Excel does not populate FedEx tracking numbers appropriately which creates a problem when analyzing shipment data.
This article will detail how to properly configure FedEx tracking numbers in Excel.
How Excel formats cells containing FedEx tracking numbers
When a FedEx invoice is opened in Excel, the numbers are formatted into scientific notation automatically. Do the tracking numbers in your reports resemble this example?
Example: 573874215431 => 5.7387E+11
This is due to how Excel formats the cells containing this specific shipping data.
Configure FedEx tracking numbers in Excel
To undo the scientific notation formatting of the tracking number, apply the following steps.
- Tap on the column heading for the row with the tracking numbers (Example: I)
- Tap Data in the ribbon (row of tabs at the top of excel window)
- Tap Text to Columns.
- Select Delimited.
- Tap Next button.
- Select Text from Column data format.
- Tap Finish button.
This is required for any shipment to be processed by the services built into the reseller system. In other words, a valid tracking number is required.
Identify if the Excel file is saved in scientific notation
If the tracking numbers listed in the Excel document all end in a string of several zeros, then the file was saved in Excel in scientific notation. In instances like this, the tracking numbers have been erased and the original file needs to be download from FedEx in order to be analyzed properly.
Example:
Row 2: 573870000000
Row 3: 573870000000
Row 4: 573870000000