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Scheduling & Dispatch

Scheduling and dispatch define when work happens and who is doing it.

While projects, deliverables, and tasks describe what needs to be done, scheduling and dispatch describe how work is executed in time and space.

What Is Scheduling?​

Scheduling answers the question:

When is work planned to happen?

Scheduling places work onto a timeline so teams can:

  • Plan ahead
  • Avoid conflicts
  • Balance workloads
  • Understand availability

Schedules provide structure without committing resources yet.

What Is Dispatch?​

Dispatch answers the question:

Who is assigned to do the work, and when?

Dispatch turns plans into assignments by:

  • Assigning people, crews, or equipment
  • Setting start and end times
  • Adjusting work in real time as conditions change

Scheduling is planning.
Dispatch is execution.

How Scheduling Fits Into the System​

Scheduling connects to:

  • Projects (what the work is for)
  • Tasks or jobs (what is being done)
  • Resources (who can do the work)
  • Locations (where the work happens)

It allows teams to move from abstract planning to actionable timelines.

What Gets Scheduled​

Common items that appear in schedules include:

  • Field work
  • Site visits
  • Inspections
  • Meetings
  • Production work
  • Multi-day efforts

Not everything needs to be scheduled, but anything time-sensitive benefits from it.

Resources and Assignments​

Work is scheduled against resources, such as:

  • Individual people
  • Crews or teams
  • Equipment
  • Vehicles

Assignments clarify:

  • Responsibility
  • Availability
  • Conflicts
  • Utilization

A single resource can have many assignments across different projects.

Unassigned vs. Assigned Work​

Work often begins as unassigned:

  • It exists
  • It needs to be done
  • But no one is scheduled yet

Dispatch moves work from:

  • Unassigned → Assigned

This makes it easy to prioritize and adjust without losing track of pending work.

Adjusting Schedules​

Schedules are designed to change.

You can:

  • Move work earlier or later
  • Extend or shorten assignments
  • Reassign work to different resources
  • Cancel or pause scheduled items

Changes update immediately across the system.

Scheduling Views​

Scheduled work may appear in:

  • Timelines or Gantt views
  • Calendar views
  • Dispatch boards
  • Resource schedules

These are different perspectives on the same schedule data.

Scheduling vs. Tasks​

This distinction is important:

  • Tasks describe what needs to be done
  • Scheduling describes when it will be done
  • Dispatch describes who will do it

A task may exist long before it is scheduled.

Scheduling vs. Deliverables​

Deliverables define outputs.
Scheduling defines effort and timing.

For example:

  • Deliverable: Site Survey
  • Scheduled Work: Field crew onsite Tuesday 8am–12pm

Why Scheduling & Dispatch Matter​

Scheduling and dispatch help teams:

  • Use time efficiently
  • Avoid overbooking
  • Respond quickly to changes
  • Coordinate across multiple projects
  • See workload clearly

They turn plans into action.

What Scheduling & Dispatch Do Not Do​

Scheduling and dispatch:

  • ❌ Do not define scope
  • ❌ Do not replace tasks or deliverables
  • ❌ Do not automatically imply billing
  • ❌ Do not replace project management

They focus strictly on execution timing and assignment.

What’s Next​

Now that work is planned and assigned, the next concept explains who and what performs the work:

➡️ Resources & Teams

Resources define the people, crews, and equipment that make scheduling possible.