Warehouse Reporting
Part of Shipping software and carrier integrations
Reconciling tracking updates from several carriers
Keep original carrier events, map parcel statuses carefully and investigate missing or conflicting tracking updates.
Reconcile tracking by parcel. Keep each carrier’s original event and identifier, then map the event to a customer-facing status without discarding its detail. Do not mark an order with two parcels as delivered just because one parcel arrived.
Match each event to a parcel
Store the order ID, platform shipment ID, carrier, carrier tracking ID, service and dispatch location for every parcel. A platform number can differ from the carrier number. Shippit notes its tracking page may link a Shippit number to a separate carrier number. Keep both when available.
Record the carrier’s event text and time, the time your system received it and its source. Australia Post’s Track Items reference describes item-level events with dates, locations and descriptions. It also says Australia Post and StarTrack identifiers cannot be mixed in one request to that API. Keeping the source helps staff tell a carrier scan gap from an import problem.
Key Tracking Data Points to Monitor
- Carrier Event Source
- Critical for diagnosing import issues vs. scan gaps.
- Original Carrier Tracking ID
- Must be preserved; cannot be replaced with platform number.
- Australia Post API Limitation
- Cannot mix Australia Post and StarTrack IDs in one Track Items request.
- Proof of Delivery Photos
- Depends on carrier and service; not guaranteed for all shipments.
Map states carefully
Use an internal sequence of booked, carrier accepted, in transit, out for delivery, delivered and exception. Preserve the original event beneath that summary. Do not treat label creation or carrier information received as proof of pickup.
Australia Post’s status definitions separate preliminary states from transit and delivery. On a StarTrack consignment note, “Delivered” can mean some or all freight items were delivered; “Delivered in Full” means all were delivered. Check freight-item detail before closing a multi-piece consignment.
If events arrive out of order, retain the history and investigate the apparent reversal. Surface a later delivery exception to staff rather than let an earlier in-transit event hide it. Use the best-supported current status for customers and keep carrier detail available for investigation.
Australia Post vs StarTrack Delivery Statuses
- Australia Post - Delivered
- Item(s) delivered; may not be all items in a multi-piece shipment.
- StarTrack - Delivered
- Some freight items delivered; not necessarily all.
- StarTrack - Delivered in Full
- All freight items delivered.
- Australia Post - Exception
- Delivery issue recorded; requires investigation.
Review gaps and exceptions
Queue parcels with no first carrier event after hand-off, a tracking ID the carrier cannot find, a stalled sequence, a delivery exception, or conflicting delivery and return information. Set review timing according to the service and customer promise; no universal threshold exists.
Platform views may be incomplete. Shippit says it standardises carrier statuses, while proof-of-delivery photos depend on the carrier and service. Check the carrier record when the platform view cannot support a delivery claim.
For a multi-parcel order, show every parcel’s latest verified state. Close the order as delivered only when the required parcels meet the operation’s delivery-completion rule. Record the source used to resolve any discrepancy.
Tracking Update Review Checklist
- No first carrier event after hand-offFlag for review; verify hand-off timing and carrier response.
- Tracking ID not found by carrierCheck for typos; verify carrier API integration.
- Stalled tracking sequenceInvestigate delays; contact carrier if no updates after expected window.
- Conflicting delivery and return infoVerify with carrier records; resolve discrepancies before closing order.
- Multi-parcel order – not all deliveredDo not close as delivered until all required parcels meet completion rule.
