Your Transportation Management Data Template

The Activity Name describes a single step or task within the transportation process, such as 'Shipment Planned', 'Carrier Tendered', 'Goods Picked Up', or 'Freight Invoice Received'. These activities represent the key milestones in the shipment's journey.

This attribute is critical for visualizing the process flow map, which shows how shipments actually move through the process. By analyzing the sequence and frequency of different activities, businesses can understand their standard processes, discover common deviations, and identify areas of rework or inefficiency. It is the backbone of any process mining analysis.

It defines the steps in the process map, allowing for the visualization and analysis of the shipment workflow, variations, and bottlenecks.

Typically sourced from event logs, status update tables, or derived from status changes within the TMS.

The Event Time records the precise date and time that a given activity took place. This timestamp is fundamental for ordering events chronologically and for calculating durations between different process steps.

In process mining, this attribute enables all time-based analysis. It is used to calculate key performance indicators like cycle times, wait times, and processing times. Analyzing Event Time helps identify bottlenecks where shipments spend the most time, measure adherence to service level agreements, and understand the temporal distribution of process activities.

This attribute provides the chronological context for all activities, enabling the calculation of cycle times, identification of bottlenecks, and performance measurement.

Sourced from event logs or transaction records within the TMS, where each recorded action has an associated timestamp.

The Shipment ID is the primary key that uniquely identifies a single transportation order or movement of goods from an origin to a destination. Each shipment case contains all the related activities, milestones, and data points, such as planning, booking, pickup, delivery, and invoicing.

In process mining, this attribute is essential for reconstructing the end-to-end journey of each shipment. It allows the tool to link all related events in chronological order, forming the basis for process discovery, conformance checking, and performance analysis. Analyzing processes by Shipment ID helps identify bottlenecks, delays, and variations in the transportation lifecycle.

This is the fundamental identifier that connects all related events into a single process instance, making it possible to analyze the end-to-end shipment lifecycle.

Typically found in the header or primary table for shipments or freight orders in a Transportation Management System (TMS).

This attribute indicates the last time a particular record or event was updated in or extracted for the process mining dataset. It reflects the freshness of the data being analyzed.

While not directly used in the process flow analysis, it is critical for data governance and monitoring. It helps ensure that the analysis is based on current information and can be used to set up alerts for data pipelines that are delayed or failing. This provides confidence in the reliability and timeliness of the insights generated.

It indicates data freshness, which is essential for ensuring that process analysis and monitoring are based on timely and relevant information.

This timestamp is typically generated during the data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) process.

The Source System attribute specifies the origin of the event data, such as a Transportation Management System (TMS), a carrier visibility platform, or an ERP system. In modern logistics, a single shipment's data can come from multiple integrated systems.

This attribute is valuable for understanding data lineage and quality. It helps in diagnosing data inconsistencies and allows for analysis segmented by the source of information. For example, you can compare the timeliness of updates from a visibility platform versus the core TMS, or trace issues back to their system of origin.

It helps trace data back to its origin, which is crucial for data validation, troubleshooting, and understanding how different systems contribute to the overall process.

This information is often available as a standard field in data extracts or can be added during the data ingestion process based on the data source.

The Actual Delivery Date is the recorded timestamp when the shipment was physically delivered to the consignee and the 'Goods Delivered' activity was completed. This is often confirmed by proof of delivery documentation.

This attribute is the counterpart to the Requested Delivery Date and is crucial for calculating actual performance. It is used directly in the 'On-Time Delivery Rate' KPI calculation. Furthermore, the difference between the Actual Delivery Date and the pickup date determines the actual transit time, which can be compared against planned transit times to identify in-transit delays.

It provides the actual outcome for delivery performance, enabling the calculation of on-time rates and the analysis of delivery delays.

Sourced from the 'Goods Delivered' event in the TMS, often updated by a carrier EDI message, a visibility platform, or a mobile app used by the driver.

The Carrier Name identifies the third-party logistics provider (3PL) or transportation company contracted to physically transport the goods. This could be a trucking company, an airline, a shipping line, or a rail freight operator.

This is a critical dimension for performance analysis. It allows businesses to create carrier scorecards, comparing providers on key metrics like on-time delivery, on-time pickup, tender acceptance rates, and cost. Segmenting the process analysis by carrier helps identify top-performing partners and those who may require performance improvement plans.

It allows for performance benchmarking across different transportation providers, which is key for carrier management, negotiation, and ensuring service quality.

This information is stored in the shipment or freight order details, typically linked from a carrier master data table.

The Delay Reason provides context for why a shipment did not meet its planned schedule. Reasons can include weather events, customs holds, traffic, mechanical issues, or documentation errors. This information is captured when a delay event is recorded.

This is one of the most important attributes for root cause analysis. By categorizing and quantifying the frequency of different delay reasons, businesses can identify the most significant drivers of late deliveries. This insight allows them to focus improvement efforts on the most impactful areas, whether that involves improving internal processes, working with carriers, or mitigating external risks.

It is critical for root cause analysis of late shipments, enabling businesses to identify, quantify, and address the primary causes of delays.

Sourced from exception or delay event records in the TMS or visibility platform. This data is often provided by the carrier.

The Destination Country identifies the country where the shipment is scheduled to be delivered. It is part of the destination address information.

Similar to the Origin Country, this attribute is essential for geographical analysis and understanding trade lane performance. It allows for slicing and dicing data to compare delivery performance, costs, and cycle times for shipments going to different countries. It is also critical for analyzing customs clearance processes for international shipments.

It allows for segmenting performance and cost by destination, which is crucial for analyzing trade lane efficiency and managing international shipping complexities.

Typically stored as part of the destination location or consignee address details in the freight order.

This attribute specifies the transportation method used for the shipment. Common modes include Full Truckload (FTL), Less-Than-Truckload (LTL), Air Freight, Ocean Freight, and Rail.

Analyzing the process by Mode of Transport is essential because each mode has distinct cost structures, transit times, and process complexities. This segmentation helps explain variations in cycle time and cost. For instance, ocean freight processes naturally have longer cycle times than air freight. This attribute is fundamental for building relevant dashboards and KPIs tailored to specific logistics operations.

It is a primary filter for analysis, as different transport modes have inherently different processes, costs, and timelines. It is crucial for meaningful comparison and benchmarking.

Found in the shipment or freight order details within the TMS.

The Requested Delivery Date is the target date by which the shipment is expected to arrive at its destination. This date is often defined by the customer's purchase order or a service level agreement (SLA).

This attribute is essential for measuring customer service levels and performance against commitments. It serves as the baseline for calculating the 'On-Time Delivery Rate' KPI. Analyzing deviations between the requested and actual delivery dates helps identify systemic causes of delays and improve delivery predictability.

This is the primary benchmark for measuring on-time delivery performance, a critical KPI for customer satisfaction and supply chain reliability.

Typically originates from an upstream system like an ERP or Order Management System and is stored in the freight order details in the TMS.

Shipment Cost represents the total financial expense associated with a single shipment. This can include the base freight rate, fuel surcharges, accessorial charges, and any other fees from the carrier.

This attribute is the foundation for all cost-related analysis. It enables the creation of dashboards that track total transportation spend, cost per mile, or cost per unit. By combining cost data with process data, businesses can perform root cause analysis on cost overruns, identify the financial impact of delays or process inefficiencies, and analyze freight bill accuracy.

It directly connects process performance to financial outcomes, enabling analysis of transportation spend, cost drivers, and the financial impact of inefficiencies.

This data can come from the freight order, the carrier's freight invoice, or a freight audit and payment system.

The Actual Pickup Date is the recorded timestamp when the carrier physically collected the shipment from the origin location and the 'Goods Picked Up' activity was completed.

This date is critical for tracking the actual start of the shipment's transit. It is used to calculate the 'On-Time Pickup Rate' KPI and marks the beginning of the in-transit cycle time. Analyzing this data helps to understand the real-world execution of the pickup process and its impact on the overall shipment timeline.

It provides the actual outcome for pickup performance and marks the true start of the shipment's transit, which is vital for accurate cycle time analysis.

Sourced from the 'Goods Picked Up' event in the TMS, typically updated via a carrier EDI message or a visibility platform.

This boolean attribute indicates if there was a mismatch between the freight cost quoted or contracted and the amount on the carrier's final invoice. A 'true' value signifies a discrepancy that may lead to a dispute.

This flag is key to analyzing the freight audit and payment process. It allows businesses to measure the 'Freight Bill Accuracy' KPI and identify which carriers or lanes have the highest rates of billing errors. Analyzing the reasons for these discrepancies can lead to improved rate management, clearer carrier agreements, and a more efficient payment process.

It helps measure freight bill accuracy, identify carriers with frequent billing errors, and analyze the efficiency of the freight audit and payment process.

Generated during the freight invoice audit process, which can occur within the TMS or a dedicated freight audit and payment system.

The Origin Country identifies the country where the shipment's journey begins. It is part of the origin address information.

This is a fundamental attribute for geographical analysis. It allows for filtering and segmenting shipment data by country or region of origin, which is crucial for understanding performance across different trade lanes. For international shipments, it is also a key factor in determining customs requirements and transit times.

It enables geographic analysis of transportation processes, helping to identify regional performance differences, manage trade lane complexity, and analyze international logistics.

Typically stored as part of the origin location or shipping point address details in the freight order.

The Resource identifies the individual user, team, or automated system agent responsible for executing a specific process step. For example, it could be the transportation planner who created the shipment plan or the logistics coordinator who booked the carrier.

Analyzing the process from a resource view helps to understand workload distribution, team performance, and automation levels. It can reveal which users or teams are involved in rework loops, handle the most exceptions, or have the longest processing times. This information is valuable for training, resource allocation, and identifying opportunities for automation.

It enables analysis of human and system performance, workload distribution, and automation, helping to identify training needs and resource bottlenecks.

This information is typically captured in the transaction or event log alongside the activity name and timestamp.

The Scheduled Pickup Date is the agreed-upon appointment time for the carrier to arrive at the shipping location to collect the goods. This is a key milestone in the shipment booking and confirmation process.

This attribute serves as the baseline for measuring pickup performance. It is used to calculate the 'On-Time Pickup Rate' KPI by comparing it to the actual pickup time. Analyzing deviations can help identify issues with dock scheduling, warehouse readiness, or carrier punctuality, all of which can cause downstream delays.

It is the benchmark for measuring pickup performance, which is a critical first step in the transportation lifecycle that impacts the entire downstream schedule.

Found in the shipment or freight order details after the shipment has been booked with a carrier.

Shipment Status provides a high-level summary of where the shipment is in the overall process, such as 'Planned', 'In Transit', 'Delivered', or 'Cancelled'. It represents the current state of the shipment case.

While process mining derives the process flow from individual activities, the overall shipment status is useful as a dimension for analysis. It can be used to filter for all currently 'In Transit' shipments to monitor them, or to analyze the characteristics of shipments that end up in a 'Cancelled' status. It provides a simple, aggregated view of the shipment's progress.

It provides a snapshot of the shipment's current state, which is useful for filtering, reporting, and high-level monitoring of in-progress or completed shipments.

This is a summary status field typically found on the main shipment or freight order record in the TMS.