Dispatch Rules

Dispatch rules determine how bookings are assigned to available crew members. Otesse supports both automatic and manual dispatch.

Automatic Dispatch

When a booking is created, the automatic dispatch algorithm considers:

1. Zone Assignment

Only crew members assigned to the booking's zone are eligible.

2. Availability

The crew member must be available during the booking time:

• Not blocked for the date
• Working hours cover the booking window
• Buffer rules are satisfied (enough gap from adjacent bookings)

3. Skills Match

The crew member must be qualified for the service industry:

• Cleaning technicians for cleaning bookings
• Junk removal crews for hauling bookings
• Carpet technicians for carpet cleaning bookings

4. Workload Balance

Among eligible crew members, the algorithm prefers:

• The person with the lightest load that day (fewest bookings)
• Fair distribution over the week (avoid overloading one person)
• Continuity for recurring customers (same crew when possible)

5. Geographic Proximity

When multiple crew members are equally eligible:

• Prefer the person whose previous booking is geographically closest
• Reduces travel time and fuel costs
• Calculated using straight-line distance between service addresses

Priority Weighting

Each factor has a configurable weight:

Factor	Default Weight	Description
Zone match	Required	Must be assigned to the zone
Availability	Required	Must be free during the time slot
Skills match	Required	Must be qualified for the industry
Workload balance	40%	Distribute bookings evenly
Customer continuity	30%	Same crew for repeat customers
Geographic proximity	30%	Minimize travel between bookings

Adjust weights in Settings > Dispatch to match your operational priorities.

Manual Assignment

Override automatic dispatch by manually assigning crew:

1. Open the booking in the calendar or CRM
2. Click Assign Crew
3. Browse available team members with availability indicators
4. Select the crew member(s)
5. Confirm the assignment

Manual assignment overrides the algorithm. The system will warn if you assign someone who is outside the zone, not available, or overloaded, but it will not prevent the assignment.

Reassignment

To change the assigned crew after initial dispatch:

1. Open the booking
2. Click Reassign
3. Select the new crew member
4. Optionally notify the original assignee and the customer

Reassignment is logged in the activity log and the booking timeline.

Unassigned Bookings

If no crew member matches all required criteria, the booking is flagged as "Unassigned" and appears in the dispatcher's queue. Dispatchers should:

1. Check the unassigned queue daily
2. Manually assign crew or adjust availability
3. Contact the customer to reschedule if no crew is available