Set Up for Events Method of Snow Management

When the company uses the Events Method for snow management, the crew leader’s mobile device will show work tickets on the Crew Mobile App Schedule screen that you have scheduled en masse in the same manner as it will display other scheduled work tickets. The usage of the Crew Mobile App for crew leaders to allocate time to scheduled work tickets is described in the article, Mobile Time in the Field. The scheduled work tickets will also appear on the Scheduling Board screen.

The following steps, which are described more completely in the sections that follow, summarize proper preparation for snow season if the company plans to use the Events Method.

1. Set up generic snow managers/schedule boards (see above, Setting up Generic Snow Managers / Schedule Boards)
2. Establish routes explicitly for snow
   • Routes must be in Snow division for the properties to show up in Snow mode.
   • Properties and services do not have to be identified unless the company will also be utilizing the Routes method. An exception is that you should add any internal services that they want to be available when the crew leader is logged in with snow mode enabled.
3. Establish snow contracts.
4. Pre-configure As Needed services to define the routes by which they will be serviced and the order of occurrence.
5. At beginning of the snow season, enable snow mode allowing crew members to choose to enter the Crew Mobile App in Snow Mode.
6. When a snow event is imminently anticipated or occurring, mass schedule the work tickets based on the prior setup as explained below in the section, Scheduling Snow Events.

When using the Events Method for snow event management, you must set up routes on the Route screen. Properties and services do not have to be identified on the respective tabs of the Route screen unless the company will also be utilizing the Routes Method. An exception is that you should add any internal services that you want to be available when the crew leader is logged in with snow mode enabled.

Routes must be placed in the Snow division^a on the Route tab for the properties to show up in the Crew Mobile App when it is in snow mode.

Establish Snow Contracts

Contracts must be established as described in the section, Snow Contract Approaches.

Central to the Events Method is the rapid mass-scheduling of predicted snow events throughout the snow season as described in the section, Scheduling Snow Events (Events Method Example). By preconfiguring the routes and visit sequence at the beginning of the snow season for contracted services in advance, the mass-scheduling process can be significantly streamlined. This pre-configuration is performed from the Schedule an Event screen.

Based on the diagram below, we will demonstrate pre-configuration for 1-3” snow services that have been contracted.  The same steps can be used to configure 4-8” snow services or other snow services the company might define.  

For this example, we will say there is one route for snow plowing and another route (with associated crew) for snow shoveling of properties. The company has established several seasonal snow contracts. By using filters and grouping on the Schedule an Event screen list opportunity services defined in the existing open contracts, as shown below.   

1. On the Scheduling Board screen, and select manager, Snow Manager North. 2. Select Schedule an Event from the More drop-down menu to display the Schedule an Event screen.
3. On the Schedule an Event screen click the Filtericon and add a new Service and set the Value to 1-3, click Apply. This will configure the list to only display services for 1-3 inches of snow.
4. On the Schedule an Event screen click the Displayicon and add a new display field of type Service, click Apply.  This will set results on the search list to be grouped by service.

Set the Route for the Services

To set the default route for snow plowing, place a checkmark for each of the snow plowing services that you want to place on the snowplow route, and from the Bulk Actions drop-down select Set Route and Sequence # to display the Assign Default Routes screen.

On the Assign Default Routes screen select the appropriate route from the drop-down list.  Leave the Sequence # blank because the sequence number needs to be different for each of the services to specify their order and click Save.  

The Schedule an Event screen will update to reflect the route assigned to the selected services. The route for the Snow Clearing Walkways services could be set in the same manner, though a different route would be selected to reflect the shoveling crew.

Set the Sequence # for the Services

Setting the Sequence Number for services is done one property at a time.  Click directly on one of the service lines to display the Assign Default Routes screen.

Enter a value for the Sequence # field indicating the order in which the property should be visited relative to the other services on the same route and click Save. The default sequence number will be updated on the Schedule an Event screen.  Repeat this to set the sequence number for the remainder of the service lines for that route.

The above example demonstrated establishing the routes and sequence numbers for the 1-3” services.  The same steps would be used to set the appropriate routes and sequence numbers for other snow range services as well.

Enable Snow Mode

Enable snow mode as described above.