ZSS partner onboarding journey
This article explains the Zalando Shipping Solutions partner onboarding journey.
If you are reading this, it is because you are interested in finding out more about Zalando Shipping Solutions (ZSS) and whether it’s the best logistics solution for you. You can get onboarded with ZSS in four steps:
Getting started
ZSS Partner Onboarding
Physical Testing
Go Live
Important
Please make sure that you fully complete each step before moving on to the next one!
Important note: Please make sure that you fully complete each step before moving on to the next one!
You’ll find the answers to some FAQs at the end of this article.
Step 1: Getting started with ZSS
a. For partners who are new to Zalando’s Partner Program, our Sales team can help you find the most suitable way of combining our logistics solutions. Please reach out to them at logisticssolutions@zalando.de.
b. If you are an existing Partner Program partner who has already integrated and would like to use ZSS, we can help you with expanding into new markets. To find out more please reach out to Partner Care here.
2. ZSS Partner Onboarding
In order to kick off your ZSS Partner Onboarding, all partners need to have:
a. Signed your ZSS contract (one contract for each market you want to go live in). If you have not signed your ZSS contract yet, please contact our Sales team at logisticssolutions@zalando.de.
b. Decided on an integration solution. You can integrate via a third party provider, including our preferred integrator Tradebyte, or via direct integration to our API. Please reach out to your Sales Manager for more information.
Once these steps are completed, for partners using Direct Integration to our APIs you need to:
c. Integrate the Orders API as outlined here.
d. Complete technical integration with the ZSS Connect API. This is the API through which you will receive your shipping documents.
f. Once the test in Sandbox is performed successfully, please let the Zalando integration team know by emailing them through support-onboarding@zalando.de and sharing these shipping documents: (1) outbound label, (2) return label (3) delivery slip.
For partners using an integrator, once you have completed step 2 a, b, and c above please inform your Integrator.
If you have chosen Tradebyte as your Integrator, you should open a ticket via the Tradebyte Community ticketing system.
For further information please check the Tradebyte manuals:
If you have any questions regarding the Tradebyte process please contact support@Tradebyte.com
If you have any questions or need assistance with this step, please contact ZSS at ZSS-Integration@zalando.de.
Once step 2 is completed, you can move on to step 3.
Important note: For Partner Program partners who are already live on Zalando and wish to change their logistics solution to ZSS, please skip step 3 and continue directly with step 4.
Step 3: Physical Testing
The physical test is the final stage before going live. Here the test is carried out in real-time to check the end-to-end flow including inbound, outbound and returns. The test order must be a real order made in the Fashion Store (non-Sandbox).
a. Preparing the test order in production
The first step is to provide two SKUs for physical testing to your onboarding manager.
Once the onboarding manager receives the Zalando SKU's from you, they will whitelist the specific article for physical testing.
Once this is done, you will receive the test customer data from the Partner onboarding team.
Next, you will need to place a test order and submit the order details to the Partner onboarding team.
After completing these first steps, you’ll need to proceed with the following:
You'll need to prepare a parcel and include test item, delivery documents, and return label. The outbound label of the last-mile carrier is to be pasted on the parcel.
Once the test order is packaged, please place the parcel into a larger box. This will be the ‘Mother’ parcel. Please ensure that you follow the detailed guidelines for Mother Parcel and ZSS Shipping guidelines.
ZSS Shipping Label and first-mile shipping labels need to be attached to the sealed Mother parcel.
Before shipping out the test order, please make sure everything is compliant with the ZSS Shipping guidelines.
After shipping the Mother parcel to the specified injection hub, you will need to notify Zalando via the Orders API in zDirect or through your integrator.
The test order flow is divided into first mile and last-mile delivery:
b. First Mile Delivery
You can send the Mother parcel through your own carrier to one of our injection nodes in Hamburg, Lahr or Verona. Please ensure you have attached the relevant shipping label, available for download below the table of contents of this article.
c. Last-Mile Delivery
In the relevant injection node, the test orders are removed from the Mother parcel, scanned, and sorted. They are then handed over to the respective carriers depending on the delivery addresses.
You can track the last-mile delivery through Integrator/Direct API using the shipping ID from Zalando.
Once the delivery has been made, the test customer sends photos of the label and delivery documentation directly to the Zalando Quality Assurance (QA) team.
The QA team then evaluates the test order and reaches out to the partner directly to provide feedback on the test order.
d. Parcel Returns
The return flow is then automatically tested following the outbound test order delivery and QA assessment.
The customer attaches the return label enclosed in the parcel and returns it back to the carrier.
Depending on the return method you have enabled, the respective party will trigger the refund and forward the return parcels to the relevant warehouse.
If you have questions or need assistance at any point during the physical test, please reach out to ZSS at ZSS-Integration@zalando.de.
Step 4: Go live
After completing the Physical Test in step 3 and receiving the Quality Assurance approval report you’ll need to do the following, before you can go live:
a. Ensure that all of the SKUs in your article assortment have been successfully onboarded
b. Confirm the stock
c. Set prices and confirm they are correct
d. Connect to the Price Validation API (for partners using Direct Integration)
If you need assistance with any of these final stages before going live, please contact integration support at: support-integration@zalando.de.
As soon as your articles are successfully onboarded, you will get notified by an integration manager by email that you are now live on the Zalando platform and can start selling!
Please note: If you wish to make any changes to your operations or integrations after going live on Zalando, please let the ZSS team know at least two weeks in advance. You can direct any questions or updates to ZSS-Integration@zalando.de.
FAQs
1. How will I know that an article/parcel has been returned?
The item (also known as article) status is updated in the system and reflected in the Orders API. When you call the Orders API for that particular order/article, you’ll see it as returned.
2. Which file type is the settlement file?
The settlement file type should be CSV.
3. What is the file name standard of the settlement files?
An example name of the file name would be: Itemized_Stmnt_SAL_PP_JUL_2019_xxxxxx_FR.csv.
4. Should the market/country also be a column in the file?
The market/country should only be in the file name and not a comment in the file.
If you have any questions regarding the integration process please reach out directly to your support contact from their team.