Automated Field Service
Scheduling & Routing

What is automated field service scheduling?

Automated field service scheduling means a system builds and adjusts technician schedules on its own, based on a set of real-world constraints, instead of a dispatcher manually assigning each job by hand. Rather than booking appointments in whatever order they arrive, the software works out which technician should take which job, and in what order, based on the details of the day.

How Prophet builds a schedule

When a job is created or a lead is converted, Prophet places it on the calendar and works out where it fits best across your team, factoring in each technician's day. As new jobs come in throughout the day, Prophet fits them into the existing schedule rather than simply appending them to the end of someone's list.

Factors the schedule considers

Prophet's scheduling engine weighs several factors together when deciding how to build the day:

• Technician availability
• Customer availability
• Job duration
• Travel time between jobs
• Job priority
• Worker eligibility — whether a given technician is qualified for the job

What happens when the schedule changes?

Cancellations, emergency calls, delays, and early finishes happen constantly in field service. When any of these occur, Prophet re-optimizes the affected schedule automatically instead of leaving a dispatcher to manually rework it by hand. An emergency call, for example, can be inserted ahead of routine stops and routed to the nearest available, qualified technician.

How route optimization reduces unnecessary driving

Once jobs are assigned, Prophet lays out the most efficient path between each technician's stops for the day, rather than visiting them in the order they were booked. As the day's job list changes, the route rebuilds automatically, which helps cut down on the drive time and fuel cost that come from an inefficient, unplanned route.

How automated dispatch differs from manual dispatch

Manual dispatch relies on a person tracking who's available, where they are, and what they're qualified for — usually from memory, a whiteboard, or a spreadsheet. Automated dispatch in Prophet assigns new jobs to the right technician the moment they come in, using the same availability, travel time, priority, and eligibility factors the schedule already accounts for, without requiring a dispatcher to manually make that call for every job.

Industries that benefit from automated scheduling

Automated scheduling helps most in businesses where technicians travel to multiple jobs a day and where the day's plan regularly changes — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, pest control, lawn care, cleaning, and the other trades Prophet supports. See all 30 industries →