Re: ODBC performance with UPS Worldship

[Douglas Handy <dhandy1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steven,

>Is there a standard interface between UPS Worldship and the AS/400, or are
>these links that members of the group have created themselves?

I have Worldship link via ODBC to a pair of tables a create specifically for the
purpose.  One is used for import when they scan a package label, to collect the
information to populate the Worldship fields.  This includes name/address data,
shipment method, customre's UPS account number is sent freight collect, insured
value, PO and other reference numbers, email address for automatic shipment
notification, yada, yada, yada.

Records are added to this file when pick tickets are printed, and removed when
invoiced.

On the export side, each shipment just INSERTs one record per package (or void)
into a table with the fields I care about.  I put a trigger program on this
file, and each time a record is added it does all the business rule processing.
In my case that includes adjusting the freight charges on the order (and
possibly sales tax), assigning an invoice number, possibly printing a copy of
the invoice at the scale for attaching to the package (depends on customer
preferences), releases the order to the invoicing system, yada, yada.

Worldship knows very little of what goes on.  It just imports from one table
tailored to hold just the data it requests, and it exports each package to a
second table.

As mentioned elsewhere, I put these two tables into their own library.  I did it
for security purposes, but it may impact performance as well...

Doug