Digitizing Shipping Documents with Google Docs

[kendricklu]

AppSheet Workflows can be used to automatically send notifications, change data, or generate documents. Below is an example of Workflows in action.

If you’re in the shipping industry, your company probably has a lot of papers and forms flying around. Aside from being costly and wasteful, it can also be difficult to keep track of all these different documents.

So, we’ve created three commonly-used form templates that you can use to digitize these processes: a Shipping Invoice, a Delivery Receipt, and a Bill of Lading. With these sample apps and shared templates, you can quickly generate PDFs of these forms.

Each of these templates is part of a sample app; just input your information into the app, and a workflow will send the filled-out template to the email that you provide.

View or copy any of these Apps & Templates here to generate your own Invoices, BOLs, and Receipts:

Shipping Invoice App

• Shipping Invoice App
• Shipping Invoice Template

Bill of Lading:

• Bill of Lading App
• Bill of Lading Template

Delivery Receipt:

• Delivery Receipt App
• Delivery Receipt Template

Hope you guys find this useful! If you’ve got any questions, comments, or feedback, drop it in the comments below

[kendricklu]

If you’d like to create your own digitized template for another purpose, you’ll need to install the Google Docs AppSheet add-on.

[Mike_A]

@kendricklu - thanks for sharing! Side question - how do you approach the choice of a standalone app for each function, vs combined apps with more than one function (eg: shipping + receiving). I find it more difficult to keep look, feel, and behavior the same across separate apps (eg: format rules, action layout, slices, etc). Was wondering where you think the balance is…

As soon as you split, you have three times the complexity - but reduced performance issues. Thoughts?

[Lynn]

I think for demo purposes it is probably easier to have standalone apps.

[Mike_A]

@Lynn - my question was more about apps in use (not demos).

[kendricklu]

Hey Mike, great question. This is definitely an issue that I had to consider when creating these three apps. I think what pulled me to go with three separate apps was the question of who my end user was - namely, the AppSheet community. I felt that it would be easier for community members to digest and experiment with if each app performed just one function, rather than lumping it all together into one app.

Supposing I was creating an app (or apps) for someone super familiar with AppSheet, I’d probably consolidate them. Again, I’m leaning towards the thought of user satisfaction in this answer, but I wouldn’t want want my users constantly bouncing between a shipping app and a receiving app, for example. That’s personal preference, but user experience is certainly a huge factor that should be considered when approaching this question, and designing any app.

Hope this helps!

[Mike_A]

Certainly makes sense for the demo, and a great way to help users learn.

I was actually just thinking about the end user switching apps as you noted below (and not thinking demo only).

kendricklu:

but I wouldn’t want want my users constantly bouncing between a shipping app and a receiving app

Thanks for sharing these great examples!

[Tina_Darbyshire]

Hello… New(er) user here… I have created a service call app in appsheets, and I would like to use a form which I have already created using appsheets demo form received once I added appsheets to docs. Is there a tutorial or anything in the knowledge base that will tell me how to connect the two together? Ie: once my technician has signed the call in the app, but he would like a summary of the call, I can then have the app email this form using the automation section. Is this even possible or does the app have to be built around the form?

Help!

[Tina_Darbyshire]

@kendricklu tried to use the link you provided but it gives me error 404

[gioKelly]

Hi @kendricklu,

thanks for this great example, but do you happen to have a sample with dynamic list of items?

[TotalSolutions]

I have already made an app using appsheet for entering order information and the backend database is google sheets. I want to add the functionality for making an invoice for which I want to use the existing google sheet but here you have given the option of google docs. Can you please tell me how to generate the invoice using the google sheets.

Thank you!!

[shahappsheet]

All these apps showed fixed number of items, it seems to me, that is not suitable example. Can you suggest where indefinite numbers of items can be inserted?

Thanks.

[TotalSolutions]

From what I understand from your question, you want to insert multiple items in multiple rows that are dynamically added is that correct?

If yes then following video has the solution:

Below video will help you do the Sum of those multiple rows too:
Automated Document Generation Part 2 - AppSheet - YouTube

I hope I understood your qustion correctly!

[David_CL]

Oh, thank you very much for sharing! Nice tutorial!

[TotalSolutions]

Welcome

[shahappsheet]

Thanks a lot. I will check it. But I have solved handling indefinite items.

[Asa]

Thanks @kendricklu !
I’m trying to view your work, but I can’t open the Bill of Lading template and the app doesn’t seem to have any automation or workflows?
Thank you for your help!

[Asa]

@kendricklu I'm still wondering if you can share the template and automation workflows?
Or perhaps others here have insight?
I'm interested in outputting AppSheet form fields onto detailed PDF templates for printing/saving/sharing

[Jared12345]

Hi Asa, check out the videos by @MultiTech on PDF templates. 

They helped me a lot. 

Below is one, if you search his channel you will find a few follow ups which go into more detail.

https://youtu.be/WJuy-UMXvo0 

[Asa]

Thanks!

[MultiTech]

---

@Jared12345 wrote:

if you search his channel you will find a few follow ups which go into more detail

---

And I'm always looking for suggestions on where to take these evolution series apps

• Feel free to drop a comment in any video with your suggestions (^_^)

[SkrOYC]

Just in case, hope @MultiTech doesn't get mad:

I'm looking for dificult template use cases! - Google Cloud Community

[mlendian]

Hello i am newbie in appsheet and i have already an app running, my question is, ca i add function to send invoice to the customer without create a new app.

Thanks

[SkrOYC]

AppSheet automation: The Essentials - AppSheet Help