System and Method for Dispatching Field Technicians Based on Locations of Virtual Warehouses

• US 20100153165A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon K., Kosseifi, Mario
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method is disclosed for determining a technician to dispatch to a customer site requiring a service call. A first plurality of technicians assigned to a customer site requiring a service call is determined. A location of each of the technicians is also determined. A first plurality of distances is determined between each of the technicians and a plurality of locations at which is disposed equipment needed for the service call. A second plurality of distances is determined between each of the technicians and a plurality of service vehicles at which is disposed the equipment needed for the service call. One of the technicians is dispatched to the customer site based on the location of each of the technicians, on the first plurality of distances, and on the second plurality of distances. A system for implementing the method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, in a computer, a first plurality of first service vehicles assigned to a customer site requiring a service call;

determining a location of each of the first service vehicles;

determining a first plurality of respective distances between each of the first service vehicles and a plurality of locations at which is disposed equipment needed for the service call;

determining a second plurality of distances between each of the first service vehicles and a plurality of second service vehicles at which is disposed the equipment needed for the service call; and

dispatching one of the first service vehicles to the customer site based on the location of at least two of the first service vehicles, on the first plurality of distances, and on the second plurality of distances.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a location of the service call; and

determining the locations at which the equipment is disposed and the locations of the second service vehicles prior to determining the first plurality of distances.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a location of the service call; and

determining a total transit time for each of the first service vehicles based on the first plurality of distances, the second plurality of distances, the location of the service call, and the location of each of the first service vehicles prior to dispatching the one of the first service vehicles.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the total transit time is an amount of time required for one of the first service vehicles to travel to the location of one of the second service vehicles, and to travel to the location of the service call.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the total transit time is an amount of time required for one of the first service vehicles to travel from the location of the technician to one of the locations at which is disposed the equipment needed for the service call, and to travel to the location of the service call.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of locations are warehouses.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the equipment comprises telecommunications equipment.

8. A system comprising:

a site location server configured to receive and store a current inventory of equipment for each of a plurality of service vehicles, a current inventory of equipment for each of a plurality of distribution warehouses, and further configured to receive and store a location of each of the service vehicles and a location of each of the distribution warehouses;

a decision process server configured to receive a service call notification indicating a customer site sending a service call, and configured to output a technician dispatch request based on a location of the service call, the current inventory of equipment for each of the service vehicles, the current inventory of equipment for each of the distribution warehouses, the location of each of the service vehicles, and based on the location of each of the distribution warehouses; and

a trouble ticket dispatch server configured to dispatch one of a plurality of technicians based on the technician dispatch request.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a service call system server configured to receive the service call from the customer site, and configured to output the service call notification.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the service call system server is further configured to receive a location of the customer site.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the decision process server is further configured to determine a total transit time for each of the technicians.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the decision process server is further configured to output the technician dispatch ticket based also on a working status of each of the technicians.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the total transit time is an amount of time required for one of the technicians to travel from the location of the technician to the location of one of the service vehicles, and to travel to the location of the service call.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the total transit time is an amount of time required for one of the technicians to travel from the location of the technician to the location of one of the distribution warehouses, and to travel to the location of the service call.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the decision process server is further configured to further base the technician dispatch request on the plurality of total transit times.

16. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions to manipulate a processor, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions to determine a first plurality of technicians assigned to a customer site requiring a service call;

instructions to determine a location of each of the technicians;

instructions to determine a first plurality of respective distances between each of the technicians and a plurality of locations at which is disposed equipment needed for the service call;

instructions to determine a second plurality of distances between each of the technicians and a plurality of service vehicles at which is disposed the equipment needed for the service call; and

instructions to dispatch one of the technicians to the customer site based on the location of at least two of the technicians, on the first plurality of distances, and on the second plurality of distances.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising:

instructions to determine a location of the service call;

instructions to determine the equipment needed for the service call; and

instructions to determine the plurality of locations and the plurality of service vehicles at which is disposed the equipment needed for the service call prior to determining the first plurality of distances.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising:

instructions to determine a location of the service call; and

instructions to determine a total transit time for each of the technicians based on the first plurality of distances, the second plurality of distances, the location of the service call, and the location of each of the technicians prior to dispatching the one of the technicians.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the total transit time is an amount of time required for one of the technicians to travel from the location of the technician to the location of one of the service vehicles, and to travel to the location of the service call.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the total transit time is an amount of time required for one of the technicians to travel from the location of the technician to one of the locations at which is disposed the equipment needed for the service call, and to travel to the location of the service call.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the plurality of locations are warehouses.