Auto-create Package Structure — Case Pack Mode
The Auto-create Package Structure button in the Package Builder opens a configuration dialog that can generate boxes, cases, or pallets for all unassigned items in one click.
Prerequisites
- Your SKUs must have Units per Carton (and ideally carton length, width, height, and weight) filled in on the product catalog. Auto-create reads these values at shipment time — no extra setup is needed on the shipment itself.
Steps
- Open the shipment in the Package Builder.
- Click Auto-create Package Structure (the sparkle-icon button).
- In the dialog, configure your rules:
Package Constraints
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Max Box Weight (lbs) | Closes a package early when adding another unit would push the total weight over this limit. |
| Max Units per Box | Maximum units per package. Defaults to the first SKU's carton pack size when available. |
Package Hierarchy
Toggle on the package types you need:
- Use Boxes — creates standard box packages (default on).
- Use Cases — creates case/carton packages using each SKU's Units per Carton from the catalog. When this is on, the packer ignores the Max Units per Box field for SKUs that have a carton pack size defined.
- Use Pallets — groups cases or boxes onto pallets. When enabled, two additional settings appear:
- Use SKU Pallet Standards — uses the SKU's units-per-pallet and overflow values to size each pallet.
- Default Pallet Tare Weight — empty pallet weight added to each pallet's freight weight.
Grouping Rules
| Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Group Items By | SKU keeps all units of a SKU together; None packs line by line; Category groups items by product category. |
| Keep SKUs Together | Prevents mixing different SKUs inside one package (a single SKU may still span multiple packages). |
| Allow Mixed Categories | Lets items from different product categories share a package. |
- Click Create Structure. The system generates packages for every unassigned item, with dimensions and weights taken from catalog carton data.
How dimensions and weights are resolved
For cases, the packer uses:
- Dimensions: carton length / width / height from the SKU catalog.
- Weight: carton weight ÷ units per carton × quantity packed into that case.
For boxes, the packer falls back through: box dims → carton dims → shipping dims.
For pallets, weight is computed as (shipping each-weight × qty) + tare weight. Pallet weight stored on the product is intentionally not used as an each-weight to avoid inflated freight quotes.
Tips
- If a SKU does not have carton data in the catalog, auto-create falls back to the Max Units per Box limit and shipping dimensions.
- You can edit any generated package after auto-create runs — auto-create is a starting point, not a lock.
- For freight shipments, enabling Use Pallets + Use SKU Pallet Standards together produces the most accurate freight quote because pallet count and tare weight are included in the weight calculation.