Shipping Pricebook Applet

Purpose and Overview

The Shipping Pricebook Applet is a sophisticated logistics engine designed to automate and standardize the calculation of shipping-related fees. In a modern trading or e-commerce environment, shipping costs are rarely static; they fluctuate based on delivery regions, item characteristics, customer profiles, and service levels.

Key Features Overview

Who Benefits from This Applet?

Logistics & Operations Managers:

• Automated Precision: Eliminate manual fee entry errors and ensure consistent application of delivery charges.
• Dynamic Surcharges: Easily manage fluctuating costs like fuel surcharges or peak-season handling fees without changing base prices.
• Zonal Control: Define specific rates for different geographic regions (e.g., local delivery vs. international sea freight).

Sales & Customer Service Teams:

• Real-time Quotes: Instantly provide accurate shipping and handling costs to customers during the order process.
• Policy Enforcement: Automatically apply “Free Shipping” or discounted rates for VIP customers or high-value orders based on predefined rules.
• Transparency: Clear visibility into why specific fees were applied, reducing customer disputes.

Finance & Accounting Teams:

• Full Cost Recovery: Ensure that all logistics-related expenses (handling, fuel, transport) are captured and recovered from the customer.
• Audit Integrity: Maintain a complete audit trail of fee calculations for every transaction.
• Revenue Protection: Prevent under-billing caused by missing or outdated shipping rates.

What Problems Does This Solve?

The “Manual Shipping Guesswork” Problem: Traditional systems often rely on staff to “eye-ball” shipping costs. Common issues include:

• Inconsistent charging between different sales reps.
• Forgotten fuel surcharges leading to margin erosion.
• Difficulties in handling complex “if-this-then-that” shipping logic manually.

The Shipping Pricebook Solution:

• Logic-Driven Fees - Fees are triggered only when specific conditions (Rules) are met.
• Priority Logic - Multiple pricebooks can coexist, with the system intelligently selecting the most relevant one.
• Multi-Layered Calculations - Combine standard shipping, handling, and fuel surcharges into a single automated workflow.
• Granular Control - Apply rules at the Header (entire order), Multi-Line (item groups), or Single-Line (specific product) level.

Key Features Inventory

Key Concepts

Understanding the Shipping Framework

Every shipping calculation must address three fundamental aspects. The Shipping Pricebook Applet provides structured handling:

Pricebook Hierarchy Structure

Think of the shipping fee logic as a structured flow that narrows down from general categories to specific charges:

    graph TD
    PB[Shipping Pricebook] --> PS1[Priceset: Free Shipping]
    PB --> PS2[Priceset: Heavy Goods Surcharge]
    PB --> PS3[Priceset: Standard Logistics]
    
    PS1 --> R1[Rule: Amount > $1000]
    PS1 --> T1[Treatment: $0 Fee]
    
    PS2 --> R2[Rule: Weight > 50kg]
    PS2 --> T2[Treatment: $50 Handling]
    
    PS3 --> R3[Rule: Default]
    PS3 --> T3[Treatment: $15 Shipping]
  

Flow Through the Hierarchy:

1. Pricebook: The broad container (e.g., “B2B Standard Rates”).
2. Priceset: A specific scenario (e.g., “West Malaysia Distribution”).
3. Rules: The “If” conditions (e.g., “Must be Branch HQ”).
4. Priority: Lower numerical value = Higher precedence.
5. Treatment: The final financial calculation logic.

Pricebook vs Priceset: What is the Difference?

A common point of confusion is the relationship between a Pricebook and a Priceset. They serve distinct roles in the pricing hierarchy:

Scenario: Two Shipping Pricebooks for a Multi-Channel Business

A company sells both domestically and internationally. They set up two separate Shipping Pricebooks to keep the logic clean and manageable:

Pricebook A: "Domestic Shipping"
├── Priceset 1: "West Malaysia Standard" (Priority 100)
│   Rule: Delivery Region = Selangor, KL, Penang
│   Treatment: Standard Shipping = RM 8 (Absolute)
│
├── Priceset 2: "East Malaysia Surcharge" (Priority 50)
│   Rule: Delivery Region = Sabah, Sarawak
│   Treatment: Standard Shipping = RM 25 (Absolute) + Handling = RM 10 (Absolute)
│
└── Priceset 3: "Free Domestic Shipping" (Priority 1)
    Rule: Transaction Amount > RM 500
    Treatment: Standard Shipping = RM 0 (Absolute)

Pricebook B: "International Shipping"
├── Priceset 1: "ASEAN Countries" (Priority 100)
│   Rule: Delivery Region = Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia
│   Treatment: Standard Shipping = RM 45 (Absolute) + Fuel Surcharge = 3% of Transaction Amount
│
└── Priceset 2: "Rest of World" (Priority 200)
    Rule: Default (no region filter)
    Treatment: Standard Shipping = RM 120 (Absolute) + Fuel Surcharge = 5% of Transaction Amount

In this setup:

• Pricebook A handles all domestic delivery logic. Its three Pricesets cover West Malaysia, East Malaysia, and a free-shipping override. Because “Free Domestic Shipping” has the lowest Priority number (1), it wins whenever a domestic order exceeds RM 500 — regardless of region.
• Pricebook B handles international orders separately. ASEAN countries get a lower base rate and fuel surcharge compared to the rest of the world.

By separating domestic and international into two Pricebooks, the logistics team can manage, audit, and update each strategy independently without affecting the other.

The “Golden Triangle” of Shipping Logic

To effectively manage the system, it is crucial to understand how Rules, Priority, and Treatments interact.

Quick Start Guide

Get up and running quickly with these essential workflows.

For Sales Team: Check Applied Fees

Goal: Understand why a shipping fee was applied to your order in 3 steps.

1. Open Document: Go to your Sales Order or Invoice.
2. Review Header: Look for the Shipping Info tab.
3. Check Details: The system displays the active Pricebook Header and the breakdown of Shipping, Handling, and Fuel charges.

Pro Tip: If fees seem missing, verify that the Customer Member Class matches the rules in the active pricebook.

For Logistics Managers: Create a Regional Surcharge

Goal: Add a $20 handling fee for all deliveries to “East Malaysia” in 5 steps.

1. Navigate: Go to Shipping Pricebook Listing and open your primary pricebook.

   

2. Create Priceset: Click "+" (Add Priceset) → Name it “East Malaysia Surcharge” → Set Priority to 50.

   

3. Add Regional Rule:
   • Go to Rules - Doc Hdr tab.
   • Click “Add Delivery Region Rule”.
   • Select “Sabah” and “Sarawak” from the list.
4. Set Treatment:
   • Go to Treatment tab.
   • Check Handling Fee.
   • Set Price Source to Absolute and Value to 20.00.
5. Finalize: Click Create.

For Admins: Initial System Setup

Goal: Configure the foundational settings for the Shipping Pricebook engine.

1. Prepare Master Data: Ensure all Delivery Regions, Zonal Codes, and Member Classes are up to date.
2. Toggle Applet Settings (Settings > Applet Settings):
   • Default Branch/Location: Pre-fills origin data for new pricebooks.
   • Visibility Rules: Hide specific pricing fields if sales reps should only see the final total.
3. Validate Logic:
   • Create a “Draft” Priceset with a high priority (e.g., 1).
   • Attempt to create a mock Sales Order matching the draft rules.
   • Verify fees appear correctly before setting the Priceset to Active.

Understanding the Rules Engine

The Applet provides layers of rules to handle every possible business scenario.

1. Header Rules (Doc Hdr)

Logic that applies to the entire document as a whole. When a user selects a Header Rule, the system evaluates the order-level attributes — not individual line items. If the rule matches, the Treatment applies once to the entire order.

Supported Rule Types:

• Valid Date Range: Trigger specific rates only during promotional periods.
• Delivery Region: Destination-based pricing (States, Cities, Postcodes).
• Entity Rules: Special rates for specific Member Classes, Member Labels, or Entity Types.
• Corporate Rules: Restrict pricebooks to specific Branches or Companies.

Effect When Selected: The system reads the document header fields (delivery address, customer entity, branch, order date) and checks them against the rule conditions. If all conditions pass, the associated Treatment fee is applied once to the entire order total.

Scenario: Holiday Surcharge for a Specific Branch

Situation: During the year-end holiday season, the KL warehouse has 
limited staffing, causing higher fulfillment costs.

Rule Setup:
  - Type: Header Rule (Doc Hdr)
  - Condition 1 (Valid Date Range): Dec 20 – Jan 5
  - Condition 2 (Corporate Rule): Branch = "Kuala Lumpur HQ"

Treatment: Handling Fee = RM 15 (Absolute)

How It Works:
  - A sales order created on Dec 22 from the KL branch → Both conditions 
    match → RM 15 handling fee is added to the order total.
  - A sales order created on Dec 22 from the Penang branch → Branch 
    condition fails → No surcharge applied.
  - A sales order created on Feb 10 from the KL branch → Date condition 
    fails → No surcharge applied.

Result: Only KL-originated orders during the holiday window incur the 
extra handling fee. All other orders are unaffected.

2. Multi-Line Rules

Logic that checks for combinations of items across the entire cart. When a user selects a Multi-Line Rule, the system scans all line items in the order, groups them by the matching criteria, and evaluates the aggregated result (e.g., total quantity, total weight). The Treatment is applied once based on the grouped outcome, not per individual line.

Supported Rule Types:

• Item Matches: Group by specific Item, Item Category, or use Regex on Item Code/Name.

Effect When Selected: The system iterates through every line item in the order, filters those matching the rule criteria, then aggregates their quantities or values. If the aggregated result meets the threshold, the Treatment is triggered once for the entire group.

Scenario: Bulk Office Supplies Handling Fee

Situation: Orders containing more than 10 units of office supplies 
require special palletized packaging, adding to handling costs.

Rule Setup:
  - Type: Multi-Line Rule
  - Condition: Item Category = "Office Supplies", Total Quantity > 10

Treatment: Handling Fee = RM 20 (Absolute)

How It Works:
  - Order with 5x Printer Paper + 8x Ink Cartridges (both "Office 
    Supplies") → Total = 13 units → Exceeds 10 → RM 20 handling fee 
    applied once to the order.
  - Order with 3x Printer Paper + 2x Ink Cartridges → Total = 5 units 
    → Below threshold → No handling fee.
  - Order with 15x Laptop Bags (category "Electronics Accessories") → 
    Does not match "Office Supplies" → No handling fee.

Result: The fee is evaluated across all matching lines combined and 
charged once — not per line item.

3. Single-Line Rules

Logic that applies individually to each specific item within the cart. When a user selects a Single-Line Rule, the system evaluates each line item independently. If a line matches the rule criteria, the Treatment is calculated and applied to that specific line. Multiple matching lines each incur their own fee.

Supported Rule Types:

• Item & Item Category: Target explicit products or broad classes.
• Regex Matching: Code/Name matching via Item Code Regex, Item Name Regex, Category Code Regex, or Category Name Regex.

Effect When Selected: The system checks each line item one by one. For every line that matches, the Treatment fee is calculated based on that line’s own values (its quantity, unit cost, or amount). This means a single order can generate multiple fee entries if multiple lines match.

Scenario: Fragile Item Special Handling

Situation: Glassware items require individual bubble-wrap packaging, 
costing RM 3 per unit.

Rule Setup:
  - Type: Single-Line Rule
  - Condition: Item Category = "Glassware"

Treatment: Handling Fee = RM 3, Price Source = Base Quantity, 
           Operator = Multiply

How It Works:
  - Order contains: 10x Wine Glasses ("Glassware") + 5x Dinner Plates 
    ("Ceramics") + 2x Crystal Vases ("Glassware")
  - Line 1: Wine Glasses → Matches → 10 × RM 3 = RM 30 handling fee
  - Line 2: Dinner Plates → Does not match "Glassware" → No fee
  - Line 3: Crystal Vases → Matches → 2 × RM 3 = RM 6 handling fee
  - Total handling fee on this order = RM 36

Result: Each matching line is evaluated and charged independently, 
based on its own quantity.

Choosing the Right Rule Type

Regional Rules Deep Dive

The regional engine is the most common way to trigger shipping fees. It supports three levels of geographic granularity.

How Regional Rules Work

When an order is created, the system checks the Delivery Address of the customer and maps it against the Rules in the active Priceset.

Visual Example:

Order Destination: 88000, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Rule A: State = Sabah (Match!)
Rule B: Postcode = 88xxx (Match!)
Rule C: Zone = East Malaysia (Match!)

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: The “Free Shipping” Threshold

Strategy: Give free shipping to Selangor customers for orders > RM 500.
Rule Logic: 
  - Rule 1 (Doc Hdr): Delivery Region = "Selangor"
  - Rule 2 (Doc Hdr): Transaction Amount > 500
Treatment: 
  - Standard Shipping = Absolute 0.00
Result: Orders meeting both criteria get RM 0 shipping fees automatically.

Scenario 2: The Fuel Surcharge Adjustment

Strategy: Apply 5% fuel surcharge to all heavy equipment shipments.
Rule Logic: 
  - Rule 1 (Single Line): Item Category = "Heavy Equipment"
Treatment: 
  - Fuel Surcharge = Multiply (0.05) against Transaction Amount
Result: Every heavy item in the cart adds 5% of its value to the Fuel Surcharge line.

Configuration & Settings

Creating a Shipping Pricebook

The pricebook serves as the master container for all subsequent policies.

Setting up a Priceset

Within each Pricebook, you build nested Pricesets representing unique scenarios.

Understanding Treatment Calculations

After rules are matched, the system applies the configured Treatments. You can enable up to three distinct fee types per Priceset: Standard Shipping Fee, Handling Fee, and Fuel Surcharge.

Each fee is calculated using a combination of Price Sources and Operators:

Where Does Each Price Source Come From?

The Price Source determines which value the system uses as the base number for the fee calculation. Each source pulls its data from a different part of the ERP ecosystem:

Applet Integration & Permissions

The Shipping Pricebook Applet includes built-in settings for deeper system integration:

• Webhooks: Automatically push shipping fee calculations to external 3PL or e-commerce systems in real-time.
• Feature Visibility: Toggle specific pricing fields on/off depending on the user’s role to simplify the interface.
• Granular Permissions: Control exactly who can view, create, or modify pricebooks using User, Team, and Role permission sets.
• Field Settings: Customize the mandatory/optional status of form fields to match your organization’s workflow.

FAQ

Q1: What happens if two pricesets have the same priority? A: The system will select the first one created. It is Best Practice to always give unique priority numbers to avoid ambiguity.

Q2: Can I charge a handling fee ONLY for fragile items? A: Yes. Use a Single-Line Rule targeting the “Fragile” item category. The handling fee will only be calculated for those specific items in the cart.

Q3: Does the system support “Weight-Based” shipping? A: Yes, via the Pricing Scheme integration. You can map weight bands (e.g., $5 per kg) to the Treatment value.

Q4: Can I test rules without affecting the entire company? A: Yes. Create a Priceset and add a Member Class Rule where the class is “UAT_TESTING”. Only customers assigned that class will trigger the new rates.

Q5: How are taxes handled on shipping fees? A: Shipping fees inherit the tax settings from the G/L Account and Financial Item they are mapped to in the Finance module.

Summary

The Shipping Pricebook Applet transforms shipping from a manual guesswork process into a precise, automated financial control. By leveraging a hierarchy of rules and flexible fee treatments, BigLedger ensures your logistics team maintains healthy margins while providing transparent pricing to your customers.