Ops Tower Working Model (Shipment Cards, Workloads, and Filters)

The Operations Tower is designed to replace fragmented spreadsheets, inbox triage, and manual handoffs with a single execution workspace. The core operating model is simple:

1. Use shipment cards to understand the shipment context quickly (route, cargo, services, routing type, and assigned sales/ops context).
2. Use workloads and pending actions to prioritize what to do next.
3. Use filters and role-based views so each team focuses only on what they own.
4. Run a consistent daily routine so exceptions are handled early and customers stay informed.

This guide teaches new operations users how to execute daily work from one dashboard.

Understanding the Shipment Card (What Each Field Is Used For)

A shipment card is the operational “case file” for a single shipment. It is where teams confirm what was sold, what must be executed, and what remains pending.

Route and Lane

What it tells you

• Origin and destination (and sometimes intermediate hubs)
• The trade lane or corridor the shipment belongs to

How ops uses it

• Confirms the correct team ownership (region/branch)
• Validates whether the service scope matches the booking (door/port combinations where applicable)
• Helps route exceptions to the right specialists (customs, last-mile, carrier contact)

Cargo Description

What it tells you

• Cargo type and handling needs
• Weight, dimensions, piece count (as applicable)

How ops uses it

• Identifies high-risk shipments (oversize, fragile, time-sensitive, restricted goods)
• Confirms whether special documentation or packaging requirements apply
• Improves accuracy when coordinating with partners and carriers

Services and Add-Ons

What it tells you

• Which services are included (pickup, main carriage, customs, delivery, insurance, packing, etc., depending on your offer)

How ops uses it

• Converts what was sold into a task checklist (what must be delivered operationally)
• Prevents scope gaps (e.g., delivery requested but not scheduled)
• Aligns internal and partner responsibilities

Routing Type / Mode

What it tells you

• The transport mode or routing method (for example, air vs ocean vs road; direct vs transshipment)

How ops uses it

• Sets the correct milestone expectations and timelines
• Determines which documents are needed and when
• Helps troubleshoot delays (capacity vs terminal vs customs causes differ by mode)

Assigned Sales / Ops Context

What it tells you

• Who owns the commercial relationship (sales rep/account owner)
• Who owns execution (ops assignee/team)

How ops uses it

• Ensures the right person is notified for changes, approvals, or sensitive customer communications
• Clarifies escalation paths when exceptions occur
• Supports faster customer updates because ownership is explicit

Status, Milestones, and Notes (Operational Narrative)

What it tells you

• Current stage of the shipment
• What has already been done, what is blocked, and why

How ops uses it

• Avoids duplicated work
• Keeps teams aligned across branches/agents
• Makes the shipment auditable (what happened, when, and by whom)

Using Workload and Pending Actions to Prioritize

Workload views help teams move from “reactive firefighting” to controlled execution. Instead of scanning lists manually, you focus on what requires action now.

What “Pending Actions” Typically Represent

Pending actions are the tasks that must be completed to keep shipments moving, such as:

• Confirm pickup details or schedules
• Validate documents and request missing items
• Respond to carrier or agent messages
• Resolve exceptions (holds, delays, missing approvals)
• Send customer status updates at key milestones

Prioritization Rules That Work in Real Operations

Most teams succeed when they apply a consistent priority system. A practical approach is:

1. Customer-impacting blockers firstAnything preventing movement (missing docs, holds, approvals, failed handoffs).
2. Time-critical shipments nextCutoffs, near-term departures, perishable or high-priority customers.
3. Exceptions before routine updatesResolve the cause; then communicate the resolution and revised ETA.
4. Routine tasks and follow-ups lastNon-blocking admin actions, housekeeping, low-urgency updates.

Recommended “Signal Set” for Sorting Work

Use these signals to decide priority:

• Overdue tasks (past SLA)
• Upcoming cutoffs (within the next operational window)
• High-value / strategic customers
• Multiple dependencies (shipments involving several partners or handoffs)
• Repeated exceptions (indicates a systemic issue that needs escalation)

Filters and Views for Different Teams (Ops vs Agents vs Customer Service)

Filters ensure each team sees only what they can execute. This reduces noise and prevents mis-ownership.

Core Filters to Use

• Region / Branch: route shipments to the correct office
• Team / Role: customs, documentation, last-mile, operations, customer service
• Lane / Route: isolate trade-lane-specific work
• Customer / Account: focus on key accounts and SLAs
• Status / Milestone: “Needs action,” “In transit,” “Customs,” “Delivered,” etc.
• Exception flags: blocked shipments, missing docs, holds, delays

Suggested Views by Team Type

Operations Execution Teams

• Filter by region/team + “pending actions”
• Secondary filter: exception flags and overdue items

Overseas Agents / Partners

• Filter by shipments assigned to the agent
• Focus on actions required (pickup confirmations, local documentation, handoff status)

Customer Service

• Filter by customer/account + “needs update” or “exception”
• Prioritize customer-impacting exceptions and ETA changes

Supervisors / Ops Managers

• View by workload distribution (how many pending actions per user/team)
• Identify bottlenecks (where tasks accumulate or SLAs are missed)

What Success Looks Like

New ops users should be able to:

• Read a shipment card and understand the shipment context in under a minute
• Use workload and pending actions to prioritize without spreadsheets
• Apply filters to focus on their region/team/customer scope
• Follow a daily routine that reduces exceptions, improves SLA compliance, and keeps customers informed