Inbound Freight Transformation Exercise

The situation

Pacific Flow Systems imports water-treatment components through several freight forwarders. Shipment information is split across its ERP export, forwarder updates, emails, and an operations tracker. Leadership does not trust any single source and currently relies on manual follow-up.

Your assignment

Create one reliable, practical view of inbound containers: where each shipment stands, when it is expected, and what needs attention. Reconcile the supplied files, surface uncertainty instead of hiding it, and produce an output an operations leader could use tomorrow.

Timebox and tools

• Spend no more than four hours.
• Use any tools you consider appropriate, including Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, scripts, spreadsheet tools, or BI tools.
• Do not optimize for production deployment. Optimize for a correct, explainable, useful result.

Required submission

• A consolidated shipment/container dataset with traceability to source records.
• An exception or action report showing what requires attention and why.
• A usable interface or presentation layer: workbook, dashboard, lightweight app, or another defensible format.
• A simple ERD or data-model diagram.
• A one-page automation proposal covering ingestion, reconciliation, human review, controls, and likely next steps.
• A decision log listing assumptions, unresolved questions, AI/tool usage, and validation performed.

Business questions to answer

• Which containers require action now?
• Which dates or statuses conflict across sources?
• Which purchase orders or quantities do not reconcile?
• Which records cannot be matched confidently?
• What would you automate first, and what should remain under human review?

Important guidance

There is no required technical stack and no single preferred presentation format. Do not silently invent missing facts. If sources disagree, make and explain a defensible choice or leave the record flagged. Assume the evaluation date is September 11, 2026.

Presentation

Be prepared to explain your result in five minutes, then respond to a short extension question. We care about judgment, accuracy, speed, communication, and responsible use of tools.