Feature Overview
Sales Container Handling tracks physical measurements at two levels simultaneously: the order-level totals that reflect everything assigned to the container across all lines, and the shipment-level totals that reflect only what is being dispatched in a given run. Understanding the difference between these two sets of figures is key to using the measurement features correctly.
When lines are attached to a container, each line carries its own measurement fields: net weight, gross weight, volume, and package count. These values are sourced from the item master and can be overridden at the line level to reflect the actual packed quantities. The Calculate Content and Value action on the Outbound Container Card reads all open and posted lines and rolls up both sets of totals to the container header, giving an instant overview of weight and value across the entire shipment.
The calculation distinguishes between open lines (sales order lines and transfer order lines still awaiting shipment) and posted lines (sales shipment lines and transfer shipment lines already processed). When the same line has both open and posted portions, the calculation avoids double-counting by only including the posted measurements for lines that have already been partially or fully shipped. This makes the container header a reliable single source of truth for weight and value at any point during the container's lifecycle.
Key Facts
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Main page | Outbound Container Card – Measurements and Value group |
| Calculation trigger | Calculate Content and Value action (manual) |
| Line-level measurement fields | Ship Net Weight, Ship Gross Weight, Ship Volume, Total Package (per line) |
| Container header totals | Handling Net Weight, Handling Gross Weight, Handling Volume (ship-level) |
| Source of item weight/volume | Item master (Gross Weight, Net Weight, Unit Volume, Units per Parcel per item) |
| Measurement fields on posted lines | Carried through to Sales Shipment Lines and Transfer Shipment Lines |
| Double-counting prevention | Posted lines replace open line measurements when both exist for the same source line |
Getting Started
- Ensure items have Gross Weight, Net Weight, Unit Volume, and Units per Parcel filled in on the Item Card — these are the source values the measurement rollup reads from.
- Create a container and attach lines as described in the Outbound Container article.
- On the Outbound Container Card, open the Open Container Lines subpage and review the measurement columns: Ship Net Weight, Ship Gross Weight, Ship Volume, and Total Package on each line.
- If a line's packaged weight or volume differs from the item master defaults, edit the Ship Net Weight, Ship Gross Weight, or Ship Volume fields directly on the container line — the change is written back to the source order line.
- Once all lines and measurements look correct, choose Calculate Content and Value from the action bar.
- Review the Measurements and Value group on the card: Handling Net Weight, Handling Gross Weight, Handling Volume, and Total Package are now updated.
- Also review Total Amount from Container Lines (LCY) and Total Quantity for a financial and quantity summary.
- Recalculate at any time by running Calculate Content and Value again — the action always recalculates from scratch.
Related Features
The measurement data collected here feeds directly into the Outbound Container core workflow — the container card's Measurements and Value group is only meaningful once lines have been attached as described in the Outbound Container article. Item Charge Assignment via Container uses the container code to locate the shipped lines when distributing freight costs; accurate measurement data helps reconcile item charges against the physical shipment. If the Document Customizer app (Abakion) is installed, the Print Sales Container Shipment report can include weight and volume figures from the container header.
User Stories
US-01: Roll up weights, volumes, and value to the container header
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to run Calculate Content and Value on a container
So that the container header shows the total net weight, gross weight, volume, package count, and order value across all attached lines
Setup:
- Open the Outbound Container Card with lines already attached.
- Choose Calculate Content and Value from the action bar.
- Confirm the message that values have been calculated.
- Review the Measurements and Value group: Handling Net Weight, Handling Gross Weight, Handling Volume, Total Package, Total Amount from Container Lines (LCY), and Total Quantity are all updated.
Note: The action cannot be run on a container with Completed status. Reopen the container first if a recalculation is needed after completion.
US-02: Override the ship net weight on a specific container line
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to manually adjust the Ship Net Weight on a container line
So that the actual packed weight of that line is reflected in the container totals rather than the item master default
Setup:
- Open the Outbound Container Card and find the line in the Open Container Lines subpage.
- Edit the Ship Net Weight field to the actual packed weight.
- The change is written back to the source sales order line or transfer line immediately.
- Run Calculate Content and Value to refresh the container header totals with the updated value.
US-03: Override the ship gross weight on a specific container line
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to manually adjust the Ship Gross Weight on a container line
So that the gross weight used in the container total reflects the actual packed and packaged weight
Setup:
- Open the Outbound Container Card and locate the line in the Open Container Lines subpage.
- Edit the Ship Gross Weight field.
- The change is saved back to the source order line.
- Recalculate using Calculate Content and Value to update the container header.
US-04: Override the ship volume on a specific container line
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to manually adjust the Ship Volume on a container line
So that the volume used in the calculation matches the actual packed dimensions
Setup:
- Open the Outbound Container Card and find the line in the Open Container Lines subpage.
- Edit the Ship Volume field on the line.
- Save. The change is written to the source order line.
- Run Calculate Content and Value to refresh the container header.
US-05: View line-level total net, gross weight, and volume
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to see the Line Total Net Weight, Line Total Gross Weight, and Line Total Volume on each container line
So that I can verify the calculated totals per line before committing them to the container header
Setup:
- Open the Outbound Container Card.
- In the Open Container Lines subpage, add the columns Line Total Net Weight, Line Total Gross Weight, and Line Total Volume via the column chooser if they are not visible.
- These read-only fields show the rolled-up measurement for the full quantity on that line, as opposed to the Ship-prefixed fields which reflect only the quantity to ship.
US-06: Verify measurement data is carried through to posted sales shipment lines
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to confirm that weight and volume data is present on posted sales shipment lines
So that the shipment record holds accurate measurement data for compliance, customs, or audit purposes
Setup:
- Post a shipment from the container using Ship Lines.
- Open Posted Sales Shipments (search via Tell Me) and find the relevant shipment.
- Open the shipment lines.
- Add columns Ship Net Weight, Ship Gross Weight, Ship Volume, Line Total Net Weight, Line Total Gross Weight, and Line Total Volume via the column chooser.
- Verify the values match what was recorded on the container lines before posting.
US-07: Verify measurement data is carried through to posted transfer shipment lines
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to confirm that weight and volume data is present on posted transfer shipment lines
So that inter-location transfers have the same measurement traceability as customer shipments
Setup:
- Post a transfer shipment from the container.
- Open Posted Transfer Shipments and find the relevant document.
- Review the shipment lines for the measurement columns: Ship Net Weight, Ship Gross Weight, Ship Volume, Line Total Net Weight, Line Total Gross Weight, Line Total Volume.
- Confirm the values are populated correctly.
US-08: Use the Measured Weight field to record the actual weighed container weight
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to enter the actual weighed weight of the container in the Measured Weight field
So that there is a record of the physically verified weight, which may differ from the calculated Handling Gross Weight
Setup:
- After the container has been physically weighed, open the Outbound Container Card.
- In the Measurements and Value group, enter the actual weight in the Measured Weight field.
- This field is informational — it does not affect any calculations or posting.
US-09: Check that Calculate Content and Value is blocked on completed containers
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to understand what happens if I try to recalculate a completed container
So that I know I need to reopen the container before making any changes
Setup:
- Open the Outbound Container Card for a container with Outbound Status = Completed.
- Choose Calculate Content and Value from the action bar.
- A message appears stating that calculation is not allowed on posted containers.
- To recalculate, first choose Reopen to move the container back to Shipped status, then run the calculation.
US-10: Recalculate after partially shipping a container
As a Sales Order Processor
I want to recalculate measurements on a container that has already had some lines shipped
So that the container header reflects only the remaining open lines plus the already-posted lines accurately
Setup:
- Ship some lines from the container using Ship Lines.
- The container remains open (not Completed) with some lines still outstanding.
- Choose Calculate Content and Value again.
- The system reads both the remaining open lines and the posted shipment lines, avoids double-counting lines that have been fully posted, and updates the container header totals accordingly.
Field Reference
| Field | Where to find it | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ship Net Weight | Open Container Lines subpage | Net weight for the quantity to ship on this line; written to the source order line | From item master |
| Ship Gross Weight | Open Container Lines subpage | Gross weight for the quantity to ship on this line; written to the source order line | From item master |
| Ship Volume | Open Container Lines subpage | Volume for the quantity to ship on this line; written to the source order line | From item master |
| Total Package | Open Container Lines subpage | Number of packages for this line's quantity to ship | From item master |
| Line Total Net Weight | Open Container Lines subpage | Net weight for the full line quantity (read-only) | Calculated |
| Line Total Gross Weight | Open Container Lines subpage | Gross weight for the full line quantity (read-only) | Calculated |
| Line Total Volume | Open Container Lines subpage | Volume for the full line quantity (read-only) | Calculated |
| Handling Net Weight | Container Card – Measurements | Total ship-level net weight across all lines; updated by Calculate Content and Value | 0 |
| Handling Gross Weight | Container Card – Measurements | Total ship-level gross weight across all lines; updated by Calculate Content and Value | 0 |
| Handling Volume | Container Card – Measurements | Total ship-level volume across all lines; updated by Calculate Content and Value | 0 |
| Total Package (header) | Container Card – Measurements | Total number of packages across all lines; updated by Calculate Content and Value | 0 |
| Measured Weight | Container Card – Measurements | Actual physically verified weight of the container; informational only | 0 |
| Total Amount from Container Lines (LCY) | Container Card – Measurements | Sum of line amounts in LCY across all lines; updated by Calculate Content and Value | 0 |
| Total Quantity | Container Card – Measurements | Sum of quantities across all lines; updated by Calculate Content and Value | 0 |