Generating Excel files
Minimize time spent on document management with Excel module
Do you use shipping documents for a warehouse abroad? Then we have a solution that significantly minimizes your time spent on creating shipping documents: Tabellae’s Excel module.
Shipping documents require a lot of accurate item master data
Many customs authorities have a wide range of requirements for receiving files and specifications about each item. This requires both a customs code and customs group, as well as special product master data – and it takes time to create.
For example, if you trade in alcohol and tobacco to be exported to a warehouse in Poland, you must declare the alcohol percentage, plato degree of the beer, net weight, cross weight and the number of grams of tobacco in the cigarettes. The highly detailed item master data must be provided every single time an order is shipped out of Poland.
Standard ERP requires manual work
All this data exists in the ERP system, but it’s a heavy manual process to deliver the data to your trading partners in Poland, who make the registration to the customs authorities for the public body.
With standard ERP, a lot of Excel sheets are created where data is extracted from the ERP system and reformatted in Excel as a packing list. From here you can create an XML file, also via Excel, that matches the packing list that is sent to customs, so they don’t have to re-key everything.
Excel falls short in the ERP system
This is not a viable solution if you have large deliveries with, for example, 50 orders and thousands of order lines. Excel falls short here – and it’s not 100% stable due to the amount of formulas and variables.
It is very heavy to work with, while the many macros mean that the person creating the packing lists and XML files is locked for 30 minutes because the macros have to run.
All of this can NOT be automated by default. So it’s an expensive process – both in terms of time and resources.
Tabellae Excel module and special button streamlines shipping documents
With Tabellae’s Excel module for generating shipping documents, you can retrieve data directly from your ERP system in real-time. In addition, we have developed a button in the ERP system that, depending on the destination, generates an Excel packing list and an XML file that match each other.
With Tabellaes button:
- the packing list and XML file are instantly live and can be sent directly to customs.
- the data on the documents always matches the data in the ERP system. Avoid errors in Excel sheets and sheet naming and pull out a packing list that’s 3 months old without any errors. Up-to-date data avoids mismatches between customer service and inventory data.
- the data is always taken in real-time. Customs officers can plot the data on the packing list directly into their system, resulting in shorter handling times.
Benefits of creating Excel files with Lasernet
- Handling time in the shipping department is significantly reduced. One of our customers has reduced their daily handling time for creating packing slips by over 75%. They simply select the destinations they want to paper, press the button – and they’re generated.
- Everything is live instantly. Without the Excel module and the button, you would have to pull data from your Data Warehouse, with the risk of a delay of e.g. 6 hours, i.e. it updates every 6 hours (depending on your setup).
- Control is faster. If your packing lists don’t comply with Polish customs requirements, your business will appear shady and the authorities will typically require more checks, which will take longer.
- With Lasernet’s Excel module, you don’t have to rely on:
- A customer service representative needs to update inventory if parts of an order are canceled
- that discrepancies will occur if an employee changes something in a column. The XML file and the Excel packing list will always match because data is taken directly from the ERP system in the snapshot.
Want to learn more about the possibilities of using a Document Management solution from Tabellae and how we can help your business?
Send me an email and I’ll contact you to set up a time for a counseling session that suits you.
