SPS Commerce is an EDI platform that ShipHero integrates with to import and fulfill retailer purchase orders. The connection between ShipHero and SPS requires assistance where the ShipHero and SPS teams handle the technical configuration together. This article is a reference overview of how that process works.
Contract Required Before Implementation
A contract is required before ShipHero can begin your SPS implementation. Contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM) to get connected with ShipHero's SPS team and get details on requirements and next steps.
SPS Commerce Integration for 3PLs
How the integration is configured depends on whether the SPS account belongs to your client or to your 3PL.
If your client has their own SPS account, their SPS account is connected through their ShipHero client account during implementation.
If your own SPS account is set up to do business on your clients' behalf, your client's retailers are connected directly to your 3PL account. In this case, the connection is made through your 3PL account. After setup, SPS trading partner IDs are used to map orders to the correct client in ShipHero.
How the SPS Commerce Connection Works
During implementation, the ShipHero team links your ShipHero account to SPS Commerce. This creates the bridge between the two platforms, but does not import orders on its own — order mapping must also be configured. The connection appears in your account on the SPS connection page in Settings.
How SPS Commerce Order Mapping Works
After the accounts are connected, the ShipHero team configures order mapping so that SPS orders import correctly. Your SPS Implementation Manager forwards a few real orders from each of your retailers to ShipHero to use during this process.
The mapping configuration covers:
- Which retailers the orders correspond to, identified by order number or SPS trading partner ID.
- How products are matched — by SKU or by barcode.
- Other fields that need mapping, such as specific dates, notes, or addresses.
If none of the product identifiers in a purchase order (PO) would match a SKU or barcode in ShipHero — for example, a retailer-specific part number — a spreadsheet with the external identifiers and corresponding ShipHero SKUs or barcodes is needed before mapping can be completed.
Once mapping is configured, orders import with an operator hold, meaning they are not available for shipping until the hold is explicitly removed. This gives you time to review the order data before orders go live.
SPS Commerce Order Forwarding Options
Your SPS Implementation Manager configures how SPS forwards orders to ShipHero for each trading partner. There are two options:
- Dynamic forwarding — orders are forwarded manually from the SPS Fulfillment portal. This gives you a chance to review each order before ShipHero imports it.
- Automatic forwarding — SPS forwards orders to ShipHero as soon as they arrive in SPS.
Once orders are importing correctly, you can set up an automation rule in ShipHero to remove the operator hold automatically. Use the trading partner ID (shown as the shop name) as the filter criteria to apply different rules per retailer.