Consignment vs Line Item
RITA's default setting is to view all incoming cargo items as consignments first. A consignment is a single request that can contain a wide variety of items and require storage or transport to a wide variety of locations. Every time a new request is submitted and accepted, it is treated as a single "consignment".
Each consignment will contain its own line items. Under the current structure, if two different consignments are submitted with the same items, RITA will still treat them as separate line items.
Consignments are submitted using what is known as a Service Request Form (SRF)
Service Request Form (SRF)
The Service Request Form (SRF) is a standardized document that must be completed by any organization requesting services from the Logistics Cluster (including, but not limited to, Transport, Temporary Storage, and Fuel Distribution). Accurate information on the forms is critical for successful tracking and documentation of the services provided.
| Users can submit requests online using the online SRF system. Each operation will have its own specific online SRF linked to the locations and services provided. The online SRF can be shared with any party via a link or on each country's website. |
SRFs can be submitted in a variety of ways, including through an online SRF portal, through a pre-formatted excel file, or can even be manually entered by hand if required.
Note:
Legacy tracking systems have focused on the Service Requests applied to cargo items – called respectively Cargo Movement Requests (CMR) and Temporary Storage Requests (TSR). Tracking the Service Requests rather than the actual Consignment has number of drawbacks:
- While the individual cargo movements were uniquely identifiable, it was not possible to easily see the whole path taken by the cargo – from initial receipt into the system, across every movement, up to final release back to the customer. Given that one of the key features offered by RITA is the ability to track cargo throughout the distribution network, it would have been confusing to users to see multiple numbers representing the same pieces of cargo.
- By identifying, only, the individual movements rather than the actual cargo, it was only possible to calculate total movements in and out of each site, and not possible to calculate total movements in and out of the overall operation.
