Orchestrating Field Operations

Jobs are the undeniable core records of all billable labor. The job timeline tracks absolutely everything that occurs—from the very first phone call inquiry all the way out to the final technician clock-out in the field.

Creating a Quote vs. Creating a Job

Understanding the distinction is critical so you do not accidentally dispatch a technician for work the client hasn't approved yet!

1. A Quote (Estimate) is completely non-committal. It locks in pricing and itemized materials but does not reserve time on your active dispatch calendar. You build a quote, click "Send", and the client receives an email. Once a client digitally signs the Quote in their email portal, it automatically converts into an Approved Job and alerts you.
2. A Job is an active, definitive block of work. It instantly locks out space on your calendar and demands a technician assignment.

Interacting with the Dispatch Board (Calendar)

The Dispatch Board is an elite, visual, real-time timeline of your workforce.

• Drag & Drop Reassignment: Grab a scheduled job card and intuitively drag it sideways into a different technician's column if someone calls out sick. You can also drag it vertically to permanently shift the start time backward or forwards.
• The Unassigned Queue: The right sidebar contains all Jobs that have dates but no assigned technician yet. Drag them from the queue straight onto an empty spot on the schedule to assign and route them instantly!

The Technician "On-Site" Workflow

When a technician arrives at a property and opens the particular Job on their mobile PWA app, they have a potent suite of vital tools:

1. Status Triggers & En-Route Texts: Hitting "Start Travel" pings their GPS. You can map automations so that changing a status to "En Route" fires off an automated SMS to the customer stating "Your technician, Mike, is en route and will arrive in approx 15 minutes!"
2. Media Attachments: Rather than typing long notes, technicians can snap high-resolution Before/After photos of the repaired equipment directly from their phone camera. They can also record an audio voice memo summarizing the repair intricacies. All this media is uploaded straight into the Job's timeline permanently for office review.
3. Completion Validation: Marking a job strictly as "Completed" removes it from the active day's dispatch view, changes its status globally, and pings the dispatcher that it is fully ready to be officially invoiced to the client.