JSON Exchange Procedures

JSON exchange will support exchanging order records and their completed shipment information between warehouses and customers. Data will be exchanged using file repositories on public services, with each exchange site hosted by either the warehouse or the customer.

Warehousing logistics is a batch process, where multiple orders are picked and shipped at the same time. As a consequence, the customer usually submits approved orders to the warehouse in a batch, and the warehouse replies with shipping information as carriers pick up order batches. There are two ways to submit orders to the warehouse consistent with this understanding: Single Orders, and Batched Orders.

The warehouse customer must choose whether orders will be submitted singly or as a batch when the data exchange is initially configured. Data exchange procedures for each method of data transfer are described following.

Orders Customer Setup

The customer must add sales order software features which provide data exchange using JSON formatted files. Besides the JSON formatting, the data files to be exchanged would satisfy one or the other of the following transfer methods.

Additionally, either the customer or the warehouse must host a data exchange service which provides security and accessibility to both partners, and which offers a repository of exchanged documents. Currently we recommend DropBox for this service.

Single Orders

Single Orders are submitted one at a time, where each order is identified by a perpetually unique reference number filename of 8 or fewer characters. Each order will retain its reference filename when the warehouse processes and archives the order.

At the warehouse customer’s end:

  1. An order is entered through a web portal, telephone, FAX, or other means.
  2. When completed, the order is assigned a sequential reference number of eight or fewer characters.
  3. A JSON export document of the order is created.
  4. The JSON text is saved in the exchange ORDERS folder under filename (reference).JSN.
  5. The sales order is marked as submitted, and cannot be changed afterwards.

At the warehouse:

  1. Periodically the warehouse selects all files in the orders exchange inbox.
  2. Order files are concatenated into a single input file (stream).JSN for processing.
  3. Original order files are moved to the orders exchange archive folder.
  4. The input file is imported to the WARES software to create shipment orders.
  5. Orders are processed in a batch for picking and shipping.

Batched Orders

Batched Orders may be submitted in a batch with a generic filename, and the warehouse will create a timestamp filename when archiving and processing the batch of orders.

At the warehouse customer’s end:

  1. Orders are submitted through a web portal, telephone, FAX, or other means.
  2. Each order is assigned a sales order reference number.
  3. Periodically orders which are not yet submitted are selected, and a JSON export file is created containing the JSON exports of the orders.
  4. The JSON (batch).JSN file is saved in the exchange ORDERS folder.
  5. The submitted sales orders are marked as submitted, and cannot be changed afterwards.

At the warehouse:

  1. Periodically the warehouse retrieves the (batch).JSN from the orders exchange inbox.
  2. (batch).JSN files are moved to the order exchange archive folder, and a (stream).JSN is created for processing.
  3. The input file (stream).JSN is imported to the WARES software to create shipment orders.
  4. Orders are processed in a batch for picking and shipping.

Orders Process Recap

The previous explanations make it evident that the warehouse processes orders in a batch, regardless of whether the customer is submitting orders singly or in a batch.