Frequently Asked Questions

ExDoc ships with mapping templates pre-built for ILG (Integrated Logistics Group). However, the mapping engine is entirely provider-agnostic — any 3PL that accepts JSON or CSV messages via REST or SOAP can be integrated by configuring the appropriate mapping templates. Templates can be version-controlled, imported/exported, and applied per-location, which means adding or switching a 3PL provider is a configuration task rather than a development project.

Azure Data Factory is the reference middleware for consuming the outbound REST API and pushing inbound confirmations — and it's what we typically recommend for Azure-hosted Business Central environments. However, the REST and SOAP endpoints are standard: any integration platform (Boomi, MuleSoft, Logic Apps, a custom service, or your own scripts) that can call a REST API and SOAP web service will work. The choice of middleware is entirely yours.

Yes. ExDoc is a standard per-tenant extension (PTE) deployable to both on-premises and SaaS Business Central environments. API authentication follows standard BC OAuth 2.0 patterns for SaaS — no special configuration is required beyond the normal app registration process. The minimum supported version is BC22 (Business Central 2023 Wave 1).

A standard ILG integration — including environment setup, mapping template configuration, middleware connectivity, and end-to-end testing — typically takes 2–4 weeks. Projects with an existing middleware infrastructure in place can be faster. Custom 3PL providers that require new mapping templates may require additional time depending on the complexity of the 3PL's message format. We provide guided onboarding as part of our Professional licence tier.

ExDoc computes a SHA-256 hash of every inbound SOAP message on receipt. If a message with the same hash has already been processed, the duplicate is silently rejected — no duplicate documents are created in Business Central, and the rejection is recorded in the audit log. This handles both accidental resubmissions from the 3PL and retry scenarios from middleware. For outbound messages, a Sent to Queue flag on the sales order prevents re-export if an order is re-released.

Yes. The Setup Card in Business Central includes built-in test actions that create sample data and run exports in an isolated context. There is also a single-order manual test export and a suite of diagnostic codeunits that check sales order eligibility and template selection without triggering live processing. For the ExDoc Dashboard, the multi-environment database switching feature lets you point the application at a UAT database to validate behaviour before switching back to Production.

Field Length Validation is enforced at two points: at entry time, as soon as a user tabs out of an offending field, and at order release. If a field exceeds the maximum length configured in the mapping template (e.g. OrdRef1 capped at 25 characters), the user receives an immediate warning at entry and the order is blocked from release until corrected. XML-unsafe characters (&, <, >) that would break SOAP messages are also caught automatically.

The Error Notification Email feature sends an alert to your configured recipients whenever a despatch or receipt processing failure occurs. The alert includes the order reference, which lines failed (and why), and which lines succeeded — so your team can act before customers are affected. Error signature deduplication prevents the same error from generating a flood of identical alerts. All notifications are stored in an audit log within Business Central for reference.

Yes. Inbound despatch confirmation processing fully supports partial shipments. Each confirmation line is matched to the corresponding BC sales order line with line-level precision, and only the quantities confirmed by the warehouse are posted. Remaining open quantities stay on the order, ready for a subsequent despatch confirmation. Defensive quantity validation also prevents over-shipment — if the confirmation quantity exceeds the outstanding order quantity, the excess is caught and logged before any posting occurs.

Yes. Mapping templates are associated with location codes, so you can have different templates — and different 3PL providers — for different BC locations. Orders at Location A might export in ILG format, while orders at Location B use a different template for a different warehouse. The message queue tracks the provider for every message, and the queue list can be filtered by provider to give you isolated views per 3PL.

The ExDoc Dashboard is a companion web application — separate from the BC extension — that gives operations and IT teams a centralised view of the integration pipeline. It provides document search and filtering, raw payload inspection, a confirmation editor, multi-environment database switching, and system diagnostics. It's particularly useful for support and operations teams who need to diagnose failures, inspect payloads, or retransmit messages without opening Business Central. The Dashboard is available as part of the ExDoc suite — speak to your Cirrotech representative about licensing.

ExDoc is licensed on a per-tenant annual basis. We offer three tiers: Standard (full extension functionality with a named 3PL provider and email support), Professional (Standard plus guided onboarding, mapping setup, and go-live support), and Enterprise (Professional plus custom mapping templates, multi-provider support, and priority SLA). Please contact us for current pricing.