4PL Billing Overview

4PL Billing is an optional module designed for fourth-party logistics providers (4PL) that manage multiple 3PL warehouses. It allows you to view and manage costs that 3PL warehouses pass to you, generate consolidated account statements, and manage disputes related to warehouse billing.

This module is essential if you operate as a 4PL that coordinates multiple 3PL warehouses and need to consolidate and manage billing for all services provided by those warehouses.

What is 4PL Billing?

4PL Billing is an administrative module that allows warehouse administrators (WMS Admin) to manage billing from the perspective of a fourth-party logistics provider. Unlike 3PL Billing which focuses on billing OMS clients, 4PL Billing focuses on receiving and managing billing from 3PL warehouses.

In a 4PL model, the fourth-party logistics provider coordinates multiple 3PL warehouses, and each 3PL warehouse bills its services to the 4PL. The 4PL Billing module allows you to view and manage these consolidated costs.

Why use 4PL Billing?

3PL Cost Visibility

View all costs that 3PL warehouses are passing to you in one place, facilitating cost consolidation and analysis.

Consolidated Account Statements

Generate warehouse account statements that consolidate all services and costs from 3PL warehouses to facilitate reconciliation.

Dispute Management

Manage dispute verdicts related to warehouse billing, maintaining a clear record of all resolutions.

Transaction Tracking

Track all warehouse transactions, including service costs, storage, and other charges from 3PL warehouses.

Cost Control

Monitor and control costs you receive from 3PL warehouses, helping you maintain healthy margins and detect discrepancies.

3PL Billing Integration

Integrates seamlessly with 3PL Billing, allowing 3PL warehouses to bill while you manage those costs as 4PL.

Accessing 4PL Billing

You can access 4PL Billing from:

1. Main Menu: Navigate to 3PL Billing → 4PL Billing in the navigation menu
2. Requirements:
   • You must be a warehouse administrator (UserLevel = 2 and UserWH = 1)
   • The 3PL Billing module must be enabled (3pl_billing = 'Y')
   • The 4PL Billing module must be enabled (4pl_billing = 'Y')

Activation Required

4PL Billing is an optional module that only appears when enabled. Additionally, it requires that 3PL Billing also be enabled. If you don’t see the option, contact the system administrator to enable both modules.

4PL Billing Components

The 4PL Billing module is organized into four main sections:

Transactions

All Transactions (/invoices_whlist.php)

• View all warehouse transactions
• Includes service costs provided by 3PL warehouses
• Filter and search transactions by date, service type, and more
• Export data for analysis and reconciliation

Account Statements

Statements (/StatementsWHlist.php)

• Generate warehouse account statements
• Consolidate all services and costs from 3PL warehouses
• View history of generated account statements
• Filter by statement date and payment date
• View totals and service summaries

Disputes

Dispute Verdicts (/Disputeslist.php)

• Manage dispute verdicts related to warehouse billing
• Resolve disputes about costs or services billed by 3PL warehouses
• Maintain a record of all dispute resolutions
• Filter and search disputes by status, date, and more

3PL Costs

3PL Costs to 4PL (/services_whlist.php)

• View and manage costs that 3PL warehouses pass to the 4PL
• Configure warehouse fee codes and costs
• Manage warehouse services with their associated costs
• Includes fields such as Fee Code, Fee Description, Cost, Cost1, Price, and Type

Relationship between 3PL and 4PL Billing

To better understand how 4PL Billing works, it’s important to understand the relationship with 3PL Billing:

3PL Billing (Warehouse → OMS Clients)

• 3PL warehouses bill services to OMS clients
• Manage prices, price plans, and account statements per client
• Record transactions and payments from OMS clients

4PL Billing (3PL Warehouses → 4PL)

• 3PL warehouses pass their costs to the 4PL
• The 4PL views and manages these consolidated costs
• The 4PL generates warehouse account statements consolidating all services

Data Flow

OMS Clients → [3PL Billing] → 3PL Warehouses → [4PL Billing] → 4PL

1. OMS clients receive services from 3PL warehouses
2. 3PL warehouses bill OMS clients using 3PL Billing
3. 3PL warehouses pass their costs to the 4PL
4. The 4PL views and manages these costs using 4PL Billing

Typical Workflow

A typical workflow in 4PL Billing includes:

1. Review 3PL Costs

   Start by reviewing costs that 3PL warehouses are passing to you in 3PL Costs to 4PL. Verify that fee codes and costs are correct.

2. Monitor Transactions

   Regularly review All Transactions to see all warehouse transactions and costs being generated.

3. Manage Disputes

   If there are discrepancies in costs, manage disputes in Dispute Verdicts to resolve billing issues.

4. Generate Account Statements

   Generate warehouse account statements in Statements to consolidate all services and costs from 3PL warehouses.

5. Reconcile and Analyze

   Use transaction and account statement data to reconcile costs and analyze profitability of operations.

Differences with 3PL Billing

4PL Billing differs from 3PL Billing in several important aspects:

Feature	3PL Billing	4PL Billing
Focus	Warehouse billing to OMS clients	Management of 3PL warehouse costs to 4PL
Perspective	Warehouse billing clients	4PL receiving costs from warehouses
Transactions	OMS client transactions	Warehouse transactions
Account Statements	Per individual OMS client	Consolidated warehouse
Costs	Prices charged to clients	Costs received from 3PL warehouses
Disputes	OMS client disputes	Warehouse dispute verdicts

Requirements and Permissions

To use 4PL Billing you need:

• Administrator Permissions: You must be a warehouse administrator (UserLevel = 2 and UserWH = 1)
• 3PL Billing Module Enabled: The 3pl_billing module must be enabled (3pl_billing = 'Y')
• 4PL Billing Module Enabled: The 4pl_billing module must be enabled (4pl_billing = 'Y')

Required Permissions

Only warehouse administrators can access 4PL Billing. Additionally, both modules (3PL and 4PL Billing) must be enabled. If you don’t have these permissions or the modules are not enabled, contact the system administrator.

💡 Best Practices

Review Costs Regularly

Regularly review costs in 3PL Costs to 4PL to ensure 3PL warehouses are passing correct and updated costs.

Monitor Transactions Consistently

Review warehouse transactions frequently to detect discrepancies or problems early before they affect account statements.

Manage Disputes Promptly

Resolve disputes about costs as soon as they arise to maintain professional relationships with 3PL warehouses and avoid accumulation of problems.

Generate Account Statements Regularly

Establish a regular schedule for generating warehouse account statements (monthly, bi-weekly) to maintain consistent information flow.

Document Dispute Resolutions

Always clearly document dispute resolutions to maintain clear records and facilitate communication with 3PL warehouses.

Use Filters for Analysis

Use available filters and search tools to analyze costs by period, service type, or specific warehouse.

Next Steps

Now that you understand the 4PL Billing Overview, explore specific functionalities:

• All Transactions - View and manage all warehouse transactions
• Statements - Generate consolidated warehouse account statements
• Dispute Verdicts - Manage warehouse dispute verdicts
• 3PL Costs to 4PL - View and manage costs that 3PL warehouses pass to the 4PL

To compare with the client billing system:

• 3PL Billing Overview - Review how 3PL warehouses bill OMS clients
• Warehouse Billing Dashboard - Standard warehouse billing overview