'Alternative Long Length' despatch method¶

If you need to apply the 'Alternative Long Length' despatch method to the order, please follow the instruction below:
Please fill the ‘Long Length Width’ field in the global Blindata parameters:

Please link the alternative despatch method for the long length blinds in the 'Administration > System Tables > Despatch Method' .

Create a new order where the 'Despatch Method' is selected as 'Carrier' by default:

Create a new blind detail where the 'Width' value increases the ‘Long Length Width’ value and press the 'Save' button in the order:

Re-open the order and check the 'Despatch Method':

There is currently the ability to globally assign a ‘Same Day Despatch’ Despatch Method and also a ‘Long Length’ despatch method.
The ‘Same Day Despatch’ global default is set by a flag in the despatch method system table and the Long Length despatch method is set on the Parameters form.
This does not always work as different alternative couriers may be used depending on the original despatch method.

To resolve this issue the following changes have been made.

The Same Day Despatch flag and Ignored by Long Length check fields have been removed from the Despatch Method table
The Long Length Despatch Method field has been removed from the Parameters form.
These two fields have been replaced with two new fields in the Despatch Method table called ‘Alternative Same Day’ and ‘Alternative Long Length’.
These are both lookup fields containing a list of Despatch Methods.

When an order is determining the Despatch Method for a same-day order, it checks the ‘Alternative Same Day’ despatch method for the original despatch method for the order.
Similarly, when checking to apply for a Long Length order, it applies the ‘Alternative Long Length’ despatch method for the original despatch method for the order.
If the Alternative Same Day or Alternative Long Length is blank for any despatch methods, then the original despatch method remains.
Note that before applying this functionality, the program first applies the ‘Postcode Despatch Method’ function (dev 2898) as described below.
Also, where the long length functionality previously checked the customer's despatch method, it now checks the order instead.

Despatch Method > Extra Long Length

There is now functioning in the system to hold an ‘Extra Long Length’ field as well as ‘Long Length’.
For example, a customer may want to send out blinds using the following carriers.

Standard Lengths (up to 1.9mts) – Main Courier
Long Lengths (1.9mts to 3mts) – TNT
Extra Long Lengths (3mts +) – Tuffnells

This functions exactly the same way long lengths do now, but the system now checks if it is a ‘long length’ or an ‘extra long length’ and assigns the relevant despatch method.
To do this, there is a new field in the Parameters form Order/Quotation Defaults tab called ‘Extra Long Length Width’.
There is also a new field on the Despatch Method form called ‘Alternative Extra Long Length’. This holds the extra long length alternative despatch method.

Blind Types > Long Length Width/Drop

There is a new flag held against the blind type record called 'Long Length Width/Drop'. This means that if the new flag is true and either the width or the drop is greater than the long length amount, the alternative carrier is used. So the only logic changed is to check the drop AND width instead of just the drop.

Alternative Long Length Despatch Method - "Alternative Long Length Carriage Type"

If you select an "Alternative Long Length Despatch Method" in Despatch Method Edit, it is now only possible to select that "Alternative Long Length Carriage Type" that is listed against the relevant Despatch Method.

Now we can list the carriage types that are only available for certain despatch methods:
It is also possible to filter the carriage types by the 'Despatch Method' for the ordering.

The logic works the same way, when the 'Width' > then 'Long Length' or 'Extra Long Length' then the 'Despatch Method' AND the 'Carriage Type' changes according to the settings.