<aside> 📦 About Transports Transports represent a holistic approach to managing transport processes on the Orbit platform, and function as an umbrella term for all logistical processes that can be modelled using a custom combination of our core objects Orders, Shipments, Tours, and/or Offers. This concept allows for a flexible framework, catering to the specific needs of diverse transport- and delivery processes. TransportShape and TransportComposer are core tools for working with Transports.

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TransportComposer

TransportComposers are smart forms designed to make creating Transports easy. TransportComposers apply rules and schemes defined in your TransportShapes and use TransportDrafts to maintain and automatically save all half-ready Transports, ensuring users can effortlessly return to and continue any draft they started.

One of the key tools in working with Transports is the TransportComposer. The TransportComposer offers a user-friendly interface for creating Transports – and thus Offers, Orders, Shipments, and/or Tours –, all from a single smart form. Its design heavily emphasises customisation, allowing you to tailor the form to your specific needs without being confined to e.g. preset fields and other constraints. This level of flexibility ensures that you can quickly adapt to various logistical scenarios with ease.

TransportComposers can be strategically positioned in various locations throughout the Orbit MissionControl app. Since TransportComposers may be used for creating any of our core objects – Orders, Shipments, Tours, and/or Offers, you may find it helpful to make them accessible e.g. from the Tours tab or the Orders tab - fully depending on the configuration in your personal Workbench settings.

A pre-configured default TransportComposer is readily available in the top right corner of your Shipments tab, accessible via the “Add Shipments” button. It is managed by Orbit and will always reliably work without the need of further customisation.

TransportDraft: Ensuring Continuity

The concept of TransportDrafts plays a crucial role in the TransportComposer's user experience. As users interact with the form, a TransportDraft is automatically created and updated in the background. This process not only saves progress but also allows users to pause and resume their work at any time. Once a TransportComposer form is completed, the TransportDraft links directly to the generated Offers, Orders, Shipments, or Tours, streamlining the transition from data input to final logistical execution.

You can access a comprehensive list of all Transport Drafts via the Orders > Drafts tab in MissionControl. This central location acts as the definitive source for all drafts generated throughout MissionControl, including those automatically created in the background, for instance, by Orbit Decode.

Drafts in “applied” state are considered finalised and are indicated by a checkmark, signifying that the draft has yielded an output, such as an order. In this applied state, the quick action section of the row provides a direct link to all generated output objects, allowing you to seamlessly continue working with these objects. Once output objects were generated, it will no longer be possible to keep working on the TransportComposer form.

TransportDrafts may exhibit various status indicators based on their origin. A notable instance is drafts originating from our Decode feature, which display specific statuses to indicate whether the job is in progress, has encountered a failure, or has completed decoding and is ready for user review. Drafts from other sources may use other status indicators.

Real-World example

<aside> 💡 Imagine you work at a logistics company and aim to swiftly generate quotes for standard transports within your primary operating region. Your objective is to allow operators to quickly input essential data during numerous daily client calls, facilitating the rapid dispatch of preliminary quotes.

To accomplish this, you would craft a new TransportShape incorporating only the vital fields, such as pickup and drop-off locations and dates, equipped with sensible default values, thereby eliminating unnecessary fields. This form is designed to solely produce offers, without generating any shipments or tours.

Through MissionControls workbench settings, you can add a button that launches a TransportComposer with this specific configuration in the Navigation Sidebar, consistently visible on the left side of MissionControl, and label it “Quick Offer.” This "Quick Offer" form becomes readily accessible to your users, enabling them to deliver fast and precise quotes during client interactions.

Facilitate Orbit’s Roles model to force users to use (or not use) certain TransportComposers with their associated TransportShapes!

During busy periods, operators might initiate various TransportComposers, only to be interrupted by new client calls or colleagues. Thankfully, they can always revisit the drafts section to view all drafts they've engaged with throughout the day. In this space, they can carefully review, amend, and complete their work before submission.

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