Recent builds of NRGship Pro for UPS, NRGship Pro for FedEx and FileMaker Pro integrated solutions all include address auto-complete during entry. Using auto-complete, you can reduce your entry of city, state and postal code to insure proper shipment addressing. Coupled with existing address validation features, NRGship solutions provide you with the best shipment deliverability.
On July 9, 2023, USPS introduced a new ground-based package service: USPS Ground Advantage. This service replaces USPS First-Class Package Service, Parcel Select Ground, and Retail Ground. First-Class Mail Letters and Large Envelopes/Flats will continue to be available. Ground Advantage delivers packages within the Continental United States in 2-5 business days with free tracking and $100 of USPS insurance for packages between 0 and 70 lbs.
Recent builds of Ship Connect Multi-Carrier and NRGship FM for USPS support the new USPS Ground Advantage option. Previous builds have existing First-Class and ParcelSelect services re-mapped to the new USPS Ground Advantage. Cutomers using these services should plan to upgrade their solution files before end-of-year 2023 for continued service availability.
Be aware that future releases of NRGship will have COD functionality removed.
Effective July 31, 2023, FedEx Ground Collect on Delivery (C.O.D.), FedEx Ground Electronic Collect on Delivery (E.C.O.D.), and FedEx Express Collect on Delivery within and to the U.S. will be retired and no longer available. FedEx Ground C.O.D. within and to Canada and Express Freight C.O.D. will remain available for shipments at this time.
If you require COD shipping functionality, please contact us for alternative collection options.
Spee-Dee Delivery is a west coast regional carrier that provides parcel delivery services in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and select cities in Michigan, Misssouri and Nebraska. Regional carriers can reduce shipping costs 10 to 40% over working solely with major carriers.
In Ship Connect, you can now rate, ship and track packages with Spee-Dee alongside other major carriers. Our integration with Spee-Dee includes support for carrier features like signature options and COD.
If you’re interested in hearing more about how NRG can connect your FileMaker database, ERP or ecommerce system with providers like Spee-Dee, please contact our sales department.
NRG Software is excited to announced that current builds of all NRGship solutions are compatible with the Claris FileMaker Pro 2023 release that offers improvide performance, scalability and enhanced security. Internal testing has not uncovered any issues. As with any upgrade, we suggest customers test their integration before upgrading production systems. Customers using NRG Ship Connect should email sales@nrgsoft.com for upgrade information.
As always, we highly suggest updating NRGship alongside any Claris FileMaker Pro upgrades.
EcoShip is a nonprofit in the Chicagoland area that collects gently used shipping material and distribues them to over 250 local businesses and individuals.
The process is simple:
EcoShip also has a library of videos to help promote use of sustainable materials.
While there are other businesses who offer shipping materials for a discount, we believe EcoShip is the only nonprofit in this space.
We spent the day checking out many of the exhibitors at ProMat 2023 in Chicago. There was so much cool tech with robotics and warehouse automation. We stopped by and chatted with many of our hardware partners like Chicago Tag & Label, Bixolon, Zebra Technologies, Toshiba, DataLogic, CubisScan and Rice Lake Weighing Systems.
Contact us if you’d like to discuss implementing advanced automation to simplify your warehouse and shipping needs.
Goodbye, 2010.
A question was recently posted about the limitation of FileMaker’s native scripting which only allows importing single images from a mobile device’s camera app. Using a WebView and simple JavaScript, we can utilize a HTML form which can import multiple images. Those images are then converted to Base64 text and passes to a FileMaker Script which then parses them out into multiple records. This method will work in the FileMaker app, in FileMaker Go, or in WebDirect for iOS and Android users.
I started out by searching for a suitable form and existing JavaScript for the image capture. I found a lot of samples, but had issue getting JS file objects converted over to Base64. This sample was perfect as it already had code which turned the images into JSON and Base64 which would be super easy to parse in my FileMaker script.
I created a simple database to store the HTML data which the webview would render. I then added another field for the actual images. When the form is submitted, it calls FileMaker.PerformScriptWithOption and passes the JSON data. The FM script then performs some substitution on the form data so it parses properly so that it can decode the Base64 data into the container field.
You can download our sample file here. The file has a default user/pass of admin/admin.
Another option to research for multiple uploads is elemental_dropzone. Usability is similar for file browser image selection, but the JavaScript looks to be more complex.
Contact us if you’d like to discuss any of your complex FileMaker Pro needs!
6/8/2023 – Sample file updated, initial version only properly parsed PNG images, now parses JPEG files too.
For the past few years, NRG has been doing custom development for the promotional products industry using PromoStandards. As a Service Provider/Integrator Member, NRG has a deep understanding of PromoStandards. Companies that use PromoStandards enter a movement that’s bringing integration, automation, and efficiency to the supply chain.
Recently we participated in the PromoStandards Hack-A-Thon and worked with our group to write PHP code which reached out to PromoStandards Product and Configuration/Pricing endpoints to determine if contract pricing was correct. NRG staff is also excited to attend the 1st Annual PromoStandards Tech Summit in Tampa this February.
Another recent project that we completed is a web-based tool which syncs supplier inventory information against SKUs in an Airtable database. The sync process occurs nightly without user intervention. Optionally, staff can update on-demand and drill down to view specific supplier information.
By integrating PromoStandards with Claris FileMaker Pro solutions, businesses can take advantage of endpoints that simplify workflow like product pricing, order creation, order status and order shipment.
Order shipment information along with tracking can even be utilized for production scheduling so that you know when materials are delayed in transportation.
Contact us if you’d like to discuss PromoStandards integration!
