The Shipment and Logistics Specification (S'nL) was chartered to develop XML messages for efficient communications among those providing delivery instructions, transportation planning, and distribution services for shipment of printed product. SnL is made up of a family of related specifications.  These specifications include:

Shipment Plan

A Shipment Plan is a delivery schedule for items(s) indicated in the distribution purchase order. The shipment plan specifies delivery schedule(s) and quantities for the items(s) in the distribution purchase order. The schedule may define a specific date and/or time for delivery or include a time range (defined by date and/or time). Items covered on a shipment plan may be delivered to a multiple locations.

The content owner sends an initial shipment plan, which can then be accepted, amended, cancelled, or rejected by the printer using a shipment plan of confirmation type. Subsequent shipment plans can be sent by the content owner with the printer responding using a shipment plan confirmation. It is not mandatory to respond with a confirmation. A shipment plan will refer to the distribution purchase order against which the delivery will be applied.

Shipment Notification

The Shipment Notification message communicates delivery information for product(s) supported by a distribution purchase order. After a content owner sends a printer or distribution company a distribution purchase order, the distribution company sends a shipment notification when notified the goods are ready to ship using a ShipmentNotification of “Initial Shipment Advice”. The Shipment Notification message can be used to communicate shipments to a single destination. A single product or multiple products can be can be specified.

Print Order Message

The content owner sends a Print Order to the printer and distribution company to initiate the distribution of inserts to the specified final consignees. A Print Order may be preceded by a quotation request. It may also refer to prior agreements between the parties such as contracts or agreements. A Print Order can be followed by a Distribution Purchase Order in which more details are provided by to the printer and distribution company by either the content owner or the content owner’s agent. The Print Order permits the printer and distribution company to begin planning the distribution and printing process.

Goods Receipt Message

The Consignee or authorized agent, sends a Goods Receipt message to the Distribution Company who then forwards a copy (or summary) to the Content Owner acknowledging that a specific delivery or a number of deliveries in a given time period has been received. The Goods Receipt message is useful for the Distribution Company and Content Owner who need to know that a Consignee has received the goods into inventory. The Distribution Company and Content Owner can use the Goods Receipt message to monitor in-transit inventory, to determine transportation time, or to receive estimated transit damage information.

The Goods Receipt message may include estimated transit damage information, which is early notification prior to an actual damage claim. It is not the start of the claims process, but may be used to prevent reporting the transit damage as available inventory at the ShipTo location. A Goods Receipt reports on the physical receipt of goods that have been specified in one or more Delivery Messages. It can report if goods were received as specified in the Delivery Messages. If there are variances, it can detail the variances. If there are transit problems, it can report on the estimated transit damage. Based on the severity of the damage, or for other reasons, an entire shipment can be rejected.