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This document is intended to provide provides general guidance to CXT Software carriers engaging in technology/data customers during integration discussions with their shipper customers.

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Carrier-Shipper_integration_talking_points.pdf

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trading partners.

Data Integrations

CXT Software has broad and deep carrier­-shipper data integration deep integration capabilities.  To To date, we have integrated our carriers our customers with over 125 175 distinct wholesale, retail, consolidator, 3PL, and home delivery shippers across a variety of industries of industries including pharmaceutical, office products, industrial supply, tech products, auto parts, appliance parts,  medicalmedical/lab/veterinary, payroll, beauty products, books/magazines/print media, and e-­tail. With the ability to provide technologies capable of handling information between carrier-shipper partners, CXT Software is of handling information between carriers and trading partners, we put you at the forefront of data integrationintegrations.

Please note that carrier-shipper data : some integrations can be highly detailed, complex, costly, and require significant lead times financial and time investments to implement. If at all Whenever possible, contact our technical services team to obtain a Customer Development Request (CDR) from CXT Software detailing your data integration cost and timeframe estimate for your integration, prior to committing to pricing and deadlines with your shipper customer. and a significant amount of lead time to implement.

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trading partner.

Operations App Integration Map

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Managing the

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Integration Conversation

1. Partnerships

   1. Ensure your trading partner is aware that you use CXT Software’s solutions, as we have existing technology partnerships with many shippers.

   If the shipper is

   1. If they are not aware of CXT, let them know that we have deep shipper-­carrier integration experience. As you venture into this phase of the discussion, note that depending on integration requirements and costs, it is possible for you to (1) accept orders/stops electronically, (2) scan/track barcodes, (3) capture electronic signatures/POD, (4) handle OS&D, (5) provide reason/exception codes, and (6) invoice electronically. However, to help manage costs,

   you will likely

   1. you may want to avoid offering more than they require.

2. Integration Type: The requirements identified in #2 above will help determine whether the data integration is:

   1. Inbound only (electronic orders/stops/parcels)

   2. Outbound only (typically electronic invoicing)

   3. Two­way

      Two-­way (inbound electronic orders/stops PLUS outbound scanning/tracking, electronic signatures/POD, OS&D, photo attachments, reason/exception codes, and/or electronic invoices)

3. The shipper’s

   Data Formats and Transport: The trading partner's IT team may be interested in specifics regarding data formats and transport. We have built integrations using proprietary, ASN, EDI, XML, and CSV data formats, with FTP,

   AS2

   SFTP, web services, and VAN being the typical data transport methods.

4. Ask the shipper if

   Direct or Intermediary: Ask if the integration is direct with the

   shipper

   trading partner or via a 3PL or other intermediary, as well as which TMS (Transportation Management System) they use. If they know the answers to these questions, we may be able to leverage existing integrations involving the same shipper/3PL/intermediary or TMS.

5. Operational Usage: You will also need to gain an understanding of how the data will be used operationally. For example, will the inbound data be

   on­demand

   orders or route/distribution stops? With a

   two­way

   two­-way integration, is outbound feedback sent as the orders/stops are closed, or at the end of the day/route? Are all reason/exception code updates tied to order/stop progress? How will the rates be calculated? How will drivers be paid?

   
   What

    What monitoring and reporting is required?

6. Communication: A successful data integration requires collaboration between the

   shipper

   trading partner, carrier, and CXT Software

   , so a direct integration contact representing the shipper

   - open and collaborative communication with the trading partner is extremely beneficial for

   CXT Software

   all parties involved.

Integration Development Process and Costs

1. IMPORTANT NOTE:

    Because

    Because of differences

   in shipper systems and DC­ level operations, evolving shipper integration

   in trading partner systems, evolving integration requirements, and differences in carrier operating models, we evaluate each integration request as a new request.

   We

   If an integration with a trading partner has been previously developed by CXT Software, we will leverage existing

   integration code as much as possible

   code when deploying to your system to reduce new integration

   costs; however, the fact that we have worked with a shipper before usually does NOT mean that the cost of a new integration will be minimal. Even if we can use an existing integration “off the shelf,”

   costs. However, differences in carrier system configuration or trading partner modifications will involve setup and testing costs.

2. CXT Software will need documentation specifying (1) a

   high­level

   high­-level description of the integration, (2) inbound and/or outbound data formats and sample data, (3) integration workflow, timing, and reason codes, and (4) contact information for the technical resource representing

   the shipper

   the trading partner on the integration project.

3. Submit a support ticket requesting an estimate for the integration, attaching the information collected in step #2 above. CXT will

   then

   evaluate the request,

   estimate the

   provide an estimate for the work required, and generate a Customer Development Request (CDR) outlining the cost and timeframe to build and deploy the integration. This cost will

   be estimated in hours and billed

   be billed to the carrier at our standard

   rate of $175.00 per hour when

   rate when the integration is delivered. Time is of the essence! Please complete this step as early as possible during your discussions with the

   shipper. Again, if

   trading partner. If possible, try to time it so that you already have our CDR when the shipper awards you the business.

4. The carrier may

   You may need to add some CXT Software product modules specific to the data integration, including

   X Route, X Stream, and X Mobile or Nextstop Mobile. One­time license fees (X Route on­premise and X Stream), hourly setup/configuration fees, and ongoing monthly fees apply.

   the Driver App. Ongoing monthly fees may apply. 

Third-Party Integration Costs

Whenever X Mobile or Nextstop Mobile the Driver App is required, you will need to ensure that drivers have compatible mobile devices (i.e., smartphones with or without Bluetooth scanners, handheld computersdedicated scanners, etc.) and adequate wireless data plans for those mobile devices.

Integration Development Timeframe and Delivery

• Once you approve

  , sign, and send the CDR back to CXT Software

  any applicable integration cost, we will add your integration project to our development queue and schedule the work. We

  require 90 days’

  typically require a 30-60 day lead time for completion of new

  integration­related

  integration­ related CDRs. Adequate lead time allows CXT to manage costs by

  balancing a large CDR workload and

  balancing open projects and allows for coordination with

  the shipper on

  the trading partner on specification clarifications and testing.

• Once the integration is delivered, testing with

  the shipper

  the trading partner is necessary to ensure that data flows successfully and accurately

  .

Ongoing Integration Maintenance

• X Stream Standard, Plus: Maintenance specific to the shipper integration will be handled via the CDR process and billed to the carrier(s) at our standard rate.
• X Stream Advanced, EDI, Enterprise: Maintenance specific to the shipper integration is included in the monthly X Stream cost. “Maintenance” does not include overhauls of an integration, for example, to add major new functionality or adapt it to a new shipper backend system

  between both systems.