Alerts for shipment delays or customs issues

Purpose

1.1. Provide real-time alerting for shipment delays or customs issues in African imports retail operations, ensuring rapid response, enhanced visibility, and minimized supply chain disruption.
1.2. Monitor logistics data from shipping partners, customs clearance systems, and order management platforms for delay signals or hold notifications.
1.3. Automatically distribute actionable alerts to specified personnel via multiple communication channels, improving problem resolution and customer satisfaction.
1.4. Integrate shipment and customs information into existing dashboards, ticketing, or escalation workflows.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. Status change received: "Delayed," "Held in Customs," "Clearance Required," or similar.
2.2. Tracking API returns estimated delivery date exceeding expected window.
2.3. Customs declaration mismatch, missing documentation, or compliance flag received.
2.4. Manual update by supply chain employee in ERP or shipping portal indicating a delay incident.

Platform Variants

3.1. Twilio
• Feature/Setting: SMS notifications; configure SendMessage API with shipment status triggers and recipient phone list.
3.2. SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: Transactional email; Dynamic Template with delay context, triggered by Webhook API call.
3.3. Slack
• Feature/Setting: Incoming Webhooks or Slack API Chat.PostMessage; route alerts to #logistics-alerts channel.
3.4. Microsoft Teams
• Feature/Setting: Teams Webhook; configure connector to notify relevant channel upon trigger.
3.5. Telegram
• Feature/Setting: Telegram Bot API, sendMessage method; deliver prompt alert to contact group.
3.6. WhatsApp Business API
• Feature/Setting: Message template; integrate via sendMessage endpoint for WhatsApp recipients.
3.7. PagerDuty
• Feature/Setting: Events API v2; auto-create incidents based on shipment status event.
3.8. Jira Service Management
• Feature/Setting: REST API, Create Issue endpoint; open support ticket with shipment details.
3.9. Zendesk
• Feature/Setting: Tickets API, Create Ticket; push alert details into queue for review.
3.10. Airtable
• Feature/Setting: API Record update; status field triggers notification via automation.
3.11. Google Chat
• Feature/Setting: Webhook integration; send formatted message to logistics room.
3.12. HubSpot
• Feature/Setting: Workflow automation; trigger email or task on delay property update via API.
3.13. SAP Business One
• Feature/Setting: Service Layer API, Alert Management; auto-generate alert for relevant user roles.
3.14. Shopify
• Feature/Setting: Order Fulfillment API Webhook; notify team on "fulfillment delayed".
3.15. Salesforce
• Feature/Setting: Process Builder, Outbound Message; generate alert for Opportunity or Order status update.
3.16. Asana
• Feature/Setting: Tasks API, Create Task; generate tracking task on delay event.
3.17. Monday.com
• Feature/Setting: Automations; item status and delay update triggers pulse notification.
3.18. Gmail
• Feature/Setting: API Send; auto-dispatch alert email to responsible party.
3.19. Outlook 365
• Feature/Setting: API SendMail; auto-send delay alert with shipment details.
3.20. Webex Teams
• Feature/Setting: Messages API; configured to send alert as message to selected space.
3.21. Google Sheets
• Feature/Setting: Google Sheets API; log delay event and trigger connected Apps Script notification.
3.22. ServiceNow
• Feature/Setting: REST API, Incident Create; open ticket for logistics to address delay.

Benefits

4.1. Immediate visibility into shipment and customs issues, allowing proactive intervention.
4.2. Multi-channel notifications ensure no critical alert is missed.
4.3. Seamless integration with workflow and task management platforms enhances follow-through.
4.4. Reduces manual checking, increases operational efficiency, and strengthens customer trust.
4.5. Enables detailed analytics and trend tracking for continuous logistics improvement.