Packing App User Guide

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Getting Started
3. Launching the App
4. Understanding the Interface
5. Working with Packing Groups
6. Packing Items Step-by-Step
7. Using Auto-Pack
8. Managing Containers
9. Saving Your Work
10. Tips and Best Practices
11. Troubleshooting

Overview

The Packing App is a NetSuite application that simplifies the packing process for item fulfillments. It provides a visual, drag-and-drop interface to organize items into cartons and pallets efficiently. This is especially helpful for NetSuite users that need to record packing data for filling out 856 transactions, but don't have an integrated WMS or Packing System.

What You Can Do

• Pack items into cartons using drag-and-drop tools
• Organize cartons or individual items onto pallets
• Automatically assign and calculate weights and capacities
• Generate SSCC codes for shipping when done with packing
• Use Auto-Pack to pack remaining items instantly
• Search and filter items quickly
• Copy a carton or pallet with remaining inventory
• Save packing configurations back to NetSuite

Getting Started

Before You Begin

Ensure you have:

• Access to NetSuite with appropriate permissions
• An Item Fulfillment record that needs packing
• The Packing App feature enabled for your customer account

Prerequisites

The Item Fulfillment must:

• Not be previously packed (no existing cartons)
• Contain at least one line item ready for packing
• Be in an editable state (not shipped or closed)

Launching the App

Step 1: Open an Item Fulfillment

1. Navigate to Transactions > Sales > Fulfill Orders
2. Select an Item Fulfillment record to open it
3. Verify the fulfillment hasn't been packed yet

Step 2: Click "Launch Packing App"

1. Locate the "Launch Packing App" button on the fulfillment form
2. Click the button to open the app in a new browser tab
3. Wait for the fulfillment data to load automatically

What If I Don't See the Button?

The button may not appear if:

• The fulfillment is already packed (has existing cartons)
• The Packing App isn't enabled for this customer
• You don't have the required permissions

Understanding the Interface

The app is divided into two main panels:

Left Panel: Order Packing

This panel shows all items available for packing:

• Fulfillment Details Card: Displays order information

  • Fulfillment ID number
  • Customer name
  • Ship date
  • Total number of items

• Search Bar: Find items quickly by:

  • Item name
  • Item ID
  • UPC code
  • Packing group name

• Packing Group Cards: Items organized by their packing requirements

  • Each card shows the group name and settings
  • Lists all items in that group
  • Shows available quantities
  • Draggable for easy packing

Right Panel: Containers

This panel is where you build your shipment:

• Control Buttons:

  • Search: Filter containers by ID or contents
  • Auto Pack: Automatically pack all items
  • Delete All: Remove all containers and start over
  • Save: Save your packing configuration to NetSuite

• Drop Zones:

  • New Carton: Drop items here to create a new carton
  • New Pallet: Drop items or cartons here to create a new pallet

• Container Lists:

  • Cartons: Shows all created cartons with their contents
  • Pallets: Shows all created pallets with their contents

Working with Packing Groups

What Are Packing Groups?

Packing groups organize items with similar packing requirements. Each group defines:

• How many units fit in a standard carton
• How many cartons fit on a standard pallet
• The weight of a full carton

How Groups Help You

• Consistency: Items in the same group pack the same way
• Efficiency: Quickly identify which items pack together
• Automation: Auto-pack uses group settings for optimal packing

Ungrouped Items

Items without a packing group appear as "Ungrouped" and can be packed individually with custom quantities.

Packing Items Step-by-Step

Basic Packing Process

1. Select Items to Pack

• Click and hold on a packing group card in the left panel
• The cursor changes to indicate dragging

2. Create a Carton

• Drag the items to the "New Carton" drop zone
• Release to create a carton with those items
• The carton appears in the container list

3. Adjust Quantities (Optional)

• By default, items are added in standard pack quantities
• Click the quantity field to edit
• Enter a custom quantity if needed

4. Create a Pallet (Optional)

• Drag existing cartons to the "New Pallet" drop zone, or drag items directly onto a pallet
• Pallets can cartons, loose items, or both

Advanced Packing Options

Moving Items Between Containers

1. Drag items from one carton to another
2. Drop cartons onto pallets to nest them
3. Remove items by clicking the delete icon

Editing Container Properties

• Click on a carton or pallet to expand it
• Edit the weight if needed
• View capacity indicators
• See all contained items

Using Search and Filter

1. Use the left search to find specific items
2. Use the right search to find containers
3. Matching items/containers are highlighted

Using Auto-Pack

What is Auto-Pack?

Auto-Pack automatically organizes all unpacked items into optimal container configurations based on packing group settings. For detailed information about Auto-Pack functionality and algorithms, see the Orderful Auto-Packing Documentation.

How to Use Auto-Pack

1. Click the "Auto Pack" Button

   • Located in the top-right control panel
   • Available when items remain unpacked

2. Review the Results

   • Cartons are created based on units-per-carton settings
   • Pallets are created based on cartons-per-pallet settings
   • Partial quantities are handled intelligently

3. Make Adjustments

   • Move items between containers if needed
   • Delete unnecessary containers
   • Add or remove items manually

When to Use Auto-Pack

• Large orders with many items
• Standard shipments with consistent packing
• Initial packing before manual adjustments
• Time-sensitive fulfillments

Managing Containers

Carton Management

Creating Cartons

• Drag items to "New Carton" zone
• Automatically numbered (C-IF123-01, C-IF123-02, etc.)
• Weight calculated from contents

Carton Actions

• Expand/Collapse: Click the carton header
• Edit Weight: Click the weight field and enter new value
• Remove Items: Click the X next to any item
• Delete Carton: Click the trash icon (returns items to unpacked)

Pallet Management

Creating Pallets

• Drag cartons or items to "New Pallet" zone
• Automatically numbered (P-IF123-01, P-IF123-02, etc.)
• Weight aggregated from all contents

Pallet Actions

• Add Cartons: Drag cartons onto the pallet
• Add Loose Items: Drag items directly to the pallet
• Remove Contents: Click X next to items or cartons
• Delete Pallet: Click the trash icon (unpacks all contents)

Container Capacity Indicators

• Visual indicators show when approaching capacity
• Based on packing group configurations
• Prevents overpacking

Saving Your Work

Save Process

1. Click the "Save" Button

   • Located in the top-right corner
   • Becomes active when changes are made

2. Review the Confirmation

   • Summary of containers to be created
   • Total items packed
   • Any warnings or validations

3. Confirm Save

   • Click "Confirm" to proceed
   • Progress bar shows save status
   • SSCC codes are generated automatically

4. Completion

   • Success message appears
   • Automatically redirects to the updated fulfillment
   • All containers are now recorded in NetSuite

What Gets Saved

• All carton records with their contents
• All pallet records with their contents
• Item quantities and locations
• Container weights
• Generated SSCC codes

Tips and Best Practices

Planning Your Pack

1. Review Before Starting

   • Check all items are available
   • Note any special packing requirements
   • Verify shipping method and destination

2. Use Packing Groups Effectively

   • Keep similar items in the same group
   • Set realistic units-per-carton values
   • Update group settings before packing if needed

Efficient Packing Workflow

1. Start with Auto-Pack

   • Let the system create initial configuration
   • Make manual adjustments as needed
   • Faster than manual packing for large orders

2. Use Search for Large Orders

   • Filter to specific item types
   • Pack similar items together
   • Reduce scrolling and searching

3. Use a USB or Bluetooth Barcode Scanner

   • Configure a basic barcode scanner as a keyboard input
   • mouse over to the search bar on the left
   • trigger the scan gun to select the appropriate item without typing.

Quality Checks

1. Before Saving

   • Verify all items are packed
   • Check container weights are reasonable
   • Review pallet configurations

2. After Saving

   • Confirm SSCC codes generated
   • Verify container counts match expectations
   • Check the fulfillment record updated correctly

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

"Access Denied" Message

Problem: Can't access the packing app
Solution:

• Contact your administrator to enable the Packing App feature
• Verify you have permission to edit fulfillments

"Already Packed" Warning

Problem: The fulfillment shows as already packed
Solution:

• Check if cartons already exist on the fulfillment
• Use the "Unpack" button on the fulfillment first if re-packing
• Verify you're working with the correct fulfillment

Items Won't Drag

Problem: Can't drag items to create containers
Solutions:

• Refresh the page and try again
• Check if items have available quantity
• Verify items aren't already fully packed
• Try a different browser if issue persists

Save Button Doesn't Work

Problem: Clicking Save doesn't do anything
Solutions:

• Check for validation errors (shown in red)
• Ensure all required fields are filled
• Verify NetSuite connection is active
• Try saving smaller batches if order is very large

Missing SSCC Codes

Problem: SSCC codes aren't generating
Solutions:

• Codes generate automatically on save
• Check if SSCC generation is configured for your account
• Contact administrator if codes still don't appear

Performance Tips

For Large Orders

• Use Auto-Pack instead of manual packing
• Pack in batches if experiencing slowness
• Use search to work with subsets of items
• Consider closing other browser tabs

Browser Recommendations

• Use Chrome, Firefox, or Edge for best performance
• Clear browser cache if experiencing issues
• Disable unnecessary browser extensions
• Ensure stable internet connection

Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered here:

1. Check the Basics

   • Refresh the page
   • Clear browser cache
   • Try a different browser
   • Log out and back into NetSuite

2. Document the Issue

   • Note the fulfillment ID
   • Take screenshots of any errors
   • Record steps to reproduce

3. Contact Support

   • Reach out to your NetSuite administrator or Orderful Onboarding Architect
   • Provide the documented information
   • Include browser and version details