UCM with Parcel

In this Guide

Parcel supports a new type of carrier called the Universal Carrier Module (UCM). UCM enables users to create and define custom carriers with the desired features and functions and to deploy these carriers with shipping systems including Parcel. UCM also enables complete embedded compliance (rating and routing files, manifest and label generation) as well as connecting to Web services or external carrier supplied files and software.
The UCM module is a self-contained Web application running on your Parcel server. Parcel provides access to the UCM module but once the UCM module is accessed, it is functionally independent of Parcel except when deploying a UCM carrier to Parcel.

To access the UCM module from Parcel...

On the Parcel menu bar select UCM, and then select UCM Carriers to open the UCM carrier module in a new browser window. Click the blue question mark icon to the upper right in the left pane of the UCM window to access the UCM Help system.

Note: To access the UCM module, you must be logged in to Parcel as either an Application Administrator or an Enterprise Administrator. See the following Help topic: User Management . If you are logged in to Parcel in one of these user roles, the UCM menu is available to you.

Configuring a UCM carrier

A UCM carrier is configured in the following ways:

  • In UCM by creating, configuring, and deploying a carrier definition.

  • In Parcel by adding a UCM carrier instance to a location.

For information on configuring a UCM carrier in Parcel, see the following Help topics:

  • Adding a UCM carrier to Parcel

  • UCM Carrier Administration

Using a UCM carrier with Parcel

After you add a UCM carrier to a Parcel location, you can use this carrier for rating and shipping just as you would any other Parcel carrier. Features such as services, billing types, packaging types, rating methods, EOD consolidation, reports, labels, etc. are set up in UCM. However, they behave the same way when selecting them on Parcel menus or the Warehouse and other Parcel screens as the corresponding features for standard carriers supplied with Parcel.
Note: The Options screen contains the options that are incorporated on it using UI transactional elements functionality in UCM. See UCM Carrier Administration for more information on how this functionality translates from the carrier definition in UCM to the carrier instance in Parcel.

Warehouse options screen

UI transactional elements configured in UCM appear on the Parcel Warehouse Options screen when shipping. Parcel requires that the top level name in the UCM definition be Shipment, which translates to the Shipment tab on the Options screen. The second level name is either "Shipment" for the Shipment sub-tab on the left or "Package" for the Package sub-tab on the right. The third level is the label text for the option or group of options on the Shipment or Package sub-tabs.