đź’Ą Splitting packages: A New Feature

Announcements
1

Allow us to introduce a new feature in our platform, the ability to split packages. :boom:

Our Support team will now have the ability to split one delivery into two or more, allowing us to fulfil larger orders with smaller transport types.

How is this useful? :thinking: Let’s explore a common use case:

  • I send a job creation request to the Stuart API when the customer checks out on my website. The job is scheduled for the driver to arrive in store once the goods have been prepared and packed.

  • Once the goods are ready, in store operators realise that the package exceeds the package size restrictions for the package_type or transport_type that the order was created with.

  • As a store operator or a Stuart driver, I could contact Stuart Support to have the package size increased and a new driver sent over. However, this likely means that we need a car which could be against our business model, or this could be restrictive to the current pool of drivers available to us.

  • To fulfil the delivery with smaller transport types like bikes and mopeds, as an in store operator or a Stuart driver I contact Stuart Support to request that the package be Split.

  • Two different drivers will now each pickup a part of the package and will both head to the end customers address to dropoff the goods.

Note that in an ideal world, as an integrator you could handle this use case internally, cancelling the Stuart order at step 2 and creating the relevant new orders through the API. However, this feature allows our Support to handle this split use case which may not be handled through the integration.

I am integrated with the Stuart API and my package is split, what are the technical implications and how can I track the new deliveries?

  • The original delivery that you created may have a change in package_type and transport_type if relevant. The package_description will also be updated to have “Part 1/2 of the package” added to the beginning of the message, this is to provide the driver with more visibility.

  • A new job will be created for each additional split required, each with a new job and delivery ID. New jobs will have the same details carried over as the original, with changes to the tracking link, client reference and package description as follows:

    • The client reference of the new jobs will be null

    • The package_description of the new delivery will start with “Part 2/2 of the package” which allows the driver to infer that the delivery they are fulfilling is part 1/2, 1/3 etc. The client reference of the original job will also be added here for visibility at handover.

    • Tracking links will remain unique to each delivery, new tracking links being provided to offer tracking of each of these deliveries

  • For webhook users, you will receive event updates for the new jobs and deliveries which will probably be ignored in your system by default since the new IDs and client references won’t match an order in your system.

In conclusion, the newly created split jobs won’t be trackable through your integration and hence to track these additional deliveries, contact with our Support team is required where they can provide the details of the new deliveries and tracking links as needed.

To further discuss this new feature and how it can fit into your service, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Account Manager or the Customer Solutions Engineering team.