Routing Logic Directives (RLD) built into EPISHIP control shipments through the rate and label manifest processes of the supply chain.
The purpose of this article is to detail the Efferent Sender Rule, a specific RLD Rule type, that targets the transformation and control of sender (origin) information after a rate response is received and before the final label is generated.
A rate response request includes a list of all service types across multiple carriers in a distributed network. Sometimes, the actual origin data used to secure accurate shipping rates should not be exposed on the final shipping label, according to business rules. This is where the Efferent Sender Rule comes in. The Efferent Sender Rule post-processes the rate response to explicitly modify or mask the sender details (e.g., implementing blind shipping or applying a different return address) on the finalized output to make better routing decisions in your supply chain. The Efferent Sender Rule is one rule type within an RLD Template.
Any number of Efferent Sender Rules can be built within an RLD Template to match business objectives. Each Efferent Sender Rule includes the following components.
Match conditions of criteria operators include the following types: All (AND), Any (OR), None (Not).
Sender fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Receiver fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Package fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Line Items fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Options fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
References fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Rate fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
Time fields available for match criteria include the follow properties:
The match criteria types listed above are used within individual rules or can be combined into a single rule to target specific conditions that include several match criteria.
The carrier rate response is modified according to the rules defined within the Efferent Sender Rule matched within the RLD Template. The transformation functionality available to be included within the RLD template is as follows.
This configuration dictates exactly how the sender properties are altered in the final output. Once the match criteria are met, the rate response is transformed to override specific sender fields—such as Sender Company, Sender Address 1, Sender City, Sender State, or Sender Postal Code—with explicitly defined replacement values before the final label is manifested.
Usual use cases for Efferent Sender Rules within an RLD Template are numerous. Some common use cases include the following:
Implement “blind shipping” by overriding the physical fulfillment warehouse address with a corporate headquarters address on the printed label.
Dynamically modify the printed Sender Name to reflect a specific brand or retailer’s name when fulfilling orders as a third-party logistics (3PL) provider.
Replace the sender origin address with a centralized returns processing center address so that any undeliverable packages are routed directly to the returns facility rather than the dispatching warehouse.
