Shipping cost reconciliation automation

Purpose

1.1. Ensure all shipping invoices match agreed rates and chargebacks, preventing overpayments, underbilling, and missed fee disputes for airsoft stores.
1.2. Automate extraction, comparison, and recording of invoice and carrier data, alerting discrepancies and pushing necessary actions to finance or logistics teams.
1.3. Sync shipping cost data with accounting, ERP, and reporting systems for complete financial integrity and dispute management.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. New shipping invoice received from carrier by email, EDI, or portal download.
2.2. Change in shipping terms, update in rate card, or notification of delivery adjustment (e.g. address correction fee).
2.3. Scheduled batch data pulls (e.g., weekly reconciliation run) or custom webhook event from in-store order management.

Platform variants

3.1. FedEx Web Services
• Feature/Setting: Rate/Tracking API; schedule “Get Invoice” calls; sample config — enable API credentials, poll weekly.
3.2. UPS Developer Kit
• Feature/Setting: Invoice/Shipping Costs API; automate “Invoice Retrieval” and “Billing Center API”; pull PDFs/CSV files.
3.3. DHL XML Services
• Feature/Setting: Shipment Tracking and Billing API; auto-fetch invoices via SOAP; invoke “GetBillingData.”
3.4. Shopify
• Feature/Setting: Order Fulfillment Webhook; forward shipments with tracking to automation endpoint.
3.5. QuickBooks Online
• Feature/Setting: API “Create Bill” and “Get Expenses”; map shipping line items from invoices.
3.6. Xero
• Feature/Setting: Bills endpoint; reconcile imported shipping charges vs. recorded invoices.
3.7. Netsuite
• Feature/Setting: SuiteTalk Web Services; automate import to Expense Reports module.
3.8. ShipStation
• Feature/Setting: Shipments API; relay Post-shipment actual cost for reconciliation.
3.9. SFTP Server (e.g., FileZilla, AWS Transfer)
• Feature/Setting: Scheduled file detection; auto-pull invoice data for parsing.
3.10. Google Sheets
• Feature/Setting: App Script trigger on row update/append with parsed invoice.
3.11. Microsoft Excel Online
• Feature/Setting: Automate upload, flag discrepant lines using Office Scripts.
3.12. SAP S/4HANA
• Feature/Setting: BAPI_INCOMINGINVOICE_CREATE; auto-match imported cost lines.
3.13. Acumatica
• Feature/Setting: AP Bills & Adjustments API for input/indexing.
3.14. Zoho Books
• Feature/Setting: Bills API; push reconciled invoice data as approved bill.
3.15. Oracle ERP Cloud
• Feature/Setting: Payables Invoices REST API; inject cost lines, flag variances.
3.16. Email IMAP/POP3 (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
• Feature/Setting: Watch for invoice subject/filter; extract and parse PDF attachments.
3.17. Docparser
• Feature/Setting: Custom parsing rules for bills; webhook to trigger downstream steps.
3.18. AWS Lambda
• Feature/Setting: Serverless parsing of incoming data; trigger reconciliation job.
3.19. Azure Logic Apps
• Feature/Setting: Template flows for invoice ingestion; configure connectors for carriers and ERP.
3.20. Slack
• Feature/Setting: Direct alert via webhook when discrepancy detected; post to #logistics channel.
3.21. Trello
• Feature/Setting: Create cards for unresolved invoice mismatches; automate with board triggers.
3.22. Jira
• Feature/Setting: Generate issues for finance review on flagged costs; link with attachments.

Benefits

4.1. Eliminates manual verification, saving labor and reducing billing errors.
4.2. Enables rapid identification of overcharges and dispute opportunities.
4.3. Maintains real-time financial visibility and compliance across all carrier interactions.
4.4. Integrates cleanly with accounting and workflow systems, enforcing audit trails and accountability.