Supply Lens

How do I connect my 3PL or warehouse system to Supply Lens?

Add a 3PL or warehouse

Connect any 3PL, WMS or carrier that doesn't have its own guide, from Logiwa and Manhattan to ShipStation and James & James, using the same four warehouse flows.

About 7 min

At the end of this guide your 3PL or warehouse system will be connected to Supply Lens, with the flows you need switched on and tested on one order. Mintsoft and Clarus WMS have their own guides: Add Mintsoft and Add Clarus WMS.

Which warehouses this guide covers

Supply Lens lists these shipping and warehouse Integrations. Search for yours in the + ADD INTEGRATION list; some types are only enabled for particular organisations.

ConnectorFlows it has settings forLearn more
LogiwaGoods in (Send), receipts and stock (Receive)Logiwa lesson, settings
ManhattanOrders to Manhattan, shipments backManhattan lesson, settings
Despatch CloudOrders out, shipments backDespatchCloud lesson, settings
ControlPortOrders out, shipments and stock backControlPort lesson, settings
FlexportOrders and stock imported from FlexportFlexport lesson, settings
CapacityOrders out, shipments backCapacity lesson, settings
Lenham AS2Orders out, shipments back over AS2Lenhams lesson, settings

Also listed, with no published settings guide yet: Aria, Boughey, Bretts Transport, Culina, EMO-LOG, Gosh, Hacklings, Hive 3PL, James & James, LCB, Marshalls Transport, P.W. Gates, Peter Green, ShipHero, ShipStation, Turners, Uniserve, VeraCore, Warrens, What's Cooking and Zendbox. For these, follow the steps below and ask Support which settings matter.

Partners that push files rather than being polled use the File Drop service. Delivery notes and pallet labels come from a print integration: see the print configuration.

Before you start

  • Connection details from the warehouse for its connection form, and a test account if they have one. Test and live accounts often have different ids.

  • The warehouse's codes: warehouse or site ids, your client or account id, carrier and service names, and any channel or order type values.

  • Your ERP or storefront already connected. See Add an Integration.

  • SKUs aligned with the warehouse's product list. See Align your SKUs.

  • A list of the flows you need. Most warehouses use some of these four:

    FlowDocument typeDirection on the warehouse Integration
    Orders outWarehouse Order (or Order)Send
    Shipments backShipment or Warehouse ShipmentReceive
    Goods inGoods Inbound, then Goods Inbound ReceiptSend, then Receive
    Stock levelsInventoryReceive

Steps

Create and connect

  1. Go to Settings → Integration setup → Integrations.
  2. Click + ADD INTEGRATION, search for the warehouse system and click ADD.
  3. Complete the connection form with the details from the warehouse and click CONNECT. Leave Activation disabled for now.

Add Configurations

  1. Expand the tile, click Configurations, then + Add.
  2. Pick a document type, click Send or Receive, click Create Default JSON, then Save. Repeat for each flow. The types offered in the Add configuration window are the definitive list for that connector.
  3. Fill in the warehouse's ids, carrier and client settings. On any Receive Configuration with a client or account filter, set it to your own, so a shared warehouse doesn't send you other clients' records.

Add master data

  1. Add the warehouse's codes as identifiers on your Location, for example Logiwa Warehouse Code, Manhattan Warehouse Code, ControlPort Warehouse Id or Generic Warehouse Code. See Add a Location identifier.
  2. Add your client id to your Party where the warehouse needs one, for example Logiwa Client Code. See Add a Party identifier.
  3. Check Products have conversions for any case or pallet units the warehouse counts in.

Add Mappings

  1. Go to Settings → Integration setup → Mappings and click + ADD.
  2. Create one Mapping per arrow: for example Warehouse Order from your ERP to the warehouse, and Shipment from the warehouse to your ERP and to your storefront.
  3. Set As to Target Data, tick Enabled, leave Automatic off while testing, and click SAVE.

Test

  1. Set Activation to Enabled, with no schedule.
  2. Send one test order with Run Send under Manual Operation.
  3. Ask the warehouse to despatch it, then click Run Receive.

Check it worked

  • The order appears in the warehouse system with the right address, carrier, client and site.
  • The despatch comes back into Supply Lens, matched to its order, and the tracking reaches your ERP and storefront.
  • At go-live, swap any test ids for live ones, check filters and the import window (setupDate), then set a Schedule and turn Automatic on.

If something goes wrong