User Newsletter | February 2024

Welcome to the February 2024 User Newsletter

We're continuing to roll out updates to further enhance your system's efficiency and security. First off, we have our newly implemented Multifactor Authentication (MFA/2FA) via a smartphone authenticator app. This update brings an added layer of security to every login attempt. In addition to the MFA, we're also introducing an easier way to install our scanning module app directly onto your mobile device's home screen, making access to this crucial tool quicker and more seamless than ever. And if this wasn't enough, we've also developed additional features for your automated restock email notifications and your automated ABC article classification. We're continuing to evolve based on your feedback. Thank you for making us better!

Below is a curated selection of the latest enhancements and features to Ongoing WMS. We recognize the importance of a clutter-free interface for optimal performance and productivity. To this end, most new features are deactivated by default and can be activated based on your preferences. Should you wish to enable a specific feature, please contact your designated Ongoing contact person.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA/2FA) via Smartphone

Ongoing has implemented enhanced security measures by integrating Multifactor Authentication (MFA), also known as Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), accessible via an authenticator app on the user's smartphone. Upon each login attempt, users are now required to obtain a PIN code from their authentication app, markedly increasing the security of their accounts. If desired, the PIN code can still be received via email, which used to be the standard setup before this new smartphone authentication option. Read more about the smartphone authentication feature in our Documentation Center.

Additionally, Ongoing has multiple other security measures in place to secure safe operations of your system. Read about those measures in your contract or reach out to your designated contact person at Ongoing to learn more.

Install Scanning Module App on Mobile Devices

Upon logging into the scanning module via a mobile device, users will now find a new button located in the top right-hand corner. Activating this button will install the scanning module app directly onto the home screen. The benefits of using the scanning module on a mobile device are many:

1. Streamlined Access: Adding the Ongoing WMS Scanning to the home screen speeds up app access as it eliminates the need to navigate through a web browser each time and reduces distractions from the browser toolbars taking up unnecessary screen space.
2. Universal Device Support: Ongoing WMS works flawlessly on both Android and Apple devices, enabling the use of existing smartphones and tablets without requiring expensive scanner hardware.
3. Flexible Scanning Choices: Opt for ergonomic scanning with Bluetooth scanners or save costs with your device's camera and a barcode app, tailoring the setup to your needs and budget.
4. Smart Savings: Adopt an external barcode & QR keyboard app for an economical yet effective scanning solution, reducing hardware expenses while maintaining high performance.

Read more about the Scanning Module App in our Documentation Center:

• Scanning with an Android Device
• Scanning with an iOS Device

Streamlined Administration Features

Below are a few minor enhancements designed to streamline administrative tasks:

• Bulk Deletion in Transporter Agreements: Within Registers -> Transporter Agreements there is now functionality to delete multiple agreements together simultaneously.
• Serial Number Identification for Goods Info Updates: Registers -> Update Goods Info, the page in which users are allowed to update existing article items using an Excel file, article items can now be identified using serial numbers.
• Unified Article Viewing for Multiple Goods Owners: In Warehouse -> Articles, users can now show articles from all several goods owners simultaneously by selecting 'All Goods Owners.'
• Consolidated Production Order Viewing: Warehouse -> Production Order List now supports viewing production orders from multiple goods owners simultaneously, also through the 'All Goods Owners' option.
• Selective Article Item Allocation for Manual Pick Orders: When manually creating pick orders in Warehouse -> Pick Orders, users can now specify which article items should be included on the pick order.
• User-Specific Filtering in User Statistics: Statistics -> Statistics/User now includes a filter option to view data specific to individual users.
• Enhanced Order Detail Management: Expanding an order in the order list now allows for updates to the serial number, free text 1, and the article item status via the “Update” function in “Goods Items on Order.”
• Bulk Deletion of Pallet Items: When expanding an order in the order list, a new feature has been added under 'Pallet Items' to facilitate the deletion of multiple pallet items simultaneously.

Automated Restock Email Notifications with Excel Attachments

Via Administration -> Integrations and emails -> New integration or email, there is an automated email feature that administrators can activate to automatically receive email notifications whenever an article falls below its reorder point. A new setting has been added to this email notification to include an Excel file attachment that contains all relevant information about the item needing restocking.

ABC Article Classification with Production Consumption Tracking

Via Administration -> Integrations and emails -> New integration or email > Set ABC classification on articles, there is a new automation feature that can be scheduled to automatically do an ABC classification of articles depending on their turnover rate. Previously, this ABC classification feature only considered how many of the articles were sold and shipped. Now, a new option has been included to factor in the number of articles consumed within Ongoing WMS' production module as well, offering a more holistic view of article movement.

We continuously make sure our in-house-developed integrations are up and running smoothly. Below, we have listed some of last month’s updates. Find more information about all integrations in our Documentation Center .

Abicart

• Daily Order Resynchronization. The integration now resynchronizes all orders daily to make sure no orders are missed and to improve the reliability of the order management process.

Adobe Commerce

• Enhanced Tracking Data Synchronization. The most recent update makes it possible for the integration to use all information from the tracking table. This can be compared to earlier setup when only information included in the waybill was fetched, meaning that any other tracking information on pallet items was ignored. Now, both shipment ID and pallet item ID(s) are included.

BaseLinker

• Status-Only Update Feature. The integration now includes a feature that allows for an order to be reported to BaseLinker as handled by the warehouse without triggering the creation of a shipment in BaseLinker. Since BaseLinker is acting as both a shipping platform and order hub, the integration was by default set up to create a shipment in BaseLinker when the order was reported. The new option makes it possible to only update the order status without also creating a shipment, which is beneficial in cases where a separate shipping platform is used outside of BaseLinker.

BigCommerce

• Warehouse-Processed Tracking Updates. The integration has been enhanced to now include tracking information updates in BigCommerce once an order has been processed by the warehouse. Previously, once an order was handled within the warehouse, its updated tracking details would not be reflected in BigCommerce.

Bring

• Warehouse Email Notification Fix. The integration has been updated to prevent the sending of email notifications to the warehouse when it is listed as the sender. This change eliminates the previous problem where warehouses were notified for every shipment that was dispatched. Such a situation was particularly overwhelming for customers processing hundreds of orders, as they would receive an equivalent number of emails.

CargoFlux

• New Integration. The new integration between Ongoing WMS and CargoFlux streamlines the shipping process by allowing direct creation and management of shipments within Ongoing WMS, leveraging CargoFlux's extensive network of over 150 freight providers. Key features include easy transfer of detailed shipment information to CargoFlux, automatic receipt of tracking numbers, shipping labels, and freight costs back in Ongoing WMS, with options for auto-printing or saving labels as PDFs. Additionally, the integration supports direct shipment tracking and automatic customs data transfer, enhancing the efficiency of cross-border logistics. Find more information about the integration in our Documentation Center.

Centra

• Order Quantity Validation Step. The integration now includes a validation step to compare the delivered quantity on an order in Ongoing WMS with the quantity originally ordered in the Centra shipment. Previously, if the ordered quantity in Ongoing for any reason was decreased, e.g. due to insufficient stock, the integration would still report the order as fully delivered even though the ordered quantity remained unchanged in Centra. Now, the integration ensures the quantities in both Ongling WMS and Centra match and updates the shipment quantity in Centra if needed.

MyStore

• Missing Status Bug Fix. A bug has been fixed that caused the integration to stop when encountering orders in MyStore missing an assigned status. As the integration is set up, only orders with certain statuses are synced. Previously, if an order for any reason lacked a status, the integration would stop. With this update, those orders without a status are now simply ignored to prevent the integration from malfunctioning.

nShift

• PostNord Service Options Cleanup. The integration has been updated to remove deprecated options corresponding to certain PostNord services that have been discontinued.

PostNord

• Accurate Pallet Item Counts. An issue has been resolved where incorrect pallet item quantities were being generated from PostNord's shipment creation responses. The integration was incorrectly creating just a single pallet item regardless, which has now been corrected to accurately reflect the intended number of pallet items in Ongoing WMS.
• Automatic Pickup Point Assignment. When dispatching MyPack Collect parcels outside of Sweden, it's mandatory to designate a pickup point. In instances where an order lacks this specification, our system now automatically retrieves a suitable pickup point from PostNord's API, using the recipient's zip code for reference.

Shipit

• Multi-Label Document Duplication Fix. A bug has been fixed that caused orders with multiple labels to generate duplicates of transporter documents. Previously, multiple parcels were sent, the system incorrectly produced several identical documents but with different names. Now, the system correctly processes only the first document in the list, preventing unnecessary duplicates.

Shopify

• API Upgrade. The integration has been updated to use the latest Shopify API 2024-01 version.

Shipmondo

• Shipment Retrieval Timing Improvement. An issue has been resolved that used to prevent Ongoing WMS from retreiving shipments immediately after their creation. Previously, there were instances when the WMS attempted to retrieve shipment details before they were fully processed, leading to a false assumption of a failed shipment creation due to system delays. The updated process now includes a brief pause if the initial response is empty, after which the system retries to obtain the shipment details.

Tripletex

• Warehouse-Specific Order Retrieval Setting. The integration now includes a setting that allows the fetching of only those order rows associated with a designated warehouse within Tripletex. This functionality is beneficial for businesses operating multiple warehouses and seeking to sync a specific warehouse in Tripletex with their corresponding Ongoing WMS system. Users can configure the integration to either retrieve all order rows or limit to only those linked to the selected warehouse. This enables a more tailored approach where, for instance, an order can be partially fulfilled from the warehouse connected to a corresponding Ongoing WMS system while other items are picked from a different location.

Visma.net

• Purchase Order Cancellation Sync. When a purchase order is canceled in Visma.net, the integration will now automatically try to cancel the corresponding order in Ongoing WMS, provided the order has not been received yet. If the cancellation does not go through, the order will be marked with an 'Error Status' and will include a comment detailing why the cancellation was unsuccessful.
• Update Validation Enhancement. The update process for orders and shipments in Visma.net has been improved to ensure that there is always at least one row being updated. This resolves the previous issue where an attempt to update without any actual changes could result in the integration stopping.

Visma e-conomic

• Layout Customization Option. The integration settings have been enhanced to allow the selection of goods owner-specific layouts in the invoice integration. Now, users can choose different layouts for different goods owners in e-conomic, allowing for customization such as specifying which customer data should be included, and more.

Our scanning module is highly popular. Currently, 58% of our customers use scanning for the order processes around their warehouses. Scanning can be a game-changer for both speed and accuracy when picking, receiving goods, and taking inventory, to mention some examples.

Return Scanning: New Full Order Return Feature

The return scanning functionality has been upgraded to allow for the entire order to be returned in one action. This eliminates the need to process returns item by item, making the process more efficient and time-saving.

Move Scanning: Modify Suggested Number of Items to Move

Users can now directly modify the suggested numbers of items to move on a movement order directly in the scanner module, offering increased control and efficiency. This could previously only be conducted via the desktop view.

General Improvements

• Unallocated Scanning: Enhanced Memory Logic for Location Tracking. The system now employs improved logic to remember and suggest locations for subsequent picks of non-suggested articles during unallocated scanning tasks.
• Article Status Scanning: Multi-Value Barcode Support. Article status scanning now supports the processing of barcodes that contain multiple values, enhancing the flexibility of data capture.
• Return Scanning: Multi-Value Barcode Recognition. Return scanning functionality has been updated to handle barcodes with multiple values, allowing for more efficient processing of returns.
• Return Scanning: Refined Logic for Item Quantity Entry. The system now has smarter logic to determine when it's necessary for users to enter the quantity of items during return scanning, streamlining the process.
• Consolidated Orders Pick Scanning: Viewable Article Images. It is now possible for users to view images of articles when working with multiple orders to the same recipient (in Ongoing called Shipments). Read more about Consolidating Multiple Orders in our documentation center.
• Settings: Display Actual Names of Scanning Functions. When configuring available scanning functions and their sequence, users can now see the actual names of the functions, making it easier to customize their workflow.

You often don’t have to contact our support for assistance. Our Documentation center is filled with valuable information such as our user manuals, guides, and integrations available. Have a look!

We hope you enjoyed the reading. Any feedback or suggestions you would like to share with us? Please write a comment or send us a message .