Pacejet

Introduction to Automations



Automations help you eliminate repetitive work, reduce errors, and keep shipping moving without waiting for someone to click a button. Instead of manually reviewing every shipment, order, or update, you define clear rules and let Pacejet take care of the rest.

This article introduces the Automations capability at a high level. It explains what automations are, how they work conceptually, and the types of outcomes you can expect. Separate articles will go deeper into each specific automation action (such as Rate, Tag, Set, Map, and Enable), and we will continue to add new actions over time.

Watch the Video Introduction to Automations


Accessing Automations in Pacejet

You manage Automations from the main Pacejet application.

Go to Setup → Automations from the main navigation.

The Automations page shows your rules as colored tiles, grouped into Active and Inactive sections so you can quickly see what is currently in use.

The page also includes a link in the upper area. Select this to open video introductions and tutorials on Automations.


The Automations About Page

Selecting the link on the Automations page opens a dedicated overview page with embedded video tutorials.

  • Start with the Introduction to Automations video to see a high-level walkthrough.

  • Then explore short videos for each action type, such as Set, Tag, Map, Rate, and Enable.

  • You will also find videos that explain each configuration area of an automation: Description, Action, Type, Transactions, Parameters, Conditions, Labels, and timing options.


What are Automations?

Automations are “if this, then that” rules that run behind the scenes in Pacejet.

  • “If this…” - a trigger event and conditions, such as:

    • An order or shipment is created or updated

    • A field changes (e.g., service level, carrier, customer, site)

    • A shipment reaches a particular state in your process

  • “…then that.” - one or more actions the system performs automatically, such as:

    • Running rate-shopping

    • Updating fields on the shipment

    • Applying tags for reporting or workflow

    • Enforcing business policies (which services can be used, when, and by whom)

You decide the logic; Automations execute it consistently and instantly, every time.


Why Automations Matter

Shipping operations are full of small but important decisions: which carrier to choose, which service to allow, how to handle exceptions, which fields need to be set for downstream systems, and more. When people have to make all those decisions manually, a few things tend to happen:

  • Higher costs – Staff may not always pick the lowest-cost carrier or service, especially under time pressure.

  • Slower throughput – Each shipment requires someone to stop, review details, and decide what to do next.

  • More errors – Typos, missed fields, and inconsistent decisions lead to rework, customer issues, and billing problems.

  • Complex workarounds – Teams build tribal knowledge and manual checklists that are hard to maintain and train.

Automations address these pain points by codifying your rules directly into Pacejet. Once those rules are in place, the system can:

  • Apply your cost and service preferences reliably.

  • Keep data clean and complete for downstream systems.

  • Enforce policies so that edge cases are handled the same way every time.

  • Free your team to focus on true exceptions instead of routine decisions.

The result is typically lower shipping costs, fewer mistakes, and faster, more predictable fulfillment.


How Automations work conceptually

An automation rule generally has three parts:

  • Trigger
    The event that causes the rule to evaluate. For example:

    • A new shipment is created

    • A shipment is updated or rated

    • A particular field on the order or shipment changes

  • Conditions
    The criteria that must be true for the rule to apply. For example:

    • Shipment weight over a certain threshold

    • Destination region or country

    • Customer, site, or business unit

    • Order priority (e.g., Rush vs. Standard)

    • Service level or carrier type

  • Actions
    The operations the system performs automatically when the trigger fires and conditions are met. This is where the power of Automations lives and where individual action types (like Rate, Tag, Set, Map, Enable, and others) come into play.

You can combine multiple conditions and actions in a single rule, allowing you to model both straightforward and complex scenarios.


Key Settings When Configuring an Automation

When you open or create an Automation, you configure it through several settings panels. As you work, the preview panel on the left summarizes the major choices you have made, including the action, type, transactions, parameters, conditions, labels, and timing, so you can confirm the overall rule at a glance.


Action

The Action setting defines what the automation will actually do when its conditions are met.

  • Choose from actions such as Rate, Tag, Set, Map, Enable, and others.

  • This selection determines the kind of change Pacejet will make — for example, running rate-shopping, updating specific fields, applying workflow tags, or enabling certain services.

  • The left-hand preview area updates as you select or change the action so you can see, in plain language, what the automation is configured to do.


Type

The Type setting describes the overall category or pattern of the automation.

  • Use Type to indicate whether the rule is focused on activities like rating, data updates, labeling/segmentation, or other operational behaviors.

  • This helps you organize and understand related automations - for example, separating cost-optimization rules from data-cleanup or workflow-tagging rules.

  • The selected type also appears in the left-hand preview, making it easier to scan a rule and know how it fits into your automation strategy.


Transactions

The Transactions setting controls which transactions the automation will watch and act on.

  • Specify whether the rule applies to orders, shipments, or other supported transaction types.

  • You can further narrow the scope by focusing on specific transaction characteristics so that the rule only evaluates where it is relevant.

  • This prevents unnecessary evaluations and keeps automations targeted to the parts of your shipping flow they are meant to control.


Parameters

The Parameters setting defines the detailed inputs that the automation will use when it runs.

  • Depending on the selected action, parameters might include carrier lists, service-level options, fields to update, tag values, or mapping rules.

  • Think of parameters as the knobs and switches for the automation - they tell Pacejet exactly how to perform the action you selected.

  • The preview panel reflects these key parameters so you can quickly confirm that the rule is pointed at the right carriers, services, fields, or values.


Conditions

The Conditions setting determines when the automation should run for a given transaction.

  • Build rules using attributes such as shipment weight, destination region, customer, site, order priority, service level, and more.

  • You can combine multiple conditions to capture nuanced business logic — for example, only run an action for a specific customer and region when the weight is above a threshold.

  • Clear conditions ensure that the automation fires only when it should, reducing noise and avoiding unintended changes.


Labels

The Labels setting lets you categorize and organize your automations.

  • Apply labels that reflect the purpose of the rule - for example, Cost optimization, Data quality, Customer-specific, or Service control.

  • Labels make it easier to filter, search, and manage a growing library of automations over time.

  • These labels also appear in the automation tiles on the main page and in the left-hand preview, providing quick visual cues about what each rule is for.


Example Outcomes Automations Can Drive

Automations are designed to support a wide range of shipping and operational scenarios. Some typical outcomes include:

  • Lower shipping spend

    • Automatically run rate-shopping when shipments meet certain size, weight, or destination criteria.

    • Enforce policies that limit expensive express services to true rush orders.

  • Cleaner, more reliable data

    • Populate or correct key fields based on customer, site, or order attributes.

    • Standardize how shipment attributes are set for billing, analytics, and reporting.

  • Faster order processing

    • Move shipments through rating, selection, and labeling with fewer manual touches.

    • Let your team focus on genuine exceptions rather than routine shipments.

  • Consistent application of business rules

    • Ensure specific customers, products, or channels always follow the right shipping strategy.

    • Avoid one-off workarounds and tribal knowledge that only a few people understand.


Example Types of Actions

Automations support a growing library of action types. You will find a dedicated article for each action type, but here are a few examples to illustrate how they can be used together.
This is not a complete list.

  • Rate – Run rating or rate-shopping based on defined criteria.
    Example: When an order is created for a certain region and exceeds a weight threshold, automatically rate-shop across a selected set of carriers.

  • Tag – Apply tags to shipments, orders, or related records for tracking and workflow.
    Example: When a shipment is destined for a specific customer or channel, apply a tag used in dashboards or operational queues.

  • Set – Assign or update field values directly.
    Example: Set a custom priority field or internal routing code when the order meets certain conditions.

  • Map – Transform or map data from one field or context to another.
    Example: Map ERP order attributes into specific Pacejet fields so shipments are configured correctly without manual re-keying.

  • Enable – Turn on or allow certain options, services, or behaviors when conditions are met.
    Example: Enable a particular carrier service only for rush orders or specific customers.

These are examples only. We will be adding new action types and expanding capabilities over time. Your automations can combine multiple actions so that a single rule can rate, tag, set, map, and enable options as needed for your business.


Where to go Next

Use this article as the conceptual starting point. From here, you can:

  • Explore individual articles for each action type (e.g., Rate, Tag, Set, Map, Enable, and more as they are introduced).

  • Review example automation patterns that align with your shipping strategy (cost reduction, service-level control, data quality, or operational speed).

  • Start outlining the events, conditions, and actions that match your current manual steps, then translate those into automation rules in Pacejet.

As you define and refine your automations, Pacejet becomes an active participant in your operations — executing your rules consistently so your team can focus on growth, customer experience, and continuous improvement.