How do I assign resources to a team and support shared vehicle inventory?

You can assign mobile workers to a team using the Assign to Team option. This is often used to manage teamwork activities, where one mobile worker assists another for a specific job. This method can also be used to enable shared access to specialized vehicle inventory and tools.

Assigning Mobile Workers to Teamwork Activities

To assign a mobile worker as an assistant:

1. Select the Resource who will be the assistant from the Resource Tree.
2. In the resource hint, click Assign to Team. The Assists to context menu appears and displays the hierarchy of the resource tree up to the specific mobile worker that you can select as assisting. If you search for a resource, the search results display the matching resources, sorted in alphabetical order.
3. On the Add Activity page, add assisting as an activity. Select the duration, time slot, and position of the assisting activity. This screenshot shows the Add Activity page:
   
   
4. Click the Assists to Resource field to display the Assists to resource dialog box:
   
   
5. Choose one.

   • Use desired filters if necessary.

   • Type the resource name or ID in the search field.

6. Select your desired resource. Descriptions of the fields on the Assign resource to team dialog box are listed below:

   • Assists to: Select the pencil to search for your desired resource. Start typing the name of the resource in the search field that the selected resource will be assisting (the Team Leader). the application searches and brings up resource options as you type. Or, you can click the name of the resource in the resource tree and it fills in the Assists to field.

   • Position in Route: Select the position of this activity in the route. You can select beginning of route, between other scheduled activities; end of route, or as a not ordered activity.

   • Duration: Enter the length of time this teamwork assignment will last by using the drop-down lists for hours and minutes. The initial duration is based on the assistant's calendar for that day, without consideration for what other activities might already be on the route (it's maximum amount of whole hours for the shift). This time is rounded up to the equivalent of whole hours. You can adjust the duration as needed.

   • Time Slot: Time Slot refers to a time window within which the teamwork must begin. If a time slot is configured, the duration begins within that window, unless a prior activity on the route pushes the teamwork to start past the defined window. The default is all day, but you can change to reflect a specific time slot. Click Time Slot to select the time slot in which you want this activity to be performed.

   • Activity type: Select the teamwork Activity Type from the drop-down list.

   • Repeating Activity: If this is repeating Teamwork, select Repeating Activity. You can indicate whether this Teamwork repeats daily or weekly and on which days or weeks it must repeat. The days and duration of repeating teamwork is based on when you created the activities. Changes made to a team leader’s calendar or shift don't update the assistant’s repeating teamwork activities. This screenshot shows the Repeating Activity section:
     
     
   The Assists to field populates.
7. Once you've completed all required information, click OK. Teamwork appears in the Assistant’s work queue, and the Resource Tree indicates that the Team Leader is being assisted.

Using Teamwork to Share Inventory and Tools Across Resources

In some operational scenarios, specialized vehicles, such as trucks equipped with tools or parts, are shared among multiple mobile workers. These vehicles aren't assigned to a specific mobile worker but might support different mobile workers on different days.

To support this, configure the truck as a resource and assign mobile workers to it using teamwork activities. When a mobile worker assists a vehicle resource:

• They temporarily gain access to the truck's inventory.
• They might also inherit qualifications (skills) assigned to the truck.

This approach supports inventory access without needing to reassign or transfer inventory permanently. It enables flexible vehicle usage while maintaining accurate inventory tracking.

To implement this:

1. Set up the truck as a resource (ideally in a separate vehicle bucket).
2. Use Assign to Team to link the mobile worker to the truck for the required period.
3. Define the appropriate Activity Type and Duration based on the planned usage.