Dispatchers, Make Your Life Easy With Smart Scheduling

According to the results of the 2019 Fleet Technology Trends Survey, conducted for Verizon Connect by Bobit Business Media, the ability to capture customer information and important job details from the field and automatically update records is the most important field service management technology feature for 61% of field service businesses.

56% of those surveyed indicated that a shared, easy-to-view calendar that allows quick access to mobile worker availability and drag-and-drop scheduling is the most important feature.

This desire for automated tech is not surprising, given field service dispatchers often face last-minute emergency requests from customers, yet just as often lack the tools to support in-the-moment decisions about which technicians would be closest and available to take on an emergency job. 

Even in non-urgent situations, dispatchers can find themselves devoting an inordinate amount of time to planning out daily, weekly or monthly schedules and finding the right technician to assign to each job slot. The matter is further complicated when technicians are out sick or unexpectedly delayed, and carefully planned schedules must again be rearranged.

That's why we are introducing a smart scheduling feature for our field service management platform, Reveal Field.

What is a smart scheduling and how field services businesses can use it?

Smart scheduler is a new Reveal Field feature that simplifies the task of assigning best-fit resources to any job, resulting in the ability to streamline scheduling decisions for increased efficiency, improved productivity and better customer service.

Dispatchers can schedule assignments based on a technician’s actual availability and travel times versus merely taking a guess as to who would be best to slot in. This makes the process of scheduling both faster and more accurate, while also providing customers with the most suitable technician for the job.

Intelligent scheduling features that simplify a dispatcher's day

Intuitive features and automated scheduling let dispatchers get more done:

• Scheduling Recommendations: Dispatchers can reduce the time spent on organizing schedules and responding to unplanned events, based on real-time recommendations. They can quickly view a list of suitable technicians for the job based on availability, location and travel time, then select the right technician to match the customer need. This is helpful if:
  • A new appointment request arrives for the current day after technicians are already dispatched
  • An emergency appointment must be immediately dispatched
  • An appointment is canceled, either by a phone call or by a no show
  • A fleet vehicle has an accident, or a technician is sick
• Fast Sorting: Dispatchers can sort by default order, top recommendation or closest, in order to find the right technician for any given situation.
• Calendar View: Calendar view helps dispatchers quickly sort, scan and understand suggested recommendations at a glance, as well as identify scheduling conflicts that must be immediately addressed.
• Travel Details: Dispatchers can instantly see technician travel details to understand how long it will take to get to a job and how that will impact the rest of the workday.

Click here to find out how Reveal Field can bring in more efficiency into your business and help you stay on top of all the jobs.