As a dispatcher, you are the bridge between customers and your field team. Your day revolves around the schedule board and dispatch map, assigning jobs, monitoring progress, and handling changes. This guide walks through a typical dispatcher workflow from the start of the day to the end, showing you the most efficient ways to use Exoserva.
Estimated time: 10 minutes
Before You Begin
- An active Exoserva account with Dispatcher, Supervisor, or Manager role
- Familiarity with the Schedule Board (see “Using the Schedule Board” guide)
- Familiarity with Dispatch (see “GPS Dispatch and Technician Tracking” guide)
Step 1: Start Your Day on the Schedule Board
Click “Schedule” in the left sidebar to open the Schedule Board. The board displays a time-scale view spanning from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with horizontal hour lines and job blocks positioned at their scheduled times. Each job block shows the job title, customer name, scheduled time, estimated duration, a priority icon (color-coded by urgency), and a status badge (e.g., “Scheduled,” “In Progress,” “Completed”). Overdue jobs pulse with a red ring animation to draw your attention.
Use the date navigation controls in the toolbar to switch between days. Review all scheduled jobs for today, looking for three things: unassigned jobs (shown without a technician name), time conflicts (overlapping job blocks in the same technician column), and gaps in the schedule that could fit additional work.
Tip: Spend five to ten minutes each morning reviewing the full day’s schedule. Press the keyboard shortcut shown in the toolbar to quickly create a new job. Catching unassigned jobs and conflicts early prevents cascading delays later in the day.
Warning: Jobs marked as overdue (pulsing red ring) have passed their scheduled start time without a status update. Address these first – either confirm with the technician that work is underway or reschedule the job to prevent the customer from waiting.
Step 2: Check the Dispatch Map
Click “Dispatch” in the left sidebar to switch to the Dispatch page. The page is split into two panels: a left panel showing technician cards and job cards, and a right panel displaying a Google Map with real-time technician and job markers. Each technician card shows their name, current status (indicated by a color-coded dot: green pulsing for online, amber for en route, grey for offline), their job count for the day, and a workload indicator.
Job cards in the left panel display the job title, customer name, address, scheduled time, estimated duration, a priority icon, and a status badge. Emergency-priority jobs appear with a pulsing danger-red background. On the map, technician markers and job markers are color-coded: green for completed or active technicians, amber for in-progress jobs, and blue for scheduled jobs. Verify that your team is online and heading to their first jobs. Note any technicians who are running late or are in unexpected locations.
Step 3: Assign Unassigned Jobs
On the Dispatch page, unassigned jobs show an “Assign to…” dropdown at the bottom of their job card. Click the dropdown to see a list of available technicians filtered to exclude those who are offline. Each option shows the technician name and their current job count in parentheses (e.g., “John Smith (3 jobs)”). Select a technician to immediately assign the job. The job card updates to show the assigned technician and the map reflects the new assignment.
On the Schedule Board, you can also assign jobs by dragging them from the unassigned area into a technician’s column. Consider proximity (use the map), skills (check technician profiles), and current workload (check job counts) when making assignments. If AI Dispatch is enabled in Settings, look for AI-suggested assignments highlighted with a sparkle icon and review them before confirming.
Step 4: Monitor Active Jobs Throughout the Day
Keep the Schedule Board or Dispatch page open as a live dashboard throughout the day. On the Schedule Board, job blocks change color as technicians update their status: blue for “Scheduled,” amber for “In Progress,” green for “Completed.” Status badges update in real time without requiring a page refresh. On the Dispatch page, technician status dots pulse green when they are actively working and the map markers shift position as GPS data updates.
Watch for jobs that remain in “Scheduled” status past their start time (they will show the overdue pulsing animation). Address delays immediately by contacting the technician or reassigning the job to someone who is available.
Step 5: Handle Rescheduling and Changes
When customers cancel or request changes, drag job blocks on the Schedule Board to new time slots. The board supports drag-and-drop with 15-minute snap increments, and a preview indicator appears showing the new time as you drag. Release the job block to confirm the new time. A confirmation toast appears showing the updated schedule.
If a technician calls in sick, redistribute their jobs by dragging each job block from their column into other technician columns. The system can notify affected customers automatically if customer notification settings are configured in Settings. For cancellations, click the job block to open the job detail panel on the right side, then update the job status to “Cancelled” and add a cancellation reason in the notes field.
Step 6: Review End-of-Day Status
At the end of the day, return to the Schedule Board and review all job blocks. Filter by status to identify any jobs still marked “In Progress” or “Scheduled” that should have been completed. Click each incomplete job to open its detail panel and check for technician notes or updates. Jobs that were not completed should be rescheduled for the next available date by dragging them to tomorrow’s view or using the date picker in the job detail panel.
Check the Dispatch map one final time to verify that all technicians have returned from the field. Technicians who are still showing as “online” may have forgotten to update their status or clock out.
Step 7: Complete the End-of-Day Checklist
Run through a structured checklist before signing off for the day. First, on the Schedule Board, use the status filter buttons to find any jobs still marked “In Progress” or “Pending.” For each one, either reschedule by dragging to a future date or open the detail panel and add a note explaining the delay so the next dispatcher has context. Second, navigate to the Timesheet page by clicking “Time” in the sidebar. Verify that each technician’s logged hours match their assigned jobs for the day. Look for unclosed clock-ins (shown as “In Progress” entries with a running timer) and flag any discrepancies for manager review. Third, return to the Schedule Board, switch to tomorrow’s date, and confirm that all jobs have assigned technicians and correct time windows.
What’s Next?
Now that you’ve completed this guide, check out:
Need help? Post in the Tech Support category or contact support@exoserva.com.