Logistics
Multi-code packing and tracking, in one screen
Packing lists lived in one system and tracking numbers in another, so reconciling a shipment meant working two screens at once. We merged them.
| Line | Colour | Qty | Ctns | Tracking | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KT-2240 | Navy | 1,200 | 24 | 3 codes ▾ | part delivered |
| └ DHL 4712 8830 991 | 8 ctns | Delivered 13 Feb | |||
| └ DHL 4712 8831 004 | 8 ctns | In transit · AMS | |||
| └ SF 7789 2210 118 | 8 ctns | In transit · PVG | |||
| KT-2240 | Bone | 900 | 18 | 1 code | In transit |
| BW-1180 | White | 2,400 | 40 | 2 codes | In transit |
| BW-1180 | Sky | 600 | 10 | 1 code | Booked |
- Function
- Logistics & warehouse
- Replaced
- Two disconnected screens
- Handles
- Multiple tracking codes per item
- Status
- Deployed in a working warehouse
The problem
The packing list said what was in the shipment. A separate tool said where the parcels were. Neither knew about the other, so answering "has this line shipped" meant matching rows in one window against codes in another, by eye.
The mismatch got worse whenever a single line split across parcels. One item could carry several tracking codes, and a structure built to hold one code per row had nowhere to put the rest — so they went into a note, or into somebody's memory.
What we built
One operations screen holding both. The packing list is the spine; each line expands to show every tracking code attached to it, so a split line is represented properly instead of being flattened into a comment.
Expandable rows keep the default view readable — a long shipment stays scannable — while the detail is one click away rather than one system away.
How it landed
Warehouse staff work one interface instead of reconciling two. Because the tracking codes hang off the line they belong to, the shipment record is now accurate for split lines, which is exactly the case the old structure handled worst.
It is deployed and in use in a working warehouse.
Anonymised by agreement. We'll walk you through the specifics — the system, the numbers, the parts that went wrong — on a call under NDA.