AI Assisted Work Order Scheduling

How the AI Scheduling Assistant finds the best time slot for a proposal, or the best proposal for an open time slot.

Screenshot

Feature-AI Assisted Work Order Scheduler

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wyj6XtD6KZwSNDF2IYI0mFrRVq0caHd3

Background

Scheduling approved work usually means checking several crews’ calendars, estimating drive time between jobs, and confirming that any specialized equipment is free. The AI Scheduling Assistant does that search for the user.

The assistant works in two directions:

• Proposal → Slot — The user starts from an approved proposal card. The assistant scans the selected crews’ schedules over the next 14 days and returns 3 ranked time slots.
• Slot → Proposal — The user starts from an open slot on the calendar. The assistant returns 3 ranked approved proposals that fit that slot, based on drive time and crew availability.

In both cases, choosing a suggestion opens the standard scheduling editor with the details already filled in. Nothing is saved until the user confirms.

⚠️Note: The AI Scheduling Assistant does that legwork and recommends the best options, but you stay in control. Nothing is added to the calendar until you review and save it.

Version / Platform

Feature Highlights

• Two ways to schedule — Find the best slot for a proposal, or find the best proposal for an open slot.
• Suggests the best open slots — Scans all selected crews’ schedules over the next 14 days for gaps that fit the job.
• Fills gaps in the calendar — Suggests approved proposals that fit an open slot, showing the location, hours on calendar, and added drive time for each.
• Estimates drive time — Uses Google Maps to favor options with the shortest drive from a crew’s nearest job.
• Checks equipment availability — Tracks when required equipment frees up and how long it needs to reach the new site.
• Understands plain-language preferences — Users can type requests like “Avoid Friday afternoon” or “Find the best proposal to fill the space” with no fixed format.
• Lives inside the existing scheduler — Clicking Schedule opens the familiar scheduling editor, pre-filled and ready to save.

Step-by-Step

Part A covers Proposal → Slot. Part B covers Slot → Proposal.

Route 1

A1. Open the AI assistant from an approved proposal

Find the proposal card — In the proposal queue on the right side of the scheduling screen, locate an approved proposal card.

Launch the assistant — Click the card’s ✦ AI Schedule button to open the AI Scheduling Assistant.

A2. Set up the search

Choose crews / yards — Check the crews (yards) the AI should consider. Select only the most relevant crews; selecting too many makes the results less focused.

Select required equipment (optional) — If the job needs specialized equipment such as a bucket truck, crane, or chipper, check it. The AI will also verify its availability and travel time to the site.

Add a scheduling preference (optional) — Describe the preference in one plain sentence, such as “Schedule it for July 25th, morning preferred” or “Avoid Friday afternoon.” No fixed format is required.

A3. Review the suggested time slots

Run the search — Click Find Best Time Slots. The search takes about 20–40 seconds.

Compare the results — The assistant returns 3 ranked suggestions, each with the date and time, crew, drive time, and the AI’s reasoning. Read the reasoning rather than assuming the #1 result is always the best fit.

Refine if needed — If none of the suggestions fit, adjust the crews, equipment, or prompt and click Regenerate Suggestions.

A4. Schedule and save

The AI scheduler won’t schedule a work order for you; it will only provide suggestions.

Open the editor — Click Schedule on the chosen suggestion. The standard scheduling editor opens with the proposal details, start/end time, crew, and equipment already filled in.

Review and save — Double-check the details, fine-tune if needed, then save.

Route 2

B1. Select an open slot on the calendar

Pick any calendar view — Slot → Proposal works in Day, Week, Month, Timeline Week, and Timeline Month. What can be selected depends on the view.

Day, Week, or Timeline Week — Select the time on the crew’s calendar where the work order should start.

Month or Timeline Month — Select the day to fill. These views do not show hours, so only the date can be chosen.

Open the assistant — The AI Scheduling Assistant opens and shows the date, the suggested time range, and the yard under Open Slot.

Note: The user only chooses when the slot starts (or, in Month views, which day). The AI suggests how long the open slot is.

B2. Review the suggested proposals

Add a prompt (optional) — Describe what to prioritize in plain language, such as “Find the best proposal to fill the space.”

Compare the results — Under Suggested Jobs for This Slot, the assistant lists 3 ranked approved proposals. Each shows the proposal number and name, location, hours on calendar, added drive time, and the AI’s reasoning.

Refine if needed — If none of the suggestions fit, adjust the prompt and click Regenerate Suggestions.

B3. Schedule and save

Open the editor — Click Schedule on the chosen proposal. The Schedule Work Order editor opens with the work order name, approved proposal, yard, resources, and start/end time already filled in. The start time accounts for the added drive time (for example, a slot starting at 8:00 AM with 8 minutes of added drive begins at 8:08 AM).

Review and save — Double-check the details, fine-tune if needed, then click Save or Save & Email.

Important: In both modes, nothing is saved automatically. The scheduling editor always opens first for confirmation, and the final decision is always the user’s.

Tips for Best Results

• Use Proposal → Slot when a specific job needs a date. Use Slot → Proposal when a crew has an open gap to fill.
• Select only crews that are geographically relevant to the job.
• Flag specialized equipment only when it is actually required; unnecessary equipment narrows the search.
• If the customer has a date preference, state it in the prompt.
• Read the AI’s reasoning and review the scheduling editor before saving; times may still need adjusting.
• Do not rely on Proposal → Slot for same-day scheduling; its look-ahead window starts tomorrow.

Quick Reference

Comparing the two modes

What the AI factors in

Troubleshooting / Support FAQ

What is the difference between the two modes?

Proposal → Slot starts from a job and finds when to do it. Slot → Proposal starts from an open time on a crew’s calendar and finds which approved job to put there. Both end in the same scheduling editor.

Which calendar views support Slot → Proposal?

All of them. In Day, Week, and Timeline Week, the user selects a start time. In Month and Timeline Month, the user selects a day.

Can I choose how long the open slot is?

No. The user only chooses when the slot starts (or which day, in Month views). The AI suggests the length of the open slot.

Which proposals can Slot → Proposal suggest?

Approved proposals only, the same as Proposal → Slot.

Will the AI save the schedule automatically?

No. The AI only provides suggestions. The scheduling editor always opens, and the user must confirm and save before anything takes effect.

What if none of the three suggestions fit?

In Proposal → Slot, adjust the selected crews or equipment, or add more specific requirements to the prompt (such as a date or time-of-day preference), then search again. In Slot → Proposal, adjust the prompt and click Regenerate Suggestions, or select a different slot.

Can this be used for same-day emergency jobs?

Proposal → Slot looks 14 days ahead starting tomorrow, so it will not suggest same-day slots.

What does “added drive” mean in Slot → Proposal?

It is the extra drive time the crew would need to reach that proposal’s site from its neighboring jobs. The pre-filled start time in the editor already includes it.

Why don’t some slots show drive time?

Drive time is only calculated when the crew or equipment already has another job right before or after that slot. For the first job of the day there is no nearby location to reference. This does not mean travel takes zero time.

Is drive time based on real-time traffic?

No. Drive time is estimated with a consistent Monday 8 AM departure traffic model so results stay consistent. It does not reflect actual day-to-day traffic conditions.

Why are there sometimes fewer than three suggestions?

In Proposal → Slot, the system evaluates up to 15 candidate slots and narrows them to 3. If the relevant crews are already heavily booked, fewer slots will qualify.