Punched tag systems employ a set of pegs with each peg holding tags for one unit in the dispatch fleet. If two or more resources are sent to the same call, the dispatcher has a lot of writing to do. Is anyone available? The lights are supposed to give the dispatch staff a snapshot of their resource situation.Ī major flaw of this system is that cards are inside shelves and trying to look at an entire set of cards to evaluate the overall situation requires the dispatcher to pull out every card, one at a time, and read it. Leaving the card pulled partway out leaves the indicator green, showing the dispatcher that unit is available. This identifies the tow car whose card occupies that slot as not available or assigned to a call. If the resource's card is pushed all the way into the card slot, the switch is actuated and an indicator lamp turns red. Some systems use shelving with red and green lights and a switch at the back of the card slot. The string of notes and time stamps allows dispatch staff to get a clear picture of the status of a small fleet. At the assignment to a call, the call information would be written on the card and the card might be stamped at the moment the assignment is read to the tow car crew. At the start of a shift, the dispatcher would note the unit "available" and time stamp the card. The name of the staff on the car might be noted. It might give a weight capacity, show the unit as a flat bed or cradle snatcher, or mention the unit carries a can of Diesel fuel. In a tow truck example, the card might be labeled with the tow car's radio identifier, "Downtown 6" and may be labeled with the vehicle number or data about the capabilities of the specific tow car. DISPATCH DEFINITION SERIESThe card collects a series of entries through the work shift. Each time the resource's status changes, the card is punched in the time clock and a new status entry is handwritten on the card. At the beginning of a work day, the resource's identifier or other information is handwritten on the card. A time clock, similar to the one that stamps work hours on a time card, is used to stamp event times on each card. In it, a card, like a time card used to track an employee's work hours, is stored. Each vehicle or resource has a slot in the shelving system. CardsĬard systems employ a set of shelves with a slot for each unit in the dispatch fleet. DISPATCH DEFINITION MANUALThe following are examples of manual systems used to track the status of resources in a dispatched fleet. DISPATCH DEFINITION SOFTWAREThe skills required of a dispatcher are greatly enhanced with the use of computer dispatching software (see computer aided call handling). Dispatchers have to coordinate worker availability, skill, travel time and availability of parts. Depending on the type of service, workers are dispatched individually or in teams of 2 or more. With home or commercial service dispatching, customers usually schedule services in advance and the dispatching occurs the morning of the scheduled service. DISPATCH DEFINITION DRIVERIn the first scenario, a central computer then communicates with the mobile data terminal located in each vehicle (see computer assisted dispatch) in the second, the dispatcher communicates with the driver of each vehicle via two-way radio. Priority calls may jump the queue of pending calls. In some cases, calls may be assigned a priority by the call-taker. Telephone operators take calls from clients, then either enter the client's information into a computer or write it down and give it to a dispatcher. With vehicle dispatching, clients are matched to vehicles according to the order in which clients called and the proximity of vehicles to each client's pick-up location. Industries that dispatch include taxicabs, couriers, emergency services, as well as home and commercial services such as maid services, plumbing, HVAC, pest control and electricians. Dispatch is a procedure for assigning employees (workers) or vehicles to customers.
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