What counts as an exception
Exceptions are structured records representing anything that blocks or delays the planned shipment path. Orbex Data auto-creates many exceptions from milestone gaps, schedule changes, and document validation failures. Operators can also log manual exceptions with custom types.
| Type | Typical trigger | Default SLA |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule change | ETA moved > 24 hours | 4 business hours |
| Customs hold | Customs status event or manual | 8 business hours |
| Documentation gap | Required doc missing pre-arrival | 24 hours |
| Container rollover | Load plan change from carrier | 4 business hours |
| Demurrage risk | Dwell threshold exceeded | Same day |
Detection rules
Configure detection rules under Settings → Exceptions. Rules evaluate shipment state on a schedule and on inbound events. Duplicate exceptions for the same root cause merge automatically when configured.
- Milestone gap: no update within N days of expected event
- Document rule failure: validation error on required document
- Schedule delta: carrier ETA change exceeds threshold
- Port congestion: dwell time vs. lane benchmark
Reduce noise
Use suppression windows during known carrier outages. Tag recurring false positives to refine rules with your customer success manager.
Resolution workflow
- 1
Triage
Exception appears in queue with severity, SLA countdown, and linked shipment context.
- 2
Assign
Route to operator, team, or escalation chain based on type and customer.
- 3
Investigate
Review timeline, documents, and carrier messages in the exception panel.
- 4
Resolve
Select resolution code, add notes, and optionally notify customer.
Resolution codes feed analytics: carrier fault, shipper documentation, force majeure, operational error, and custom codes per workspace.
Escalation paths
When SLA timers approach breach, Orbex Data notifies the next tier—team lead, branch manager, or account owner. Escalation paths differ by exception type and customer tier.
After-hours coverage
Configure on-call rotations for critical accounts. PagerDuty and Opsgenie integrations are available on Enterprise plans.
Exception reporting
Exception dashboards show volume by type, mean time to resolve, SLA compliance, and top carriers or lanes driving exceptions. Export data to Shipment intelligence or your BI tool via API.