Job scheduling and dispatch
Job scheduling that keeps up when the week changes
The plan for the week rarely survives Tuesday. A customer moves, a van breaks down, a job runs over. We set up scheduling and dispatch that copes with those changes, so the right people hear about them without the office ringing round.
In short
Propel helps owner-managed businesses with field teams plan and dispatch work from one schedule that the office and the team can rely on. We look at how jobs are booked, assigned and changed today. Then we set up the tools and process so a change is made once and reaches everyone it affects.
Sound familiar?
Signs it’s worth a conversation
Any one of these is a good reason to talk. They’re common, and they’re usually fixable without turning the business upside down.
- The real schedule is a whiteboard, a spreadsheet and whatever’s in one person’s head.
- Moving one job means calls and texts to the engineer, the customer and whoever supplies the parts.
- Operatives ring the office for addresses, access details and job notes.
- You can’t see who has room next week without asking around.
- Jobs get double-booked, or someone turns up at the old time.
- When the person who does the scheduling is off, the whole week wobbles.
What we do
How we help with job scheduling and dispatch
Follow real jobs from booking to completion
We sit with the people who plan the work and the people who receive it, and trace a few real jobs to see where time and information get lost.
Choose the simplest tool that fits
Often that means getting more out of software you already pay for. Sometimes it’s a scheduling or job management tool you don’t have yet. Either way, we explain the trade-offs in plain terms.
Set it up and connect it
We configure the schedule, job details and notifications, and connect them to the tools around them, such as calendars, quoting and accounts.
Get the team using it
We show the office and the field team how it works, run it alongside the old way if that helps, and adjust it once it’s in daily use.
What it could look like
A property maintenance firm with eight operatives
An illustrative example, not a client result. What makes sense for you depends on how your work actually runs.
Jobs were planned on a whiteboard and confirmed by phone. Moving a single job could mean half a dozen calls, and operatives still rang in for addresses.
Jobs are planned in one schedule. Changing a job updates the operative’s phone and sends the customer a confirmation. Anything unusual, such as a parts delivery that no longer lines up, is flagged to the office.
How it works
From a first call to a change in daily use
You’ll know what we’re suggesting, and what it would cost, before any work starts.
We talk
A 30-minute call about how your operation works and what you’d like to be easier.
We look at how the work runs
We spend time with you and the people doing the work, and look at the tools, sheets and messages you use day to day.
We agree what to change
We suggest what would help most, in plain terms, with what’s involved and what it would cost, before anything starts.
We put it in place
We set things up, connect and build what’s needed, show your team how it works and adjust it once it’s in daily use.
Questions
Questions about job scheduling and dispatch
Do we need new scheduling software?
Not necessarily. Many businesses already pay for a tool that could do far more with better setup. We start with what you have and only suggest something new if it’s clearly the better option, with the cost explained before you decide.
Can our field team see their jobs on their phones?
Yes. That’s usually the point. We set things up so operatives can see their jobs, the details they need and any changes on their phone, and update the job from site.
What happens when a job changes at short notice?
The office changes it once, in one place, and the people affected are told automatically. Anything that needs a decision, like a delivery that no longer fits, is flagged to a person rather than left to chance.
How long does it take to set up job scheduling?
It depends on the size of the team and how many tools are involved. After we’ve looked at how your work runs, we’ll give you a realistic timescale and a price in writing before anything starts.
Related
Often goes hand in hand with
- Process improvement and clear responsibilitiesClear steps, clear owners and cleaner handovers, so work stops waiting on assumptions.
- Connecting your business softwareQuoting, jobs, CRM and accounts passing details to each other, so nobody re-keys them.
- Automating repetitive adminReminders, confirmations, follow-ups and paperwork that happen on their own.
Talk to us about job scheduling and dispatch
Book a 30-minute introductory call. Bring an example of something that takes more effort than it should, or just tell us how a normal week goes.