Movement and shipping logistics

The Movement and shipping logistics data source is used to plan incoming, outgoing, internal, and external movements of objects from single stage movements (from a storage location to a conservation studio, for instance) to multi-stage movements (from storage location to truck, to flight, to truck, and so on). It was introduced with the Standard Model and it implements the Spectrum 5.0 object entry / object exit procedures.

Note: While it is not possible currently to schedule the movement of containers (documented in Locations and containers), this functionality will be available in a future release.

In prior Model Applications, the scheduled movement of an object is documented in its Catalogue record in the Future movements fields on the Location|Future movements panel. This panel is renamed Location|Audits in the Standard Model and the Future movements fields have been removed; instead, a Movement and shipping logistics panel links to Movement and shipping logistics records that document the scheduled movement of the object. A Movement and shipping logistics record can document a movement in far more detail than the Future movements fields. And, as with records in other activity data sources in the Standard Model, Movement and shipping logistics records include the Status (current_status (sS)) field. Managing the Status of a collections management activity as it progresses through an approval's process from pending to completed (or cancelled or rejected) is key to managing the workflow of that activity. Every change to a record's status is tracked on the Status history panel, ensuring that a complete history, including who authorized a status change and when, is available.

A Movement and shipping logistics record can also manage more complex movements of one or multiple objects simultaneously. A second status comes into play here: managed on the Object list panel, the Status (object.status (TS)) of each object in the move can be managed independently if required (perhaps the movement of one object is not approved while the others are). When an object's Status progresses to completed, its Current location (current_location.name (2A)) in the Catalogue can update automatically, along with its Movement history (see Change location on completion below).

Two types of scheduled movement are documented and managed in the Movement and shipping logistics data source1:

  • Simple: A Simple movement is where an object moves from one location to another without any intermediate stages. You document a Simple movement by creating a record in the Movement and shipping logistics data source. You will find details about how to document a scheduled movement below.
  • Staged: When a movement involves more than one stage, each stage is documented in a Movement and shipping logistics record with a Movement type of Staged; these records include a Stages panel that lists the stage(s) immediately prior to and following the current stage. The Create a staged shipment / movement task in the Catalogue guides you through the process of creating Staged records; it creates a Movement and shipping logistics record for each stage, links each one to the prior and following stage, and links them all to the Catalogue record for each affected object. Details about using the task can be found here.

    Subsequently you manage the movement workflow in the Movement and shipping logistics data source. Search for and edit your Staged movement records. Below you will find details about the key panels and fields in a Movement and shipping logistics record.

    Tip: It is possible to create Staged records manually, to link them to each other and to the Catalogue record for each object in the move, but the Task is a far more efficient method. If you choose the manual approach, the description below will guide you through creating Staged records.

When a record is created in the Movement and shipping logistics data source, the following panels are available:

Movement and shipping logistics panels

As the purpose of many fields is self-explanatory and their use is straightforward, we only highlight those that are of particular note. Not all fields are relevant for all types of movement (Courier and shipping details are unlikely to be relevant for an internal movement, for example), in which case, they can be ignored; but, for the most part, if a field is described below, it is worth completing.

The workflow of Collections records broadly follows the order of panels in Record details View. When creating a Movement and shipping logistics record, start with the Logistics details panel:

When Movement type = Staged, the Stages panel will display

Movement and shipping logistics records include the Digital references, Expenses and income, Actions and Free fields panels.