Dispatch Group - Main
To define your organization's dispatch groups, open .
Description of Page
Enter an easily recognizable Dispatch Group ID and Description for each dispatch group.
Turn on Allow Dispatch if orders allocated to this dispatch group are "dispatchable".
Trouble orders without a premise. The only example we can think of where Allow Dispatch is off would be for the dispatch group associated with trouble orders without a premise. These trouble orders are associated with a "dummy" service point, and the dummy service point's operations area should reference the unknown dispatch group. Someone would need to periodically look at the unknown dispatch group and associate its field activities with the appropriate service point and dispatch group.
If this dispatch group is "dispatchable" and work for this dispatch group is interfaced to an external system, indicate the appropriate external system feature configuration or outage management feature configuration for the dispatch group.
Separate module. Functionality related to integrating with an external system or an outage system is associated with separate function modules. The feature configuration field is not available if these modules are turned off.
Batch Control along with the Field Order Extract algorithm defined on the Algorithms tab control how field orders that reference this dispatch group are printed (both in batch and online). Refer to Technical Implementation Of Batch Field Order Production for more information about producing field orders in batch. Refer to Technical Implementation Of Online Field Order Production for more information about online field order production.
- Use Batch Control to define the process that creates the flat file that is passed to your field order printing software. If you use an Extract Algorithm to construct the downloaded information, you can use the either the FODL or the DSGPFODL.
- Use the Field Order Extract algorithm defined on the Algorithms tab to define the plug-in component that constructs the "flat file records" that contain the information to be merged onto field orders that reference this dispatch group. This algorithm is called when a user requests an online image of a field order on Field Order - Main and it may also be called by the batch field order extraction process defined above. Please be aware that the system comes with a sample algorithm type - FOEX-OX - that should be used as a sample if you have to write a new plug-in algorithm.
Use Alternative Dispatch Group to define the dispatch group that can do everything that this dispatch group can do. This field is used when the system attempts to find a common dispatch group for all field activities associated with a premise (when such field activities don't have the same dispatch group) during the appointment scheduling process. Refer to Using Alternate Dispatch Groups To Find The Lowest Common Denominator for more information.
Use Allow FA Type Change When Dispatched to indicate if FA Type changes are allowed once a field activity is dispatched.
The Representative collection shows the representatives who may be assigned to field orders performed by a dispatch group.