The scoreboard, honestly: the hard targets, how often each one is actually looked at,
and the quiet human signals that never make it onto a dashboard.
On-Time Delivery (OTD)
The percentage of your assigned international shipments that arrive at their destination by the original estimated delivery date.
Target · > 95% for assigned lanesIf you manage 100 shipments in a month, and 96 arrive by their planned date, you're at 96% OTD. We're always pushing for that extra bit.
TMS Data Accuracy
How accurate your data entries are in our Transportation Management System (TMS) – things like correct shipment details, status updates, and documentation uploads.
Target · 99.5% accuracy on shipment creation and status updatesOut of 200 data points checked in a month (e.g., correct HTS codes, actual arrival dates, carrier tender confirmations), you'd want no more than one error to hit this target. It's about getting it right the first time.
Cost per Shipment Variance
How closely your actual freight costs for standard lanes align with our benchmark or budgeted costs, excluding unavoidable market fluctuations.
Target · Meets or beats the benchmark cost for standard lanes by at least 2%If a standard lane usually costs £1,000, we'd expect you to consistently find ways to keep it around £980 or less, perhaps by consolidating loads or picking a more efficient carrier.
Documentation Compliance Rate
The percentage of shipments where all required customs and shipping documents (e.g., Commercial Invoice, Packing List, BOL) are correctly completed and filed on time.
Target · > 98% complianceIf you handle 50 international shipments, we're looking for all 50 to have their paperwork spot on, with maybe one minor tweak needed across the board. Customs don't mess around.
Proactive Problem Solving
How effectively you identify potential issues (like a looming port strike or a carrier with a poor track record) *before* they become actual problems, and then propose solutions.
- You're the one flagging a potential delay due to bad weather a day in advance, not waiting for the shipment to be officially late. You'll come to your manager with a problem *and* two possible ways to fix it. People will say things like, 'They always seem to know what's coming.'
Stakeholder Communication & Updates
How clearly and regularly you communicate shipment statuses, delays, and resolutions to internal teams (Sales, Warehouse) and external partners (customers, carriers).
- Sales isn't constantly chasing you for updates
- you're sending them proactively. Your emails are clear, concise, and tell people what they need to know without a load of jargon. You get feedback like, 'Always keeps us in the loop' or 'Their updates are always spot on.'
Process Adherence & Improvement Suggestions
How well you follow established procedures for transport planning and documentation, and how often you suggest practical ways to make those processes better or more efficient.
- You'll consistently follow our Incoterms checklist, for example. But you'll also say, 'Hey, if we added this one step to the booking process, we could avoid that recurring customs issue.' We'll see you documenting exceptions and proposing how to prevent them next time.
Carrier Relationship Management
Your ability to build and maintain good working relationships with our freight forwarders and carriers, ensuring we get good service and can rely on them when things get tough.
- Carriers will respond quickly to your requests and be willing to go the extra mile for you. You'll be able to resolve minor disputes amicably. Your manager will hear positive comments from our carrier reps about how easy you are to work with, even when you're pushing them hard.
