Using drag and drop scheduling

SECURITY  Users with service call View permissions

NAVIGATION  My > Miscellaneous > Calendar

NAVIGATION  Calendar > Dispatch Calendar

Appointments are tied to a specific resource and cannot be assigned to someone else. A system setting determines if the dispatcher is able to edit and delete another user's appointments, which includes rescheduling.

• To reschedule an appointment to another day, grab the appointment by holding down the mouse key and drop it on another day. A pop-up window will allow you to edit the start time and duration.
• To reschedule the appointment to another time on the same day, you must be in your Calendar, or the hourly view of the Dispatch Calendar. Grab the appointment and drop it on another time slot.
• To expand the appointment, grab the upper or lower border.
• If you are rescheduling the appointment on the Dispatch Calendar, the pop-up window will include the option to notify the resource.

To-dos are tied to a specific resource and an organization, and can be assigned to someone else. CRM permissions assigned at the security level determine if the dispatcher is able to edit and delete to-dos (and notes), which includes rescheduling.

• To reschedule a to-do to another day, grab the to-do by holding down the mouse key and drop it on another day. A pop-up window will allow you to edit the start time and duration.
• To reschedule the to-do to another time on the same day, you must be in your Calendar, or the hourly view of the Dispatch Calendar. Grab the to-do and drop it on another time slot.
• To reassign the to-do to another resource using drag and drop, you must be in the Dispatch Calendar. Grab the to-do and drop it onto another user's schedule.
• To expand the to-do, grab the upper or lower border.
• If you are rescheduling the to-do on the Dispatch Calendar, your pop-up window will include the option to notify the resource. The selection you make will be remembered by the system.

You can drag individual tickets on the schedule as follows:

• From an existing service call to another service call.
• From an existing service call to an empty calendar slot.
• From the item list to an existing service call.
• From the item list to an empty calendar slot.

NOTE   Resources cannot be assigned to a ticket unless they are assigned to a queue. If you attempt to drag a ticket to the schedule of a resource who is not assigned to a queue, an error message opens indicating that you must assign the resource to a queue.

To drag a ticket to a service call or empty calendar slot:

1. Click the ticket and hold as you move it to a service call or an empty time slot.
2. Complete messages as they open.

When you drop the ticket into the new slot, one or more message boxes will open consecutively. The messages will vary depending on whether you are dragging to an existing call or an empty time slot, whether the ticket has a resource assigned, whether a new resource has multiple roles.

You can drag individual tasks on the schedule as follows:

• From the item list to an existing service call.
• From the item list to an empty calendar slot.
• From an existing service call to another service call.
• From an existing service call to an empty calendar slot.
• From an existing service call to the same service call on a different resource's calendar where the resource is already assigned to the task.

NOTE  This is possible because a task can have multiple resources assigned.

• From an existing service call to the same service call on a different resource's calendar where the resource is a new member of the project team.

NOTE  If you attempt to drag a task to the schedule of a resource who is not a member of the project team, a message opens indicating that you must add the resource to the project team before attempting to schedule the resource for the task.

When you drop the task into the new slot, one or more message boxes will open consecutively. The messages will vary depending on several factors: whether you are dragging to an existing service call or an empty time slot, whether the slot is on the schedule of a resource already assigned to the task, or whether you are dragging to the same service call on a different resource's calendar.

In the Dispatch Calendar, you can use drag and drop for service calls and for the tasks and tickets they contain.

You can only drag and drop a service call to an empty time slot:

1. To move a service call to a new time slot, click the service call and drag it to the new time slot. To reschedule the service call to another time on the same day, you must be in your Calendar, or the hourly view of the Dispatch Calendar.

NOTE  In week view, service calls can only be dragged to empty time slots on a different day or on a different resource's schedule. When you drag the service call, the scheduled start time remains the same and the date changes to the new date. The duration of the call remains the same.

2. Make adjustments to times and notification options as needed.
3. Click Save.

If you are using drag and drop to reschedule a service call in your Calendar, you will get a Schedule Service Call pop-up window, but the Notify Assigned Resource(s) check box is only displayed if other resources are assigned to tickets or tasks in the Service Call you are rescheduling.

Because dragging an item to a new calendar spot can be more complicated than just changing the date and time, Autotask performs a number of checks and adjustments to the date, time, and resources involved.

One or more messages are displayed to help you complete the process.

Change resources scheduled for a service call

In the Dispatch Calendar, you can change the resource scheduled for a service call by dragging the service call to an empty time slot on the new resource's calendar. One or more messages will open, depending of whether the service call contains tickets, tasks, or both.

You can also change the resources scheduled for the individual tasks and tickets contained in a service call by using drag-and-drop or editing the ticket or task. You can drag the task or ticket to an empty time slot or an existing service call in another resource's schedule.

Existing service calls found for this organization

When you drag a ticket or task to an empty time slot and service calls are already scheduled for the organization, this pop-up window informs you that other service calls exist for the organization and allows you to add the task or ticket to an existing service call.

You must select from the following options:

• Add the item to an existing service call for the same resource
• Add the item to an existing service call for other resources
• Create a new service call.

If you select Add to an Existing Service Call, you must then select a service call from the drop-down list for the current resource or for other resources.

The lists display all incomplete service calls scheduled for the item's organization that fall +/- 7 days from the date on which you attempt to schedule the service call. If the -7 days range includes days earlier than the current date, service calls for those days do not appear.

Select resource role

When you drag a ticket, or a service call containing a ticket, to the schedule of a resource that is not assigned to the ticket and the resource has multiple roles, this pop-up window opens to prompt you to select a Service Desk role for the new resource.

The user is added as the secondary resource to the tickets in the service call. To make the new user the primary resource, you must edit the tickets.

NOTE   Service Desk roles are associated with Queues. When you drag a ticket or a service call containing a ticket to the schedule of a new resource, the new resource must be assigned to one or more queues.

Add resource to queue

You cannot re-assign a ticket to a resource that is not assigned to at least one queue. If you drag a ticket, or a service call containing a ticket, to the schedule of a resource that is not assigned to a Service Desk queue, this error message opens to remind you that you must add the resource to a Service Desk queue.

An Autotask Administrator can assign resources to a queue in > Admin > Features & Settings > Service Desk (Tickets) > Queues.

Task or ticket on multiple service calls

This message appears when you drag a task or ticket from one service call to another service call.

It allows you to choose between three options:

• Move the item to the new service call and remove it from the original service call only; that is, remove the item from the service call that you dragged from, but if the item was scheduled for multiple resources, leave the item on those schedules.
• Move the item to the new service call and remove it from the original service call and the schedules of any additional resources; that is, if the item appears on the schedules of multiple resources, remove it from the schedules of all resources except the newly scheduled resource.
• Schedule the item for both service calls.

Resource not on project team

This message appears if you attempt to drag a task to the schedule of a resource who is not on the project team.

Tasks are associated with projects and resources must be assigned to the project's team in order to be assigned to a project task.

You add resources to a project team through the Projects module.

Task or ticket moved or copied

This message appears when multiple resources are assigned to a task and you drag the task form one service call to another or to an empty calendar slot.

It does not open if you drag a task from a service call to the same service call on another resource's schedule. It allows you to selectively schedule resources for the service call. The resources must be previously assigned to the task or be a member of the project team.

Schedule service call

This message opens before you complete any drag and drop action. When an action triggers more than one message, this is always the last message to open.

It allows you to do the following:

• Confirm or adjust the service call start time
• Change the duration of the service call (the end time is automatically adjusted)
• Select whether to notify resources: scheduled resources, canceled resources, or both.