Introduction to the BigChange Schedule

Efficient job scheduling is essential for optimising your workforce and improving operational efficiency. This article will help you understand the BigChange's scheduling features.

The scheduling feature in BigChange allows you to plan, manage, and optimise your resources schedules efficiently.

Schedule Overview

The Schedule is located in the main top navigation bar and is the heart of the BigChange Job Management System.

1. Job Scheduling: Allows you to assign jobs to resources based on their availability, skills, and location. You can create, edit, and delete jobs as needed.

2. Calendar View: Provides a visual representation of your resources schedules, making it easy to see who is available and when. This can be in daily, weekly, or monthly views.

3. Drag and Drop Interface: Simplifies the process of scheduling by allowing you to drag and drop jobs into the schedule.

4. Real-Time Updates: Ensures that any changes made to the schedule are updated in real-time, so resources are always aware of their latest assignments.

5. Resource Management: Helps you manage your resources effectively by showing the availability and location of your resources and equipment.

6. Route Optimisation: Optimises the routes for your resources to minimise travel time and fuel costs, ensuring they can complete more jobs in less time.

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Navigating the Schedule

Below is a brief overview of the schedule and its features and fuctions, with each covered in its own article.

The Jobs Icons

These provide a quick and easy way to add jobs to the Schedule.  Please read the separate article for more information on Job Scheduling.

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Calendar toggle

The Date and Calendar options on the schedule enable users to navigate to the next or previous day using the < > arrows. Additionally, by selecting the calendar icon, users can choose a specific day to view.

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Display

Please read the separate article for more information on Schedule Display Menu - Viewing options and filters.

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Unscheduled Jobs

In BigChange, an "unscheduled job" refers to a job that has been created in the system but has not yet been assigned to a specific resource or vehicle for its completion. This status indicates that the job is pending scheduling and requires further action to allocate the necessary resources and time slots to ensure it gets completed. Unscheduled jobs can be found on the schedule located in the UNSCHEDULED JOBS section.

Please read the separate article for more information on Managing Unscheduled Jobs.

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View by Resource or Vehicle

By selecting either the Resources or Vehicles icon, you can toggle the display between these two key groupings.

Resource View	Vehicle View

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Functions, Visuals, Colours and Icons

The BigChange schedule integrates various functions, visuals, icons, and colors to provide a user-friendly and efficient interface. Visuals and icons represent these functions and categories, making navigation intuitive and straightforward. Colors are used strategically to denote job statuses, priority levels, and other critical elements, enabling users to quickly identify and manage tasks.

Please read the separate article for more information on Understanding Schedule Icons and Colours.

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Routes

A Route is a series of individual jobs to be undertaken in a single day by either an individual or a vehicle. If you highlight the required Route from your list and drag and drop it onto the schedule, all the jobs are created at once, to be completed one after the other by the resource. The jobs are referred to as “stops” within the Route. Scheduling a Route is much quicker for the back office than it would be were each job to be individually added to the schedule.

Please read the separate article for more information on Routes

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Conclusion

By following this guide, you can efficiently schedule jobs, optimise routes, and ensure seamless communication between your office and field-based resources. Utilise BigChange's features to enhance your job scheduling process and improve overall operational efficiency.