FAQs

A: Here are some guidelines that will help when you are trying to do an extraction:

• Excel has limitations on what it can handle. Hence, MS-Excel (XLSX) files have an upper limit of 1,000,000 records or rows.

• If you want to go up to that limit, we recommend no more than 10 columns.

• Larger fields can cause more problems.  Notes and descriptions are the largest fields. Even if individual descriptions are short, the field length is still identified in the database and may cause challenges.

• If you want to have 20 columns, we recommend limiting the number of records to 30,000.

• You can also filter by a column without extracting it. In the Search Fields section, deselect the Display checkbox next to the column you want to remove. Then click Search.  The search results will continue to be filtered by all of the search criteria, even if the column is not being displayed but when you extract the search results, the column will not appear.

• Extractions with more than 20 columns (especially with notes or descriptions) will likely be too complex and will not extract successfully.

Please see Extract Booking Data for more information on extractions.

A: You can change a few settings on your Internet Explorer browser to get the extract to appear in a new window.

 

1. In Internet Explorer, press Alt on your keyboard. Click Tools>Internet Options.

2. Select the Security tab, then click Custom level....

3. Change these settings:

   • Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins: Enable

   • Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting*: Enable

   • Automatic prompting for file downloads: Enable

   • File download: Enable

   • Font download: Enable

 

A: Yes, the SMC is fully EDI capable.  Contact your Expeditors representative for setup and implementation details.  Data can be sent and/or received with any ERP or other customer system as well as with your trade partners' systems.

A: Yes, you can use them but they must be encased in quotations marks.

 

Take the table below for example:

1	hello, sally	this is fun	no, it isn't!
2	where?	there	huh?
3	hey!	"what" happened	stop...
4	oh.	"huh?" he said,	wow.

 

For row 1, a correct version would look like this:

"hello, sally"

this is fun

"no, it isn't!"

The data in the second cell does not require quotes because it doesn't contain commas, quotations, or apostrophes.

 

For row 2, the data does not need quotes.  Adding quotes will not affect the data.

 

For row 3, a correct version would look like this:

hey!

""what"" happened"

stop...

The data in the second cell needs double quotes. Data in cells one and three do not require quotes.

 

For row 4, a correct version would look like this:

oh.

"""huh?"" he said,"

wow.

The data in the second cell contains both elements.

A: Comma Separated Value (CSV) file format will drop the leading zeros from a saved file. For example, an organization may have Product IDs of 0001, 0002, 0003.  The product upload file is created and saved as CSV but the Product IDs will no longer have the zeros. To fix this, the file needs to be opened and modified.

 

One way to avoid this problem is to extract using the MS-Excel with names (XLSX) format (where available). Generally, CSV format is best when providing data to a computer and MS-Excel (XLSX) is more user-friendly.

 

To fix files that have been losing/dropping the leading zeros:

 

1.  Change the file name extension to be .txt instead of .csv.  For example, if a file is named "MyResults.csv" you would change it to be "MyResults.txt"

 

2.  In Excel, click File>Open. Select the file you renamed to be a .txt file in step 1.

 

3.  The Text Import Wizard will appear.

     

     Figure 1: Text Import Wizard

 

4.  Select the Delimited radio button and then click Next>.

 

5.  For Step 2 of 3, select only the comma check box, then click Next>.

     

     Figure 2: Step 2 of 3 in Text Import Wizard

 

6.  For Step 3 of 3, click the column(s) with the leading zero data (in this example, the middle column) and select the Text radio button.

     

     Figure 3: Step 3 of 3 in Text Import Wizard

 

7.  Click Finish, the file will now open without dropping leading zeros. Click File>Save As and select .csv.  When you save, make sure your column with the leading zeros is formatted as text.

A: Each file format can be used by users to upload data into the system.  

CSV format is the most simple and flat format, much like a spreadsheet.  It can handle most simple relationships within the data (e.g., a product with 1 HS Code, a booking with 1 product, etc.).  

Super CSV is a bit more complex and structured but still something that is viewable in Excel.  This format can support most 1-to-many relationships with respect to the main thing you are uploading (e.g., a product with multiple descriptions, a partner with multiple contacts, a booking with multiple products).  

XML is the most comprehensive and complex format available.  This format supports nesting and a variety of levels of data (e.g., a product kit with multiple classifications and different details by component or sub-component).  

Generally, the CSV format can send data to basic screens whereas the Super-CSV and XML are required for more advanced screens.

A: Each file format can be used by users to extract data from the system.  

CSV and MS-Excel (XLSX) formats are structurally the same in terms of content.  Users would select XLSX over CSV for human-readable reports or content that they would want to analyze in Excel (Excel tends to change CSV data like removing leading zeros or reformatting columns).  

CSV works best for sending to another system.   Both the CSV and XLSX formats offer the ability to pull coded data elements (e.g., country) out as a name (e.g., Switzerland) or as a code (e.g., CH).  

The difference between CSV/XLSX and XML is similar to the differences in the uploads.  CSV/XLSX extracts support the more basic functions in the Centre and simpler (1-to-1 - e.g., a product with 1 description) data whereas the XML supports the more complex (1-to-many - e.g., a booking with documents) scenarios.

A: If you would like more information about Tradeflow, contact Tradeflow Sales. Go to the Tradeflow login page and click the Contact Tradeflow Sales link under the Support category. Fill out the desired fields on the Contact page and click Send.

A: If you need assistance with Tradeflow, contact Tradeflow Helpdesk. Go to the Tradeflow login page and click the Contact Tradeflow Helpdesk link under the Support category. Fill out the desired fields on the Contact page and click Send.  The Contact Tradeflow Helpdesk link is also on the left navigation panel of all pages in Tradeflow.  If you click on one of the links while logged in, all of your information will pre-populate the form.

A: There are two ways to handle this scenario:

A. Create 2 lines of boxes on the Equipment and Packages page. Line 1 has 49 boxes with a per package weight (note that the total weight is calculated); Line 2 has the 1 box with the corresponding higher package weight.

B. Create 1 line of boxes on the Equipment and Packages page.  Enter the package weight and note the calculated total weight (which is disabled).  Remove the package weight and note that the total weight remains and is now editable.  Update the total with the net difference from your last box.

A: No, you cannot change the booking type or transport mode after you have created a booking.

A: If you receive an error on your bookings that the units of measure are missing, your user preferences have not been configured to default values for these fields.  If the currency and unit of measure, weight and dimension are typically the same for each booking, these can be set on your company profile in the Administration Centre.  For more information about setting preferences, please speak with your organizational system administrator, or contact your Expeditors representative for assistance.

A: If you would like to enter more Dimensions than there is space for on the Create Bookings page, you can enter more by advancing to Details & Documents and then selecting the Equipment and Packages page.

A: If you have more than 6 references to enter into the booking information, you can enter more by advancing to Details and Documents and then selecting the References page.  If you have just a few, you can click More References near the top of the Create Bookings page.  Enter each reference separately (don't enter them in one field with commas) so that you can track them later in exp.o.

A: Adding additional notify parties into the booking is accommodated through the Notify Lists.  Just like templates, these lists can be named to reflect when you would want to use them (for example, India bookings).  The notify list you create can be appended to a booking by advancing to Details & Documents and then selecting the Notifications page.  You can also add one-time notifications that are specific to a booking on this page.

A: The Duty Reduction Program (DRP) Code is automatically populated from the Product Management Centre. In order for it to display in the booking summary page, it needs to be added in the Product Management Centre first.

A: Yes, you can. Use the Lookup icon () to find the preference criteria code you are looking for.

A: When you search for your product on the Products page, Tradeflow automatically looks at the Origin and Destination country on file and filters the product list to match them.

 

If you would like to make the product available, go to the Product Management Centre and search for the product.  Copy the product to the origin or destination country that you need, then provide the country specific information.  Your product should show up the next time you search for it in the SMC.

A: To fix this problem, click the View Export/Import button (depending on which section is missing from your product details page).  When you go back to the product details page, the information should carry over.

A: Yes, commercial invoices, packing lists or any other data supplied to the SMC can be provided back to you via a standard CSV or XML extract.  These extracts can also be automated to run on a periodic basis.  You would be responsible for mapping the data into your system.  Custom development (including EDI mapping) is also available for a fee depending on your proposal and scope of services.

A: The document formats used in Tradeflow conform with UN standards where available or are based on actual government or industry-standard forms.  Tradeflow does allow you to have your logo appear on the commercial documents (for example, Commercial/Proforma Invoice, Packing List, etc.) but not on government forms.  Please Contact Support for more information.

A: These documents are slated to be distributed to the people you selected.  Tradeflow looked at their user profiles and  found their preferences and created the documents to fit those preferences.  For example, if a distributor requested an invoice in Spanish and in paper size A4, a copy of the invoice in Spanish and in size A4 will appear in your documents list.  If Tradeflow is unable to fulfill the language or size preference, a document as close as possible to the preferences will be created.

A: At the bottom of the page, there is an option to Lock or Unlock the document.  If you did not lock the document before making changes, the information that was entered when the booking was created will override the changes to the document.

A: In order for weights to appear properly on the SED, the weights need to be entered against the product and packed in the Packing Summary section.

A: For International shipments, a SLI is automatically produced upon creation of a booking.

A: For Domestic shipments with Expeditors, a COC is automatically produced upon successful submission of the booking.

A: If you have already obtained the ITN by filing with AES, you can enter the number as a reference on the References page, which will print the ITN on all created documents as well as be sent to the forwarder or carrier receiving the booking.

A: Click the Edit icon next to the USMCA Certificate in the Document section and two product viewing tables will be shown.

 

The first table will display products included on the Certification and the second table will display products not included on the Certification.

Edit Icon

 

Products Included and Not Included on the USMCA Certificate

A: As long your booking has not yet been finalized, you can go back to the Product Summary page and update the necessary information. Once the information has been updated, if you click on the USMCA Certificate, you will be able to see the update immediately.

A: Notification emails are sent by the system through the internet.  If you are experiencing long delays receiving email notifications, please check with your email administrator for potential internet email issues that may be impacting your ability to timely receive your notifications.

A: The preference to allow sharing of these items or allow each user to have their own is found in the organizational level preference settings.  If you would like to share this information with co-workers, the configuration can be changed by contacting the Helpdesk.

A: Similar to turning on the ability to share templates and notify lists with co-workers, there is an option found in the organizational level preference settings that allows companies to save products and packages information on your templates.  This is useful if you are always shipping the same products.  Transaction-specific details (quantities, weights, etc.) will not be saved to the template.

If you would like to save your products and packages information to your templates, the configuration can be changed by contacting the Helpdesk.