Custom data lets you bring ERP-specific values into Descartes Pacejet so those values can influence shipping decisions, appear on paperwork and support downstream integrations. It is most useful when you need shipping behavior to reflect information that already exists in your business system, rather than asking users to re-enter that information in the user interface.
Custom data is commonly used to drive automation, control service selection, populate labels and documents, and pass additional context between connected systems. For setup details, review the related articles in Setup > Custom Data.
Article: What is Custom Data?
Article: Creating and Using Custom Data
How Custom Data Works
Custom data can be defined at the shipment, package and product levels. That gives you flexibility, but it also means every added field increases the amount of data that Pacejet has to receive, store and evaluate during rating, packing and shipment processing.
In practice, the right level depends on how the data will be used. Shipment-level data is often best for automation and service logic. Product-level data is often best for labels, paperwork and item-specific output. Package-level data can support carton-specific handling, but it should be used carefully because package records can multiply quickly on larger shipments.
Shipment-Level Example: Limited Access Delivery
A shipment-level custom field is a good fit when one value should influence the behavior of the entire shipment. In this example, a custom field named custbody21 was added to the NetSuite item fulfillment record and mapped into Pacejet using the same field name. In Pacejet, the field was given the friendly name Limited Access Delivery.
That mapping allows a checkbox in the ERP to control a shipment service without extra manual work in Pacejet. When the checkbox is selected in NetSuite, the value flows into Pacejet with the shipment data. An automation can then evaluate the Limited Access Delivery field and apply the matching shipment service during rating and shipping. This approach keeps the shipping logic aligned with the business data that users already maintain in the ERP.
Product-Level Example: Featured Description
Product-level custom data is useful when item details need to appear on labels, packing slips or other shipping documents. In this example, a field named featuredescription is configured in the NetSuite item master and mapped into Pacejet with the same field name. In Pacejet, the field uses the friendly name Featured Description.
Once the field is available in Pacejet, it can be referenced in paperwork and label content. That makes it possible to carry item-specific messaging from the ERP into shipping output without maintaining duplicate descriptions in multiple systems.
Performance Considerations
Custom data is powerful, but every field adds overhead. Pacejet has to process those values as shipment data moves through rating, automation, paperwork generation and related features. The impact is usually manageable when the number of fields stays practical, but performance can degrade as the data volume grows.
Product-level data is the most common source of scale issues. For example, adding 10 or more custom fields to product records can produce hundreds of additional data values on a shipment that contains only 10 to 20 distinct items. Each field is multiplied by each item on the shipment, and the total payload grows quickly. As that happens, features such as consolidation or predictive packing may slow down, return inconsistent results or stop working as expected.
Package-level data can create similar problems. A shipment with many cartons can multiply package-level fields just as quickly as item-level fields multiply across products. If too many fields are attached to each package, rating, shipment processing and related logic may become noticeably slower.
Recommended Approach
Use custom data where it adds clear business value, then keep the field count as low as you can. Start by identifying whether the value is needed for automation, paperwork, integration or a specific shipping decision. If the same outcome can be achieved with existing Pacejet functionality, that may be the better option.
A good rule is to reserve shipment-level fields for shipment-wide decisions and use product-level or package-level fields only when the output truly depends on item-specific or package-specific values. Before adding more custom fields, consider whether they could affect consolidation, predictive packing or other high-volume processing steps. Keeping custom data to practical lengths helps Pacejet stay responsive and reduces the risk of unexpected behavior.