TABLE OF CONTENTS


Overview

The SpeEDI Scan Tool


Particularly for inbound mail shipments, package identification, counting and checking the release status can be an onerous task when manually handling pieces in a manifest with potentially hundreds or thousands of lines. Made worse when a shipper includes multiple packages under a single bill, any of which could be missing.


SpeEDI Cargo has since 2024 had a package scanning feature which has been upgraded in version 1.0.4 (July 2025) to add multi-package functionality on a single housebill. Which works by taking housebill entry (with the expectation of using a barcode scanner) and quickly returning its clearance status as well as tracking and counting the packages on the manifest to validate receipt.


How it works

The scan function is available for any SpeEDI Cargo customer and works on an Inbound Shipment with a Customs Approved Inward Cargo Report, it does not require a barcode scanner, but it is intended to be used with one. The scan function can be found under the Scans tab, to the right of Documents when viewing a shipment. If no Scan tab is available, then you need to first clear the ICR for that shipment.


The interface is hopefully intuitive (we always welcome feedback to help guide us with future decision making), but the elements are explained below:


  1. Housebill is entered into this box, whether manually via keyboard or ideally via a barcode scan from a package
  2. "Allow duplicate scans"*, when 
    • checked, counts multiple identical scans as individual packages (for multi-package consignments with no unique reference)
    • unchecked, prompts when a repeat scan is found (double scanning the same package)
  3. "Display", user choice of when prompts are shown that must be manually closed, eg prompt only on Held packages
  4. Consignments that have not yet been scanned or still have unscanned packages for multi-package consignments
  5. Consignments where all packages have been scanned and accounted for
  6. Package count for consignment (and number of scans to the right [not shown])
  7. Consignment lines will be moved here once all packages on a consignment have been scanned and accounted for

So a shipment with an approved ICR will have all consignment lines on the left side, as you enter or scan their bill numbers, they'll move across to the right side until the whole shipment is accounted for.


While scanning, depending on the setting, prompts will pop advising of status such as whether the package should be held (for you to put aside). On a multi-package consignment, the line will stay on the left side until all packages are scanned. Intending that you put the scanned packages aside pending the whole line being receipted.


*Allow duplicate scans

In some cases, multiple packages may be present on a single bill and may come in the form of three possible scenarios:

  • one barcode only with a package suffix (eg bill 123456 with suffix 01 [or 02 or 03] | 123456/01)
    • all packages should be unique and it won't matter the setting of this option 
  • two barcodes one with a package suffix and one without
    • if this setting is not checked, and you scan the barcode without a suffix on two different packages under the same bill number, then this will pop an error to say the package is already scanned
  • one barcode only without a package suffix
    • if this setting is not checked, then any multi-package bill lines will throw errors to say package is already scanned

SpeEDI cannot predict or assume which setting is correct in the context, so will be left to your discretion to set accordingly.


Multiple matches

Because of the package suffixes, SpeEDI does partial matching, rather than exact matching.


In the unlikely scenario that a bill number matches multiple consignments SpeEDI will prompt requesting a re-entry (and exact matching) or selection of the correct consignment.


Workflow

The expected workflow would be to cut open, say, a pallet of packages and scan the barcodes as you unload them. Putting packages aside as either multi-package instances are found (until the whole line is cleared) or as Customs or MPI Holds are required.


Once the pallet is unloaded, you can then identify any missing (or extra) packages according to the manifest and/or validate the counts.


These final counts can also be seen on Shipment > Consignments in the table.


Feedback/Future

SpeEDI welcomes feedback on this and any other feature which we can use for future decision making and feature planning.


Based on popularity and value, there may be space for future upgrade of this feature, and as an example in areas such as use with conveyor belts for processing automation.