How to update tracking with plain labels (Using Orca Scan)

Table of Contents

Overview

Orca Scan is a barcode scanning app, described as a “barcode system without code”. It is effectively a spreadsheet with a mobile app, which has a barcode scanner built into it.

This enables users to quickly scan barcodes using a smartphone, capturing and exporting data to various formats for easy analysis. You can set up Orca Scan to work with Starshipit.

How you can use Orca Scan with Starshipit

If you use your own delivery drivers (with plain labels), they can use Orca Scan to update the delivery status of the orders they’re delivering. For example, when they deliver a package, they can scan the barcode on the shipping label using Orca Scan, which then updates the status in Starshipit.

This will trigger the same email notifications as if you were using another carrier. It will also add the same delivery time stamps to your reports, so you can track the performance of your own delivery drivers.

Set up plain labels in Starshipit

Given that Orca Scan works with Starshipit's plain labels feature (for example when you're using your own delivery drivers as explained in the above example), we'll need to set up a plain label courier in Starshipit.

  1. Go to Settings > Couriers.
  2. Click Add a new courier.
  3. Under Other, select Plain Label.
  4. Select Enable a plain label.
  5. Enter the name of your carrier.
  6. Click Label Template.
  7. Tick Use tracking number when available for barcode.
  8. Click Save.

Note: Read the full plain label guide here to learn more about how you can configure these labels to fit your needs.

Set up Orca Scan

Register for an Orca Scan account:

Once you’ve registered for an account you will be asked to create your first sheet. You can think of a sheet as a totally separate database, each with its own uniquely defined fields.

  1. Log in to your Orca Scan account at cloud.orcascan.com.
  2. We’ll need to add a new sheet to Orca Scan to be the list of orders we scan. Here’s how to do this:

    • Click the + symbol in Orca Scan.
    • Click Sheet to create a new sheet.
    • On this new sheet, create a new column by right-clicking on a column and selecting Add column.
    • Name the column Status.
    • Change the Data type to Drop-Down list.
    • Under List options, add the values PickedUp and Delivered. These are the two options currently configured in the integration to update the order status with.
  3. Click Integrations to connect it to your Starshipit account
  4. Enter the following details in the Settings page:
    WebHook Out https://staging.starshipit.com/api/orcascan/update
    Secret Your Starshipit API key
  5. Download the Orca Scan mobile app from the iOS or Android app store.
  6. Log into your account using Orca Scan mobile.

Testing Orca Scan

Now, we're ready to test Orca Scan with Starshipit. You can either use one of your own plain labels or our test label below. By scanning this barcode using the Orca Scan app, this should add a row to your sheet in Orca Scan.

Using Orca Scan with Starshipit (Typical workflow)

Now that we've set up both Starshipit and Orca Scan, here's what a typical workflow might look like:

In Starshipit

  • Open the order you wish to print a plain label for.
  • Enter the tracking number in the order details screen.
  • Print the label.

Note: The tracking number will print as the barcode, as long as you have ticked Use tracking number when available for barcode in the plain label settings.

For your delivery driver (Using Orca Scan app)

  • Open the Orca Scan app on your mobile device.
  • Ensure you've selected the sheet from the top of the app.
  • Scan a barcode on the plain label generated earlier.
  • On scanning, you will get this screen:
  • Choose either PickedUp or Delivered for the status.
  • When you click Save & Close, the order will update in Starshipit with the relevant status.

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