Using the Dispatch Board
The Dispatch Board is the central scheduling interface in FieldPulse. It provides a real-time, visual representation of your team's appointments, availability, and workload.
Accessing the Dispatch Board
Navigate to Scheduling → Dispatch Board from the main navigation menu. The board loads with the current date range selected by default.
Board Layout
The dispatch board displays:
- Technician columns — one column per active technician, sorted alphabetically by last name
- Time blocks — vertical grid lines marking hourly or half-hourly intervals (configurable in Settings → Scheduling Preferences)
- Work order cards — color-coded blocks representing scheduled jobs
Card Colors and Status
| Color | Status |
|---|---|
| Blue | Scheduled |
| Green | In Progress |
| Yellow | On Hold / Waiting for Parts |
| Red | Overdue / At Risk |
| Gray | Completed |
Card color is determined automatically based on work order status and scheduled time. For information on status transitions, see Work Order Status Definitions.
Core Actions
Creating a New Work Order
Click any empty time slot on a technician's column. The Create Work Order dialog opens with the technician and time pre-populated.
Rescheduling with Drag-and-Drop
Drag any work order card to a new time slot or technician column. The system validates technician availability and work hours before committing the change. See Drag-and-Drop Scheduling for detailed behavior and constraints.
Viewing Work Order Details
Click any card to open a condensed details panel. Double-click to open the full work order record.
Filtering and Search
Use the filter bar above the board to narrow the view:
- Date range — day, week, or custom range
- Technicians — multi-select specific team members
- Status — filter by work order status
- Service type — filter by job category
- Customer tags — filter by customer properties
Active filters persist across sessions for the logged-in user.
Real-Time Updates
The dispatch board refreshes automatically every 30 seconds when the browser tab is active. Changes made by other dispatchers or technicians in the field appear without manual refresh.
Status indicators in the upper right show:
- Connection status to FieldPulse servers
- Pending sync operations (if offline mode was recently used)
- Number of technicians currently visible vs. total active
Printing and Export
The Print button generates a printer-friendly version of the current board view. Export to PDF creates a timestamped document suitable for offline reference or distribution. For more export options, see Printing and Exporting Work Orders.
Mobile Dispatch Board
A read-only version of the dispatch board is available in the FieldPulse mobile app for iOS and Android. Technicians can view their schedule and nearby jobs but cannot reschedule or reassign work orders from mobile.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| N | Create new work order |
| T | Jump to today's date |
| ← → | Previous / next day |
| F | Focus filter bar |
| ? | Show all shortcuts |
See Also
- Scheduling a Job: Step by Step
- Drag-and-Drop Scheduling
- Route Optimization: How It Works
- Setting Technician Availability and Work Hours
- Advanced Dispatch: Color Coding and Filters