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Theme and Branding: Blueprints

Blueprints allow you to customize which dashboard view tabs appear for users across your organization. This feature helps standardize the user experience, ensure consistent reporting, and manage view access for teams and managed entities.

Overview​

Blueprints provide centralized control over dashboard views by:

  • Defining available views - Select which view tabs users can access
  • Sharing across entities - Distribute blueprints to managed organizations
  • Enforcing standards - Require all managed entities to use specific blueprints
  • Streamlining onboarding - New users start with appropriate view configurations
Business Benefits
  • Consistency - All team members see the same standardized views
  • Efficiency - Users don't waste time creating or configuring views
  • Control - Administrators manage which data views are available
  • Scalability - Easily roll out new views across multiple entities

Understanding Blueprints​

What is a Blueprint?​

A blueprint is a predefined collection of dashboard view tabs that determines what users see when they access the Dockflow platform. Think of it as a template for dashboard organization.

Blueprint components:

  • Collection of view tabs (e.g., Tradeflows, Containers, Arrivals)
  • Name and description
  • Sharing settings (private or shared with managed entities)
  • Enforcement settings (optional or required for managed entities)

Blueprint Hierarchy​

Organization (Admin)
├── Default Blueprint (Dockflow preset)
├── Custom Blueprint 1
│   ├── Shared with Managed Entity A
│   └── Shared with Managed Entity B
└── Custom Blueprint 2
    └── Enforced for All Managed Entities

Default Blueprint: "Dockflow"​

Every organization starts with the default Dockflow blueprint, which includes:

  • Tradeflows - Main shipment tracking view
  • Containers - Container-level details
  • Arrivals - Incoming shipments view
  • Discharges at POD - Container discharges at port of discharge
  • Flagged - Shipments with active flags
Default Blueprint Restrictions

The default "Dockflow" blueprint cannot be edited or deleted. It serves as a baseline configuration that all users can access. You can create custom blueprints to override or supplement the default.

Accessing Blueprints​

  1. Log in to your Dockflow account
  2. Navigate to Settings (gear icon in top navigation)
  3. Select Organisation from the settings menu
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the page
  5. Locate the Theme and Branding section
Quick Access

Bookmark the Organization settings page for faster access if you frequently manage blueprints.

Required Permissions​

To access and manage blueprints, you need:

  • Administrator role - Required for creating and managing blueprints
  • Organization-level access - View and edit settings for your organization
  • Entity management permissions - Required to share or enforce blueprints across managed entities

Creating Custom Blueprints​

Step-by-Step Creation​

1. Initiate Blueprint Creation​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Organisation → Theme and Branding
  2. Click the + button to create a new blueprint
  3. A blueprint creation dialog appears

2. Name Your Blueprint​

Choose a clear, descriptive name:

  • Good examples:
    • "Operations Team Dashboard"
    • "Executive Summary Views"
    • "Customer Service Views"
    • "Regional Manager - APAC"
  • Poor examples:
    • "Blueprint 1"
    • "New Views"
    • "Test"
Naming Conventions

Use naming conventions that indicate:

  • Purpose - What the blueprint is for
  • Audience - Who should use it
  • Scope - Geographic or functional area

3. Select View Tabs​

Choose which dashboard views to include:

  1. A list of available views appears
  2. Check the boxes for views to include
  3. Uncheck views you want to exclude
  4. Review your selection

Available views typically include:

  • Tradeflows
  • Containers
  • Arrivals
  • Departures
  • Discharges at POL (Port of Loading)
  • Discharges at POD (Port of Discharge)
  • Flagged containers
  • Delayed shipments
  • Custom views you've created

Example configurations:

Operations Team Blueprint:

  • ✅ Tradeflows
  • ✅ Containers
  • ✅ Arrivals
  • ✅ Departures
  • ✅ Flagged

Executive Blueprint:

  • ✅ Tradeflows
  • ✅ Delayed shipments
  • ✅ Flagged

Customer Service Blueprint:

  • ✅ Tradeflows
  • ✅ Arrivals
  • ✅ Flagged containers

4. Save Your Blueprint​

  1. Review your selections
  2. Click Save to create the blueprint
  3. The new blueprint appears in your list

Organizing Views within Blueprints​

Once you've created a blueprint, users can organize their view tabs:

Reordering view tabs:

  1. Click on a view tab
  2. Drag it to your preferred position
  3. Release to drop in place
  4. The new order saves automatically
Per-User Customization

While blueprints determine which views are available, individual users can reorder tabs to suit their preferences. This provides flexibility within standardized constraints.

Sharing Blueprints with Managed Entities​

If your organization manages other entities (customers, subsidiaries, partners), you can share blueprints to standardize their dashboard experience.

Enabling Sharing​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Organisation → Theme and Branding
  2. Find your custom blueprint in the list
  3. Toggle 'Shared with Managed Entities' to ON
  4. The blueprint becomes available to all entities you manage

What Happens When Shared​

For managed entities:

  • Blueprint appears in their available blueprints list
  • Users can select it as their active blueprint
  • They receive all view tabs defined in the blueprint

For administrators:

  • Maintain centralized control over view definitions
  • Can update the blueprint, changes propagate to all users
  • Can revoke sharing at any time
Use Cases for Sharing
  • Customer onboarding - Provide standardized views for new customers
  • Partner collaboration - Share specific views relevant to partnership
  • Subsidiary management - Ensure consistent reporting across subsidiaries
  • Regional operations - Distribute region-specific view configurations

Enforcing Blueprints​

For stricter control, you can enforce blueprints, requiring all managed entities to use a specific configuration.

Enabling Enforcement​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Organisation → Theme and Branding
  2. Select the blueprint you want to enforce
  3. Toggle 'Default for Managed Entities' to ON
  4. Confirm the enforcement action

Impact of Enforcement​

For managed entities:

  • Automatically switch to enforced blueprint
  • Cannot select different blueprints
  • All users in the entity see the same views
  • Cannot create or use custom blueprints

For administrators:

  • Guarantees consistency across all managed entities
  • Simplifies support and training
  • Ensures compliance with organizational standards
Use Enforcement Carefully

Enforcement removes flexibility for managed entities. Consider:

  • Whether entities have unique needs that require custom views
  • Training and communication before enforcement
  • Support resources for users affected by the change
  • Feedback mechanisms to improve the enforced blueprint

When to Enforce vs. Share​

ScenarioRecommendation
New customer onboardingEnforce during initial period
Established customersShare, allow optional adoption
Regulatory compliance requirementsEnforce with documented justification
Partner collaborationShare, don't enforce
Internal subsidiariesEnforce for consistency
Beta testing new viewsShare without enforcement

Managing Multiple Blueprints​

Blueprint List Overview​

The Theme and Branding section shows all blueprints:

  • Default (Dockflow) - System blueprint, always visible
  • Custom blueprints - Your created blueprints
  • Status indicators - Shared and/or enforced status
  • Action buttons - Edit, delete, configure sharing

Editing Existing Blueprints​

To modify a blueprint:

  1. Find the blueprint in the list
  2. Click the Edit button
  3. Update the name or view selection
  4. Click Save
Change Propagation

Changes to shared or enforced blueprints take effect immediately for all users and entities using that blueprint.

Deleting Blueprints​

To remove a blueprint:

  1. Find the blueprint in the list
  2. Click the Delete button
  3. Confirm deletion
Before Deleting
  • Ensure no entities are using the blueprint as their active configuration
  • Consider whether to create a replacement blueprint first
  • Communicate the change to affected users
  • Default Dockflow blueprint cannot be deleted

Blueprint Usage Tracking​

To see which entities are using a blueprint:

  1. Navigate to Settings → Organisation → Entities
  2. Review each entity's blueprint assignment
  3. Note which entities use enforced vs. optional blueprints

Advanced Configuration​

Creating Role-Based Blueprints​

Design blueprints aligned with organizational roles:

Operations Manager:

- Tradeflows (all shipments)
- Containers (detailed tracking)
- Arrivals (incoming today)
- Departures (departing this week)
- Flagged (exceptions requiring attention)
- Delayed shipments

Finance Team:

- Tradeflows (for invoicing)
- Arrivals (proof of delivery)
- Documentation views

Customer Service:

- Tradeflows (customer inquiries)
- Arrivals (delivery updates)
- Flagged (proactive communication)
- Delayed shipments (customer alerts)

Executive/C-Level:

- Tradeflows (high-level overview)
- Delayed shipments (exceptions only)
- Flagged (critical issues)

Regional Blueprints​

Create blueprints for different geographic regions:

APAC Operations:

  • Pre-filter views to show Asia-Pacific shipments
  • Include regional port-specific views
  • Display in appropriate timezone

EMEA Operations:

  • Focus on Europe, Middle East, Africa
  • Include customs-specific views
  • Compliance-focused tabs

Americas:

  • North and South America shipments
  • Include US customs views
  • Timezone-appropriate settings

Combining Blueprints with Views​

Blueprints determine which view tabs appear, while individual views determine the content within each tab:

Blueprint layer:

  • Which tabs are available (Tradeflows, Containers, etc.)

View layer:

  • Which columns appear
  • What filters are applied
  • How data is sorted

Example combination:

  1. Blueprint: "Operations Team Dashboard"
    • Includes tabs: Tradeflows, Containers, Arrivals, Flagged
  2. View within "Arrivals" tab: "Arrivals This Week"
    • Columns: B/L, ETA, Carrier, Container Code
    • Filter: ETA within next 7 days
    • Sort: ETA ascending

Best Practices​

Blueprint Design​

  1. Start with user needs

    • Interview users to understand workflow
    • Identify which views each role actually uses
    • Avoid including unnecessary views

  2. Balance simplicity and completeness

    • Don't overwhelm with too many tabs
    • Ensure all necessary information is accessible
    • Aim for 5-8 tabs for most users

  3. Test before enforcing

    • Share blueprints without enforcement first
    • Gather feedback from pilot users
    • Iterate based on actual usage patterns

  4. Document blueprint purpose

    • Maintain internal documentation explaining each blueprint
    • Include target audience and use cases
    • Note any special configurations or assumptions

Sharing Strategy​

  1. Gradual rollout

    • Start with one or two managed entities
    • Monitor adoption and feedback
    • Expand to additional entities gradually

  2. Communication plan

    • Announce blueprint availability before sharing
    • Provide training or documentation
    • Offer support channel for questions

  3. Flexibility for exceptions

    • Allow custom blueprints for entities with unique needs
    • Review requests for exceptions thoughtfully
    • Document approved deviations

Enforcement Strategy​

  1. Clear justification

    • Document why enforcement is necessary
    • Communicate compliance or operational reasons
    • Provide training on the enforced views

  2. Transition period

    • Share without enforcement first
    • Allow time for users to adapt
    • Enforce only after successful adoption

  3. Ongoing review

    • Regularly assess whether enforcement is still needed
    • Collect feedback on enforced blueprints
    • Update or remove enforcement if appropriate

Maintenance​

  1. Regular review cycle

    • Quarterly review of all blueprints
    • Check for unused or outdated blueprints
    • Update based on new features or views

  2. Change management

    • Communicate updates before implementation
    • Provide transition support
    • Document changes in release notes

  3. Cleanup

    • Delete unused blueprints
    • Consolidate similar blueprints
    • Archive old blueprints rather than deleting if possible

Troubleshooting​

Blueprint Not Appearing for Users​

If a shared blueprint doesn't appear for managed entities:

  1. Verify sharing is enabled - Check "Shared with Managed Entities" toggle
  2. Confirm entity management - Ensure entity is in your managed entities list
  3. Check user permissions - User may lack access to organization settings
  4. Refresh the page - Browser cache may show outdated information
  5. Re-save the blueprint - Sometimes re-saving resolves sync issues

Users Can't See Expected Views​

If users report missing views after blueprint change:

  1. Verify blueprint assignment - Check which blueprint the entity is using
  2. Review view selection - Ensure views are included in the blueprint
  3. Check view permissions - Some views require special permissions
  4. Clear browser cache - Old cached views may persist
  5. Log out and back in - Force reload of blueprint configuration

Enforcement Not Taking Effect​

If enforced blueprints aren't being applied:

  1. Confirm enforcement toggle - Check "Default for Managed Entities" is ON
  2. Verify entity relationship - Ensure entity is actually managed by your organization
  3. Check override settings - Some entities may have exemptions
  4. Wait for sync - Changes can take a few minutes to propagate
  5. Contact support - Persistent issues may require technical assistance

Conflicts Between Multiple Blueprints​

If experiencing conflicts:

  1. Review blueprint hierarchy - Enforcement overrides optional blueprints
  2. Check entity assignments - Each entity should have one primary blueprint
  3. Clarify sharing scope - Ensure blueprints target appropriate entities
  4. Consolidate if possible - Reduce number of overlapping blueprints

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: Can I create blueprints for individual users? A: Blueprints apply at the organization or entity level, not individual users. However, users can reorder tabs within their assigned blueprint.

Q: What happens if I delete a view that's in a blueprint? A: The blueprint will still reference the deleted view, but users won't see it. Update the blueprint to remove references to deleted views.

Q: Can managed entities create their own blueprints? A: Yes, unless you enforce a blueprint. Enforcement prevents entities from creating or using custom blueprints.

Q: How many blueprints can I create? A: There's no technical limit, but we recommend keeping the number manageable (typically 5-10) for easier administration.

Q: Can I duplicate a blueprint? A: Not directly, but you can create a new blueprint and manually select the same views. This is useful for creating variations.

Q: Do blueprints affect API access or exports? A: No, blueprints only control what users see in the web interface. API access and data exports are not affected.

Q: Can I schedule changes to blueprints? A: No, blueprint changes take effect immediately. Plan updates during low-usage periods if making significant changes.

Q: What's the difference between sharing and enforcing? A: Sharing makes a blueprint available to managed entities, who can choose to use it. Enforcing requires them to use it exclusively.

Support​

Need help with blueprints?