Logistics & Fulfillment module - basics

Valigara integrates with multiple logistic companies. The integration allows to create the complete automation of the full fulfillment execution processб from the moment the order appears in Valigara: 

1. Assignment of the logistic company, relevant  to the specific order

2. Initialization of the shipping process by the relevant logistic company

3. Fetching the tracking information from the logistic company into Valigara

4. Retrieval of the tracking information updates from the logistic company 

5. Updates of the relevant tracking information on the relevant sales channel

Logistics providers types in Valigara:

1. Shipping Carriers (DHL, USPS etc) -  products are shipped by the seller, from the local warehouse. The update of the shipment status is performed by the seller. Valigara uses the API integration to generate shipping documents ( invoice says packing slips labels Etc).  

2. Fulfillment Centers (FBA, EFS and more) -  products are shipped from the external fulfillment center.  Tracking information is provided and updated by the fulfillment center. Valigara uses the integration to fetch the inventory level updates, create fulfillment orders (3PL), receive delivery updates and update them on the relevant sales channel. 

Operation modes in regards to inventory:

1. Active -  the inventory level information is managed inside Valigara, and propagated into external systems.

2. Passive -  the inventory levels information is being regularly fetched from the external systems,  and displayed inside Valigara

Not all external logistic companies provide valid communication protocols (API). To solve this limitation, Valigara offers two ways of handling the external systems:

1. Known logistics providers -  Large companies, offering the technology (Fedex, UPS etc). Valigara uses the existing carriers API  to communicate the data instantly. 

2. Custom logistic providers -  Small/niche companies, no active connection exists between the logistic provider and Valigara.  Fulfillment execution, logging and status updates are executed by the Valigara user. Even that there is no automated update on the fulfillment status, managing custom providers allows to create the correct flow and follow up over the logistic status.