Scheduling Service Bays or Workstations

MyDispatch is an ideal tool to organize service bays or workstations.  Tasks or work orders are assigned to specific bays or workstations because of the required equipment or technicians.  These tasks are created in EBMS or MyTime and accessed by the technician using using a tablet with MyTime or on a MS Windows computer.  Managing service tasks, appointments including due dates, as well as task details are scheduled by the service manager or dispatcher using MyDispatch.  

Setup MyDispatch and MyTime

Complete the following steps to setup MyDispatch for a service department organizing service bays or individual workstations:

  1. Install MyDispatch on the dispatcher's or manager's MS Windows desktop, tablet, or laptop that will be used to organize or schedule tasks.  MyDispatch requires the MS Windows 10 OS and is downloaded from the Windows Store.   

  2. Install MyTime or EBMS tasks on MS Windows tablets or laptops normally located at the service bay or workstation.  The service workstations may consist of either or a combination of the following:

    1. MyTime:  Configure MyTime for the LAN connection to EBMS which does not require remote users or advanced communication.  Review MyTime > Setup > Connections and User Settings for installation instructions.

    2. EBMS Tasks:  Review Tasks > Getting Started > Using Tasks as Work Orders for details on how to use EBMS to manage work orders.

  3. Assign users for either (or both) MyDispatch for dispatchers and MyTime for technicians within EBMS by selecting Labor > Labor options > Apps from the main EBMS menu and complete the following:

    1. Configure the homepage for individual dispatchers:  Review MyDispatch > EBMS User Configuration for steps to configure MyDispatch app settings for each dispatcher or manager.

    2. Configure the homepage for individual technicians:  Review MyTime > Setup > EBMS User Configuration for steps to configure the MyTime homepage and settings for individual users (workers).

Using MyDispatch and MyTime

  1. Launch MyEBMS on a MS Windows device.

  2. Select MyDispatch from the MyEBMS menu to open the following 2 panes:

    1. The schedule pane:  This pane displays the daily schedule for each bay or workstation.

    2. The list pane:  This pane displays user defined task lists that allow the user to drag tasks to the daily schedule pane.   

    3. The map pane:  The map pane should be hidden as shown above.  Drag the adjust bar between the task list and map panes to the left   

  3. Identify the bay or workstation title or id.  Adding or removing workstations from this list is done within the dispatcher worker record in EBMS.  

  4. These user defined lists are important to keep tasks accessible to the dispatcher.   Review MyDispatch > Setup > EBMS User Configuration to add or remove workstations and task lists shown in pane B.  Some recommended list queries when scheduling worstations:

    1. Unassigned:  Advanced query expression:  substr(id, 1, 3) <> '($)' .and. trim(emp_id)=trim(' ') .and. completed =.f. .and. PRIORITY <> 'Pending'

    2. Unscheduled:  Advanced query expression:  substr(id, 1, 3) <> '($)' .and. (trim(dtos(start_date)) = trim(' ')) .and. completed=.f. .and. PRIORITY <> 'Pending'

    3. Overdue: Advanced query expression:  substr(id, 1, 3) <> '($)' .and. completed=.f. .and. end_date<>stod('        ') .and. end_date<date()

    4. The queries listed above may be able to be accomplished by using the simpler Set Query dialog although the advanced queries can easily be copied from this documentation to the advanced query dialog.  

  5. Set the date to view the schedule for future dates.

  6. Use the tool bar add or delete a task or refresh a list.  

    1. Tap or touch and hold on the task list to create a new task

    2. Tap to refresh the schedule and lists immediately.  Tap settings to adjust the automated refresh rate.

    3. Tap to or touch and hold on the task list to delete a task