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Add Lead Contact

Lead contacts are individual users within your organization who have primary responsibility for specific tradeflows. This guide covers two methods for assigning lead contacts to shipments.

Overview​

A lead contact is the person accountable for managing a specific tradeflow from start to finish.

Why use lead contacts:

  • Clear accountability - Everyone knows who owns each shipment
  • Efficient communication - Partners and internal teams know who to contact
  • Personal dashboards - Users see "My Tradeflows" filtered to their assignments
  • Workload visibility - Managers can see each person's shipment load
  • Performance tracking - Measure individual contributions and efficiency

Lead contact vs Team assignment:

FeatureLead ContactTeam
ScopeIndividual personGroup of people
AccountabilitySingle point of responsibilityShared responsibility
View"My Tradeflows" personal viewTeam-filtered view
Best forCritical shipments, VIP clientsStandard operations, collaboration
Using Both

For best results, use both lead contacts and team assignments:

  • Assign tradeflow to a team for visibility and collaboration
  • Designate a lead contact for primary accountability
  • Team members can support, but lead contact drives the shipment

Method 1: During File Upload​

Assign lead contacts in bulk when importing tradeflows via the Excel template.

Step 1: Download the Template​

  1. Navigate to Dashboard → Tradeflows
  2. Click Import button
  3. Select Download Excel Template
  4. Save the file to your computer

See Bulk Import Guide for detailed template instructions.

Step 2: Fill the "Lead Contact" Column​

Locate the Lead Contact column in the Excel template and fill in the lead contact for each tradeflow.

Acceptable formats:

FormatExampleNotes
Email address[email protected]Recommended (most reliable)
Full nameJohn DoeMust match exactly as registered in Dockflow
First name + Last nameJohn + DoeUse separate columns if available

Important validation rules:

  • Lead contact must be an existing user in your organization
  • Email address must match the user's registered email exactly
  • Full names are case-sensitive and must match exactly
  • Invalid lead contacts result in skipped assignments (tradeflow still imports, but without lead contact)

Step 3: Upload the File​

  1. Return to Dashboard → Tradeflows
  2. Click Import
  3. Select Upload File
  4. Choose your completed Excel file
  5. Click Upload

The system processes the file in the background and assigns lead contacts automatically.

Processing time: 2-50 minutes depending on file size (see Bulk Import Guide for estimates)

Bulk Import Tips​

Best practices:

  • ✅ Use email addresses (most reliable matching)
  • ✅ Verify users exist before importing
  • ✅ Check spelling of names carefully
  • ✅ Test with a small file (5-10 rows) first

Common errors:

  • User doesn't exist → Lead contact not assigned (import succeeds otherwise)
  • Email typo → Lead contact not assigned
  • Name mismatch → Lead contact not assigned

Troubleshooting bulk import: Check the import report (sent via email) for details on which lead contact assignments succeeded or failed.

Method 2: After Upload​

Assign or change the lead contact for individual tradeflows through the UI.

Step 1: Open the Tradeflow​

  1. Navigate to Dashboard → Tradeflows
  2. Locate the tradeflow you want to modify
  3. Click on the tradeflow to open the detail panel

Step 2: Access the Partners Panel​

In the tradeflow detail panel:

  1. Click the << icon in the top-right corner (this expands the side panel)
  2. The side panel opens with multiple tabs

Step 3: Navigate to Partners Tab​

  1. Click the Partners tab in the side panel
  2. This tab displays:
    • Current lead contact (if assigned)
    • Shared partners (if any)
    • Partner access levels

Step 4: Edit Lead Contact​

  1. Find the Lead Contact section
  2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon or "Edit" text)
  3. A dropdown appears with all users in your organization
  4. Search or scroll to find the user
  5. Click the user name to select them

Dropdown features:

  • Search - Type to filter users by name or email
  • Current assignment - Current lead contact is highlighted
  • No lead contact - Select this to remove the current assignment
  • User details - Shows email address and role

Step 5: Save Changes​

  1. After selecting the lead contact, close the side panel by:
    • Clicking the >> icon (collapse panel), OR
    • Clicking outside the panel, OR
    • Clicking Save if a save button is present
  2. Changes are automatically saved

Confirmation:

  • Lead contact name appears in the tradeflow header
  • User receives notification of the assignment (if notifications enabled)
  • Tradeflow appears in the user's "My Tradeflows" view

Viewing "My Tradeflows"​

Once assigned as a lead contact, users can access their personal shipment view.

Access Your Assigned Tradeflows​

  1. Navigate to Dashboard
  2. Select the My Tradeflows view (in the main view selector)
  3. See all tradeflows where you are the lead contact

What's included:

  • All tradeflows where you are the lead contact
  • Sorted by most recent activity
  • Includes all statuses (active, in transit, arrived, etc.)

Not included:

  • Tradeflows assigned to your teams (use team filter for those)
  • Tradeflows shared with your organization but not assigned to you
  • Archived or inactive tradeflows (unless you specifically filter for them)
Combined View

Create a custom view combining "My Tradeflows" and team assignments:

  1. Start with "My Tradeflows" view
  2. Add filter: Team = [Your teams]
  3. Save as custom view: "My Complete Workload"

This shows everything you're responsible for, either individually or as a team member.

Managing Lead Contact Assignments​

Change Lead Contact​

Use Method 2 (UI approach) to reassign tradeflows:

  1. Open tradeflow
  2. Navigate to Partners tab
  3. Edit lead contact
  4. Select new user
  5. Save changes

Impact:

  • Previous lead contact loses the assignment
  • Tradeflow disappears from their "My Tradeflows" view (unless also assigned via team)
  • New lead contact receives notification
  • Tradeflow appears in new lead contact's "My Tradeflows" view

Communication tip: Notify both the previous and new lead contact about the change via email or in-app message.

Remove Lead Contact​

To remove lead contact without assigning a new one:

  1. Open tradeflow
  2. Navigate to Partners tab
  3. Edit lead contact
  4. Select "No Lead Contact" or clear the field
  5. Save changes

When to remove:

  • Tradeflow completed and closed
  • Transitioning to team-only management
  • Lead contact left the organization (reassign first if possible)

Bulk Reassignment​

Use Excel template for bulk reassignments:

  1. Download the import template
  2. Export current tradeflows (Dashboard → Export)
  3. Match tradeflow references
  4. Update "Lead Contact" column with new assignments
  5. Upload the file

Use case: Reassigning shipments when someone leaves or changes roles.

Lead Contact Permissions​

What Lead Contacts Can Do​

Lead contacts have standard user permissions for their assigned tradeflows:

ActionLead Contact Can...
View tradeflow✅ See full details, tracking, timeline, documents
Edit tradeflow✅ Update information, custom fields, notes
Upload documents✅ Add commercial invoices, packing lists, etc.
Add notes✅ Leave comments and updates
Share with partners⚠️ Only if they have "Administrator" role
Delete tradeflow⚠️ Only if they have "Administrator" role
Reassign lead contact⚠️ Depends on organization settings
Role vs Assignment

Lead contact is an assignment, not a permission level.

Permissions are determined by the user's role (User or Administrator):

  • User role + Lead contact assignment = Can view and edit assigned tradeflow
  • Administrator role + Lead contact assignment = Full control over assigned tradeflow

See How to Add Users for role details.

What Lead Contacts Cannot Do (Unless Admin)​

Standard users assigned as lead contacts cannot:

  • ❌ Delete the tradeflow
  • ❌ Share tradeflow with external partners (only admins)
  • ❌ Modify organization-level settings
  • ❌ See other users' tradeflows (unless shared or team-assigned)
  • ❌ Add or remove users from the organization

To enable these capabilities: Promote the user to Administrator role.

Lead Contact Notifications​

Lead contacts can receive automated notifications about their assigned tradeflows.

Configure Personal Notifications​

Users control their own notification preferences:

  1. Click User Settings (profile icon, top-right)
  2. Select Notifications
  3. Configure preferences:
    • Email notifications (on/off)
    • In-app notifications (on/off)
    • Notification types (ETA changes, discharge events, flags, etc.)
  4. Save changes

Available notification types:

EventDescription
AssignmentNotified when assigned as lead contact
ETA ChangeETA updated for assigned tradeflows
Status UpdateMilestone events (departure, arrival, discharge, gate-out)
Flag CreatedIssue detected on assigned tradeflow
Document UploadedNew document added by partner or team member
Note AddedComment left by team member or partner

Targeted Automations for Lead Contacts​

Create automations that notify lead contacts directly:

Example: Notify lead contact of ETA delay

Configuration:

Trigger: ETA Changed
Filter: ETA Delay > 1 day
Action: Create Flag
  - Name: "ETA Delayed"
  - Severity: Warning
  - Notify: Lead Contact

Result: Only the assigned lead contact receives the alert, not the entire organization or team.

See Getting Started with Automations for detailed automation setup.

Best Practices​

Assignment Strategy​

When to assign lead contacts:

  • ✅ High-value shipments
  • ✅ VIP or priority customers
  • ✅ Complex shipments requiring active management
  • ✅ Shipments with specific expertise requirements
  • ✅ When accountability must be individual

When NOT to assign lead contacts:

  • ❌ Standard, routine shipments (use team assignments)
  • ❌ High-volume, low-touch shipments
  • ❌ When team collaboration is more important than individual accountability

Workload Management​

Monitor assignments:

  1. Navigate to Settings → Organisation → Users
  2. Review each user's workload (number of assigned tradeflows)
  3. Redistribute if workload is unbalanced

Create a workload report:

  1. Export tradeflows: Dashboard → Export
  2. Group by "Lead Contact" in Excel or BI tool
  3. Count tradeflows per person
  4. Review and rebalance assignments

Target distribution:

  • Aim for balanced workloads across team members
  • Consider shipment complexity, not just count
  • Review weekly or monthly depending on volume

Communication​

Best practices:

  • ✅ Notify lead contacts when assigning them (don't rely solely on automated notifications)
  • ✅ Document expectations for lead contact responsibilities
  • ✅ Establish escalation procedures for issues
  • ✅ Conduct regular check-ins with high-volume lead contacts
  • ✅ Create shared notes on tradeflows for team visibility

Transitioning Assignments​

When someone leaves or changes roles:

  1. Export their tradeflows:

    • Dashboard → My Tradeflows (login as the user or use admin view)
    • Export to Excel

  2. Reassign in bulk:

    • Use Excel template
    • Update Lead Contact column with new assignments
    • Upload file

  3. Communication:

    • Notify new lead contacts
    • Provide context on shipment status
    • Share any relevant notes or issues

  4. Deactivate the user:

Combining Lead Contacts with Teams​

For optimal organization, use both lead contacts and team assignments together.

Example: Import shipments from China

Assignment TypePurpose
Team: China Import TeamProvides team visibility and collaboration
Lead Contact: Jane DoeIndividual accountability for this specific shipment

Benefits:

  • Jane owns the shipment (clear accountability)
  • Other team members can assist and provide coverage
  • Team lead can monitor all China imports
  • Workload visible across the team

Configuration Example​

Via Automation:

Trigger: Any Change
Filters:
  - Port of Loading = CNSHG, CNNBO, CNYTN (China ports)
  - Direction = Import
Actions:
  1. Assign Team: "China Import Team"
  2. Assign Lead Contact: [Use round-robin or load-balancing logic]

Result: All China imports automatically assigned to the team, with lead contact distributed among team members.

Advanced: Round-Robin Assignment

Dockflow doesn't natively support round-robin lead contact assignment via automations.

Workaround:

  • Use API integration to implement custom assignment logic
  • Manually balance assignments weekly
  • Use Excel import with pre-calculated assignments

Contact [email protected] for assistance with advanced assignment strategies.

Troubleshooting​

Lead Contact Not Assigned During Import​

Check import report (sent via email) for errors:

ErrorCauseSolution
"Lead contact not found"User doesn't existAdd user first, then re-import
"Invalid email format"Email address malformedFix format: [email protected]
"Name not recognized"Full name doesn't matchUse exact name or email instead
"Multiple users found"Duplicate names in organizationUse email address instead of name

Fix and re-import:

  1. Download a fresh template
  2. Export the failed tradeflows
  3. Correct lead contact information
  4. Re-upload file

User Can't See "My Tradeflows"​

Check:

  1. User is assigned as lead contact (Dashboard → Open tradeflow → Partners tab)
  2. User is logged into correct organization
  3. "My Tradeflows" view exists (it's a default view, but may be hidden)

Solution:

  1. Verify assignment in tradeflow detail
  2. Try creating a custom view: Filter by "Lead Contact = [User name]"
  3. Contact support if view is missing

Lead Contact Changed But User Still Sees Tradeflow​

Cause: User may also be assigned via team

Check:

  1. Open tradeflow
  2. Check team assignments (Settings → Teams)
  3. Verify user's team memberships (Settings → Organisation → Users → [User])

Solution:

  • This is expected behavior if the user is on an assigned team
  • To remove completely: Remove user from team OR remove team assignment from tradeflow

Notifications Not Received​

Check:

  1. User notification settings: User Settings → Notifications → Verify enabled
  2. Email address is valid (Settings → Organisation → Users)
  3. Emails not in spam folder
  4. User is actually the lead contact (check tradeflow Partners tab)

Solution:

  1. Update notification preferences
  2. Verify email address and check spam
  3. Test with a manual flag: Create a flag and assign to the lead contact

Need Help?​

Migrated from: https://support.dockflow.com/how-to-add-a-lead-contact Last updated: January 28, 2026