How to Use Routing Requests

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Routing Requests 

Many large customers like Amazon expect their suppliers to request for a carrier assignment for their shipments. This is almost always compulsory for collect freight where the customer pays the freight charges. Suppliers provide the expected pick up date, pick up location, nature, weight, and volume of the consignment. Based on their negotiated rate, the customer will assign the carrier and inform the suppliers, who keep the consignment ready for the carrier to pick up on the appointed date and time.

Amazon Vendor Central

For Amazon suppliers it is mandatory to create a routing request in vendor central after they confirm the Purchase Order. They have to provide the pick up date, time, number of cartons, weight and volume of the consignment. This is called the routing request in vendor central.

Amazon will send their routing confirmation email to the suppliers, and assign a reference number called Amazon Reference Number (ARN) for the routing request. The routing request will become shipments with assigned carrier and pending ASN.

Automating Routing Request process

Amazon provides routing process through EDI for its EDI enabled vendors. EDI enabled vendors can send a routing request through EDI 753 and get a confirmation through EDI 754. As all these processes done through electronic automated transmission, and require no manual data entry.

EDI 753 Routing Request

The main component of an EDI 753 routing request are

  • ​Supplier Reference Number – This is a unique reference number for the supplier. When Amazon sends back a routing confirmation through EDI 754, it will include this unique reference number so that suppliers can match it to their system.
  • Customer Purchase Order Number – This is the Purchase Order Number from Amazon and it should be included in the routing request.
  • Number of Pallets/Cartons.
  • Total weight of the consignment.
  • Total volume in cubic feet.
  • Address identifier – Companies with a SAN address ID can use this address ID or suppliers can request for an address ID in vendor central and Amazon will assign one.
  • Pick up Date/Time

Routing Confirmation

Amazon will send a routing confirmation through EDI 754. The main components of EDI 754 are:

  • Supplier Reference Number – This is the same reference number that the supplier sent in EDI 753.
  • Amazon Reference Number (ARN) – This is the unique identifier provided by Amazon. When a supplier submits an ASN they should use this reference number.
  • Carrier Name – Amazon will assign a carrier based on the weight/volume and its negotiated rate with carriers. For large consignments, Amazon will assign LTL (Less than truck load) carriers like Con-way,Central Freight Lines or small freight carriers like UPS, FEDEX.

On the appointed pick up time, designated carriers will pick up the consignment from the supplier. Amazon also provides account log in for suppliers to print the shipping label.

Advance Shipment Notification (ASN)

After the consignment has been handed over to the carriers, suppliers have to inform Amazon of the Advance Shipment notification (ASN). ASNs can be created in Amazon Vendor Central manually or EDI suppliers can send EDI 856 (ASN) to Amazon. The EDI 856 should include the carrier’s tracking number (Airway Bill Number).

Importance of automating Shipment process with Amazon

Most suppliers make mistakes while matching Amazon PO Number, Amazon Reference Number, and Amazon Shipment Number while manually entering data into Amazon Vendor Central. This leads to frequent supplier charge backs and losing ranking with Amazon. Choosing an EDI automation tool like TPSynergy (https://www.tpsynergy.com/edi-integrations) will help to automate this process easily.

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