From Excel to Trade Me: A Better Bulk Shipping Workflow in iShipping

The difficult part of bulk shipping is not creating many orders at once. It is maintaining accurate data, matching every label to the correct parcel and giving the warehouse enough information to pack each order correctly after the workflow becomes faster.

If an import file is difficult to validate or an e-commerce order shows only part of the required information, teams often pay for speed with rework later. The new iShipping system rebuilds the Excel import experience and creates a clearer connection between e-commerce orders, packing slips and combined Trade Me shipments.

A clearer Excel import process

Excel remains one of the most practical ways for wholesalers, warehouses and multi-channel sellers to exchange order data. The new bulk import is designed to make common fields and import steps easier to understand.

Use one row per recipient parcel and standardise the recipient or company name, street address, suburb, city, postcode, phone number, parcel count, final weight and dimensions, order reference and any required warehouse note.

Remove merged cells, extra heading rows and unnecessary formulas before importing. A bulk tool reduces copying; it cannot correct inaccurate source data automatically.

Separate exceptions before generating labels

A strong bulk workflow lets normal orders move quickly while isolating exceptions. Common examples include incomplete addresses, mismatched postcodes, missing parcel measurements, duplicates and recent customer changes.

Do not guess missing data simply to make every row pass. Process confirmed orders first and contact the customers associated with exceptions separately. One problem order should not delay dozens of valid shipments.

Use packing slips to connect picking and shipping

The redesigned e-commerce order view provides clearer information and packing-slip printing. A packing slip can act as the warehouse picking and checking document, listing the products and quantities that must match the finished parcel and label.

Use a consistent sequence: view or print the packing slip, pick, check, pack, measure, create the label, then match the order reference to the parcel one final time.

Before using a packing-slip template, confirm that customer details, prices and internal notes are appropriate to include inside the parcel.

Combine eligible Trade Me orders

When one customer buys several Trade Me items, sending each separately may add unnecessary packaging and delivery cost. The new workflow allows eligible orders to be combined into one shipment.

Before combining, confirm that the recipient and address are identical, the products can travel safely together, the finished parcel stays within the selected service limits and every original order reference remains traceable. Each order must still receive the correct fulfilment and tracking update.

Combining is not always the right choice. Fragile products with heavy items, liquids with paper goods or products with different handling needs may be safer in separate parcels.

Start with a controlled test batch

Do not begin with hundreds of rows the first time. Use five to ten test orders to confirm field mapping, addresses, parcel data and label output before moving to a normal production batch.

After every import, reconcile four numbers: source orders, successfully imported orders, exceptions and labels created. If they do not align, stop and investigate before handover.

iShipping brings Excel orders, e-commerce information, address checks, packing slips and labels into a more complete dispatch workflow. Test the new process with a small real batch, then document the confirmed steps for the whole team.