Auto-Assignment¶

Auto-assignment is an intelligent dispatch system that evaluates every available technician the moment a job needs assignment — and picks the best-matched technician across dozens of criteria. Instead of dispatchers manually reviewing schedules, locations, and skills for every job, the auto-assignment engine performs real-time technician matching and assigns the technician most likely to complete the job on time and at the lowest cost.

Unlike static route planners, FSM Navigator's auto-assignment evaluates each job individually as it arrives, adapting to real-time conditions such as traffic, technician workload changes, schedule updates, and shifting priorities. The system also continuously rebalances existing assignments to respond to changing conditions throughout the day.

How auto-assignment works¶

When a new job is created — or an existing job needs a technician — the auto-assignment engine evaluates every available technician in real time across dozens of criteria and picks the best match. Each job is evaluated independently based on current conditions, not pre-planned routes.

flowchart TD
    A[New job enters queue] --> B{Auto-assignment enabled?}
    B -- Yes --> C[Gather real-time data<br/>GPS, workload, schedules, traffic]
    C --> D[Match each available technician<br/>against the job's requirements]
    D --> E[Assign the best-matched technician]
    E --> F[Job moves to Assigned status]
    F --> G[Rebalancing engine monitors<br/>and adapts continuously]
    B -- No --> H[Job stays in Pending queue]

The engine runs automatically whenever a job enters the queue without a technician assigned. It also runs continuously through the rebalancing engine, which monitors all active assignments and redistributes work in response to changing conditions — such as new urgent jobs, technician delays, schedule changes, or shifting priorities.

Factors the system considers¶

The auto-assignment engine evaluates technicians across dozens of criteria in real time. The technician who is the best match for the job is the one assigned.

1. Skills and certifications¶

The system checks whether a technician has the qualifications required for the job. For example, an HVAC repair requires a technician certified in HVAC systems, not a general handyman.

• Technicians with matching skills are preferred for the job.
• Technicians missing required certifications are excluded from consideration.

2. Location-based matching with real-time traffic¶

The engine calculates driving distance and estimated travel time from each technician's current GPS location to the job site, factoring in live traffic conditions.

• Closer technicians are preferred for the job.
• Traffic-aware routing provides realistic travel time estimates — not just straight-line distance.
• Less travel time means more time spent on productive work.

3. Current workload¶

The system balances assignments across your team so that no single technician is overloaded while others sit idle.

• Technicians with fewer active jobs are preferred to balance the load.
• The system accounts for estimated job duration to avoid schedule conflicts.

4. Customer preferences¶

Some customers prefer working with a specific technician — perhaps someone who is already familiar with their equipment or facility. The system respects these preferences when they are configured.

• If a customer has a preferred technician, that technician is favored when available.
• Preferences are optional and can be set in the customer record.

5. SLA urgency¶

Jobs with approaching SLA deadlines receive higher priority. The engine factors in how much time remains before the SLA is breached and prioritizes at-risk jobs.

• Jobs close to their SLA deadline are prioritized over less urgent work.
• The engine may reassign a job to a closer technician if the current assignment puts the SLA at risk.

6. Schedule availability¶

The system checks each technician's work schedule to ensure they are available during the job's required time window.

• Technicians who are off-shift, on leave, or already fully booked are excluded.
• The system respects booking windows if configured on the job.
• Schedule change approvals take effect immediately — the engine always uses the most current schedule data.

7. Overtime and end-of-shift awareness¶

The engine factors in how close a technician is to the end of their shift. A job that would push a technician into overtime makes that technician less likely to be selected.

• Technicians nearing the end of their shift are deprioritized for jobs that would extend past their scheduled end time.
• For a technician's last job of the day, the engine prefers a job location near their home base — reducing unnecessary travel at shift end.

8. Parts availability¶

If a job requires specific parts, the system checks whether the technician has those parts in their van stock.

• Technicians carrying the required parts are preferred for the job.
• This avoids delays from needing to return to a warehouse mid-day.

9. Booking windows¶

If a job has a customer-requested booking window, the engine ensures the selected technician can arrive within that window.

• Technicians who can meet the booking window are preferred.
• Technicians who would arrive outside the window are penalized or excluded.

10. Job continuity¶

When a job is related to previous work at the same location or for the same customer, the engine prefers technicians who have worked on prior jobs there.

• Continuity avoids handoff delays and repeat diagnostics.
• The technician who previously serviced the equipment or location is favored when available.

Enabling auto-assignment¶

1. Navigate to Settings → Company Settings.
2. Find the Auto-Assignment section.
3. Toggle Enable auto-assignment to on.
4. Click Save.

Once enabled, new unassigned jobs are automatically matched to the best available technician.

Workload rebalancing¶

The rebalancing engine runs continuously — not just once a day or on a fixed schedule. It monitors all active job assignments across your team in real time and redistributes work whenever conditions change. If it detects that reassigning jobs would improve overall performance — for example, reducing travel time, protecting an at-risk SLA deadline, or responding to a technician going off-schedule — it applies reassignments automatically.

What triggers rebalancing¶

• A technician calls in sick, requests time off, or has a schedule change approved.
• New high-priority jobs enter the queue.
• SLA timers are approaching the warning threshold.
• A technician finishes their jobs early, creating capacity.
• Live traffic conditions change significantly, affecting travel estimates.
• A technician's GPS location changes the optimal assignment.

How rebalancing protects SLAs¶

The rebalancing engine continuously monitors SLA deadlines. If a job's SLA is at risk because the assigned technician is running behind or has moved further away, the engine can reassign the job to a closer or less-loaded technician — preserving your service commitments.

Continuous adaptation¶

Because rebalancing runs frequently, your team's assignments stay optimized throughout the day — not just at the moment of initial assignment. As new jobs arrive, schedules change, or technicians complete work ahead of schedule, the engine redistributes to keep everything running smoothly.

Improving auto-assignment results¶

The quality of auto-assignment depends on the quality of data in your system. Follow these practices to get the best results:

Auto-assignment vs. manual assignment¶

Frequently asked questions¶

What's next¶

• SLA timers — understand how SLA deadlines drive auto-assignment decisions.
• Booking windows — set time windows that the auto-assignment system respects.
• Technician availability — manage working hours and schedule change approvals.
• Creating jobs — create a job and let auto-assignment handle the rest.
• Inviting users — keep technician skills and schedules current for better assignments.
• Technician preferences — let customers request or exclude specific technicians from auto-assignment.