Relocation Workflow

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for International Household Goods Moving

LCL Shipping
FCL Containers
Air Freight
Road Transport
Phase 1: Master Data Setup
Goal: Configure the foundation data required for relocation operations.
Zone Management

Geographic Zones: Define destination zones (Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, etc.)

Base Multipliers: Zone-specific rate adjustments

Transit Times: Expected transit day ranges per zone

Port Management

Sea ports linked to zones

Air ports for urgent shipments

Multi-modal ports (both sea and air)

Rate Card Configuration

LCL Rates

Volume slabs: 1-3, 4-6, 7-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-30, 31+ CBM

FCL Rates

Container types: 20ft, 40ft, High Cube with flat rates

Air Freight

Weight-based pricing with volumetric calculations

Service Catalog

Packing charges (professional packing)

Labour charges (loading/unloading)

Local transportation (origin/destination)

Customs clearance (import/export)

Insurance coverage

Storage charges

Output: Complete master data ready for quoting and operations.
Phase 2: Pre-Sales (Enquiry → Survey → Quotation)
Goal: Convert customer enquiries into confirmed quotations through professional surveys.
2.1 Enquiry Management

Online Portal: Customer self-service enquiry submission

Email/Phone: Sales team captures enquiry details

Agent Referrals: Partner agent referrals

Enquiry Details Captured:

Origin Address
Destination Address
Shipment Mode
Estimated Volume
Moving Dates
Special Requirements
2.2 Pre-Move Survey

Schedule on-site survey at origin

Room-by-room inventory listing

Accurate volume estimation (CBM)

Special items identification (fragile, valuable, oversized)

Access assessment (parking, elevator, stairs)

Photography and documentation

2.3 Quotation Generation

Apply zone-based rates and volume calculations

Include selected services from catalog

Apply discounts if applicable

Manager review for large quotations

Send professional quotation to customer

Status Flow: Enquiry: New → Under Review → Survey Scheduled → Quoted → Won/Lost
Output: Professional quotation ready for customer acceptance.
Phase 3: Operations (Job → Packing → Loading)
Goal: Execute the physical move operations efficiently with complete documentation.
3.1 Job Booking

Quotation Acceptance: Convert quotation to job upon customer approval

Job Reference: Generate unique job number

Schedule Confirmation: Lock in packing, loading, and delivery dates

Resource Allocation: Reserve container/vehicle, assign crew

3.2 Packing Operations

Assign packing crew and materials

Room-by-room systematic packing

Inventory tagging with numbered labels

Special item wrapping (fragile, artwork, antiques)

Volume verification

Customer sign-off on packing completion

3.3 Loading Operations

Container/vehicle arrival at origin

Systematic loading by inventory numbers

Weight distribution management

Container seal application

Loading manifest and Bill of Lading preparation

Output: Shipment packed, loaded, sealed, and ready for transport.
Phase 4: Logistics (Shipping → Tracking → Delivery)
Goal: Manage shipment transit and ensure timely delivery with proactive communication.
4.1 Shipping/Dispatch

Sea Freight

Container booking with shipping line

Bill of Lading issuance

Customs export clearance

Vessel departure confirmation

Air Freight

Air Waybill issuance

Airline booking confirmation

Customs export clearance

Flight departure confirmation

Road Transport

Vehicle dispatch

Driver assignment

Route planning

Border crossing docs

4.2 Transit Monitoring

Departure confirmation

Real-time tracking updates

Port/airport arrival notifications

Proactive delay alerts to customers

ETA updates throughout journey

4.3 Destination Operations & Delivery

Customs import clearance

Container release and terminal handling

Delivery scheduling with customer

Unload, place items, inventory verification

Unpacking services and debris removal

Customer delivery sign-off

Output: Successful delivery with customer confirmation and feedback.
Phase 5: Finance (Invoice → Payment → Job Closure)
Goal: Complete financial transactions, track profitability, and close the job.
5.1 Invoice Generation

Proforma Invoice: Advance payment request before move

Final Invoice: All services rendered upon completion

Credit Notes: Adjustments if required

AR Posting: Automatic posting to Accounts Receivable

5.2 Cost Tracking & Supplier Bills

Freight charges (shipping line/airline)

Customs broker fees

Local transport costs

Third-party packing services

Storage charges

Agent commissions

5.3 Profitability Analysis

Job Costing

Total Revenue vs. Total Costs

Gross Margin Calculation

Service-wise Breakdown

Variance Analysis

Quoted vs. Actual Comparison

Cost Overrun Identification

Lessons Learned Capture

5.4 Job Closure

All deliveries completed

Customer sign-off obtained

Invoice raised and payment received

All supplier bills recorded

Documentation archived

Customer feedback captured

Output: Complete financial reconciliation and job closure with profitability report.
Status Flow Summary
Entity Status Flow
Enquiry New → Under Review → Survey Scheduled → Quoted → Won / Lost
Quotation Draft → Sent → Accepted → Converted to Job / Rejected
Job Booked → Packing → Loading → In Transit → Delivered → Closed
Invoice Draft → Sent → Partially Paid → Paid
Service Modes Comparison
Mode Best For Transit Time Pricing
LCL
 Smaller shipments (1-20 CBM) 4-8 weeks Per CBM with volume slabs
FCL
 Larger shipments (20+ CBM) 3-6 weeks Flat rate per container
Air
 Urgent/high-value items 3-7 days Per kg (volumetric)
Road
 Regional/domestic moves 1-5 days Distance-based
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