Organization
Top-level entity as defined by POPs. To create new Business Units and alter top-level settings, administrators must be members of an Organization. Administrative users can have permissions to the Organization and all child Business Units. It is often best to consider the Organization to be the account for your company. E.g., If we were to use a hypothetical computer company named Banana that made computers, phones, media devices, and more, Banana would be the Organization.
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Business Unit
The highest-level entity below the Organization. Orders are placed against a Business Unit. End users and lower-level admin users receive access to Business Units. E.g., for our hypothetical computer company, Banana, which makes computers, phones, media devices, and more, the computer division may be a Business Unit - Computers - and Phones may be another Business Unit.
Business Units are often considered the heart of this application. This is where settings are applied, shipments are placed, end-users are assigned, and more. Every Organization must have at least one Business Unit for the application to function.
Business Units have security controls, meaning users are added to Business Units and have specific permissions for what they can do within them.
also see:
- Adding a new business unit
- POPs Tutorials for Administrators and Managers
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Switching Business Units in POPs
Item (i.e., payload, device, cargo, consignment)
An Item available for shipment. Items are placed inside Inmark packaging and sent to a Destination.
Collection
A grouping of Items, which is used for logical groupings of similar Items. Collections can be used for reporting/analytics goals, to simplify settings, and to create structure. Collections belong to Business Units, and can not be shared between Business Units.
Collections do not have security controls; they are freely available to anyone with access to a Business Unit.
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Destinations
A pre-determined address/location by the Business Unit for where Items must be shipped. With Destinations, Business Units can ensure Items are consistently shipped to the correct address.
Distribution Center Mode
Allows Business Units to define specific Destinations for Items by geographic region. Without Distribution Center Mode, an Item will only ever ship to one specific Destination. With Distribution Center Mode, an Item can ship to one Destination when shipping from Country A, but to another Destination when shipping from Country B.
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Inmark Packaging
Packaging sold and shipped by Inmark. Packaging used in a Ship Now™ may be purchased at the time of Ship Now™ shipment creation or may already be in the shipper's possession. Shipments created using Ship Now™ require packaging sold and provided by Inmark; custom dimensions, weights, or other shipping properties are not configurable within the application. Using packaging not supplied by Inmark may result in shipment rejection, and Inmark will not be responsible for any resulting issues or loss.
Ship Now™
With the correct up-front setup, all details are managed for the end-user; they simply select the Item they want to ship and follow the on-screen prompts. Using Ship Now™, Organizations can reduce costs, improve shipping reliability, reduce training expenses, and manage their day-to-day shipments with ease. What makes Ship Now™ stand out is its ability to work as a plug-and-play solution for shipping important business Items. Once you have worked with Inmark to determine your correct packaging needs for the Items you are shipping, Ship Now™ handles the rest, resulting in on-time, on-budget deliveries that reduce clerical and administrative resources. Allowing Organizations to spend their precious time and effort on business-critical decisions.
also see:
- How does "Ship Now" work in Inmark's POPs app?
- POPs User Account and Order Management
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Enabling Ship Now for your Organization
Ready Stock (aka Trunk Stock)
Ready Stock (or Trunk Stock) is our term for the process of ordering Inmark Packaging to maintain on-hand inventory and use that inventory for future Ship Now™ shipments. Organizations order Ready Stock when the turnaround time for their Item shipments is more important than the convenience of just-in-time inventory. Ready Stock allows customers to order packaging in parcel-shipment quantities and have it on hand for Ship Now™ shipments. When initiating their Ship Now™ shipment, the application will ask the user whether they are using packaging they already have. When the answer is yes, the customer will be able to print all their shipping documents and proceed to deliver the shipment to the chosen carrier in just a matter of minutes. Thus, eliminating the time spent waiting for Inmark Packaging to ship and for it to arrive in their possession.
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Ship-to Address
This term is often used to describe where Inmark Packaging will be sent. When customers request Ready Stock or when customers generate a Ship Now™ and request packaging, the first address Inmark collects from the customer will always be the Ship-To address.
Ship-from Address
When customers create a Ship Now™, Inmark will collect the Ship-from address to generate shipping quotes and shipping documentation (including shipping labels). The Ship-from address is the point at which the Item being shipped is turned over to a shipping carrier. E.g., For a customer who intends to ship their widget to a warehouse just outside Los Angeles, CA, the ship-from address will often reflect the widget’s location before it is shipped.
Ship Now™ Ship-from Address
See “Ship-from Address” above.
Ship Now™ Ship-to Address
The Ship Now™ Ship-to address is always where a customer’s item will be shipped and is often considered the item's final destination. When the Item is placed in Inmark Packaging and shipped to a destination via a Ship Now™, the destination is the Ship Now™ Ship-to address. This address may be preconfigured in the application for the customer’s item, or it may be provided during the Ship Now™ process. Distribution Center Mode may also affect the Ship Now™ Ship-to address.
Packaging Shipment
This shipment originates from an Inmark facility and primarily contains Inmark Packaging, along with other documents, labels, or other items.
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Item Shipment
Sometimes referred to as “Return Shipment” or “Forwarding Shipment”. Inmark does NOT use “return labels” as traditionally defined by carriers (e.g., FedEx, UPS, DHL).
The Item shipment is defined as a shipment that contains a customer’s Item (payload), starts at the Ship Now™ Ship-from address, and ends at the Ship Now™ Ship-to address.
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Shipping Carriers
Carriers are the companies that transport your shipments from origin to destination; these companies include FedEx, UPS, and DHL.
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Shipping Account
Customers’ accounts with supported carrier(s) that are available to create a shipment. Shipping accounts can be added for any supported carrier (FedEx, UPS, DHL Express). Customers will receive rate options for their shipping account and will be billed directly by the shipping carrier. Shipping accounts must also configure their applicable “ship-from” and “ship-to” countries, indicating which countries the account is allowed to ship from and to.
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Shipping Configuration
Shipping configurations are unique to the Inmark Sales-as-a-Service (SaaS) portal. Shipping configurations are collections of settings that instruct the application on how to use Shipping Accounts when placing orders.
Shipping Configuration settings include:
- Packaging shipment vs Item shipment
- How and when to use the customer’s carrier accounts
- Eligible shipping carriers
- Determine available shipping rates
- QR codes
- Ship-from and ship-to country availability
- and more.
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Custom Data Fields
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Digital Documents
Digital documents are a very powerful tool employed by Inmark within POPs. Documents can be of 3 types: Reference-type, Fulfillment-type, and Custom Data Sheets.
- Reference-type documents are available within the application and can be viewed or downloaded by end users at any time. Common examples include payload details, shipping instructions, and product documentation.
- Fulfillment-type documents are designed to streamline the Ship Now™ process. By shifting complex documentation requirements from the SKU level to the application, they enable Inmark to process orders more quickly, reduce customer costs, and improve reliability. These documents are also accessible for Ship Now™ shipments using Ready Stock, allowing end users to download and print them as needed.
- Custom Data Sheets provide a flexible way to generate dynamic documentation that accompanies shipments. These documents can incorporate order- or shipment-specific data, including information captured or generated at the time of order. They can be fully customized in both layout and content to match customer preferences. Any data linked to a Ship Now™ order by the time checkout is complete can be included in a Custom Data Sheet.
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Admin+
Admin+ is the central hub for managing all customizations, settings, and configurations within the Inmark Sales-as-a-Service (SaaS) portal. It enables administrators to tailor the platform to their organization’s specific needs while providing access to complete order and Ship Now™ history, as well as reporting and analytics tools.
When an organization is first set up, administrators use Admin+ to configure business units, collections, and items, purchase orders, carrier accounts, and to assign access to end users. Additionally, Admin+ supports multiple administrators with customized permissions, allowing organizations to bring in their entire operations team and assign roles to individuals based on their responsibilities.
Purchase Order Number
Administrators manage their open Purchase Orders through Purchase Order Tracker, a tool in Admin+. Use unique PO’s for Business Units, Collections, and Items. Purchase Orders can include start and end dates, as well as maximum spend values. Admin+ administrators will also receive notifications when POs are nearing expiration or depletion.
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Deferred Payments
Net 30, 60, etc., payment terms all fall under our deferred payments option in Inmark Sales-as-a-Service (SaaS) portals. Individual or consolidated invoicing is then processed via our financial systems. Contact your Inmark sales representative to discuss your invoicing process in more detail.
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Internal code
A unique identifier linking back to an organization's internal systems. Supplying an internal code, when applicable, can provide a useful cross-reference between an organization's internal infrastructure and its Inmark Sales-as-a-Service (SaaS) portal.
Tax ID
Tax Identification number for the country or territory applicable to shipments entering that location. This is often a required field when setting up Shipping Configurations for items or packaging that will be shipped internationally.
User License
Licenses grant users the right to access your organization’s business units. An active, applied license is required to check out. Without an active license, users will not be able to check out and complete orders in your organization. Depending on the service tier your organization is enrolled in, it may need to purchase additional user licenses for new users once the initial allotment is exhausted.
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Membership
User Membership refers to a user's association with a specific business unit, granting them access based on their assigned security permissions. However, an active user license is still required to place orders or create Ship Now™ shipments.
Membership is also required before a user can be granted administrator permissions for Admin+.
Permissions
Permissions define the level of administrative access a user has within a specific business unit or across the organization in Admin+. These permissions control access to features such as reporting and analytics, order history, order approvals, user management, invitations, maintenance settings, and overall system configuration, including full management access.
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Registration Token
A registration token is an Admin+ defined access code used to streamline user onboarding. After signing up, users can enter a registration token to request access to an organization’s business units—an approach often referred to as “hands-off” user invitation.
Each business unit will have its own unique registration token, which may either grant automatic access or require Admin+ approval before access is granted. For security, Inmark recommends using strong, regularly updated passphrases as registration tokens.
The alternative to registration tokens is to invite users directly via Admin+ by providing their email address.
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Restricted Domains
Users whose email addresses (username@domain.com) match any of the domains listed will be prevented from creating new organizations. This feature helps restrict employees from setting up separate organizations on behalf of your company.
In many cases, users may unintentionally create a new organization when they actually meant to join an existing one. It also allows organization leaders to ensure that only authorized users can create new organizations.
Registration Whitelist
Only users whose email addresses (username@domain.com) match any of the listed domains will be allowed to register for the chosen business unit; users whose email domains do not match will be blocked. This is an extremely useful feature for organizations that use registration tokens to enhance security.
Notifications
Communicate with users across an entire organization or within a specific business unit by sending email notifications, posting messages to the business unit welcome screen, or both.
The Inmark Sales-as-a-Service (SaaS) portal automatically manages your contact list, ensuring that all active users receive your updates.
Dashboard
Analytics and reporting tools in the Inmark Sales-as-a-Service (SaaS) portal are available through the Admin+ dashboard. These tools provide visibility into your organization’s Ship Now™ and Ready Stock usage, as well as business-unit-level insights and user engagement metrics.
The dashboard also includes key Purchase Order Tracker information and keeps you updated on your organization’s current deferred payments credit status, and invoice aging.
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