Automated Dispatch for Communications Companies

B.J. Neeley
Intergraph Communications
Mailstop: LR23B2
Huntsville, Al. 35894-000

Communications Dispatch Needs
Communication companies are facing an increasingly competitive environment and continuing rate reductions are beginning to affect operating revenues. In order to remain competitive, companies are re-evaluating their internal business processes and technologies. All competitive service providers need ways to automate and integrate their business processes. Companies are not only considered for their rates but also by the efficiencies demonstrated in provisioning, activation, and delivery of service.

What is the solution? Through the use of automated dispatch technology, service providers are offered an effective framework that will allow them to manage and respond efficiently to multiple types of work – service, emergency, construction, and maintenance. Figure 1 illustrates the typical dispatch framework.

Figure 1. Typical Dispatch Framework
The vast majority of communications providers operate within a centralized dispatch center with up to fifty dispatch clerks, each having the responsibility for managing up to twenty work crews in three separate shifts. These centralized dispatch operations can have a 24/7 responsibility that, in some cases, covers several states. In terms of resources, a dispatcher will know how many crews he is controlling, the skills that are available within each crew, the equipment in use, and the vehicle type.

With most automated dispatching systems, the dispatch clerk can track average completion times for each work event type. The ability to track work order completion times will allow the dispatch clerk to provide a very accurate commitment time when responding to customer service requests. The automated dispatch environment also provides automatic workload distribution and assignment based on crew schedules and capabilities. In a busy dispatch center, the ability to quickly locate the most capable crews, equipment and vehicles is extremely important.

Some of the more sophisticated dispatch systems are able to automatically dispatch work events with no interaction required by the dispatcher. Certain work events can be defined for auto- dispatch based on predefined logical rules that are embedded into the auto-dispatch engine. For example, a service disconnect can be worked by any crew with basic skills. When a service disconnect is received, the system will select a crew based on the their proximity to the work event, current workload, and work schedule.

Other more complex work events can also be automatically dispatched. The system can base its selection on the following criteria:

• "Proximity to the Work Event
• "Current Workload
• "Scheduled Work Time
• "Overtime Worked
• "Crew Training and Experience
• "Vehicle Loading
• "Special Equipment

The system should allow dispatcher overrides of the auto selection when required. The use of automatic dispatching is extremely important during emergencies such as storms. The automatic dispatching engine will manage the routine work assignments, which allows the dispatch clerks to focus the emergency assignments.

The dispatch-scheduling engine is designed to track factors such as en-route and completion times for all event types by the following:

• "Day
• "Week
• "Time
• "Month
• "Weather Condition

For example, under different circumstances, the amount of time it will take to make a repair will vary based on weather conditions and the time of day. It is important to be able to accurately track this type of activity to better manage routine work assignments.

Most dispatch solutions allow operational data to be stored for audit purposes and retrospective event analysis. With this information available, the dispatcher is much better equipped to provide the customer a satisfactory commitment. Typical management reports that can be generated include:

• Job history detail by mobile worker
• Chronological job history
• Job history report by job number
• Customer list detail sorted by account ID
• Customer list detail sorted by account name
• Mobile worker activity log
• Mobile worker log on / log off summary

Lets take a look at the system types
There are many dispatch systems on the market today. Before selecting an electronic dispatch system, there are several considerations that include:

• "Should the dispatch system be text based or map based?
• "Do I need an interface to my CIS system?
• "What other enterprise system should I interface with?
• "What financial benefits can I expect?

The first type is a non-graphic system. In most cases, non-graphic systems will work well and provide a reasonable return on investment. The advantages and disadvantages of the non-graphic system include:

Advantages
Cheaper than graphic based systems
Lower upkeep cost (no map updates)

Disadvantages
Not as easy to track field crews
Return on investment not as high
No dynamic vehicle tracking
Cannot handle as many Crews per
Dispatcher

The second type of dispatch system is a graphic-based system. The advantages and disadvantages of the graphic system include:

Advantages
More accurate routing
Visual crew and work event tracking
Very good return on investment
Dynamic vehicle tracking
Crew to Dispatcher ratio 40/1

Disadvantages
Costs more to implement
Costs more to maintain (map and facility updates)

It is important in map-based system to use an intelligent map. This means the map will have street names, street intersections and address ranges. This allows the system to select the best route between work events. Additional map information such as turn radiuses, bridges load rating, overpass height, etc will provide a more accurate route.




Most dispatch systems both graphic and non-graphic can provide call-taker functionality or interface with a call-taker system to accept work events. This gives you the option of using your existing call-taking system or replacing it with the dispatch system functionality. Using your existing call-taking system can eliminate the need for an interface to your CIS system. Most systems provide the capability to auto-fill the work event form (virtual form) by inputting the name, telephone number, or address of the customer. The system then fills in the missing information, including class of service, priority information, etc. This saves a significant amount of time for the dispatcher.

Another useful interface is the electronic time reporting system. Since the system knows what the field crews are working on and how long it takes to complete, electronic time cards can be automatically completed.

Electronic dispatch systems also provide a platform for combining and simplifying your dispatch systems. Most communications systems have at least three and sometimes four separate dispatch systems, construction work orders, service orders, repair orders and sometimes a separate system for routine maintenance and inspection.

In most cases these systems are stand-alone and do not interface with other. The electronic dispatch allows each organization to dispatch and track their own crews, but provides the capability to dispatch any or all crews for a major outage. In a major outage, you may need construction crews to restore service. In the manual dispatch world, it can be a timely and frustrating task to locate and dispatch the crews you need. Because the electronic system knows where all your crews are located, how they are equipped, their skill level and where the work event is located, it is a much easier task to locate and pick the right crew for the task.

Interfaces
Interfaces to other enterprise systems can make the dispatcher much more productive. In a map based system it is very useful to be able to display your GIS based facility data on the dispatch map. This allows the dispatcher to locate, and review attributes on any item of plant reported. For example in a “pole down” event, it is important to know if the pole is yours, the size, type, and what attachments are on the pole.

Other systems to interface with are:

Work Management
The dispatch system should be capable of accepting work input from a Work Management System and automatically create a work event.

Customer Information
An interface to the Customer Information System will allow the dispatcher to auto fill the work event form by keying in an address, name or wild card location.

Line Assignment
A Line Assignment System interface will allow the dispatcher to key in an address and auto load the telephone number.

Voice Response Systems
This interface allows customers to call in and automatically create a work event.

Out Side Plant Alarm Systems
Alarms such as open manhole, cable pressure, span line etc. can automatically create work events.

Electronic Time Sheet Systems
The dispatch can track time, account codes, cost codes, cause codes and transmit this information to your ETS system to help automate crew time reporting.

Inventory Systems
Using a virtual form on the mobile data terminal, the field crew can capture data on the type and amount of equipment and material used and transmit that information to your inventory system. This will allow the storeroom crew to re-supply the crew’s vehicle for the next work session.

The end result of these interfaces is to reduce the dispatch load and ultimately reduce costs and provide improved service to your customers.

Communications
Communication between the dispatcher and the field crews can be as simple as using a company radio or pager up to a more complex system using mobile data terminals connected to the dispatcher by radio or cellular modem. In the simplest configuration, field crews contact the dispatcher by telephone to receive assignments. The dispatcher can page the field crews to advise of a new work assignment or contact them by cellular phone or radio. The most productive method is by use of mobile data terminals. The mobile data terminal can be a standard laptop, a “hardened” laptop or a vehicle-mounted computer. There is some concern recently about using laptops in a vehicle. There have been a few cases where the vehicle was involved in an accident and the airbag deployed. The airbag hit the laptop with such force, that it exploded causing injury to the driver. Use of a mounting platform for the laptop helps with this problem, but does not eliminate it. There seems to be a move in the industry toward using vehicle-mounted computers. CE devices and palm tops are now appearing in the dispatch environment. While lower in cost, most do not have the storage capability to work as efficiently as the vehicle-mounted computers.

We are also seeing entry into the dispatch environment of cellular phones capable of displaying graphic and text messages.

Once available only in Europe, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is rapidly becoming available in the US. This protocol together with WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) will be available in the dispatch market soon providing a cheap alternative to mobile data terminals. These cellular phones can be configured with built in GPS and moving map displays. The portability and low cost makes this an attractive alternative a mobile data terminal. to While cheaper, they will also lack the capability of the mobile data terminal.

One of the problems with mobile data terminals, be they laptops or vehicle-mounted, is updating the operating system, application software and data on the mobile units.

With the release of an Ethernet-equivalent standard, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology is now available to help solve this update problem. WLANs transmit and receive data over the air, through walls, ceilings and even cement structures, without wired cabling. A WLAN provides all the features and benefits of traditional LAN technologies like Ethernet and Token Ring, but without the limitations of being tethered to a cable. This allows data to be transmitted to mobile data terminals in a work center without removing them from the vehicle. Just as wired LANs use copper or fiber optic cable, WLANs also use a medium: radio frequencies. Data is superimposed onto a radio wave through a process called modulation, and this "carrier wave" then acts as the transmission medium, taking the place of a wire.

This wireless LAN eliminates any need for the crew to load or update software or data on their mobile data terminals. The master server in the work center can send a signal to the mobile data terminal during off hours and update the mobile data terminal’s system. The field crews like this system because they do not have to remember to update their computers, it is done for them automatically. The mobile data terminals can be configure to automatically shut down at a pre-set time after the vehicle is turned-off, and automatically boot up and start the dispatch application when the ignition is turned on. This allows the field crew to concentrate on communications business, without having to worry about their computer, it is basically a “hands-off” operation.

Benefits
Of course the main benefits we are looking for with this system is improved customer satisfaction and reduced operating costs. The more accurate commitment time enabled by automated dispatch is a major factor in increasing customer satisfaction. The capability of dispatching a crew with the proper training, experience and with the right equipment on their vehicle to fix the problem on the first trip is invaluable.

Storm or major outage restoration can be accomplished much faster due to cross department coordination of resources.

Auto Dispatch and bulk loading relieve the dispatcher from routine task making it possible for one dispatcher to handle up to forty field crews.

Dispatch systems with an intelligent land-base can offer much more accurate routing that greatly reduces windshield time. Industry studies show fifteen to twenty minute reduction per work event.

Accurate routing reduces not only crew time but vehicle miles and expense. This equates to an average reduction of 10 to 15 miles per vehicle driven each day. With a work force of 100 crews and an average cost per mile of .47, this is a daily savings of $470 in vehicle costs. An automated dispatch will also help eliminate multiple dispatches for the same work event. The system can recognize and report in the same area and group these together for a single dispatch. With an average loaded cost of $150.00 per dispatch and an average tariff of $35.00 per resident service, each dispatch eliminated saves at least four months revenue. Industry studies of dispatch systems in production show an improvement in productivity of 20% to 24%. This means that in the expanding enterprise, the work of 31 technicians could be completed with an existing crew of 25.
Better Service
Lower Operating Cost
Keep the Customers You Have
Win New Business