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Multiple Zip Code Origins - ZipCode


moonlitsun

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As most of us are already aware, osCommerce presently supports a Shipping Module environment based on only ONE zip code configuration within the Administration menu.

 

This means that tables and various methods (i.e. UPS, USPS, Fed Ex, etc) calculating shipping cost for your customers are ENTIRELY based on only ONE designated zip code. Obviously, osCommerce was originally designed with a typical retailer operation in mind, where the business ships its merchandise to its customers from only one location.

 

Multi-Zip Code Origin is a proposed Contribution that would involve the following features:

 

- Designated Supplier Zip Code Per Product Listing

- Individual Zip Codes interact with Shipping Modules

- To be Compatible with Multi-Vendor Shipping Module

- To be Compatible with Individual Shipping Prices Module

- Dropship Friendly

- Supports Multi-Warehousing Zip Code Origins

- Calculates accurate shipping for multiple warehouses & 3rd Party Suppliers

 

Essentially, this module would be enabled within the Admin Configuration settings of the Storefront. Once activated, the module would look for the "ZipCode" form field within the Product Edit pages (admin/categories). If no zip code is indicated within the Product Edit screen, the module refers to the originally configured master zip code of the osCommerce storefront.

 

Naturally, the following files will be affected (among others):

 

Admin/Categories.php

includes/classes/shopping_cart.php

includes/languages/english.php

 

A new table would be created within the database for zipcode records. Data entered into the Product Edit screen would feed into this table, and the related Product ID would tell the shopping cart to recalculate check-out shipping costs based on that table entry.

 

This concept is still under development, and I invite any interested parties to contact me with your interest. We can use your suggestions/input/involvement within this project!

 

The purpose of this modification is to bring osCommerce to the next level: Supply Chain Dropship Distribution.

 

Thx,

 

-Codi

Carpe Carp: Seize the Fish.

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I have a working prototype of this already which is part of the bigger MRP(II) picture.

 

As fore mentioned, to support this properly you need multiple plants/branches and proper definitions of sales/purchasing channels in which your vendors and customers are integrated with.

 

This infrastructure will allow you to do all the things (and more) that several other OSC contributions have tried to do - pricing breaks, multi-vendor shipping, multi-store, discount by customer type etc, but under one integrated module called 'pricing conditions' ? if you have used SAP before you will know what I am talking about.

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I have a working prototype of this already which is part of the bigger MRP(II) picture.

 

As fore mentioned, to support this properly you need multiple plants/branches and proper definitions of sales/purchasing channels in which your vendors and customers are integrated with.

 

This infrastructure will allow you to do all the things (and more) that several other OSC contributions have tried to do - pricing breaks, multi-vendor shipping, multi-store, discount by customer type etc, but under one integrated module called 'pricing conditions' ? if you have used SAP before you will know what I am talking about.

 

Peter,

 

Is this a publicly released contribution? At the moment, we already have multi-vendor shipping, separate pricing per customer group, and other modifications working effectively together. However, individually defined shipping prices (something introduced by Faruk in the osComm dev community) and zipcode origins are outside of our reach.

 

I am familiar with SAP and how it interfaces with external data. However, a zipcode origin tool wouldn't need to directly interface with a live supplier if you manually entered the data and assigned it to each product/supplier. From there, either a uniquely made zipcode field or supplier dropdown menu could be interfaced to override the original zipcode (as there is only 1 that can be configured) of a clean oscommerce installation.

 

Any of your help/code contribution is greatly appreciated.

 

Thx,

 

-Codi

Edited by moonlitsun

Carpe Carp: Seize the Fish.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Well I can't help with coding but this would sure make my life easier. A single package to take care of multiple functions? Oh yeah.

 

I'll keep everyone posted on our progress with the development of this contribution!

 

Thx,

 

-Codi

Carpe Carp: Seize the Fish.

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I would like to help, but I have no knowledge of php programing.

How soon do you think wi'll see resoults of this modul.

 

Thanks and keep up the good work

 

Mirch

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  • 4 weeks later...

MY TWO CENTS:

 

Let's not add more input fields to the main product entry screen.....way too many already for my taste.....

 

Ideally...at least in my mind....we would set up "drop ship vendor shipping accounts" in the admin section of our sites where all the pertinent info such as zip code and shipping methods would be defined.......

 

Then you would just select the vendor or vendor shipping account...whatever you want to call it....from a drop down list on the products page....

 

Make sense?

 

Hey...sense we all have so much time on our hands...yes...that's sarcasm....why not include the ability to automatically email a final shipping invoice to each separate vendor personally...whenever one of their products sells.....with all the necessary info for them to ship their product to our customer....

 

That would ease my workload considerably......right now when I see an order come in I simply have to send an email with the important info to each vendor as their items sell......

 

umm.......yeah...that's the ticket...... :D

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Having a separate zip code & shipping calculation for items that are drop-shipped is definitely going to be a welcome addition.

 

Right now, one of my clients is having to use a separate HTML page with a PayPal shopping cart for all the items that are dropshipped (he sells feeder insects for reptiles, etc. and some of the breeds of roaches that he sells are illegal to breed here in Florida, so he has them shipped from a breeder in another state).

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Can you feel the tension building folks.....it's like when the lights go out just as a concert is about to begin.......well....I guess I wish I was at a concert........

 

MORE TO POINT:

 

I see now...and have downloaded....a contribution that adds a vendor interface to the admin section and then adds that info as a drop down to the products page.....wow....maybe I'm at a Sting concert...you know.....synchronicity....(sp?)...

 

SO:

 

Thats perfect......I think all we would have to do is to add a ZIPCODE field to that admin interface....store it along with the other vendor info in a new table in the SQL DB.....and then pass that ZIPCODE value onto the shipping module or shopping cart or whereever OSC sucks in the "NORMAL STORES ZIPCODE" set in the normal osc admin.....

 

Each product would pass this ZIPCODE VARIABLE off thus defining our zipcodes......

 

I think thats the easy part.......

 

Making the shipping module then accurately calculate each products shipping and giving a lump sum total would be the last part.....something I think we could rip out of the current MVS module...multi vendor shipping module.....

 

sound easy enough......??????

 

You can pay me in powerball tickets...ok.......?

 

but if it was that easy I wonder why it hasn't been done yet....?

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musings...

 

If something is developed that will pull specific items from various ZIP codes for drop shipping and you have a mixed cart, there will have to be multiple shipments, right? How is the stuff that happens outside of shipping going to be handled, like total amount charged, admin handling after the sale of status updates, etc.

 

Is it easier to blend all of these or to create an additional order for each required shipping method, and which will be easier for the customer?

... if you want to REALLY see something that doesn't set up right out of the box without some tweaking,

try being a Foster Parent!

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Is it easier to blend all of these or to create an additional order for each required shipping method, and which will be easier for the customer?

 

I believe perhaps we could have the shopping cart do unique queries for each product, based on the vendor zip code being used. That way, all items could be placed in the shopping cart, and the customer would still have a seamless buying experience with 100% accurate shipping.

 

Thx,

 

-Codi

Carpe Carp: Seize the Fish.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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