Shipment Events Analytics
Plans: Enterprise Advanced Platforms: All platforms
The new Shipment Events Analytics Dashboard provides a centralized view of your shipping history, highlighting critical events such as delays, customs holds, and rerouted shipments. It helps pinpoint exactly when and where issues occur, and which carriers are involved—enabling you to identify patterns and resolve problems quickly.
Getting Started with the Dashboard
Accessing the Dashboard
Dashboard Layout
Dashboard and Report Filtering
Key Reports
Track Changes in Shipment Breakdown by Event
Analyze Shipments by Events and by Reason
Geographic Distribution of Shipments with Events
Shipments by Event and State
Shipments by Event and Carrier
Carrier Performance Comparison
Dashboard and Report Actions
Use Case
Log in to your AfterShip account.
Navigate to the Analytics section in the main menu.
Select the Shipment events dashboard.
The dashboard is organized into the following key sections:
Time-based trend charts
Event and reason breakdown analysis
Geographic distribution maps
Shipments by event and state
Shipments by event and carrier
Carrier performance comparison
You can filter the dashboard and reports using various parameters. By default, the dashboard shows shipments created in the past 7 days, with the checkpoint status set to "Exception" to focus on critical events. You can adjust the filters to match your reporting needs.
All date fields in the date selector adjust to your organization's timezone for consistency in reporting
The time-based trend charts allow you to monitor changes in shipment events over time. This feature helps you identify patterns, seasonal trends, or sudden increases in specific events.
Click on the chart or detailed table to drill down to the reason level.
You can adjust the time frame for these charts by selecting either Daily, Weekly, or Monthly granularity. This allows for detailed analysis of performance and fluctuations over specific periods.
The detailed dashboard shows the occurrence of various shipment events and their frequency over a specific time period.
With this data, you can monitor specific event types that might require attention, such as a high number of delayed shipments or delivery failures.
You can also analyze performance by filtering and comparing data across days, weeks, or months, enabling more strategic decision-making for improving shipping operations.
Track the most frequent events and their underlying reasons. On the event report, click on the event dimension to drill down to the reason level. For detailed reports, click on the arrow icon. These reports help you:
Identify the most common exception events affecting your operations.
Understand specific reasons behind each event.
Prioritize issues based on frequency and impact.
Measure improvements after implementing changes.
For example, this Shipments by reason dashboard provides an overview of the reasons why shipments have failed or encountered issues over the period of 120 days. Here's what the data shows:
A total of 287,753 shipments are being analyzed, with 287,053 of those having specific issues causing delivery problems.
The most common reason for delivery failure is that the business was closed at the time of the delivery attempt with a total of 805 shipments facing this issue.
Business closed and Incorrect or missing address are the most frequent reasons for delivery issues, accounting for the bulk of the problems with a total of 805 and 544 shipments respectively facing these issues.
A single shipment can have multiple events and reasons.
Based on the above analysis, focusing on improving address verification and ensuring clear communication with businesses can avoid business closed situations to reduce failed delivery attempts.
The geographic distribution maps provide a visual representation of where shipping issues are occurring most frequently. These maps help you:
Identify problematic regions or shipping lanes.
Detect patterns in customs holds or delays by state.
Make informed decisions about routing or carrier selection.
For example, if you have filtered data by Exception Checkpoint status, the map and detailed dashboard will show the summary of shipments that have encountered exceptions (such as delays or issues) broken down by state. Here’s what the data reveals:
A total of 36,921 shipments with exceptions are recorded, and 35,201 of those shipments are detailed by state over the period of 120 days.
California has the highest number of shipments with exceptions, with 348 events along with other notable states. These states represent the regions where exceptions are happening most frequently, which may require further investigation into the cause of the issues.
By identifying states with higher numbers of exceptions, you can focus on areas where performance improvement is needed.
You can also identify patterns, such as whether certain regions consistently face more delays or issues, allowing you to take proactive steps to resolve problems.
This report breaks down shipments by event and the state where these events occurred, helping you understand:
Which states experience the most events.
The distribution of event types across regions.
The relationship between location and shipping event patterns.
Opportunities to address region-specific shipping challenges.
For example, in this Shipment by event and status report, the data shows a total of 8 shipments with the a checkpoint status of Exception because of no access to delivery location event broken down by state over the period of 120 days. It tracks shipments that could not be delivered because the delivery location was inaccessible, leading to these shipments being returned to the sender.
The Shipments by event and carrier dashboard provides insights into the distribution of shipment events across different carriers.
Identify which carriers have the most frequent specific events. From the graph we can see that USPS is the dominant carrier in this dataset, and their performance in the specific events like shipments delivered to a location, shipments picked up, or shipments delayed can be compared to other carriers like FedEx and UPS.
Compare carrier performance across similar lanes or service levels. For example, while USPS handles a high volume of deliveries, FedEx might be more efficient in certain regions or service types (though it handles fewer shipments overall).
Make data-driven decisions when selecting carriers. For example, if you are aiming to minimize delays, you can assess the relative delay rates by comparing USPS (36,051 delayed shipments) against other carriers like FedEx and UPS, who might have different delay rates or performance in other areas (like delivered to a location or received by last mile carrier).
Use performance data in carrier negotiations. You could use the delivered to a location and delayed data to show how USPS handles the majority of your shipments and whether their performance meets your needs.
Evaluate carrier performance based on shipment events and their reasons:
Compare performance metrics across carriers, services, and last-mile carriers.
Identify carriers with the highest number of specific events.
Analyze patterns related to delays, damages, or other issues.
Make informed decisions when negotiating contracts or service level agreements.
Use the Edit column option on the detail page to adjust dimensions, focusing on relevant performance indicators for your operations.
The Dashboard includes several actions to enhance your experience and help you share valuable insights with others:
Capture a snapshot of the dashboard by exporting it as a PDF file, accessible in the upper right corner. This allows you to share the current state of the dashboard with team members.
For detailed analysis, you can export specific data from the report to a CSV file.
Schedule recurring email reports or dashboards to receive regular updates.
The Email Reports or Dashboard feature is only available for Enterprise Standard and Advanced plans.
Analyze which carriers experience the fewest exception events, or perform best for the events that matter most to your business. This data helps you select carriers that provide the best combination of cost and reliability, improving delivery experiences while reducing shipping expenses.
In carrier contract negotiations, you can leverage this data to negotiate better rates or service level agreements based on actual performance rather than promises.
By examining geographic distribution data, you can pinpoint regions or lanes that experience frequent issues. Proactively address these areas by communicating with customers, adjusting shipping timelines, or exploring alternative routing options to enhance customer satisfaction.
Track how carriers handle increased volumes during peak seasons, like holidays, and adjust your strategy for future periods. You may shift volume to better-performing carriers when demand is high.
Identify which carriers provide on-time delivery with minimal exception events, and select the most cost-effective option that meets your delivery needs. This can help you optimize shipping spend and avoid defaulting to premium services.
If certain products or carriers have frequent damage events, you can adjust packaging strategies to better protect goods during transit, ultimately reducing returns and improving customer satisfaction.
For cross-border sales, identify carriers that manage customs processes most efficiently in specific countries. This helps minimize delays and issues related to customs, improving the experience for international customers.
Trend analysis in the dashboard enables you to spot emerging issues—such as new regional delays or service degradation—early. This allows you to take swift action before problems negatively impact your customers.
Overview
The new Shipment Events Analytics Dashboard provides a centralized view of your shipping history, highlighting critical events such as delays, customs holds, and rerouted shipments. It helps pinpoint exactly when and where issues occur, and which carriers are involved—enabling you to identify patterns and resolve problems quickly.
What you'll learn
Getting Started with the Dashboard
Accessing the Dashboard
Dashboard Layout
Dashboard and Report Filtering
Key Reports
Track Changes in Shipment Breakdown by Event
Analyze Shipments by Events and by Reason
Geographic Distribution of Shipments with Events
Shipments by Event and State
Shipments by Event and Carrier
Carrier Performance Comparison
Dashboard and Report Actions
Use Case
Getting started with the dashboard
Accessing the dashboard
Log in to your AfterShip account.
Navigate to the Analytics section in the main menu.
Select the Shipment events dashboard.
Dashboard layout
The dashboard is organized into the following key sections:
Time-based trend charts
Event and reason breakdown analysis
Geographic distribution maps
Shipments by event and state
Shipments by event and carrier
Carrier performance comparison
Filtering the dashboard and reports
You can filter the dashboard and reports using various parameters. By default, the dashboard shows shipments created in the past 7 days, with the checkpoint status set to "Exception" to focus on critical events. You can adjust the filters to match your reporting needs.
| Filter | Description | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|
| Created Date | The date the shipment was created in AfterShip. | The date filter in the date selector also adjusts the report visualization, with the date displayed on the X axis. |
| Order Date | The date the order was placed. | The date filter in the date selector also adjusts the report visualization, with the date displayed on the X axis. |
| Pickup Date | The date the shipment was picked up by the carrier. | The date filter in the date selector also adjusts the report visualization, with the date displayed on the X axis. |
| Delivery Date | The date the shipment was delivered. | The date filter in the date selector also adjusts the report visualization, with the date displayed on the X axis. |
| Event Date | The date a specific shipment event occurred. | The date filter in the date selector also adjusts the report visualization, with the date displayed on the X axis. |
| Event | Filter by specific event types (Delay, Customs Hold, Rerouted, etc.) | |
| Reason | Filter by the specific reasons behind each event. | |
| Carrier | Filter by carrier. | |
| Service | Filter by carrier service. | |
| Event Country/Region | Filter by country or region where events occurred. | |
| Event State | Filter by the state where events occurred. | |
| Event City | Filter by city where events occurred. | |
| State | Filter by the current shipment state. | |
| Substate | Filter by the current shipment substate. | |
| On-time Status | Filter by whether shipments are on time, late, or early. | |
| Origin Country/Region | Filter by shipment origin country or region. | |
| Destination Country/Region | Filter by shipment destination country or region. | |
| Last Mile Carrier | Filter by the carrier handling final delivery. | |
| Shipment Tags | Filter by custom tags applied to shipments. | |
| Shipment Method | Filter by shipping method. | |
| Shopify Tags | Filter by Shopify tags (if integrated). | |
| Store | Filter by specific store. | |
| Custom Field | Filter by any custom fields you've configured. |
All date fields in the date selector adjust to your organization's timezone for consistency in reporting
Key reports
1. Track changes in shipment breakdown by event over time
The time-based trend charts allow you to monitor changes in shipment events over time. This feature helps you identify patterns, seasonal trends, or sudden increases in specific events.
Click on the chart or detailed table to drill down to the reason level.
You can adjust the time frame for these charts by selecting either Daily, Weekly, or Monthly granularity. This allows for detailed analysis of performance and fluctuations over specific periods.
The detailed dashboard shows the occurrence of various shipment events and their frequency over a specific time period.
With this data, you can monitor specific event types that might require attention, such as a high number of delayed shipments or delivery failures.
You can also analyze performance by filtering and comparing data across days, weeks, or months, enabling more strategic decision-making for improving shipping operations.
2. Analyze shipments by event and reason
Track the most frequent events and their underlying reasons. On the event report, click on the event dimension to drill down to the reason level. For detailed reports, click on the arrow icon. These reports help you:
Identify the most common exception events affecting your operations.
Understand specific reasons behind each event.
Prioritize issues based on frequency and impact.
Measure improvements after implementing changes.
For example, this Shipments by reason dashboard provides an overview of the reasons why shipments have failed or encountered issues over the period of 120 days. Here's what the data shows:
A total of 287,753 shipments are being analyzed, with 287,053 of those having specific issues causing delivery problems.
The most common reason for delivery failure is that the business was closed at the time of the delivery attempt with a total of 805 shipments facing this issue.
Business closed and Incorrect or missing address are the most frequent reasons for delivery issues, accounting for the bulk of the problems with a total of 805 and 544 shipments respectively facing these issues.
A single shipment can have multiple events and reasons.
Based on the above analysis, focusing on improving address verification and ensuring clear communication with businesses can avoid business closed situations to reduce failed delivery attempts.
3. Geographic distribution of shipments with events
The geographic distribution maps provide a visual representation of where shipping issues are occurring most frequently. These maps help you:
Identify problematic regions or shipping lanes.
Detect patterns in customs holds or delays by state.
Make informed decisions about routing or carrier selection.
For example, if you have filtered data by Exception Checkpoint status, the map and detailed dashboard will show the summary of shipments that have encountered exceptions (such as delays or issues) broken down by state. Here’s what the data reveals:
A total of 36,921 shipments with exceptions are recorded, and 35,201 of those shipments are detailed by state over the period of 120 days.
California has the highest number of shipments with exceptions, with 348 events along with other notable states. These states represent the regions where exceptions are happening most frequently, which may require further investigation into the cause of the issues.
By identifying states with higher numbers of exceptions, you can focus on areas where performance improvement is needed.
You can also identify patterns, such as whether certain regions consistently face more delays or issues, allowing you to take proactive steps to resolve problems.
4. Shipments by event and state
This report breaks down shipments by event and the state where these events occurred, helping you understand:
Which states experience the most events.
The distribution of event types across regions.
The relationship between location and shipping event patterns.
Opportunities to address region-specific shipping challenges.
For example, in this Shipment by event and status report, the data shows a total of 8 shipments with the a checkpoint status of Exception because of no access to delivery location event broken down by state over the period of 120 days. It tracks shipments that could not be delivered because the delivery location was inaccessible, leading to these shipments being returned to the sender.
5. Shipments by event and carrier/ carrier service
The Shipments by event and carrier dashboard provides insights into the distribution of shipment events across different carriers.
Identify which carriers have the most frequent specific events. From the graph we can see that USPS is the dominant carrier in this dataset, and their performance in the specific events like shipments delivered to a location, shipments picked up, or shipments delayed can be compared to other carriers like FedEx and UPS.
Compare carrier performance across similar lanes or service levels. For example, while USPS handles a high volume of deliveries, FedEx might be more efficient in certain regions or service types (though it handles fewer shipments overall).
Make data-driven decisions when selecting carriers. For example, if you are aiming to minimize delays, you can assess the relative delay rates by comparing USPS (36,051 delayed shipments) against other carriers like FedEx and UPS, who might have different delay rates or performance in other areas (like delivered to a location or received by last mile carrier).
Use performance data in carrier negotiations. You could use the delivered to a location and delayed data to show how USPS handles the majority of your shipments and whether their performance meets your needs.
6. Carrier performance comparison
Evaluate carrier performance based on shipment events and their reasons:
Compare performance metrics across carriers, services, and last-mile carriers.
Identify carriers with the highest number of specific events.
Analyze patterns related to delays, damages, or other issues.
Make informed decisions when negotiating contracts or service level agreements.
Use the Edit column option on the detail page to adjust dimensions, focusing on relevant performance indicators for your operations.
Dashboard and report actions
The Dashboard includes several actions to enhance your experience and help you share valuable insights with others:
1. Export pdf
Capture a snapshot of the dashboard by exporting it as a PDF file, accessible in the upper right corner. This allows you to share the current state of the dashboard with team members.
2. Export CSV
For detailed analysis, you can export specific data from the report to a CSV file.
3. Email reports or dashboard
Schedule recurring email reports or dashboards to receive regular updates.
The Email Reports or Dashboard feature is only available for Enterprise Standard and Advanced plans.
Use cases
Optimizing carrier selection
Analyze which carriers experience the fewest exception events, or perform best for the events that matter most to your business. This data helps you select carriers that provide the best combination of cost and reliability, improving delivery experiences while reducing shipping expenses.
In carrier contract negotiations, you can leverage this data to negotiate better rates or service level agreements based on actual performance rather than promises.
Identifying problematic shipping lanes
By examining geographic distribution data, you can pinpoint regions or lanes that experience frequent issues. Proactively address these areas by communicating with customers, adjusting shipping timelines, or exploring alternative routing options to enhance customer satisfaction.
Managing seasonal shipping challenges
Track how carriers handle increased volumes during peak seasons, like holidays, and adjust your strategy for future periods. You may shift volume to better-performing carriers when demand is high.
Reducing shipping costs
Identify which carriers provide on-time delivery with minimal exception events, and select the most cost-effective option that meets your delivery needs. This can help you optimize shipping spend and avoid defaulting to premium services.
Addressing product packaging issues
If certain products or carriers have frequent damage events, you can adjust packaging strategies to better protect goods during transit, ultimately reducing returns and improving customer satisfaction.
Managing international shipping complexities
For cross-border sales, identify carriers that manage customs processes most efficiently in specific countries. This helps minimize delays and issues related to customs, improving the experience for international customers.
Responding to emerging issues
Trend analysis in the dashboard enables you to spot emerging issues—such as new regional delays or service degradation—early. This allows you to take swift action before problems negatively impact your customers.
Updated on: 28/03/2025
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