The scheduling program takes into consideration the ability of the technician, and the time required for each installation or service call item. The System offers full Dispatch functionality to prevent deviations in the work schedule, allowing the Dispatcher to fully utilize the field support staff.

“Over my 27 years in Cable TV Operations, I have worked with a number of billing systems, including all of the big ones. I am continually amazed and impressed with the capabilities that RR has over and above any of the others. The booking program allows us to be as detailed and specific as necessary to manage a large number of technicians with various skill sets across multiple work zones. I am also very happy with the ability to break complex work orders into multiple jobs that can be assigned to as many different people or departments as are necessary to schedule, manage and track a job from order entry through completion.”

Stephen Schneider
Director of Technical Operations
Sunflower Broadband
Lawrence, Kansas

When a work order is being created, the System automatically displays the first available date the work can be performed. In calculating this date, the System allows for the type of work requested, the time it requires, and the area where it will be done. The areas can be organised by ZIP code, a grid system, by defined levels or telephone exchange numbers. The program can even consider the capabilities of the individual technicians available. The RR Scheduling program will look at the services being ordered and automatically assign the first technician authorised to install those services with available time. With the proper authorisation, the date may be overridden.

The User begins completing the work order by recalling the work order onto the screen and verifying the installed services and date. Any necessary updates can be made on-screen. Based on this information, the System automatically posts the correct charges to the account. For new subscribers, the installation charge and the first month’s rental are posted. For existing subscribers, the System will prorate the monthly rental, and post any service/installation charges.

All information relating to all work orders is permanently retained – no data is ever purged. It is all instantly available on-line, no matter whether it relates to an active or inactive subscriber or unit. While handling a subscriber’s call, the CSR can review the history of all work orders ever done at that unit, or for that subscriber, no matter where he has ever lived within the cable system.

The System will increase your ability in defining very detailed technical work areas. The RR software will permit a set-up of distinct work days, holidays, technician parameters, shared work zones, work load comparisons, calendars and a large array of inquiry functions. Your dispatcher will be able to work within a paperless environment once all the parameters have been implemented.

The work zones may be established and utilised for work orders and service calls. You will find that creating, adjusting or deleting your monthly calendar is a very simple task.

The work zones, once established, will help control all your technical activities, efficiencies and/or deficiencies. Multiple reports are accessible and may be generated upon request. You may elect to have the End of Day or End of Month run present you with a variety of statistics that will help enhance your productivity.

Automatic Dispatching
The RR System automatically schedules the first available date for a work order and has the ability to automatically transmit the work order to field technicians.

The Work Order Booking Program will allow the users to book their work orders and service calls by certain types of tasks, and will also generate work order JOBS and service call JOBS based on these tasks.

The concept is quite simple, what it entails is that you can define the system to allow certain technicians to do specific JOBS. In other words you may have technicians that can only do cable work, some that only do digital, and then some that can only do Internet.

For example, let’s say that you create a work order to give the services basic cable, digital services and Internet services. Then what the system does is based on JOBS only certain technicians are allowed to perform the work for each one of these services, then work order (JOBS) are created so that the booking of the work order optimizes the use of the technicians.

Services (for work orders) and Service Call Work Types will have JOBS assigned to them. This means that a JOB is a unique piece of work that must be completed before another piece of work can be done.

Work staging:
Work orders and service calls will have different JOBS set up so that one piece of work (JOB/s) must be completed before the next piece of work can begin. Using JOBS, the booking program will automatically book a number of work order-JOBS and/or service call-JOBS depending on how many JOBS are required for the whole work order and/or service call to be completed.

Early notification of work (JOBS) not being completed will be through messaging, displays, and reports. The system will also permit automatic rescheduling of work order-JOBS and/or service call JOBS to be triggered by completion dates not met in the earlier JOBS of the work orders and service calls.

Technicians will also be defined by what JOBS they can perform. You will be able to configure the system to allow certain JOBS to be assigned to only certain technicians.