Field notes
Which clearance exceptions belong on a chart—and which belong in a footnote
Exception lists grow quickly. If every document hold becomes a coloured bar, leadership stops reading the chart. Rank exceptions by frequency and by cost of delay, then chart only the top three for each lane.
Put one-off holds—missing certificate for a single shipment—into a dated footnote. Put recurring valuation queries into the main series. That split keeps visuals honest.
When you brief a desk, open with the exception that cost the most demurrage last month, not the longest list. Attention follows money.
A short appendix can still hold the full exception log for auditors. The public-facing pack stays readable because you chose what to elevate.