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My users would love to be able to receive and view scheduled dispatch 1 or 2 days before the scheduled date or at the moment it got assigned. Then they can plan ahead of time. It would mess up dispatch calendar if I set current date in dispatch start date and time for a future dispatch.
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Hi Nam,
I'm excited to share that we just released a feature that allows you to view 7 days worth of Dispatches at a time! This should help give your team an opportunity to better prepare for the job ahead of time. Here are some quick details:
Click here to read the full release details.
Thanks!
Siobhan
For me I use the description screen to explain when it's due. if you have an app to be completed on Wednesday (e.g. 01/03/2019), I allow the dispatch to go out on Monday (01/01/2019) but in the description I put "RCD" for required completion date" and the date that it's due so the user knows exactly when it needs to be done by looking at their device queue. You could take this a step further and add a 'today's' date field to the app that is not editable. You then also add another required conditional logic field that only appears when the date criteria (today or>) is met. Then you set a conditional branch that will not allow the user to submit the report until the day that is required has arrived.
You could also do this on the very first screen of the app, so the user cannot even start the app until the day arrives.
Hi Nam,
Thank you for sharing this suggestion! I understand how planning ahead could be easier given the ability to view scheduled dispatches before the actual date.
Keith, thanks for these awesome suggestions to help Nam work around this in the meantime!
All the best,
Siobhan
I guess the feature request would be to have an option for users to see their queued dispatches on the calendar. If you wanted to use a secondary calendar like google calendar or outlook, you could easily build a zap for this in zapier. If interested I can set one up and take some screenshots.. leave me know.
Hello Keith,
Sorry for the bad explanation. Here is my problem:
My users need most of the information in the dispatch app to plan ahead but the dispatch would only available to them on the scheduled date. If they are able to receive the dispatch 1 or 2 days earlier, they can plan and prepare better for the job.
I tried to put those information in the description but it would be too much to put there; plus it would double our dispatcher job to enter the same infomation twice in the description and the form.
What if we want scheduled dispatches to have the option of being worked early? Example: We're using our app for scheduled delivery appointments. If a driver shows up a day earlier and we can get his truck loaded, then we'd like to use the dispatch that's already loaded and waiting on the tablet. Right now, they can see it, but not work it. Their only option is to create a brand new record and then we end up with duplicates.
Is there a way to make the future dispatches filled out early?
Traci Hancock I think that's a valid feature request. A couple of potential work-arounds:
1. Schedule everything for first thing Monday, so people can start what needs starting anytime after that (in that case, I'd recommend including scheduled date/time fields within the App so users know when they're supposed to start)
2. When someone does need to start early, you can unassign them from the Dispatch, then re-schedule and re-assign it from the GoCanvas backend. I happened to do this from the Dispatch Calendar (click on the event, unassign it; then click on the event, edit it and update the date/time and re-add the assignment and save). You can also do that from the Workflow & Dispatch page by editing the Dispatch, but you have to un-assign, edit the date & time, save that, and THEN go into in and re-assign it so it's a little more tedious).
Hope something in there might work for you. The other option might be to explore the new Assignments functionality, which would allow the user to claim the task at any time, but that probably has the same complications as option 1.