Home > KAKOBUY: Utilizing Conditional Formatting to Flag Delayed Shipments

KAKOBUY: Utilizing Conditional Formatting to Flag Delayed Shipments

2025-12-26

In the fast-paced world of e-commerce logistics, visibility is key. For teams using platforms like KAKOBY, quickly identifying delayed parcels is crucial for proactive customer service and operational efficiency. One of the most powerful, yet underutilized, tools for this is Conditional Formatting

The Problem: Hidden Delays in Plain Data

A typical shipment report contains columns like Order ID, Ship Date, Expected Delivery Date, and Actual Delivery Date. Scanning rows manually to find overdue shipments is time-consuming and error-prone. Delays get lost in the sea of data, leading to missed interventions and dissatisfied customers.

The Solution: Visual Alerts with Conditional Formatting

Conditional Formatting automatically applies formatting—such as cell color, font style, or border—based on rules you define. This transforms your static data into a dynamic dashboard, instantly highlighting exceptions.

Step-by-Step Guide to Flag Delayed Shipments

Assume your data is in a sheet with the following key columns: Expected Delivery (Column C)Actual Delivery (Column D). A third column, Status (Column E), may be blank or say "Delivered."

Method 1: Highlight Based on Current Date (For In-Transit Items)

This flags parcels where the "Actual Delivery" is empty and

  1. Select the range of cells in your "Expected Delivery" column (e.g., C2:C100).
  2. Go to Conditional Formatting     New RuleFormat     Conditional formatting
  3. Choose "Use a formula to determine which cells to format".
  4. Enter a formula like:
    =AND(C2<>"", D2="", C2<TODAY())

    Translation: Format if Expected Date is not empty, Actual Delivery is empty, and the Expected Date is in the past.

  5. Set the format (e.g., bright red fill
  6. Click Apply. All overdue, in-transit cells in Column C will now be highlighted.

Method 2: Calculate & Highlight Explicit Delay Days

Create a new column, "Delay Days" (Column F), with the formula: =IF(D2="", TODAY()-C2, D2-C2). Then:

  1. Select the "Delay Days" column range (F2:F100).
  2. Create a new conditional formatting rule using a formula or the "Color Scale" option.
  3. For a formula rule, use: =F2>0
  4. Use a gradient (Color Scale) for a heat-map effect: darker red for longer delays.

Best Practices for KAKOBUY Teams

  • Color Code by Severity:
  • Combine with Status:
  • Automate Data Import:
  • Create an "Overdue Dashboard":

Conclusion

By implementing Conditional Formatting on your KAKOBY shipment data, you turn a simple spreadsheet into an early-warning system. Delays no longer hide. They flash in red, demanding attention and enabling your team to take swift action—contact carriers, update customers, and resolve issues before they escalate. This simple technical skill empowers your logistics team to significantly boost operational transparency and customer satisfaction.