The dispatch board

Your command center for daily field operations — see every crew's assignment, dispatch work, track progress, and manage the day from a single view.

The dispatch board is the operational heart of Gradeworks. It shows today's crew assignments at a glance — who's going where, with what equipment, to do what work. Dispatchers use it to manage the day in real time. Office staff use it to know what's happening in the field. It bridges the schedule (what should happen) and the field (what is happening).

Board layout

The board is organized as a grid. Rows are crews. Columns are dates (defaulting to today, with the ability to scroll forward for planning). Each cell shows the work blocks assigned to that crew on that date, with project name, block name, site address, equipment, and status. Empty cells mean the crew has no assignment.

Views

Today view — the default. Shows today's assignments for all crews. This is what you look at first thing in the morning.
Week view — shows the full week. Useful for planning ahead and spotting gaps in crew coverage.
Crew view — shows one crew's assignments across all dates. Useful for checking a specific crew's upcoming work.
Equipment view — groups assignments by equipment rather than crew. Shows which machines are in use and where.

Dispatching work

Blocks from the project schedule appear on the dispatch board automatically. To dispatch, click a block and select Dispatch — this notifies the crew via the field app. Dispatched blocks change color to indicate they've been sent. You can add notes (special instructions, safety alerts, material delivery times) that appear on the foreman's field app.

Pro tip

Dispatch tomorrow's work by end of day, not first thing in the morning. Foremen check the field app the night before and arrive prepared. Morning dispatching means crews wait idle at the yard while the dispatcher decides where to send them.

Real-time status

The dispatch board updates in real time as field activity happens. When a crew clocks in, their block turns green. When they complete a block, it's marked done. When a foreman reports an issue, an alert badge appears. The board is a live dashboard of field operations — refresh isn't needed.

Drag and drop

Drag a block from one crew row to another to reassign it. Drag it from one date to another to reschedule. The dispatch board is designed for quick adjustments — weather changes, equipment breakdowns, and crew absences happen daily and need fast response. Changes on the dispatch board sync back to the project schedule.

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Managing crew assignments

Assign crews and equipment to work blocks, handle reassignments when plans change, and keep a clear record of who did what on every project.

The daily dispatch workflow

The step-by-step routine for managing a dispatch day — from morning review to end-of-day wrap-up, with the dispatch board as your command center.

Understanding ghost blocks

What ghost blocks are, when they appear on the dispatch board, and how to resolve them — bridging the gap between the project schedule and daily dispatch.

Time tracking and clock-in/out

How field workers record their hours through the field app — GPS-verified clock-in/out, automatic break tracking, and manual entry for corrections.