You create shipping boxes in the Shopware Admin as shipping material, and when packing in the WMS App you select the box you used for each parcel. The app takes the box's dimensions and weight for the shipping label, so you don't have to enter the parcel dimensions by hand. In the order, you can then see which box was used for which parcel.
This applies to boxes, cardboard packaging and other cardboard shipping packaging. If you manage stock for your boxes, Pickware automatically deducts each box used. For products that are usually shipped individually, you can set a default shipping box that is preselected when packing.
Create a shipping box as shipping material
In Pickware, each shipping box is its own product with additional shipping material details. Here's how to create a box:
In the Shopware Admin, open Catalogues → Shipping material.
Click Create shipping material.
In the General section, enter the Name. The Product number is prefilled; you can change it. Optionally, add the EAN and a Product photo.
In the Dimensions and material section, enter the Outer length, Outer width and Outer height as well as the Net weight of the empty box, and select the Material fraction, which for boxes is Paper, paperboard, cardboard (PPK).
In the Use when packing section, specify whether the box is Offer for selection when packing and whether you want to Manage stock for it.
Save the box.
The name, product number, the three outer dimensions and the material fraction are required. If any of these is missing, the Admin shows you directly at the field what is still missing when you save.
After saving, the product detail page of the box opens. There you manage it like any other product. You'll find the material fraction and Offer for selection when packing on the Shipping material card. Alternatively, you can create a box in the product list via Create shipping material. In the product list, shipping materials are marked, and with the Shipping material only filter you hide all other products.
The list under Catalogues → Shipping material shows outer dimensions, net weight, material, stock and state for each box. With Duplicate, you can quickly create a similar box as a copy.
Which boxes the WMS App offers
When packing, the WMS App only offers shipping material that meets both conditions:
The material fraction is Paper, paperboard, cardboard (PPK). You can create shipping material of other material fractions, such as plastics, in the Shopware Admin, but the app doesn't show it.
Offer for selection when packing is active. In the list, the box is then set to Active.
The WMS App picks up changes to shipping material as soon as you log in again or restart the app.
Stock of shipping boxes
If Manage stock is active for a box, you store it in a bin location like any other product. If a shipping label with this box is created while packing, Pickware automatically deducts one unit from a bin location that is selected in the same way as for picking. As long as you only select a box and don't create a shipping label, nothing is deducted.
If you replace the box with a different one after a failed shipping label, or delete a parcel that contains only the box, the stock is booked back to the original bin location. The box does not appear on the delivery note or invoice.
Set a default shipping box for a product
If you usually ship a product individually, you can assign it a default shipping box. To do this, open the product in the Shopware Admin and, on the Shipping box card, select the suitable box in the Default shipping box for single-item parcels field. If a parcel contains exactly one unit of this product, the box is preselected when packing. For parcels with multiple items, no box is preselected.
Select a shipping box when packing
As soon as at least one suitable shipping box has been created, the Box step is added when you complete a parcel in the WMS App. It sits in the checklist between the documents and weighing. There you have the following options:
You select the box from the list. For each box, you see the name, image, dimensions, weight and product number.
You scan the box's barcode, that is, its EAN or its product number. The box is selected directly.
If none of the boxes you created fits, tap + Custom shipping box next to the Shipping box headline and enter the length, width, height and weight. Length, width and height must be greater than 0. This box applies only to that one parcel.
If the selection is not mandatory, you can skip the step. You then remove a selected box via the X in its corner, and the parcel continues without a box.
The app takes the dimensions of the selected box for the shipping label. You can still change them afterwards, and the box remains documented anyway. Without a scale, the app adds the box's weight to the estimated parcel weight. A weight that was measured or entered by hand remains unchanged, even if you switch the box. For how completing packing works overall, see How does packing at the packing table work in the WMS App?.
Shipping box when creating the shipping label in the WMS App
The window for creating the shipping label in the WMS App also has a Shipping box row, above the dimension fields. If you select a box there, length, width and height are filled in. If you come from the packing process, the box selected there is already filled in. If the selection is not mandatory, you can also remove a selected box there again.
Shipping box when creating the shipping label in the Shopware Admin
When you create a shipping label in the Shopware Admin, you select the box for each parcel in the Shipping material field. The box's dimensions and weight are taken over. If the parcel contains exactly one unit of a product with a default shipping box, this box is preselected. You'll find more on creating labels under How do I create shipping labels?.
Make shipping box selection mandatory
Whether a shipping box must always be specified when packing is set in the Shopware Admin under Settings → Extensions → Pickware WMS in the Shipping box section, with the option Require shipping box selection while packing. By default, it is inactive.
If the option is active, the packing process only continues once a box is selected or a custom box with dimensions has been entered. A selected box then can't be removed via the X, and in the window for creating the shipping label, the label can only be created with a box. If the option is inactive, the Box step remains visible and can be skipped.
The changed setting applies in the WMS App after the next login. All further packing options are explained in How do I configure Pickware WMS in the Admin?.
View the shipping boxes used in the order
You can see which box was used for which parcel in the Shopware Admin, in the order, on the Shipping labels tab, in the Shipping material column. The box is listed there next to the shipping label of the parcel it was used for. A custom box from the WMS App appears as Custom shipping box.
What to keep in mind
The Box step only appears if at least one box has been created that the app can offer. If it's missing, check the box's material fraction and Offer for selection when packing and log in to the WMS App again.
For the Box step, you need a current WMS App and a current version of Pickware. If the step is missing despite suitable boxes, update both.
One box is recorded per shipping label. A custom shipping box is not shipping material you've created; it is only documented for that one parcel.

