SPS Commerce is a third-party EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) provider that connects ShipHero to your retail trading partners, such as Target or Costco. EDI is the computer-to-computer exchange of business documents, like purchase orders and shipping notices, so your systems and a retailer's systems communicate directly instead of relying on manual data entry. Use the SPS Commerce integration to automate order import and fulfillment for dropship and wholesale retail accounts.
Table of Contents
- SPS Commerce Integration Roles
- Standard EDI Documents Supported by SPS Commerce
- Get Started with SPS Commerce Integration
SPS Commerce Integration Roles
Three parties work together in every SPS Commerce integration:
| Role | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Trading partner | The retailer that sends purchase orders and expects invoices and shipping confirmations in return. |
| SPS Commerce | The EDI provider that translates each retailer's specific requirements into a format ShipHero can process. |
| ShipHero | The system that manages your inventory, processes incoming orders, and generates the shipping data SPS Commerce sends back to the retailer. |
Automating this workflow through SPS Commerce removes manual order entry, reduces shipping delays and errors, and helps you meet retailer labeling and timing requirements that avoid chargebacks (penalties for non-compliant shipments). It also makes it easier to add new trading partners as your business grows.
Standard EDI Documents Supported by SPS Commerce
Every retailer has different requirements, but most SPS Commerce connections use these core EDI documents:
| Document Code | Name | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 850/940 | Purchase Order (PO) | The retailer sends this document to request goods. |
| 856/945 | Advance Ship Notice (ASN) | ShipHero sends this document to the retailer when an order ships. |
| 846 | Inventory Inquiry | ShipHero automatically sends your current stock levels to the retailer. |
Get Started with SPS Commerce Integration
Before you begin, contact your CSM and confirm you have an active SPS Commerce account. Provide a list of the trading partners you want to connect and whether each operates as dropship or wholesale (B2B). Keeping SKUs and UPCs consistent across your retailer's portal and ShipHero prevents most integration delays.
- See Connecting SPS Commerce to ShipHero for the steps to connect your account.
- See SPS Commerce: Onboarding and Testing for what happens during implementation and testing. (update this link once the new article is published)