Dispatch (logistics)
Card systems employ a set of shelves with a slot for each unit in the dispatch fleet.
At the start of a shift, the dispatcher would note the unit "available" and time stamp the card.
The string of notes and time stamps allows dispatch staff to get a clear picture of the status of a small fleet.
The stack of tags allows dispatch staff to get a clear picture of the status of a small fleet.
A major flaw of this system is that tags can easily be posted on the wrong peg, causing confusion.
In a plastic icon system, the blank panel on the communications console or a nearby wall is fitted with a sheet of Velcro.
During a shift, the icon would be moved by the dispatcher into whatever column describes the resource's current condition.
Alternatively, there could be columns for some other condition such as the names of move-up or standby points where resources are sent to backfill for busy tow cars.
Some dispatching companies help truck drivers to negotiate and acquire loads and handle paperwork.
Great customer service and good communication are vital for succeeding in this fast-paced environment.
For example, a parcel delivery service dispatcher may encounter higher traffic around Christmas.
Work is not evenly distributed across time: in any dispatch system there are traditional peaks or busy hours in requests for service.
Systems may use a Radiotelephony procedure to reduce talking time, allowing interaction with a larger dispatch fleet.
Capacity may be reduced by relaxed voice procedure such as a delivery dispatcher giving a lengthy description of a customer complaint over the radio.
[1] One source suggests radio traffic drops by 30% when computers are available to mobile users.
A partial definition of capacity comes from the number of communications channels required to support a dispatch fleet.
[6] For dispatch systems like take-out food delivery, where life safety is not an issue, delays may be acceptable.
A 187-day study of four Contra Costa County, California Sheriffs Department conventional two-way radio dispatch channels showed an average of around 2,500 push-to-talk presses per day.
One evaluation looked at 1) peak of busy hour usage, 2) average hourly usage, 3) message length in seconds, 4) maximum delay or wait time desirable, and; 5) maximum percent of users being delayed.
[9] In business call centers, similar standards are suggested by consultants in order to provide an ideal customer experience and to outperform competing services.
[10] Sufficient staffing should be in place so that 90% of emergency calls are, "...answered within 10 seconds, or with no greater than three rings, during the average busy hour," according to one source.
Regardless of sector or industry, almost all dispatchers will spend virtually their entire work day on the phone, answering as many as a thousand calls in a single shift while multi tasking other aspects of the job.
It consistently ranks as among the most stressful jobs in the industrialized world, with high blood pressure, fatigue, obesity, heart disease, and other stress/sedentary related health concerns existing at rates up to ten times the norm of any other occupation.
Distal Volunteer Rescue Squad would be first-up for an ambulance call occurring inside zone DP241.
Zone boundaries and designations will periodically change as communities grow or lessons are learned during day-to-day operations.
For example, taxi drivers working in a certain zone in the evening hours may expect night club patrons to need a ride.
Consider a standby point at Main Street and Railroad Avenue named N. Some fares will come from radio calls to dispatch.
The closest unit would be interpreted by the dispatcher looking at vehicle locations projected on the map.
