Skip to main content

Section 2: Getting Started

Welcome to the onboarding guide for setting up your account and configuring your vendors, warehouses, and roles within the [Platform Name] Warehouse Management System (WMS). This guide covers account creation, role assignments, vendor onboarding, warehouse setup, and initial configuration.

Account Setup​

To begin using the platform, each account needs to be configured with the following information:

  1. Account Information:

    • First Name and Last Name
    • Email Address (for login and notifications)
    • Phone Number
    • Email Preferences (for receiving notifications about orders, inventory updates, etc.)

  2. Password Setup:

    • Accounts are created with an initial password setup required on first login. The user will receive an email with instructions to set their password and access the platform.

Roles and Permissions​

The platform offers four primary roles with specific access levels and permissions. Each account may be assigned one or more roles based on their responsibilities.

  1. System Administrator:

    • Purpose: Only for platform-level administration, responsible for managing the platform setup and configuration.
    • Access: Has global access to all features, configurations, and settings, but generally does not participate in day-to-day warehouse operations.

  2. Warehouse Administrator:

    • Purpose: Manages warehouse operations, including inventory, order fulfillment, and staff permissions.
    • Access: Can add and manage products, orders, warehouse shelves, and monitor the fulfillment process within their assigned warehouses.

  3. Vendor:

    • Purpose: Represents third-party clients (vendors) who send inventory to the warehouse for storage and fulfillment.
    • Access: Can view and manage their own inventory, track order status, and receive reports relevant to their business.

  4. Fulfiller:

    • Purpose: Handles picking, packing, and shipping of orders within the warehouse.
    • Access: Limited to day-to-day order management functions, including inventory access required for order fulfillment.

Each account must be assigned:

  • One or more Roles from the list above.
  • Assigned Vendors and Warehouses specific to the user’s responsibilities within the platform.

Vendor Onboarding​

Onboarding a vendor involves entering their business details and initial configuration. The following information is required:

  1. Vendor Details:

    • Vendor Name: The business name of the third-party client.
    • Billing Address: Address for billing purposes, used for generating invoices and payments.

  2. Default Carrier Rule (Optional):

    • Choose a preferred shipping carrier or method to be applied by default to orders unless specified otherwise.

  3. Default Fees:

    • Commission Rate: Default commission percentage for orders handled through the warehouse.
    • Portal Fees: Fees for vendor access to the platform.
    • Label Purchase Commission: Percentage charged for label purchases.
    • Label Chargeback Commission: Commission applied to label chargebacks.

  4. Banking Information:

    • HST Number: Harmonized Sales Tax number.
    • GST Number: Goods and Services Tax number.
    • PST Number: Provincial Sales Tax number.
    • Banking Details:
      • Transit Number
      • Institution Number
      • Account Number

This setup enables tracking of billing and accounting details for each vendor, allowing the platform to manage financial transactions accurately.

Warehouse Setup​

To set up a warehouse, the following information is required:

  1. Warehouse Details:

    • Province ID: Specifies the province where the warehouse is located, used to determine tax rules.

  2. Warehouse Location:

    • Create a physical address for the warehouse:
      • Address
      • City
      • Postal Code
      • Province
      • Contact Name: First and last name of the contact person at this location.
      • Company Name: Name of the company operating the warehouse.
      • Phone Number
      • Optional Note: Any additional details for internal reference.

Contracts Setup​

Contracts define the terms between the managing vendor (warehouse operator) and the vendors storing goods in the warehouse. Set up contracts within each warehouse with the following information:

  1. Contract Details:
    • Picking Fee: Fee applied for each order picked.
    • Receiving Fee: Fee for receiving goods from vendors into the warehouse.
    • Storage Fee: Ongoing fee for storing inventory within the warehouse.
    • Payment Terms: Agreed-upon terms for when payments are due (e.g., Net 30, Net 60).

Each contract governs the financial relationship between the warehouse and vendor, ensuring clarity in service fees and payment expectations.

Setting Up Warehouse Shelves​

Shelves within the warehouse are essential for efficient inventory management. Each shelf must be registered in the platform with a unique identifier.

  1. Shelf Information:

    • Barcode: A unique barcode for each shelf, used to scan and track item locations.
    • Dimensions: The length, width, and height of the shelf to help optimize space and plan inventory placement.
    • Shelf Name: A descriptive name for each shelf (e.g., "Aisle 1, Row 2").

  2. Shelf Arrangement Recommendations:

    • For ease of navigation and quick item retrieval, we recommend arranging shelves in a grid format, though any layout is supported as long as shelf dimensions are accurate.
    • The platform will generate a printable barcode for each shelf, allowing you to label shelves for easy scanning.

This setup allows pickers and fulfillers to locate items quickly within the warehouse, streamlining the picking process and improving order accuracy.

With these configurations, your platform will be ready to support efficient warehouse management, order fulfillment, and vendor operations.