DHLIS7 - Shipment Tracking (v1.4)

Implementing a DHL Integrated Solution (DHLIS)
Implementing a DHL Integrated Solution
(DHLIS)
Doc. Ref.
DHLIS7 – Shipment Tracking
Version Number: 1.4
Status
Created by
Issued
Customer Integration Management - UK
Date 01-07-2012

Implementing a DHL Integrated Solution (DHLIS)
Document Control
Revision history:
Version Release Date Comments
1.0 01-10-2010 Draft for comments
1.1 24-03-2011 Updated to include new FFSTAT message
1.2 18-11-2011 Updated to include Directory.txt information
1.3 18-11-2011 Updated file referenced in Section 3
1.4 01-07-2012 Updated contents section

Implementing a DHL Integrated Solution (DHLIS)
CONTENT
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 4
2 TRACKING VIA EDI ........................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 EDIFACT ...................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 NON-EDIFACT. ............................................................................................................................. 5
3 TRACKING VIA XML ......................................................................................................................... 6
4 STRUCTURED TRACKING URLS ........................................................................................................ 7
5 TRACKING REFERENCE DATA .......................................................................................................... 8
5.1 DIRECTORY.TXT .............................................................................................................................. 8

Implementing a DHL Integrated Solution (DHLIS)
1 Introduction
Before companies can exchange EDI files among themselves, a set of rules defining their EDI files and how
they should be processed have to be established and documented. This document is known as the
implementation guideline (or MIG).
Some examples of rules in an implementation guideline document can include:
• the requirement of a data segment whether it be optional or mandatory; or
• the validity of a value in a data element; or the number of times a loop or group of segments can
be used.
The implementation guideline is the single most important document for a user creating a mapping of the
corresponding EDI file to/from an existing system.

Implementing a DHL Integrated Solution (DHLIS)
2 Tracking via EDI
Status update messages can be made available on a regular basis throughout the day, which can be
uploaded and reconciled to specific orders in an in-house database, to be shared with employees or
customers directly.
Standardized EDI connections are in use for information exchange in the transport business for more than
10 years. Today there are more than 210 EDIFACT messages standardized by the UN (United Nations)
worldwide.
A detailed description of these messages can be found in separate Message Implementation Guides (MIG).
For implementing a specific interface the relevant Message Implementation Guide.
The following is a list of standard messages which are supported within the DHL Network.
2.1 EDIFACT
2.1.1 IFTSTA D01B
A message to report the transport status and/or a change in the transport status (i.e. event) between
agreed parties.
Specification Document : MIG_IFTSTA_D01B_ver_20.pdf
2.2 Non-EDIFACT.
2.2.1 FFSTAT
The FFSTAT message is functionally equivalent to an EDIFACT IFTSTA message. It reports the transport
status and/or a change in the transport status using a flat file (pipe delimited). This message can be used in
two ways, Pre-advice or status message.
Specification Document : MIG_FFSTAT_ver_30.pdf

Implementing a DHL Integrated Solution (DHLIS)
3 Tracking via XML
DHL offers an XML based online integration platform that provides on-request real-time status updates
which can be retrieved by a structured XML interchange with our tracking servers.
.
The Shipment Tracking service is used to inform customers about the status of their shipment in transit,
using either a known query (using a valid DHL Waybill number and License Plate Number) or an unknown
query (using the following fields – Shipper‘s Reference Number, Account Number and Shipment date)
Note that XML PI tracking results are not to be directly presented to the users.
To implement XML tracking, please contact your CIM Representative to request a copy of the following
document, as well as the test server and login credentials.
Specification Document: ‘Implementing DHL XML Services’

Implementing a DHL Integrated Solution (DHLIS)
4 Structured Tracking URLs
Structured URL tracking links can be created to allow specific shipment tracking, by DHL tracking identifiers
or by customer order reference. This service returns real-time tracking information in a formatted HTML
page.
Customers can create their own links, which can be emailed to their own customers in notification emails
to give the ability to track shipments directly.
Shipments can be tracked at Shipment and Piece Level or by Shipment Reference.
To implement XML tracking, please contact your CIM Representative to request a copy of the following
document.
Specification Document: Structured_URL_Tracking.pdf

Implementing a DHL Integrated Solution (DHLIS)
5 Tracking Reference Data
5.1 Directory.txt
Directory.txt can be used to determine the location of where a particular checkpoint took place
5.1.1 Directory.txt LAYOUT
Field Format Max.
length
Service Area
Code
Optional/
mandatory
AA 3 Mandatory
Ignore AN 3 Optional
Comments
Blank
ISO Country
Code
AA 2 Mandatory e.g. GB = United Kingdom
Country Name AA 35 Mandatory
Service Area
Name
AA 8 Optional
Blank
Blank
Blank
Blank
Blank
A = alphabetical, AN = alphanumeric
5.1.2 Examples
ZUH|CN1||CN|CHINA PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF|ZHUJIANG DELTA AREA|||||
STI|DO1||DO|DOMINICAN REPUBLIC|SANTIAGO|||||
XTM|IQ1||IQ|IRAQ|AL ASAD|||||
CXI|KI1||KI|KIRIBATI|CHRISTMAS ISLAND|||||