Tracing Transactions

Tracing Transactions link arrow_upward

A transaction represents products moving from one location to another. Tracing links two transactions to manage products in and out of a location.

When tracing is enabled, receiver reference identifies products that are inbound to the receiver location and sender reference identifies products that are outbound from the sender location. Adding the inbound and outbound quantities for the same 'trace reference' determines the untraced quantity. Tracing may be enabled or disabled in the account settings at any time. See configuring tracing for setup.

Tracing reduces the risk of losses by ensuring every inbound product is traced to an outbound product. Untraced quantities pinpoint problem transactions that need to be investigated and actioned.

Using tracing does not require additional data-entry but business operations do need to be conducive to managing quantities in and out of locations. It is ideally suited to transport companies with full-pallet consignments. Having empty pallets in the system, whether it be returns from loan locations or splitting and consolidating pallets for 'parcel freight', does not prevent tracing but does make it more difficult to manage. Tracing is not applicable when inbound transactions are unrelated to outbound transactions, which is the case for many warehousing situations.

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Untraced quantities can be identified via filtering in the transactions grid. Additionally the Account Trace Balances and Location Trace Balances grids provide a list of untraced combinations.

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A transaction is excluded from tracing when cancelled or the corresponding reference field is empty.

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To start tracing from a particular date onwards, open Account Settings and specify Tracing start date.

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Matching Sender Reference and Receiver Reference values in the current row and other rows are identified with blue cell shading. This is an optional feature that can be toggled in the View Settings tool in the grid side panel.

Site Tracing link arrow_upward

Site tracing applies to every transaction kind. Quantities are traced in and out of both site locations and 'loan locations'. Loans are typically with trading partners, but may also be with service centres.

A common workflow is a transfer on from a pickup customer is traced into a site, then traced to another site via a relocation, then traced out of that site with a transfer off to a delivery customer. The consignment number may be used as the trace reference value.

1. Open Account Settings page, ensure Transaction tracing is set to 'Site'. Also ensure Is carrier reference copied to sender/Receiver Reference? is ticked.
2. Open Transactions page. If not visible, unhide columns:
   • Carrier Reference
   • Sender Reference
   • Receiver Reference
   • Is Outbound Traced
   • Outbound Untraced Quantity
   • Is Inbound Traced
   • Inbound Untraced Quantity
3. Key a transfer on transaction from a pickup customer. Specify a value for Carrier Reference. This value is automatically copied to Receiver Reference, which causes Is Inbound Traced to be ticked and Inbound Untraced Quantity to be set.
4. Key a relocation transaction from the site in the previous transaction to another site. Specify the same value for Carrier Reference. It is automatically copied to both Sender Reference and Receiver Reference, so the quantity is traced out of the sender site and into the receiver site.
5. Key a transfer off transaction to a delivery customer. For the sender, specify the same site that is the receiver in the previous transaction. Again specify the same value for Carrier Reference. It is copied to Sender Reference so the quantity is traced out of the sender site.
6. The quantity is fully traced from a pickup customer to a site, then to another site, then to a delivery customer. Untraced quantity is cleared for all three transactions.

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The example above has only transfer and relocation transactions. It could include loan sent and loan received transactions as quantities in and out of loan locations are also traced for 'site' tracing.

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Account Trace Balances detail grid will not have a row for this trace reference as it is fully traced. To see a corresponding row in this grid, change the quantity of the transfer on or transfer off transaction so there is an untraced quantity.

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Site Trace Balances detail grid will have rows for this trace reference if the relocation quantity is changed. Traced quantity in and out of the site locations will no longer be balanced. Note the transactions will not display an untraced quantity as this represents the 'account trace balance', which is zero (empty) when a transfer on to the account is fully traced to one or more transfers off the account, i.e. 'internal' transactions are excluded from the untraced quantity displayed in transactions.

Account Tracing link arrow_upward

Account tracing applies to all transfer transactions. Instead of tracing quantities in and out of locations, they are traced on and off the account. Relocation and loan transaction kinds are excluded from tracing.

1. Open Account Settings page, ensure Transaction tracing is set to 'Account'. Also ensure Is carrier reference copied to sender/Receiver Reference? is ticked.
2. Open Transactions page. If not visible, unhide columns:
   • Carrier Reference
   • Sender Reference
   • Receiver Reference
   • Is Outbound Traced
   • Outbound Untraced Quantity
   • Is Inbound Traced
   • Inbound Untraced Quantity
3. Key a transfer on transaction from a pickup customer. Specify a value for Carrier Reference. This value is automatically copied to Receiver Reference, which causes Is Inbound Traced to be ticked and Inbound Untraced Quantity to be set.
4. Key a transfer off transaction to a delivery customer. The sender location does not matter but it is typically the same site as the inbound transaction. Specify the same value for Carrier Reference. It is copied to Sender Reference so the quantity is traced off the account.
5. Most consignments have one inbound transaction and one outbound transaction, but to demonstrate tracing with multiple transactions, key a transfer off transaction with the same Sender Reference. Both outbound transactions are included when calculating the untraced quantity.
6. Ensure the inbound quantity is fully traced so untraced quantity is cleared for all three transactions.

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Specifying Carrier Reference and having it copy to either Sender Reference or Receiver Reference avoids having to think about where to record the consignment number - it is always entered in the Carrier Reference field.

Loan Tracing link arrow_upward

Loan tracing applies to loan transactions only. Quantities are traced to and from a 'loan location', i.e. a trading partner or service centre.

It is applicable when loans are managed via 'IOU' dockets. Loan tracing is not helpful when the balance is a 'float' that is occasionally replenished or reduced with a bulk delivery or pickup of empty pallets.

1. Open Account Settings page, ensure Transaction tracing is set to 'Loan'.
2. Open Locations page, ensure a 'loan' trading partner has Is Loan Traced ticked.
3. Open Transactions page. If not visible, unhide columns:
   • Sender Reference
   • Receiver Reference
   • Is Outbound Traced
   • Outbound Untraced Quantity
   • Is Inbound Traced
   • Inbound Untraced Quantity
4. Key a loan received transaction from the loan location (pickup customer). Specify Sender Reference, which causes Is Outbound Traced to be ticked and Outbound Untraced Quantity to be set.
5. Key another loan received transaction from the loan location and specify the same Sender Reference. The Receiver Reference can be anything.
6. Key a loan sent transaction to the loan location that represents returning physical pallets for the pickups. Set Receiver Reference to the same value as Sender Reference for the previous transactions.
7. Ensure the outbound quantities are fully traced so untraced quantity is cleared for all three transactions.

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Loan received transaction kind has direction 'Inbound' as the transaction direction is from the perspective of our account. However, in the context of loan tracing, a loan received transaction is outbound from the loan location. Likewise, a loan sent transaction has direction 'outbound' but is inbound to the loan location.

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Settlement transactions are helpful when multiple loan transactions are squared up with a bulk loan or transfer.

Manual Tracing link arrow_upward

Tracing is typically automatic as it is applied whenever reference fields are specified. If transactions are created without reference fields, i.e. via importing, then manual tracing can be used to link inbound transactions to outbound transactions, and vice versa.

1. Open Account Settings page, ensure Transaction tracing is set to 'Site' or 'Account'.
2. Open Transactions page. If not visible, unhide columns:
   • Sender Reference
   • Receiver Reference
   • Is Outbound Traced
   • Outbound Untraced Quantity
   • Is Inbound Traced
   • Inbound Untraced Quantity
3. Key a transfer off transaction to a delivery customer. Leave Sender Reference empty so the transaction is not traced.
4. Key a transfer on transaction from a pickup customer. Specify a value for Receiver Reference so Is Inbound Traced is ticked and Inbound Untraced Quantity is set.
5. Open Traced Transactions detail grid.
6. Tick Is Traced for the transfer off transaction created earlier. This updates its Sender Reference field to match the current main grid row, which completes the tracing.

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Unticking a row in the Traced Transactions detail grid will clear the corresponding trace reference field(s).

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Manual tracing can also be used with loan tracing.

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Link filters may be adjusted for the Traced Transactions detail grid to change the rows that are displayed. Note that Is Traced is disabled for rows with a different product or account, and coloured orage (warning colour) for non-matching references.

Settlement Transactions link arrow_upward

A settlement transaction is one that offsets multiple loan transactions. It is used to 'settle' a loan balance.

Settlement transactions may be keyed manually but are typically generated. The outstanding loan balance is calculated to set the quantity, and the transaction kind is chosen to clear the balance. The kind may be the opposite loan to the current transaction, or if the loan location has Is Settlement Transfer Allowed ticked, then it will be a Transfer On, Transfer Off, Issue, or Dehire.

A common use case is creating a bulk transfer off to a retailer that covers multiple consignments. This enables site tracing of individual consignments when a retailer requirement is a single transfer per delivery.

1. Open Locations page, ensure a 'retailer' trading partner has Is Settlement Transfer Allowed ticked, and ensure the assigned trading profile allows both loan sent transactions and transfer off transactions.
2. Open Transactions page. If not visible, unhide columns:
   • External Reference
   • Sender Reference
   • Receiver Reference
   • Add 'Settlement' Row
3. Key multiple loan sent transactions to the retailer location. Specify their reference (usually a purchase order number) for each consignment in the External Reference field. Leave Receiver Reference empty.
4. With one of the loan sent rows focussed, click Add 'Settlement' Row or press Alt+M. This creates a new transfer off transaction with:
   • Sender Location and Receiver Location both set to the retailer.
   • Quantity set to the total of the loan sent transactions.
   • Receiver Reference set to the combined list of external references.
   • Sender Reference set to the generated Docket Number. The loan sent transactions are updated with Receiver Reference which sets this docket number. It identifies them as linked and completes the tracing.

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Tracing is not required to generate settlement transactions but they are often used when site tracing or loan tracing is enabled. In the example above, the loan sent transactions would have Sender Reference set to the consignment number or other trace reference value.

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When Receiver Time-slot is specified for the loan sent transactions then that is used as the trace reference instead of the generated docket number.

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When Is Settlement Transfer Allowed ticked for a location, auto-submitting of loan sent transactions to that location is prevented. It is expected that loans are only used internally to manage balances. The settlement transfer off transaction is submitted as usual. Similarly, loan received transactions are not auto-confirmed when this setting is enabled for the sender loan location.

Clearing Untraced with Adjustments link arrow_upward

An untraced quantity may be adjusted to zero and cleared with a gain transaction or a loss transaction.

Adjustment transactions may be keyed manually but are typically generated. The location loan balance is used to set the quantity. A site with a positive balance means more inbound than outbound, so the adjustment is a loss transaction from the site to 'Adjusted Pallets'. A site with a negative balance is adjusted up to zero with a gain transaction. The same applies for a loan location instead of a site.

1. Open Account Settings page, ensure Transaction tracing is set to 'Site'.
2. Open Transactions page. If not visible, unhide columns:
   • Sender Reference
   • Receiver Reference
   • Is Outbound Traced
   • Outbound Untraced Quantity
   • Is Inbound Traced
   • Inbound Untraced Quantity
   • Add 'Adjustment' Row
3. Key a transfer on transaction from a pickup customer. Specify a value for Receiver Reference so Is Inbound Traced is ticked and Inbound Untraced Quantity is set.
4. With the transfer on transaction focussed, click Add 'Adjustment' Row. This creates a new loss transaction with:
   • Sender Location set to the site.
   • Receiver Location set to 'Adjusted Pallets'. This is a built-in black hole location, and any transaction to a black hole is a 'Loss'.
   • Quantity set to the trace balance of the site location. In this case there is only one inbound transaction to the site with this trace reference, so is has the same quantity.
   • Sender Reference set to the Receiver Reference value of the transfer on transaction.
5. The transactions are fully traced so untraced quantity is cleared for both.

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Account Trace Balances grid has a button column Clear Trace Balance. Clicking it adds an adjustment row for each site location involved in the trace that has a non-zero trace balance. Note that account trace balances only apply to account tracing and site tracing.

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Location Trace Balances grid has a button column Clear Trace Balance. Clicking it adds an adjustment row for the location. The location may be a site or a loan location (trading partner or service centre).

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Loan Metrics grid has a button column Clear Loan Balance. Adjustments change a location balance regardless of tracing and clicking this button adds a transaction for the loan location that adjusts the loan balance to zero.