Connected operations
Warehouse & transportation handoffs
Readiness, dock scheduling, handling units, ASN context and receiving exceptions across WMS and TMS boundaries.
Educational / conceptual specification · Not a released implementation contract
Keep inventory with its authority
A WMS controls stock and facility execution; a TMS coordinates the movement between facilities. A readiness exchange should provide the relevant shipment, facility, handling-unit and requested-window context without transferring inventory ownership to the transportation record.
The proposed flow distinguishes ready, tendered, dock scheduled, arrived, loaded, departed, received and POD. Each transition carries different evidence and a responsible actor. A carrier assignment cannot stand in for a warehouse readiness confirmation.
WMS
Inside the facility
- Inventory & locations
- Pick / pack / stage
- Handling units & receipt
Kaporeal / TMS
Between facilities
- Load & carrier assignment
- Appointments & movement
- Milestones & freight documents
ERP / Accounting
Commercial system of record
- Orders & customer accounts
- Financial posting & tax
- Payables / receivables
Preserve discrepancies, do not overwrite them
Declared freight and observed freight may differ. Short loading, damage, pallet splits or repacking require source references and evidence, not a silent replacement of the original quantity. Cross-docking later adds transfer relationships between inbound and outbound movements.
Receiving can report an outcome while inventory posting remains with its WMS or ERP. Transportation retains arrival and delivery evidence. Appointment, ASN and standards integrations are planned; no current warehouse connector is claimed.
An illustrative readiness handoff
A staged distributor order could provide an external shipment reference and facility window to create or associate a load. Dispatch supplies carrier context; warehouse staff observe loading and departure; receiving supplies exceptions and delivery evidence. This is an educational scenario, not a implemented API exchange.
The useful contract questions are what each source owns, which reference survives a change and how a duplicate or short shipment is reconciled. These questions should be resolved with operators before any connector is represented as ready to install.