used for a voyage.

To add a lead time rule to the Tracking control center, follow these steps.

  1. Follow one of these steps:

    • Go to Landed cost > Multi-leg journey setup > Legs. Select the leg that you want to set up lead times for, and then, on the Action Pane, select Tracking control center. The Tracking control center is preloaded with information about the selected leg.
    • Go to Landed cost > Delivery information setup > Tracking control center. You must then manually select a leg in step 4 of this procedure.
  2. In the list pane, set the Create type field to Lead time.

  3. On the Action Pane, select New.

  4. If you started from the Tracking control center in step 1, set the Leg field to the leg that you want to create a lead time rule for. If you started from the Legs page, the Leg field is preset to the leg that you selected before you opened the Tracking control center.

    Based on the value of the Leg field, several fields are automatically set, as shown here:

    • Source table: Container activities
    • Source field: Start date
    • Target table: Container activities
    • Target field: Estimated end date
  5. In the Activity field, select the activity that the current rule should apply to.

  6. In the Lead time field, enter the lead time (in days) that should be applied when the current rule is triggered.

Status update rules

Records where the Create type field is set to Status update will update the status of purchase order lines, or the status at the voyage, shipping container, or folio level. The statuses can be independently set. Use them to inform the user or department about the stage of a voyage (such as documents received or goods in transit).

When the Create type field is set to Status update, the Tracking control center includes a Lines FastTab where you can define a cost area and the updated status of the voyage. For example, you have a line where the Cost area field is set to Container, and the Voyage status field is set to Goods in transit. In this case, when an order completes the specified leg, the Voyage status field of the shipping container will be updated to Goods in Transit.

Status updates provide the status of a voyage throughout the voyage lines and purchase order lines that are associated with that voyage. As a voyage moves through its journey from the port, sailing, and customs, to the destination warehouse, the Voyage status field of the voyage record provides a quick view of the stage that the items are at.

To add a status update rule to the Tracking control center, follow these steps.

  1. Follow one of these steps:

    • Go to Landed cost > Multi-leg journey setup > Legs. Select the leg that you want to set up a status update for, and then, on the Action Pane, select Tracking control center. The Tracking control center is preloaded with information about the selected leg.
    • Go to Landed cost > Delivery information setup > Tracking control center. You must then manually select a leg in step 4 of this procedure.
  2. In the list pane, set the Create type field to Status update.

  3. On the Action Pane, select New.

  4. If you started from the Tracking control center in step 1, set the Leg field to the leg that you want to create a status update rule for. If you started from the Legs page, the Leg field is preset to the leg that you selected before you opened the Tracking control center.

    Based on the value of the Leg field, several fields are automatically set, as shown here:

    • Source table: Container activities
    • Source field: Actual end date
    • Target table: This field is left blank.
    • Target field: This field is left blank.
  5. In the Activity field, select the activity that your rule should apply to.

  6. On the Lines FastTab, enter the status updates for each cost area.

Blank type rules

You use records that have a Create type value of Blank to override or enter a field value, based on the data of another field. A field from Landed cost will overwrite data in other areas of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, based on rules that are set up in the Tracking control center.

  1. Go to Landed cost > Delivery information setup > Tracking control center.
  2. In the list pane, set the Create type field to Blank.
  3. On the Action Pane, select New.
  4. Define the source and destination values, matching criteria, copy action, and other relevant parameters, as required for your rule.

Required tracking control setup

For every journey template, two records must be set up in the Tracking control center. Both these records have a Create type value of Blank and are used in all Landed cost implementations. They help ensure that the purchase confirmed date and goods in transit expected dates are updated for voyages and on related purchase order lines in the expected way.

The first record is required to update purchase lines. It must have the following settings:

  • Source table: Container activities
  • Source field: Estimated end date
  • Target table: Purchase lines
  • Target field: Confirmed or delivery date

The second record is required to update goods in transit transactions. It must have the following settings:

  • Source table: Container activities
  • Source field: Estimated end date
  • Target table: Goods in transit order
  • Target field: Expected date