AgentConnect Setup Overview

 

This topic provides a basic overview of the initial steps to get AgentConnect up and running along with listing of the mappings and setup areas that affect AgentConnect processing.

 

Initial Setup

 

Step

Description

STEP 1

Contact the Sales Team to initiate the purchase and request the necessary information to enable AgentConnect and VendorConnect on your system. Each company (“agent”) that imports or exports data will also need to be set up with AgentConnect and VendorConnect.

STEP 2

Add an AgentConnect Network record under VendorConnect Setup and assign all supported branches. These are the branches you wish to import and export orders through the AgentConnect process, aka “Agent Network.”

STEP 3

Once your Agent Network is established through VendorConnect, you can define which external agents you wish to be part of the Agent Network. The records defined in the AgentConnect Setup are those that can send and receive orders, optionally, to the branches listed within AgentConnect Setup.

 

NOTE:

Additional options within AgentConnect Setup allow you to permit downloads and uploads for all agents participating in the Agent Network.

 

NOTE:

Records defined within AgentConnect Setup are available as options through the AgentConnect Network Upload option in MoversSuite.

 

STEP 4

Update other setup areas as needed. View the Mappings and other settings to support AgentConnect listed in the following section for details.

 

 

Mappings and other settings to support AgentConnect

 

Depending on the amount of detail you wish included in the data exchange, you will also need to add or verify that mappings are defined correctly in the following setup areas. Data that is not mapped will not import or export. You can view all the data that is available through the AgentConnect Content topic.

 

Setup Area

Description

MoversSuite Administration > Accounting and Financial Services

Payment Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Accounting and Financial Services > Payment Type

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Payment Type displays on the Billing Information tab.

Rate Plan Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Account and Financial Services > Rate Plan

Verify that each system that is part of the Agent Network contains the same Rate Plan records, as specified through the Rate Plan Name value. Note that if importing a rate and the corresponding Rate Plan Name is not in your system, then a record will be added to your system automatically.

Tariff/Rate displays on the Billing Information tab.

MoversSuite Administration > Administration

Commodity Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Administration > Commodity

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Commodity displays on the Move Information tab.

Packing Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Administration > Packing Type

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Packing Type displays on the Move Information tab.

Payment Method Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Administration > Payment Method

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Payment Method displays on the Billing Information tab.

Shipper Email Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Administration > Shipper Email Type

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Email type displays on the Name, Address, Phone tab for associated email addresses.

Shipper Phone Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Administration > Shipper Phone Type

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Phone type displays on the Name, Address, Phone tab for associated phone numbers.

XML Interface Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Administration > XML Interface

Verify that all Van Lines are configured for each vendor supported within the Agent Network.

XML Item Code Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Administration > XML Item Code

If you wish to include Crating Information, then add each supported type as an XML Item Code value for the appropriate interface. For example, Suddath would have a single XML Item Code record for “Crate, per ft3” that is assigned to each crate imported.

Crates displays within Crating Information available through the CPU button within the Military/Government tab.

MoversSuite Administration > Operations

Shipment Status Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Operations > Shipment Status

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Optionally, if you wish to update the MSS Order Status, you can also set the Set Order Status To.

Shipment Status displays within the Order-Level Functions.

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service

Account Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Account

Verify that each system that is part of the Agent Network contains the same Account records, as specified through the Account Number value. Note that if importing an account and the corresponding Account Number is not in your system, then a record will be added to your system automatically.

National Account displays on the Billing Information tab.

Address Location Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Address Location Type

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Location Type displays on the Name, Address, Phone tab and on Extra Stops.

Agent Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Agent

Verify that each system that is part of the Agent Network contains the same Agent records, as specified through the Agent ID value. Note that if importing an agent and the corresponding Agent ID is not in your system, then a record will be added to your system automatically.

Agents displays on the Agents tab.

Auto Class Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Auto Class

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Auto Class displays on the Move Information tab.

Auto Make Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Auto Make

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Auto Make displays on the Move Information tab.

Lead Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Lead Type

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Lead Source displays on the Name, Address, Phone tab.

Material Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Material Type

Verify that each supported type is defined with a Description that is shared by all through the Agent Network.

Materials display as Container, Packing, and Unpacking items within the Update Containers, Packing and Unpacking dialog found through the CPU button within the Move Information tab.

Note Type Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Note Type

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the Van Line Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network. Only notes with a Van Line Code are included in the export/import process, including local service type notes, i. e. all note types that you wish to have included must have a Van Line Code associated to them.

Note types are utilized within the Notes tab.

Valuation Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Valuation

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Valuation displays on the Move Information tab.

Valuation per Pound Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Customer Service > Valuation per Pound

If exchanging Valuation data, verify that each system has the same valution amounts in order to avoid errors when importing/exporting.

Valuation per Pound displays on the Move Information tab.

MoversSuite Administration > Military

Branch of Service Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Military > Branch of Service

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Branch of Service displays on the Military/Government tab.

Code of Service Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Military > Code of Service

Verify that each supported type is assigned to the External Code that will be referenced by all in the Agent Network for the appropriate Interface, such as Suddath or UniGroup International.

Code of Service displays on the Military/Government tab.

MoversSuite Administration > MoversConnect

AgentConnect Setup

Define individual Agent Networks within this setup. Using this setup you can define which branches can communicate with each other and specify which allow uploads and/or downloads.

VendorConnect Setup

Establish a master connector for AgentConnect and define which branches you want included in the network through this setup.

MoversSuite Administration > Personnel

Personnel Setup

MoversSuite Administration > Personnel > Personnel

Personnel assignments are included based on their role on the order and agency affiliation. For example, the OA Surveyor is included if the Origin Agent is a Sister Agent. Furhter, each person must have their User ID referenced by external systems linked to that particluar Labor Type and supported branch or branches within the Employee Interface Mapping section on the Interface Mapping tab.

The following roles can be included in imports/exports (Labor Type):

Salesperson (sales) that displays on the Name, Address, Phone tab

Transportation Coordinator (coor) that displays on the Name, Address, Phone tab

Logistic Coordinator (coor) that displays on the Name, Address, Phone tab

OA Coordinator (coor) that displays on the Agents tab

OA Surveyor (OA Surveyor) that displays on the Agents tab

Revenue Clerk (Revenue Clerk) that display son the Billing Information tab

 

Code of Service displays on the Military/Government tab.