System Defaults
System Defaults in Helm WMS sets the values Helm fills in for you when products, shipments and orders are created, plus your measurement units and default printers.
What System Defaults Do
System Defaults are the values Helm fills in for you whenever a new product, shipment or order is created. Set them once and your team stops typing the same tax group, parcel size or customs description again and again.
Defaults are a starting point, not a rule. Wherever a product or shipment has its own value, such as its own HS code or weight, Helm uses that instead.
Example: most of your catalogue is UK-taxed clothing in the same mailing bag. You set the default tax group to UK VAT 20%, the category to Clothing, the package type to your mailing bag and a customs description of "Cotton clothing". New products and shipments arrive pre-filled, and staff only touch the fields when an item is different.
Before You Start
Where to find it: go to Settings and, under Company Settings, choose System Defaults.
Create what you want to default to first: tax groups in Settings > Company Settings > Tax Group Settings, package types in Settings > Despatch Settings > Package Type Settings, and custom fields in Settings > System Settings > Custom Field Settings.
For printing without pop-ups, install the Helm Desktop App on each packing station.
Note: each panel has its own Save Changes button. Save one panel before moving on to the next.
Inventory Creation Defaults
These apply to every new product created in Helm.
Tax Group: the tax group new products belong to by default.
Category: the category new products are placed in.
Custom fields: click +, choose Add Custom Field and tick the inventory custom fields you want a default value for. Settings in that menu takes you to your custom fields.
Click Save Changes, or Clear to remove the defaults.
Order Despatch Defaults
These pre-fill each new shipment, which matters most for international parcels that need customs information.
The reference fields offer the order's own identifiers: Order ID, Channel Order ID, Channel Reference, Channel Alt ID and Primary Order Reference, with Shipment ID and Product Code also available for shipment references.
Tip: if your support team mostly works from marketplace order numbers, use Channel Order ID as a shipment reference so parcels can be matched to customer queries at a glance.
Order Defaults
Primary Order Reference sets which reference identifies orders across Helm: Order ID, Channel Order ID or Channel Alt ID.
Note: you can also set this for an individual sales channel on the store page, under the channel's settings. A channel setting takes priority over this default.
Default Measurement Units
The Dimensions unit and Weight unit (for example cm and kg) show the units Helm uses for sizes and weights everywhere. They are shown with a padlock and cannot be changed here.
Default Printers & Silent Printing
Silent Printing sends labels and documents straight to a printer, with no print preview or confirmation, which keeps packing benches moving.
Install the Helm Desktop App on the computer connected to your printer, using the Install link beside Silent Printing.
Switch on Silent Printing.
Under Settings preference, choose Make Global for one set of printers shared by everyone, or Make User-specific so each user keeps their own.
Click + beside Default Printers to choose your default printers.
Heads up: if you see Warning: The desktop app is not found, the Helm Desktop App is not installed or not running on this computer. Default printers cannot be set until Silent Printing can reach the app.
Tip: choose Make User-specific when packing benches have their own label printers, and Make Global when everyone prints to the same devices.
Example: Setting Up for International Despatch
In Inventory Creation Defaults, set Tax Group to UK VAT 20% and Category to Clothing, then click Save Changes.
In Order Despatch Defaults, set Package type to your mailing bag, Item weight to 0.3, Item HS code to 610910, Item country of origin to United Kingdom and Item customs description to "Cotton T-shirt".
Set Primary shipment reference to Order ID and Secondary shipment reference to Channel Order ID, then click Save Changes.
New shipments now carry sensible customs data even for products that have not been fully set up yet.
Best Practices & Notes
Default to Your Most Common Case
Pick values that suit most of your orders. Defaults that fit only a few items create more corrections than they save.
Fill in Product Data Over Time
Customs defaults are a safety net. Adding the real HS code, origin and weight to each product gives couriers and customs the most accurate picture.
Revisit Defaults When Your Range Changes
A new product line or packaging change is a good moment to check these values still make sense.
FAQ
Do defaults change products I already have?
Do defaults change products I already have?
Inventory Creation Defaults apply when a product is created, so existing products keep their current values.
Which wins: the default or the product's own value?
Which wins: the default or the product's own value?
The product's own value. Defaults only fill gaps.
Why can't I add a default printer?
Why can't I add a default printer?
Silent Printing has to be active first, which needs the Helm Desktop App installed and running on that computer.
Can I change the weight unit from kg to lb?
Can I change the weight unit from kg to lb?
Not from this page, where the units are locked. Contact Helm support if your units need to change.
If your defaults are not being applied as you expect, contact Helm support with an example product or order number.
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