# Purchase Orders – Shipping Containers

## Overview

Sellercloud helps you track and manage the shipping and receiving process for Purchase Orders (POs) delivered with **Shipping Containers**. This workflow allows you to stay on top of different parts of the process, from the initial order placement to the arrival of the shipping container at the shipping port and up to the receiving of the purchased items at your warehouse.

You can also use this workflow to group together multiple regular POs just to organize the receiving process. Once you receive orders grouped with the shipping container feature, associated POs are automatically updated with any relevant information, such as received quantities.

When a single PO contains multiple items, you can split it into multiple shipping containers. To see a PO’s shipping containers, go to the [PO Details Page](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630848557116317467), click **Toolbox,** and select the **Shipping Containers** tab.

To request a Shipping Container [Custom Column](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630852553944422166), open a ticket to our [Support Team](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630831494839563427).

You must enable the [Client Setting](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630835167106228692) **Enable Shipping Containers For PO** for this workflow.

## Manage Shipping Containers

There are two pages related to shipping containers:

- The [Manage Shipping Containers Page](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630848671181202071):
  - Lets you create new shipping containers.
  - Lets you view all your shipping containers and filter them in various ways, such as by shipping or receiving status.
  - Lets you perform bulk actions on multiple containers simultaneously, such as changing their shipping or receiving status.
  - To access the **Shipping Containers** page, go to **Purchasing > Shipping Containers.**
- The [Shipping Container Details Page](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630848460556047967):
  - Each individual shipping container has its own details page.
  - This page lets you view and manage everything about a specific shipping container, such as shipping and receiving, expected delivery dates, and more.
  - To access the **Shipping Container Details** page, navigate to **Shipping Containers** and click on a **Container ID**.

## Create Shipping Containers

To create a shipping container:

1. Go to the **Shipping Containers** page.
2. Click the green plus icon at the bottom right.

3. Complete as follows:
   1. The **Container Name** must match the container ID your [Vendor](https://help.sellercloud.com/omnichannel-ecommerce/vendors-overview/) provided when applicable. Enable the Client Setting **Do Not Allow Duplicate PO Container Names** to enforce a container name validation, preventing duplicate container names.
   2. The **Receiving Warehouse** where the items are expected to arrive. It must match the receiving [Warehouse](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630858407067196545) on any POs you plan to add to this container.
   3. The **Shipping Status** indicates the container’s current stage within the shipping process: **Receiving Errors**, **Not Shipped**, **Shipped**, **Not Arrived**, or **Arrived**.
   4. **Shipped On** is the date when the container has been or will be shipped.
   5. The **Estimated Arrival Date** is the date when the items are expected to arrive at the warehouse.
   6. Click **Create**.

The **Receiving Warehouse** for the Shipping Container must match the warehouse on the linked PO(s).

## Add Items to a Container

You can fill a container with items manually or by importing a file.

### Manually

To add items to a container manually:

1. Go to the [Shipping Container Details](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630848460556047967) page.
2. Click the **Add New Item** plus icon at the top right of the **Items** panel.

3. Search for items by SKU. Optionally, you can filter your search by clicking the **Add Filter** button. You can filter by **PO ID**, **PO Description**, or **Warehouse**.

4. When an item appears next to the correct PO, check the box to the left to select it.

5. Enter the **Qty For Container** in the last field to the right.
6. Click **Add & Close**. Alternatively, click **Add Selected** to keep searching and adding items.

### File Import

To import products to a **Shipping Container** via a file:

1. Go to the [Shipping Container Details](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630848460556047967) page.
2. Click the **Download template** icon at the top right of the **Items** panel.

3. Fill out the spreadsheet template:
   1. **POID** \- A PO’s unique identification number.
   2. **POItemID** \- The automatically generated line item ID on the PO. You can find it by going to the **PO > Toolbox >** **Items** tab. You can also use it to update items in the shipping container.
   3. **ProductID** \- The product’s SKU.
   4. **QtyShipped** \- The item’s quantity in the container.

4. Click the **Upload New Items** icon and select the updated spreadsheet.

## Receive Shipping Containers

You can mark the items in a shipping container as received for one container at a time or for multiple containers in bulk.

### Single Container

To receive items in a single container:

1. Go to the [Shipping Container Details](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630848460556047967) page.
2. In the upper right, click **Actions** and select the appropriate option:
   1. **Receive Full Container**\- Mark all items in the container as fully received at the warehouse. This action sets the **Container Status** to **Received** and updates the **Received On** date and any **Received** item quantities. The received inventory will appear in the selected warehouse, and the relevant POs will also update their **Status** to **Partially Received** or **Fully Received** and reflect any **Received** item quantities.
   2. **Receive Selected Container Items**\- Mark only specific selected items as received at the warehouse. This action updates any **Received** item quantities. If all items are received after this action, it also sets the **Container Status** to **Received** and updates the **Received On** date. The received inventory will appear in the selected warehouse, and the relevant POs will also update their **Status** to **Partially Received** or **Fully Received** and reflect any **Received** item quantities.
   3. **Receive Container Items (Custom Quantity)**\- Mark partial item quantities as received at the warehouse. This action updates any **Received** item quantities. If all items are received after this action, it also sets the **Container Status** to **Received** and updates the **Received On** date. The received inventory will appear in the selected warehouse, and the relevant POs will also update their **Status** to **Partially Received** or **Fully Received** and reflect any **Received** item quantities.
   4. **Delete Container Items Receiving**\- Delete any received quantities of items in the container, which also sets the quantities in the **Received** column back to 0. If you do this action for all items in the container, it also clears the **Received On** date.

### Multiple Containers

To receive items in multiple containers:

1. Go to the **Shipping Containers** page and find the containers with items to receive.
2. Check the boxes to the left of the containers to select them.
3. Click the blue **Actions** icon at the bottom right.

4. Select **Receive Containers**. This action updates the **Received On** date and any **Received** item quantities.
5. Specify the **Warehouse** where the shipments will be received.
6. Fill in the **Bin Name** if receiving in a [Bin-Enabled](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630855423338040913) warehouse.
7. Click **Receive.** This action sets the **Container Status** to **Received** and updates the **Received On** date and any **Received** item quantities for all selected containers. The received inventory will appear in the selected warehouse, and the relevant POs will also update their **Status** to **Partially Received** or **Fully Received** and reflect any **Received** item quantities.
8. The action turns into a [Queued Job](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630838476388116703).

## Update Container Statuses

You can update your shipping containers’ statuses for one container at a time or multiple containers in bulk.

### Single Container

To update a single container’s statuses:

1. Go to the [Shipping Container Details](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630848460556047967) page.
2. Click **Edit**.
3. Update the **Container Status** field to change the container’s general status: **Saved**, **Ordered**, **Pending**, **Received**, or **Completed**.
4. Update the **Shipping Status** field to change the container’s shipping status: **Arrived**, **Not Arrived**, **Shipped**, **Not Shipped**, or **Receiving Errors**.

5. Click **Save**.

### Multiple Containers

To update multiple containers’ statuses:

1. Go to the **Shipping Containers** page.
2. Search to find containers. Optionally, you can filter them by their current status:
   1. **Shipping Status** \- Show only containers with one or more **Shipping Status** values: **Arrived**, **Not Arrived**, **Shipped**, **Not Shipped**, or **Receiving Errors**.
   2. **Container Status** \- Show only containers with one or more specific **Container Status** values: **Saved**, **Ordered**, **Pending**, **Received**, or **Completed**.
   3. **Received** \- Show only containers with one or more receival status values: **Fully Received**, **Partially or Fully Received**, **Partially Received**, **None or Partially Received**, or **Not Received**.

3. Check the boxes to the left of the containers to select them.
4. Click the blue **Actions** icon on the bottom right.

5. Select from the following status-related actions:
   1. **Receive Containers** \- Mark all items in the selected containers as fully received at the warehouse. This action sets the **Container Status** to **Received** and updates the **Received On** date and any **Received** item quantities. The received inventory will appear in the selected warehouse, and the relevant POs will also update their **Status** to **Partially Received** or **Fully Received** and reflect any **Received** item quantities.
   2. **Set Containers Status**\- Update the selected containers’ **Container Status** field to **Saved**, **Ordered**, **Pending**, **Received**, or **Completed**.
   3. **Mark Arrived** \- Set the **Shipping Status** of the selected containers to **Arrived** to indicate they arrived at the shipping port.
   4. **Mark Not Arrived** \- Set the **Shipping Status** of the selected containers to **Not Arrived** to indicate they have not arrived at the shipping port.
   5. **Mark Exported** \- Set the **Exported** status of the selected containers to **Exported**.
   6. **Mark Un-Exported** \- Set the **Exported** status of the selected containers to **Not Exported**.

## Container Costs

Container shipping, duties & tariffs, and other expenses can be reflected in an item’s [Average Cost](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630845499462536259).

To use this feature, you must enable the [Client Setting](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630835167106228692) **Use PO Adjusted Price for Container Unit Cost**. You must also select a cost distribution method in the **Container Cost Adjustment Type** setting – **Equally Per Unit**, **Weight Ratio**, or **CBM Ratio**.

Learn how to add and manage [Shipping Container Costs](https://descartessystems.aha.io/pages/7630848413459747968).