Movements
Introduction
The Movements module provides a comprehensive transportation management system designed for military exercises. It enables coordinators to plan, execute, and monitor the movement of participants between various locations, including airports, accommodations, and exercise venues.
Key Features
- Manages three movement types: Inbound, Outbound, and Internal with return journey support
- Assigns vehicles and drivers to movements with automatic capacity tracking
- Allocates participants to specific vehicles and tracks their status
- Provides an Operations View for real-time pickup and dropoff tracking
- Sends notifications to all involved parties at key movement stages
- Supports multiple vehicles per movement with capacity management
- Includes support staff assignments with definable roles
- Comprehensive status tracking for both movements and participants
- Detailed time tracking and reporting capabilities
Core Concepts
Movement Types
- Inbound: Transporting participants from arrival points (e.g., airports) to accommodations
- Outbound: Transporting participants from accommodations to departure points
- Internal: Moving participants between exercise locations, with optional return journeys
Movement Statuses
The system supports the following movement statuses:
- Scheduled: Movement is planned and awaiting execution
- In Progress: Movement has started and is currently underway
- Delayed: Movement has been delayed from the original schedule
- Cancelled: Movement has been cancelled and will not proceed
- Completed: Movement has been successfully completed
Each status is visually represented with color-coded badges and icons throughout the system:
- Scheduled: Gray with a clock icon
- In Progress: Blue with a play icon
- Delayed: Yellow/amber with a warning triangle icon
- Cancelled: Red with an X-circle icon
- Completed: Green with a check-circle icon
Movement Lifecycle
- Planning: Movement created with locations, times, and participants
- Vehicle/Driver Assignment: Vehicles and drivers allocated to movement
- Participant Assignment: Participants assigned to specific vehicles
- Execution: Movement started, pickups/dropoffs recorded
- Completion: All participants delivered to destination
For internal movements with return journeys, additional steps include:
- Starting the Return Journey: After all participants are dropped off at the first leg
- Return Pickups/Dropoffs: Recording when participants are picked up and dropped off for the return journey
- Completing the Movement: Once all return journey drop-offs are complete
Participant Statuses
Participants in a movement can have the following statuses:
First Leg:
- Pending: Awaiting pickup
- Picked Up: Participant has been picked up and is in transit
- Dropped Off: Participant has been dropped off at the destination
- No Show: Participant did not appear for pickup
Return Journey (for internal movements):
- Return Pending: Awaiting return pickup
- Return Picked Up: Participant has been picked up for return journey
- Return Dropped Off: Participant has been dropped off at the final destination
- Return No Show: Participant did not appear for return pickup
Business Logic
The movement system enforces several important business rules:
- Participants must be marked as either picked up or no-show before they can be marked as dropped off
- All participants must be accounted for (either dropped off or marked as no-show) before the return journey can be started
- Return journey drop-offs are only available when all participants in the vehicle have been accounted for (picked up or no-show)
- A movement with a return journey cannot be completed until the return journey is completed
Time Tracking
The system tracks timing for all operations:
- Time when participants are picked up and dropped off
- Status based on scheduled pickup and drop-off times (early, on-time, late)
- Return journey timing with the same level of detail
Dynamic Navigation Badge
The Movements navigation item includes a badge showing the count of movements scheduled for the current day:
- Shows the total number of movements with pickup times scheduled for today
- Displays with a gray color
- Tooltip indicates "The number of movements scheduled for today"
This simple but effective badge helps coordinators quickly identify how many transportation operations need to be managed on the current day, facilitating daily planning and resource allocation.
Managing Movements
Viewing Movements
Coordinators can view all scheduled movements on the Movements List Page, accessed via the Movements menu item in the left-hand navigation menu. The list includes:
- Movement number/identifier
- Movement type (Inbound, Outbound, Internal)
- Pickup and dropoff locations and times
- Number of assigned participants
- Vehicle registrations
- Current status
You can filter movements by:
- Type (Inbound, Outbound, Internal)
- Status (Scheduled, In Progress, Completed, Cancelled)
- Date (Today, Upcoming, Past)
Creating New Movements
To create a new movement:
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Navigate to the Movements List Page using the Movements menu item on the left Navigation bar
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Click the Add Movement button
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Complete the four-step wizard:
- General Information:
- Movement Type (Inbound, Outbound, Internal)
- Pickup Time and Location
- Dropoff Time and Location
- Return Journey details (for Internal movements)
{info} Smart Defaults: The system automatically pre-configures your form based on movement type:
- Inbound: Sets pickup location type to Airport and dropoff location type to Accommodation
- Outbound: Sets pickup location type to Accommodation and dropoff location type to Airport
- Internal: Sets pickup and return dropoff location types to Accommodation, and dropoff and return pickup to Venue
- Dropoff time is automatically set to 2 hours after pickup time if not specified
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Click Save to create the movement and return to the Movements List Page
Managing Movement Operations
The Movement Operations workflow follows a clear sequence:
- Starting a Movement: Click "Start Movement" to begin operations
- Recording Pickups: Record when participants are picked up (individually or in bulk)
- Recording No-Shows: Mark participants who don't appear for pickup
- Recording Drop-offs: Record when participants are dropped off at their destination
For internal movements with return journeys, the process continues:
- Starting the Return Journey: After all participants are dropped off, click "Start Return Journey"
- Return Pickups/Drop-offs: Record when participants are picked up and dropped off for the return journey
Recording Pickups
To record a participant pickup:
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In the Operations View, find the participant in the list
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Click the Record Pickup button next to their name
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Complete the popup form:
- Status: On Time, Late, or Early
- Notes: Optional additional information
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Click Save to record the pickup
The participant status will update to "Picked Up" and the system will notify relevant personnel.
Recording Dropoffs
To record a participant dropoff:
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In the Operations View, find the participant in the list (must be in "Picked Up" status)
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Click the Record Dropoff button next to their name
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Complete the popup form:
- Status: On Time, Late, or Early
- Notes: Optional additional information
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Click Save to record the dropoff
When all participants are dropped off, the movement will automatically be marked as completed or ready for return journey if applicable.
Handling No-Shows
If a participant doesn't show up:
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In the Operations View, find the participant in the list
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Click the No Show button next to their name
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Enter a reason for the no-show in the notes field
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Click Save to record the no-show
The system will notify coordinators about the no-show for follow-up.
Managing Return Journeys
For Internal movements with return journeys:
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Complete the outbound journey as described above
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In the Operations View, use the Start Return Journey button (only visible when all participants have been dropped off for the first leg)
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Record return pickups and dropoffs similarly to the outbound journey:
- Use the Record Return Pickup button for participants
- Use the Record Return Dropoff button for participants who have been picked up
- Use the Mark as Return No-Show button as needed
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When all participants are dropped off at the original location, the movement is automatically completed
Editing and Cancelling Movements
Editing Movements
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From the Movements List Page, click the Edit button next to a movement
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Update the necessary information in the form
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Click Save to apply changes
Note: Some fields may be restricted from editing once a movement is in progress.
Cancelling Movements
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From the Movements List Page or Operations View, click the Cancel Movement button
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Enter a reason for cancellation in the popup form
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Click Confirm to cancel the movement
The system will notify all assigned participants, drivers, and support staff about the cancellation.
Operations View
The Operations View provides a real-time dashboard of all current and upcoming movements:
- Navigate to the Operations tab in the Movements section.
- The dashboard displays:
- Active movements with real-time status
- Upcoming movements within the next 24 hours
- Recently completed movements
- Movements with issues requiring attention
Features of the Operations View include:
- Interactive map showing vehicle locations (if GPS tracking is enabled)
- Timeline of scheduled movements
- Status alerts for delayed or problematic movements
- Quick action buttons for common operations
Movement Operations View
The operations view displays:
- Movement details (type, number, status)
- Pickup and drop-off location information
- Return journey details (if applicable)
- Assigned vehicles with driver information
- Participant list with their current status
Action Buttons
Available actions depend on the movement status and participant state:
Return Journey Actions
When a return journey is started, the action buttons switch to return journey mode:
Notifications
The system sends automated notifications for various movement events:
- Schedule Notifications: Alerts about upcoming movements.
- Status Change Notifications: Updates when movement status changes.
- Delay Notifications: Alerts about movement delays.
- Cancellation Notifications: Notifications when movements are cancelled.
- Assignment Notifications: Alerts to drivers and support staff about assignments.
- Pickup/Dropoff Notifications: Alerts when participants are picked up or dropped off.
- No-Show Notifications: Alerts when participants are marked as no-show.
- Return Journey Notifications: Alerts for return journey operations.
Reporting
All movement operations generate events that can be used for reporting:
- Movement started/completed/cancelled
- Return journey started/completed
- Participant pickup/drop-off/no-show events
- Return journey pickup/drop-off/no-show events
These events provide a comprehensive audit trail of all transportation activities during the exercise.
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
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Vehicle Assignment Conflicts: If you encounter conflicts in vehicle assignments, check for overlapping schedules or double-bookings.
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Status Update Errors: Ensure you're following the logical progression of movement statuses. For example, you cannot change from "Planning" directly to "Completed".
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Missing Participants: Verify that all participants have been properly added to the movement before confirming it.
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Driver Qualification Issues: Ensure that assigned drivers have the necessary qualifications for the vehicle type and movement requirements.
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Return Journey Issues: Make sure all participants from the first leg are accounted for (dropped off or no-show) before attempting to start the return journey.
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Completion Issues: For movements with return journeys, verify that both the outbound and return journeys are complete before the movement can be marked as completed.