Standards are great, but we all know that in the real world, everyone has unique needs. The challenge is how to handle these unique situations without having to rewrite your software or do huge professional services projects.
Our solution in these situations? Custom processors.
Custom processors are scripts that let you tweak the data on the way in or out of Chain.io. They allow our clients to adapt to unique situations without being bound by rigid coding standards.
Custom processors have transformed the way we address complex business challenges, and our customers are reaping the efficiency gains. Let's delve into why these processors emerged as the superior choice over other alternatives and the tangible business benefits they deliver.
The Use Case: Multiple Order Lines for the Same Product Codes
One of our customers needed help automating their warehouse processes. When they receive goods in the warehouse, they scan them which should trigger a notification from CargoWise to their customer that the goods have been received. This notification contained multiple order lines for a single product, but their customer’s systems can only accept one order line per product, making the notification process impossible with data in the current format.
We built a custom pre-processor to consolidate these multiple order lines with the same product codes, making their data more manageable and efficient. This solution required minimal coding—no more than 15 lines—to achieve the desired outcome.
What are custom processors?
Custom processors offer precise control over data at different stages, making them ideal for addressing unique data manipulation requirements. There are two types of custom processors, and they work the same way:
A pre-processor is used to alter or augment data before it runs through the Chain.io processing engine.
A post-processor is used to alter or augment data after it runs through Chain.io.
With a little bit of coding experience, you can use custom processors to make powerful enhancements to your data in Chain.io to help with specific use cases like:
- adding or removing fields
- updating data with custom calculations
- making adjustments to data formats
Benefits of Custom Processors
Custom processors not only save our customers time but also reduce the complexity of their data handling process with a repeatable solution.
Other benefits include:
- Cost-Effective Customization: With pre-processors, customers can address one-off requests without the need for extensive customization. This cost-effective approach ensures that unique data handling requirements are met efficiently.
- Version Control: Pre-processors offer versioning capabilities, allowing users to go back to previous versions of their code. This feature ensures that any changes can be easily rolled back if needed, reducing the risk associated with experimentation.
- Quick and Easy Updates: Customers with technical teams can maintain and update their pre-processors as needed. This agility empowers them to make changes quickly, minimizing reliance on external resources.
Alternative Options to Custom Processors
Before designing our custom processors feature, a customer had two options for custom code manipulation: professional services or time-consuming or rigid custom programming.
While professional services are a great option for many customization needs, they can be costly and time-consuming. In the case of this customer, our goal was to provide them with a cost-effective solution that didn't require a heavy investment in external resources.
Another option was to implement a feature directly within our typical adapter. However, this approach risked introducing complexity into the adapter that might not be relevant to the customer’s changing needs. We needed a solution that would address the specific needs of this customer without requiring customization that wasn’t relevant to other customers.
Customize Your Data Integrations with Chain.io
By choosing custom processors over alternative approaches, we delivered a cost-effective and agile solution that empowered our client to automate their warehouse notifications to customers.
Custom processors go way beyond this use case. If you're eager to explore how custom processors and other cutting-edge solutions from Chain.io can transform your logistics operations, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. Together, we can simplify your data management processes, ensuring that your logistics operations are as efficient and adaptable as possible.
To learn more about custom processors or the Chain.io platform, book a meeting with our team.
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