ScanData’s corporate headquarters are located in Austin, TX.

ScanData Systems, Inc. has been in business since 1986.

ScanData’s software solutions are certified with the most current versions of the following carrier certifications for third-party vendors:
• USPS — EVS, MAC
• UPS — UPS Ready, UPS Basic
• FedEx — FedEx Ver 10.0, FedEx Ground/Express
• DHL — Version 6.01 with global label integration

Yes, ScanData’s product transfers required data to and from all supported parcel carriers according to each carrier’s required format.

Yes, ScanData’s product produces all required paper manifests for all supported parcel carriers according to each carrier’s required format.

Yes. ScanData’s product produces all required shipping labels for all supported parcel carriers according to each carrier’s required format. ScanData’s product can produce the label as an electronic image (to be communicated to a customer host system) or as a physical label. ScanData’s product natively supports most printer types.

Yes. ScanData’s standard product has limited support for LTL, TL, and parcel consolidators. ScanData’s product gives traffic managers (through its Carrier Compliance interface) the ability to set up any LTL, TL, or parcel consolidator carrier as a “generic” carrier. Any existing standard or newly created or modified custom attributes (reports, labels, electronic files, rate tables, zone tables, etc.) can be assigned to these carriers/shipmethods just as they are to standard parcel carriers/shipmethods, and ScanData’s product will process cartons for these "generic" carriers as it would for standard parcel carriers. ScanData's rate and zone matrixes are fairly extensive, and most additional carrier needs can be met by using this path. For more information on non-parcel rating available through ScanData’s product, click here.

Yes. ScanData's VSAMS solution is compatible with the interindustry standards developed by the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Standards Association (VICS), specifically the VICS master and straight Bills of Lading (BOL).

Yes. ScanData will work with you, your carriers, and your retail customers to ensure that all necessary Advanced Ship Notice (ASN) requirements are met. 

Yes. ScanData's product supports the following standard international shipping documentation:
• Commercial Invoices
• Certificates of Origin
• NAFTA Certificates of Origin
• Shipper Export Declarations (SED)

Yes. ScanData’s product has highly extensive and configurable rate shopping options. Any number of rate shopping rules can be configured through ScanData’s Carrier Compliance interface to select the least cost shipping method using numerous preset rate shopping attributes such as delivery commitment date, days in house, available shipmethods for a customer, and restricted shipmethods for a customer.

Yes. Custom rates can be configured and maintained as easily as standard carrier rates through ScanData’s Carrier Compliance application. Further, ScanData’s product can hold both custom and standard rates concurrently in order to perform savings analysis through rate comparison.

Some parcel carriers make their rate/route update files available periodically via an ftp server “mailbox” for each customer. For carriers such as this, ScanData supports an application that checks for new files, downloads the files, and updates the shipping system (by a pre-determined schedule). However, some carriers provide rate updates through distribution of files to appointed contacts for each customer. In these cases (with a valid service contract), ScanData acts as the “rate update manager” gets the updated files, and imports them into the system. For other carriers, ScanData interfaces directly with the carrier’s “server component,” so rate and route updates are handled through their server component.

ScanData utilizes Seagate Crystal Reports for pre-designed report formats.  ScanData's administrative application tier also permits any displayed data to be exported to Excel for extended reporting capabilities.

ScanData's Carrier Compliance application has import/export tools that allow new rate and zone files to be managed (imported/exported). Through a customer's service agreement, ScanData service personnel manage the acquisition of new rate and zone files as the carriers make them available. Carrier Compliance also provides a user interface for direct management of all carrier information (including rate, zones, and route codes).

ScanData’s product interfaces with a wide range of automated distribution equipment, including conveyor systems, tilt trays, barcode scanners, report printers and printer applicators, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Pocket PC’s (CE) and Radio Frequency devices (RF). ScanData has installed integrated systems with most major vendors in these areas.

Due to the drastic variance in ERP and WMS interfaces from implementation to implementation, ScanData has taken a “black box with multiple interfaces” approach. ScanData’s production database and application functionality are isolated from all communications interfaces, and its product supports multiple data inputs and outputs, permitting ScanData to easily integrate with customers’ legacy systems (host, WMS, ERP, etc.)—both in batch and transactional pull and push modes—by configuring inbound and outbound services and application interfaces while leaving its core intact.

All reports generated by Seagate Crystal Reports can be added to the system via ScanData’s Carrier Compliance interface. These reports can then be generated and executed through either Manifest Reports Manager or Management Reports Manager applications.

Depending upon the configuration-level (i.e., user screen settings versus available software modes), ScanData software uses data-driven configuration, configuration files, registry, and software switches for configuration purposes. During system parameterization, system configuration is completed to 'mold' the software to meet clients' business needs without employing programming customization. In the event that programming customization is necessary, most of it can be completed via custom wrapper stored procedures (that wrap around existing business rule procedures). If this path is not sufficient, then separate, componentized custom objects are created and integrated with the standard objects via pre-defined “hook” interfaces.

ScanData applications operate on a Microsoft Windows 2008 platform which delivers a true multi-purpose operating system that provides a fully integrated file/print and application server environment.

ScanData uses Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

ScanData’s products are mostly built using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 (.NET). Some products, however, are built in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 and Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0.

For a desktop deployment, ScanData employs a modified, three-tier system architecture (user interface, business rule/data processing, and data storage). The user interfaces are relatively thin, containing mostly configuration access functionality. The business rule/ data processing layers are encapsulated in either ActiveX/DLL objects or SQL Server stored procedures. Finally, the data storage layer is a thin layer of SQL Server stored procedures containing DML commands that interact with the SQL Server database objects. For communications with the host, ScanData employs Windows service that maintains connectivity to the host and the ScanData database server.

For an engine-only deployment, ScanData employs an n-tiered system architecture that differs according to whether a Web server is used or not. If a Web server is deployed, the architecture contains three distinct and separate layers: Web service interface, business layer, and data access layer. If a Web server is not deployed, Windows services are deployed instead.

For a full list of ScanData's required hardware can be provided upon request.

ScanData is a Microsoft Partner and therefore develops within Microsoft business application development standards.  Details regarding this methodology / standards are available in Microsoft technical publications.

ScanData’s product utilizes native Microsoft Windows and Microsoft SQL Server security, so the level of security can be configured to meet business requirements and comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

All of our applications have extensive configuration support in order to avoid the need for customization. If customization is necessary, most of it can be completed via custom wrapper stored procedures (that wrap around existing business rule procedures). If this path is not sufficient, then separate, componentized custom objects are created and integrated with the standard objects.

ScanData's product is very low maintenance.  ScanData does not use any third-party software (with the exception of Seagate Crystal Reports), so there are not version compatibility issues due to third-party software upgrades.  ScanData's middle tier encompasses all centralized processing logic, which includes the encapsulation of carrier-based compliance rules and standards.  Thus, unless carriers drastically change the underlying structure of their compliance integration, ScanData is able to roll out carrier-based compliance upgrades without requiring a software version upgrade.

After a system goes live, ScanData provides 90 days of 7/24 system support. After this warranty period expires, ScanData provides support according to a customer’s chosen support plan. ScanData offers three support options: Green (Green M-F 7AM–5PM), Gold (M-F 7AM–12AM), and Platinum (7/24/365).

ScanData's Carrier Compliance application has import/export tools that allow new rate and zone files to be managed (imported/exported). Through a customer's service agreement, ScanData service personnel manage the acquisition of new rate and zone files as the carriers make them available. Carrier Compliance also provides a user interface for direct management of all carrier information (including rate, zones, and route codes).

Purge and/or archive are available as standard components of the system.  Purge parameters are agreed upon as part of the detailed design phase and are configurable after completion of the project through ScanData service. With purchase of an archive component for the system, source data (shipped carton data) is archived into an archive database (and then to an archive server) upon purge from the production system.   Other data sets such as carrier upload files, host upload files, and electronic copies of carrier manifests (if the system is configured to create them upon carrier close) can also copied to the archive server upon purge from the production server. 

The length of time archived data can be kept is variable and dependant only upon storage capacity restrictions. A process can be configured to purge data from the archive server at pre-determined intervals, or it can be compressed periodically, or it can be kept indefinitely.