Making the Most of the New Dispatch Grid: Optimizing Your Workflow

In our previous blog post, we walked through how to configure your dispatch grid, including how to manage columns, adjust widths, and organize your layout so it reflects how your team works.

In this post, we’ll focus on optimizing your grid for specific parts of your workflow, such as group management, billing, and other day-to-day operational tasks.   

Understanding the Difference Between Presets and Tabs

Presets control how the grid is displayed. A preset can include a specific column layout, sorting preferences, and filters, allowing you to focus on a particular set of reservations or operational task.

Tabs organize those presets. Each tab can contain multiple presets, giving your team a dedicated space for different types of work while still allowing quick access to multiple grid views.

For example, you might create a tab focused on reservations that still require payment collection, with presets that filter for unpaid trips or reservations approaching pickup that still have a balance due. Another tab might focus on operational tasks, with presets that highlight farm-out trips, reservations for a specific client, or trips booked under a particular alias.

Creating a Preset

Presets allow you to save a filtered view of the dispatch grid so you can quickly focus on a specific set of reservations.

To create a Preset:

1. Click the “Filters” button at the top of the dispatch grid. You can also click the caret next to Filters and select “Open/Close Filters.”
2. Select the column you want to filter by.

3. Choose the operator and the value you want to filter.

4. If needed, click "+ Add Filter" to apply additional filters.

5. Once your filters are set, click "Actions."

6. Select "Save as New Preset/Tab."

7. Choose "Preset," enter a name for the preset, and click "Save."

8. To use the preset later, click the caret next to Filters and select it from the preset list.

Setting Up Tabs

As you begin creating presets, you may find that certain views are used regularly for reviewing specific parts of your operation. Tabs allow you to keep those views readily available, making it easier to switch between them without searching through the full list of presets.

To create a tab:

1. Click “Actions” at the top of the dispatch grid.
2. Select “Save as New Preset/Tab.”
3. Choose “Tab” from the drop-down list.
4. Enter a name for the tab.
5. Click “Save.”

6. Once the tab is saved, it will appear at the top of the dispatch grid. You can access the filtered view at any time by selecting the tab.

Managing Tabs and Presets

1. Click “Filter Options” at the top of the dispatch grid.
2. Select “Manage Presets/Tabs.”
3. Use the radio button to set the default preset or tab that loads when the grid opens.
4. Click the pencil icon to edit the name or configuration of an existing preset or tab.
5. Click the trash can icon to delete a preset or tab you no longer need.
6. Click “Save” to apply your changes.

Use Cases for Tabs and Presets

Presets are useful when you want to quickly review a specific set of reservations using filters.

For example, you might create a preset that filters reservations by Status so it is easier to review trips that still require attention. Another preset may focus on Affiliate Name, making it easier to review farm-out trips and confirm affiliate driver or vehicle details.

You might also filter by Vehicle, Driver, or Type to see how trips are distributed for a given day. In other cases, filtering by Company, Passenger Name, or Occasion can make it easier to pull reservations associated with a specific client or event.

If you find yourself using certain presets regularly, you may want to set them up as tabs. For example:

• A Payments Due tab that highlights reservations with outstanding balances
• A Farm-Out Trips tab that filters reservations assigned to affiliate partners
• A VIP or Key Client tab that filters reservations for a specific account
• A Vehicle-Specific tab that shows all trips assigned to a particular vehicle type