UPS ShipXML Integration Complete, FedEx Coming Soon
I have just completed a full integration of the UPS ShipXML web service for creating package shipments. I am posting this here, because in the next couple of weeks I will also be implementing a FedEx instance of the same functionality, and would like to contribute both back to the community.
What I have done is add the ability to create UPS shipments into the Magento admin. Once you have successfully registered for a UPS ShipXML access key (requires UPS approval), you just need to go into the admin, enter your authorization credentials, what type of shipping containers you user, type of pickup, etc. and you will be ready to integrate the functionality into your warehouse process.
There is a separate page that is meant to be used by the shipper in the warehouse which allows you to enter the order id and specify which products are to be shipped and in how many packages (this can easily be configured to work with a barcode reader). This data is then submitted to the UPS API and the cost and shipping label are returned and can currently be printed off in PDF format. All shipped items are then updated back on the order with tracking information so the customer and admin can track the order.
The entire process has been architected to work with any shipping method as additional API integrations are added (as I mentioned FedEx is next on my list). The idea is for fulfillment to print out the packing slip, pack the order, go over and scan the order id barcode, and then have the shipping labels print out without having to do anything else.
Hopefully I will get some time soon to contribute this back to the community, as it has been awesome working in the Magento code. If you have any questions or are interested in hearing more details, drop me a line.
1United Media Associates posted Sun, April 20, 2008
@bott,
I can’t wait to see it.
2timothyleetaylor posted Fri, April 25, 2008
@bott,
We are super excited to see this roll out.
How are things coming? Is there any need for more collaboration on development? If not, let us know what else we can do to help.
Your work will be greatly used, and greatly appreciated by the Magento Community.
Thanks,
Lee
3rvelton posted Fri, May 9, 2008
Any update on this?
And does it support International Shipping?
4infield posted Fri, May 23, 2008
Sounds super cool! Excited to try it out
5Sword posted Thu, June 5, 2008
Fantastic
6Juanky posted Mon, June 9, 2008
¿Alguna novedad en esto? Suena muy interesante…
7jawshchevyvan posted Wed, June 18, 2008
@bott can you point me to a version of some of this code?
thanks immensely.
8jdk410 posted Thu, June 19, 2008
This sounds like what every UPS shipper is looking for. Can you provide an update as to “if and when” this will be available.
Thank you for your hard work and speaking for many - we can’t wait to see it in action.
9timothyleetaylor posted Thu, June 19, 2008
Hi all,
I’m currently unsure as to what @bott has completed thus far - though we are amidst a dialogue with UPS in order to figure out the complete action items that needs to take place, and to code the customization according to the specifications.
We’ve already obtained the correct Developer’s documents, and are learning of steps that need to take place in order to activate the account (to receive Negotiated Rates per the account) that we were unaware of earlier.
We’ll keep working, and post our results amidst our progress. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer.
@bott, do you have anything else to add?
I believe this will be a great addition to the community! We’re looking forward to coming out with this.
Thanks for your patience,
Lee
10timothyleetaylor posted Thu, June 19, 2008
Just a note: I believe we are addressing only a segment of the shipping integration that @bott mentions here. We are working on the UPS XML integration via the receiving and responding to acquire the Negotiated Rates (if applicable per the account).
@bott seems to be working on the other half, which tends to the ADMIN UPS XML shipping integration - in order to complete a shipment from within the Magento ADMIN.
@bott, does this seem like a valid assessment?
Thanks,
Lee
11bott posted Fri, June 20, 2008
Thanks all for the interest in this. It has taken me a bit longer to get this packaged up and ready for release than I had hoped, but it is close.
timothyleetaylor is correct that my solution addresses the actual submission of a shipment request and the subsequent obtaining of a shipping label from the ShipXML API, in addition to simply getting negotiated rates. The tracking number and shipped status are all then updated back into the magento system. I anticipate being able to release this within the next couple of weeks, however there is still an issue that I need to resolve before it is ready.
What I still have not been able to figure out how to do is overload/create a new adminhtml controller. There are some very pertinent examples here in the forum on how to overload or create a new frontend controller, but I have not been able to successfully implement the same for a couple of the adminhtml controllers that I have had to create and override. If anyone has experience in that, or can figure it out that would be a tremendous help as I have had to move on to other things in the meantime on polishing this up for release.
12bmartus posted Fri, June 20, 2008
This would be a great thing to have—a necessity for our business to move over to Magento.
If you need anybody to help out with testing, send me a message.