Adding Matrix Records

On an order, when a user specifies a Shipment Type that uses the standard calculation method, the Order Entry system reviews the Shipment Type's Matrix records to find a record with matching criteria. The system then uses the details in the selected Matrix record to calculate the order's shipping and handling charges.

Each Matrix record specifies a Shipping Charge, Shipping Cost, and Handling Fee either as a total value or on a per-unit basis. The system matches an order to a particular Matrix record based on one or more of the following criteria:

• The shipment's Ship To address
• The shipment's Quantity
• The shipment's Weight

At its simplest implementation, a Shipment Type can have one Matrix record that applies to all orders based on a wide scope or quantity/weight range. However, in most cases, a Shipment Type will have multiple records that define a hierarchical matrix to calculate an order's shipping charges based on shipments' characteristics (similar to the Product Pricing Matrix, as described in Creating a Product Pricing Matrix).

See How to Configure Shipping Charges for a discussion of how the Order Entry system evaluates Matrix records to calculate shipping charges for an order.

Follow these steps to add a Matrix record to a Shipment Type:

1. Open the Shipment Types record, if not already opened.
2. Click the Matrix tab.
   
3. Click the New Record icon to open a new Matrix record.
   • A new record opens and the system automatically populates the Shipment Type field.
      
4. If this record is a child of an existing Matrix record, enter the name of the parent in the Parent field.
   • A Shipment Type matrix can be designed in a hierarchical format based on a parent/child relationship.
   • For example, consider a shipping company that charges one set of rates for shipments to the United States and a second set of rates for shipments to Canada. One solution is to create two separate Shipment Types (one for the shipper in the U.S. and one for the shipper to Canada). Another solution is to use multiple Matrix records, as described below.
     • In this case, you would have two top-level Matrix records (one for U.S. Ship To and one for Canada Ship To).
     • These top-level records would not have shipping rates associated with them. Instead, each top-level Matrix record would have a series of child records that specify the shipping rate under a particular set of conditions (such as one rate for shipments in the U.S. that are less than 10 pounds, a second rate for shipments between 10 and 20 pounds, and a third rate for shipments over 20 pounds).
        
5. In the Rank field, specify the rank for this Matrix record within the current level (as identified by the Matrix record's Parent).
   • When the Order Entry system selects a Matrix record to calculate an order shipment's shipping charges, it evaluates the records in a particular level in the order specified by the Rank field. (A particular level constitutes all Matrix records that share the same Parent. In the case of top-level Matrix records, the Parent field is blank.) The system then selects the first matching Matrix record in that level.
   • A lower number indicates a higher rank. In other words, for a particular level, a record with a rank of 0 is evaluated before a record with a rank of 1.
     
     
6. Enter a descriptive Name for the Matrix record.
7. Do one of the following:
   • If you are creating a child record that can apply charges to an order shipment, continue to Step 8.
   • If this Matrix record will be only a parent for other Matrix records and will not specify its own set of shipping charges, leave the remaining fields on the General tab blank and proceed to Step 14.
     
8. Specify the currency in which the Shipping Charge, Shipping Cost, and Handling Charge amounts are expressed in the Currency Type field.
   • For example, if the shipping charges are expressed in U.S. Dollars, enter US Dollar in the Currency Type field.
      
9. Select a Calculation Type from the drop-down list. Note that the selected type applies to all three amount fields (Shipping Charge, Shipping Cost, and Handling Charge).
   • Actual Value: The amounts displayed in the Shipping Charge, Shipping Cost, and Handling Charge fields represent the entire shipping charge for an order shipment.
   • Per Unit: The amounts displayed in the Shipping Charge, Shipping Cost, and Handling Charge fields are per unit in the order shipment (either per quantity unit or per weight unit, depending on whether the Use Quantity option or the Use Weight option is selected — see below for details). For example, if a shipment weights 5 pounds and the Matrix record applies to shipments that weight 10 pounds or less, the displayed shipping charge amounts would be multiplied by 5. The system uses the following logic to determine the units (quantity or weight) for the per unit calculation: 
     • If Use Quantity is selected on the Matrix record (even if Use Weight is also selected), the system uses the shipment's total quantity as the units in the per unit -calculation.
     • If Use Quantity is not selected and Use Weight is selected, the system uses the shipment's total weight as the units in the per unit calculation.
     • If neither is selected and the Matrix record has a Parent, the system reviews the Parent Matrix record and repeats the same logic described above.
     • If neither is selected and the Matrix record has no Parent, the system uses the shipment's total quantity as the units in the per unit calculation.
        
   • CalculationRule: This type is reserved for future use.
      
10. In the Shipping Charge field, specify the shipping amount charged to the customer (either the per-unit charge or the full charge, depending on the Calculation Type) .
11. In the Shipping Cost field, specify the cost of shipping (either the per-unit cost or the full charge, depending on the Calculation Type). This represents the amount that the shipping company charges the organization to ship the order.
12. In the Handling Charge field, specify the handling fee charged to the customer (either the per-unit charge or the full charge, depending on the Calculation Type).
    
    
13. If the amounts you entered in the Shipping Charge and the Handling Charge fields includes tax, select the Charges Include Tax option.
    • This is similar to the Includes Tax option on a Product's Prices record. See Including Tax within a Product's Price.
    • For example, assume a Matrix record has the Charges Include Tax option selected and the Shipping Charge is $9.95 and the Handling Charge is $2. If these charges are applied to an order to which a 5% sales tax rate applies to Shipping and Handling charges, then the system will automatically calculate the implicit tax amount and deduct it from the Shipping and Handling totals. In this case:
      • The Shipping amount appears as $9.48 rather than as $9.95. ($9.95/1.05 = $9.48; $0.47 in included tax)
      • The Handling amount appears as $1.90 rather than as $2.00.($2.00/1.05 = $1.90; $0.10 in included tax)
      • The tax amounts deducted from the Shipping and Handling fields appear in the Tax field ($0.57, as shown below).
      • Note that the details of the tax calculation are also shown in the Shipping/Handling Details dialog. See Understanding the Shipping and Handling Details Dialog.
        
        
14. Configure the criteria that the Order Entry system will use to match order shipments with Matrix records. This criteria is specified on the Matrix record's Ship To, Quantity, and Weight tabs. You can complete the fields on any or all of these tabs, but you must select the Use option on at least one tab in order to save the record. The fields on each tab are described below:
    • Ship To: Specifies that an order's shipment must match the Ship To location specified on this tab to apply the rates from this Matrix record. This tab contains the following fields:
      • Use Ship To: Select to enable Ship To matching criteria for a Matrix record.
      • Ship To Scope: Select a scope for the Ship To matching criteria. Options include Country, State/Province, County, City, and PostalCode. You then configure one or more of the address fields, depending on the scope you selected.
      • Ship To Country: Enter the country for the Ship To location. You must enter the country, regardless of what scope level you select. This field links to the Countries service.
      • State/Province: If you selected the State/Province, County, City, or PostalCode scope, enter the State or Province in the specified country where the Ship To destination is located. This list is automatically filtered to display the states/provinces linked to the selected Ship To Country.
      • County: If you selected the County scope, enter the county where the Ship To destination is located.
      • City: If you selected the City scope, enter the city where the Ship To destination is located.
      • Postal Code: If you selected the PostalCode scope, enter the Postal Code or ZIP Code where the Ship To destination is located.
        
        
      • Quantity: Specifies that the total quantity of the products in the order's shipment must fall within the quantity range specified on this tab. This tab stores the following information:
        • Use Quantity: Select to enable Quantity matching criteria for a Matrix record. When enabled, per unit shipping charges are calculated based on a shipment's total product quantity.
        • Quantity Range: Specify the Quantity Lower Bound and Quantity Upper Bound for this Matrix record. Note that the lower bound is inclusive and the upper bound is exclusive. For example, if a Matrix record's Quantity tab specifies a lower bound of 5 and an upper bound of 10, this corresponds to quantities that are 5 or greater but less than 10. In this case, any shipment that contains less than 5 units or 10 or more units would not match the Matrix record.
          
          
      • Weight: Specifies that the total weight of products in the order's shipment must fall within the weight range specified on this tab. Note that if the unit of measure for the products in the order do not match the unit of measure specified in the Matrix record, then the system will convert the product's weight to the Matrix record's unit of measure when determining if there is a match (and for calculating per unit charges, if applicable). This tab stores the following information:
        • Use Weight: Select to enable Weight matching criteria for a Matrix record. When enabled, per unit shipping charges are calculated based on a shipment's total weight if the Use Quantity option on the Quantity tab is not selected.
        • Weight Units: Select the unit of measure for the weight range. Options include Ounces, Pounds, Grams, and Kilograms. Note that if performing a per unit calculation, the system calculates shipping charges using the shipment weight in the Matrix record's unit of measure. For example, if a product's weight is expressed in grams but the Matrix record's unit of measure is in kilograms, the system multiples the per unit shipping charges by the total shipment weight in kilograms and not the weight in grams.
        • Weight Range: Specify the Weight Lower Bound and Weight Upper Bound for this Matrix record. The system evaluates the values you enter using the unit of measure specified in the Weight Units field. Note that the lower bound is inclusive and the upper bound is exclusive. For example, if a Matrix record's Weight tab specifies a lower bound of 0 pounds and an upper bound of 5, this corresponds to shipment weights that are 0 or greater but less than 5. In this case, any shipment that weights 5 or more pounds would not match the Matrix record.
          
          
15. Click the Comments tab and enter additional information about this Matrix record.
16. Save the Matrix record.
    • After saving the record, the Children tab becomes available. This tab lists all of the Matrix records for which the current record is the parent.
       
17. Close the Matrix record to return to the Shipment Types record.