Using High-Volume Processing (HVP) with SmartParcel

If your shipping workflow consists of shipping orders in batches instead of picking and packing individual orders, high-volume processing (HVP) could be a useful tool for your operations. This SmartParcel tool enables you to queue up to 1000 shipping labels per batch while the system asynchronously processes the orders in the background and populates shipping data for each order.

This article reviews how to process and print labels in batch form using high-volume processing.

Please be aware that this process requires you to have fully packed orders with accurate package data, as well as High-Volume Processing enabled for your account under Admin > Settings.

While it is not a requirement, batching orders ahead of time is best practice for processing high-volume shipments. If you utilize batch order processing in your shipping workflow, we recommend that you also utilize those batches with HVP. If not, you can also batch within the HVP tool.

Skip Ahead: Use the following links to skip to the relevant guidelines below.

• Step 1: Enable default HVP setting (optional)
• Step 2: Process labels
• Step 3: Print labels

Step 1: Enable default HVP setting (optional)

If you process high-volume shipments for a customer on a frequent basis, you may want to enable the HVP option by default.

To do so, navigate to the Small Parcel space, then select Settings and choose a customer from the drop-down menu. Under General, click the selection box next to Process High-Volume by Default, then click Save.

Once enabled, the 'High-Volume' processing option is automatically selected each time you print a shipping label for this customer. Repeat for each customer as needed.

Step 2: Process labels

To begin processing labels for a high-volume shipment, open SmartParcel by selecting a batch of orders from the Small Parcel grid and clicking Pack and Ship.

Smart User Tip: If you are utilizing the official batching feature, use the 'Batch Name' search filter within the Order Details filter container. You can then click Select All above the grid to ensure no orders are left behind when you use the HVP tool.

In the Pack and Ship dialog, select your label preferences:

• Process As: If you chose not to process high-volume by default in the previous step, select High-Volume
• Label Format: Select the format you'd like to use to print and reprint your shipping labels
   If printing combo labels for HVP shipments, you must select PNG (Combo Label) as the label format and then select your label template via Manage > Reprint Labels after you've processed your labels via HVP. Please note that this is not supported with multi-package orders.
• Batch Name: Enter a name to easily identify the batch of labels in the next step

Next, click Ship to queue your batch of HVP labels.

Step 3: Print labels

Once the labels begin processing, you can view the processing status and print the associated shipping labels in the Print HVP Batches dialog.

1. On the Small Parcel homepage, select Manage > Print HVP Batches. The High-Volume Batches grid displays all processed or currently processing batches of labels.
   
2. If you want to refine the grid results, all standard grid manipulation options apply:
   • Modify the search filters using the fields in the top Filter Results container.
   • Modify the grid columns via Options > Columns. Available columns include the following:
     • ShipEngine ID: Identifier value that is used for ShipEngine communications
     • Batch Name: Value specified on the SmartParcel page
     • Customer/Warehouse: Customer and warehouse relevant to orders
     • Date: Date and time stamp of when a batch began processing
     • Totals: Displays the following—Total number of orders in the batch (Number of orders processed / Number of orders that contain errors)
     • Status: Identifies whether a batch is still 'Processing' or 'Complete'—there is also a status in between Processing and Complete called 'Notifying', which indicates that the order has processed and that ShipEngine is sending out notification that the batch was processed through the webhook
   • Sort columns to your preference by dragging/dropping them, or sort the grid data by selecting a column header (use < Ctrl > on your keyboard to sort by two headers at once).
   • Set a filter on a grid column using the ellipsis next to the column header.
   • All selected filters and column modifications populate the next time you access this screen.
3. Once you've modified the grid as needed, reference the 'Status' grid column to view the batch's processing status.
   • If the status is not 'Complete', wait a few seconds to click the Refresh button above the grid. Repeat until you see that the status is 'Complete'.
   • Once processing is complete, the shipping data begins to update on the orders (Parcel Label Type, Small Parcel Ship Date, Tracking Number) and you can print the associated shipping labels.
4. International orders only: To print shipping documentation for international orders, such as a commercial invoice included with a package's shipping label, click Print Documents instead of 'Print Labels' in the next step.
5. Select the appropriate label format (PDF or ZPL) above the grid, select the batch from the grid, then click Print Labels.
   
   • If successful, a confirmation message appears; a single file generates that includes all shipping labels; and the Parcel Label Type, Small Parcel Ship Date, and Tracking Number data populate in the respective columns in the Small Parcel and Find Orders grids.
   • If a shipping label fails to print for a package, a red alert icon  displays in the Status column. Select the alert icon to view the associated transaction number and error message. Once you resolve the error(s), you can reprocess the package(s) and reprint the associated shipping label(s) using standard processing or by clicking Manage > Reset Failed HVP and repeating Steps 1–5 above.

Back to top