System and method for eliminating an unnecessary dispatch of a service technician

• US 7,117,160 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1999
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haynes, Cheryl Camp, Smith, Trena Lynn, Stanley, Ronald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOSWELL, BETH V
• Application Number:
  US09/474,643
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/7, 705/9, 705/11, 379/10.01, 379/15.01, 379/1.01, 379/27.01, 379/29.01, 379/14, 379/399.01, 379/14.01, 379/26.01, 379/26.02, 379/18, 379/32.01, 379/242, 379/243, 379/245, 379/258, 379/280
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for eliminating the unnecessary dispatch of a service technician. The service orders generated by the service order control system are monitored to identify service orders that require a dispatch. If a service order is identified as requiring a dispatch, then the service order is selected for further analysis. The service order is initially analyzed to determine whether the service order meets a set of predefined criteria that identify service orders that are likely to cause an unnecessary dispatch. If the service order meets the set of predefined criteria, then the service order is further analyzed to determine whether the dispatch associated with the service order is unnecessary and should be canceled. Once the dispatch is determined to be unnecessary, then the service order is corrected and the dispatch is canceled.

Claims

1. A method for eliminating an unnecessary dispatch of a service technician, comprising:

receiving a service order at a work management center, wherein the service order is generated from a service request sent by a source;

determining, at the work management center, that the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician;

responsive to determining that the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician, generating a dispatch order for the dispatch of a service technician and placing the dispatch order in a queue for execution;

receiving a duplicate of the service order at a trap service order system;

after the dispatch order is placed in the queue for execution, determining at the trap service order system, whether the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician;

selecting a set of predefined criteria for determining whether the service order is likely to cause an unnecessary dispatch based on the source of the service request associated with the service order;

responsive to determining that the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician, determining, at the trap service order system, whether the service order meets the set of predefined criteria that indicates a likelihood of an unnecessary dispatch by examining selected sections of the service order;

responsive to determining that the service order meets the set of predefined criteria, determining, at the trap service order system, whether the dispatch is unnecessary;

responsive to determining that the dispatch is unnecessary, determining at the trap service order system, whether the dispatch associated with the service order in the queue is scheduled to occur within a predetermined time period;

responsive to determining that the dispatch is scheduled to occur within a predetermined time period;

placing the dispatch order in the queue on hold;

generating a corrected service order;

determining whether the corrected service order corresponds to the dispatch order generated in response to the service order; and

responsive to determining that the corrected service order corresponds to the dispatch order, canceling the dispatch order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the source is a local exchange carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the service order meets a set of predefined criteria comprises:

determining whether the service order includes an override code requiring dispatch of a service technician regardless of a dispatch determination by a work management center.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the service order meets a set of predefined criteria comprises:

determining whether the service order is related to a second pending service order.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the service order meets a set of predefined criteria comprises:

determining whether the service order includes an assignment of facilities.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the service order indicates that a dispatch is unnecessary comprises:

determining whether the assignment of facilities uses the same facilities that were previously assigned to a location associated with the service order.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the dispatch is unnecessary comprises:

in response to receiving a query based upon selected ones of the predefined criteria, searching a database of pending service orders that indicate a dispatch is required to locate service orders that meet the selected predefined criteria; and

providing the service orders that meet the selected predefined criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the dispatch is unnecessary comprises:

periodically generating a report based upon selected ones of the predefined criteria that includes all service orders that meet the selected predefined criteria.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of predefined criteria is selected based upon an analysis of past dispatches.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of predefined criteria includes determining whether the service order is a new install or reinstall/reconnect.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein correcting the service order comprises updating a database associated with a service order control system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the service order is for a new install.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the service order is for a reinstall/reconnect.

14. A system for eliminating unnecessary dispatches, comprising:

a service order control system;

receive service requests from a source; and

generate a service order based on one of the service requests from the source;

a work management center;

receiving the service order from the service order control system;

determining that the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician; and

in response to determining that the service order requires a dispatch, generate a dispatch order corresponding to the service for the dispatch and place the dispatch order in a queue for execution; and

a trap service order system;

receiving a duplicate of the service order from the service control system;

after the work management center places the dispatch order in a queue for execution, determining whether the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician;

selecting a set of predefined criteria for determining whether the service order is likely to cause an unnecessary dispatch based on the source of the service request associated with the service order;

in response to determining that the service order requires a dispatch, determine whether the service order meets a set of predefined criteria that indicates the service order is likely to cause an unnecessary dispatch;

in response to determining that the service order meets the set of predefined criteria, then further examine the service order to determine whether the dispatch is unnecessary;

in response to determining that the dispatch is unnecessary, then determine whether the dispatch of a service technician associated with the dispatch order in the queue is scheduled to occur within a predetermined time period; and

in response to determining that the dispatch is scheduled to occur within the predetermined time period, then communicate with the work management center to place the dispatch order on hold.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a loop facility assignment control system receiving the service order and for assigning facilities the service order, wherein if the trap service order system determines that the dispatch is unnecessary, then the trap service order system communicates with the loop facility assignment control system to update a database in the loop facility assignment control system.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein if the trap service order system determines that the dispatch is unnecessary, then the trap service order system communicates with the service order control system to update a database in the service order control system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the service order control system generates a corrected service order which cancels the dispatch, in response to the database update.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the trap service order system identifies all service orders that require a dispatch and that meet a set of predefined criteria.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the service order is for a new install.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the service order is for a reinstall/reconnect.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the service order control system generates a corrected service order and wherein the work management center determines whether the corrected service order corresponds to the dispatch order and if the corrected service order corresponds to the dispatch order, then the work management center cancels the dispatch order.

22. A system for eliminating unnecessary dispatches, comprising:

a service order control system;

receiving service requests from the source;

generating a service order based on one of the service requests from the source; and

generating a corrected service order in response to a communication from a trap service order system;

a work management center;

receiving the service order from the service order control system;

determining that the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician;

in response to determining that the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician, generating a dispatch order for the dispatch and place the dispatch order in a queue for execution;

receiving the corrected service order from the service order control system;

determining whether the corrected service order corresponds to the dispatch order; and

in response to determining that the corrected service order corresponds to the dispatch order, canceling the dispatch order; and

the trap service order system;

receiving a duplicate of the service order from the service control system;

after the work management center places the dispatch order in the queue for execution, determining whether the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician;

selecting a set of predefined criteria for determining whether the service order is likely to cause an unnecessary dispatch based on the source of the service request associated with the service order;

in response to determining that the service order requires the dispatch of the service technician, comparing a service order type and information in the selected field of the service order with the set of predefined criteria that indicates the service order is likely to cause an unnecessary dispatch;

in response to determining that the service order type and information in the selected field of the service order meet the set of predefined criteria, further examining the service order to determine whether the dispatch is unnecessary;

in response to determining that the dispatch is unnecessary, determining whether the dispatch of a service technician associated with the dispatch order in the queue is scheduled to occur within a predetermined time period; and

in response to determining that the dispatch is scheduled to occur within the predetermined time period, communicating with the work management center to place the dispatch order on hold and communicate with the service order control system to generate the corrected service order.