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 Afferent Options Rule, a specific RLD Rule type, that targets the transformation and control of shipment-level carrier options before a rate or label request is processed.
A rate or label request can include various shipment options—such as signature requirements, Saturday delivery, Cash on Delivery (COD), or hazardous materials flags—which directly impact carrier availability and shipping costs. Sometimes, the default options submitted from an upstream system (like an ERP or shopping cart) fail to account for specific security needs, weekend transit rules, or commodity-specific carrier requirements. This is where the Afferent Options Rule comes in. Unlike Efferent rules that post-process carrier responses, the Afferent Options Rule pre-processes the request to explicitly modify the shipment options (e.g., dynamically injecting an “Adult Signature Required” flag or removing a redundant insurance option) before the request is ever submitted to the carrier network. The Afferent Options Rule is one rule type within an RLD Template.
Any number of Afferent Options Rules can be built within an RLD Template to match business objectives. Each Afferent Options 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 shipment request is modified according to the rules defined within the Afferent Options 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 shipment options are altered in the outgoing request payload. Once the match criteria are met, the request is transformed to toggle specific options on or off, inject missing options, or overwrite option parameters (such as the specific Cash on Delivery Amount) before the carrier processes the rate or generates a label.
Usual use cases for Afferent Options Rules within an RLD Template are numerous. Some common use cases include the following:
Automatically inject an “Adult Signature Required” option into the payload when the order’s Declared Value exceeds a specific financial threshold (e.g., $500) to prevent theft and limit liability.
Toggle on the “Saturday Delivery” option dynamically if the order is processed on a Friday and the selected service is a Next Day expedited service.
Automatically append a “Dry Ice” or “Dangerous Goods” flag to the shipment request when specific line item SKUs (like perishables or batteries) are detected, ensuring carrier compliance and accurate rating.
