Optimizing Scheduling and Dispatching operations
Summarize
Summary of Optimizing Scheduling and Dispatching operations
This content guides ServiceNow customers on how dispatchers can efficiently manage scheduling and dispatching operations to ensure tasks are assigned optimally to field agents. It emphasizes maximizing resource utilization and customer satisfaction by assigning the right task to the right agent at the right time for seamless service delivery.
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Scheduling Challenges and Methods
Dispatchers face the challenge of allocating tasks within agents’ shifts—each task typically takes two hours, and agents have eight-hour shifts, allowing up to four tasks per agent. Various scheduling methods help manage this task allocation:
- Manual Scheduling: Drag-and-drop assignment suitable for small teams but can be time-consuming and error-prone.
- Interactive Scheduling: Tools like Auto-Assign, Intelligent Task Recommendation, and Route Optimization assist dispatchers by suggesting optimal assignments while leaving final decisions to them. Auto-Assign quickly matches tasks to agents based on parameters, ideal for high task volumes. Intelligent Task Recommendation fills gaps in agent schedules, accessible by both dispatchers and agents. Route Optimization minimizes travel time by reordering assigned tasks.
- Automatic Scheduling: Uses Dynamic Scheduling with predefined rules (e.g., skillset, location) for immediate task assignment, ideal for medium-scale or routine operations. It automatically adjusts schedules when events like agent unavailability occur.
- Schedule Optimization: Batch Optimization plans tasks for multiple agents considering constraints, useful for planning ahead. Intraday Optimization dynamically reoptimizes schedules in real-time to handle cancellations, delays, or new tasks.
Key Considerations for Scheduling
Effective automated scheduling accounts for multiple factors to ensure optimal task allocation:
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
- Task windows and duration
- Task dependencies
- Required skills and parts
- Working hours and overtime
- Geographical location
- Contractor availability
- Custom preferences
- Task bundling
Incorporating these factors streamlines scheduling, improves efficiency, and meets SLAs.
Managing Technicians and Tasks with Maps
ServiceNow Field Service Management provides specialized maps to enhance operational efficiency:
- Agent Map: Displays optimized routes for agents and managers to complete assigned tasks efficiently.
- Dispatch Map: Enables dispatchers to view technician locations and open tasks, facilitating quick assignment, reassignment, and route optimization based on proximity and workload distribution.
- SLA Map: A color-coded map that helps prioritize tasks based on SLA terms, such as time to breach, ensuring critical tasks receive prompt attention.
Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers
By leveraging these scheduling and dispatching capabilities, ServiceNow customers can expect:
- Improved resource utilization with optimized task allocation among field agents.
- Faster and more accurate scheduling, reducing manual errors and administrative overhead.
- Enhanced responsiveness to real-time changes with intraday optimization.
- Better compliance with SLAs and customer commitments through intelligent prioritization.
- Increased customer satisfaction due to timely and efficient service delivery.
Explore how dispatchers manage scheduling and dispatching operations to verify tasks are assigned efficiently to field agents, maximizing resource use and customer satisfaction. Discover the mechanisms behind effective task allocation, verifying that the right task goes to the right agent at the right time for smooth service delivery.
The Scheduling Challenge
Dispatchers are responsible for determining which field agent should attend to which tasks, and when, during their shift. Their goal is to produce a service schedule, creating an optimal task schedule for all agents in the field.
- All four agents could each take one task.
- One agent could handle all four tasks.
- Two agents could split the tasks, each taking two tasks.
- Three agents could divide the tasks with one agent taking two tasks and the other two taking one task each.
Overview of Scheduling Methods
- Manual: Manual scheduling involves the traditional drag-and-drop method, enabling dispatchers to manually assign tasks to field agents. While suitable for smaller teams with limited tasks, manual scheduling can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
- Interactive: Auto-Assign, Intelligent Task Recommendation, and Route Optimization
- Dispatchers can use various interactive tools to find the best assignment, but the dispatcher makes the final decision. Auto-Assign manually triggers dynamic scheduling and finds suitable field agents based on various parameters. The dispatcher chooses to accept. Suitable for high volume of tasks needing quick allocation. For example: a telecom company rolling out a new service across a city.
- When Intelligent Task Recommendation is invoked in Dispatcher Workspace, any free time that agents have between tasks and events is displayed as white space in the agent's calendar. It suggests the best available tasks to fill these gaps in the schedule. This feature is available to both dispatchers in the Dispatcher Workspace and to field agents in the ServiceNow Agent Mobile Application.
- While Auto-Assign focuses on assigning the task to the most suitable technician, Route Optimization reorders these tasks post-assignment to minimize driving time.
- Automatic: Automatic scheduling is using Dynamic Scheduling to auto-assign incoming tasks based on predefined conditions like skillset or location. This method utilizes predefined rules to assign tasks and is efficient for medium-scale operations, focusing on immediate, individual task assignments. It’s also ideal for tasks with well-defined requirements, such as routine maintenance tasks for a fleet of rental cars. Automatic scheduling can also be triggered from an event, such as when a tech schedules non-available time, tasks are automatically removed and rescheduled. This may be used during vacations or unexpected sick leaves.
- Schedule Optimization: Batch Optimization optimizes tasks in batches for multiple field agents, considering all constraints. Use it at the beginning of the day or week. For example, a cleaning service plans its week ahead for multiple clients. Intraday Optimization reoptimizes schedules in real-time based on changing conditions. Useful when tasks are canceled, delayed, or new tasks come in. For example: a cable service provider deals with last-minute cancellations and new installations.
Automating work order task scheduling
Learn to schedule work order tasks among field agents using automated scheduling methods. With factors like SLAs, task dependencies, and locations in mind, automation streamlines the process for optimal results.
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
- Task Windows & Duration
- Task Dependencies
- Skills and Parts required
- Working Time and Overtime
- Geographical Location
- Contractor Availability
- Custom Preferences
- Task Bundling
The automated scheduling methods consider the key factors and assign tasks to the correct agents. This not only saves time but also enhances the efficiency of the field service operations.
Efficiently manage technicians and tasks based on location
Field Service Management provides different types of maps. These maps help field service agents, managers, and dispatchers to get tasks done faster.
- Agent map
- Field service agents can view optimized routes for tasks assigned to them on a given day.
Managers can view optimized routes for tasks assigned to members in their team.
- Dispatch map
- Dispatchers can know where field service technicians are so that the dispatchers can assign and reassign work based on proximity.
Dispatchers can view all open work tasks so they can understand work distribution and can quickly identify impacted areas.
Dispatchers can easily assign work tasks, optimize routes, and change assignments directly from the map.
- Service level agreement (SLA) map
- The SLA map is color-coded. Dispatchers can prioritize work tasks for technicians based on SLA contractual terms, such as time to breach.