Dispatch Software for Small Business

Dispatch Software For Small Business is a type of software designed to help dispatch fleet employees, employees who drive company-owned vehicles from one location to another. The most common place you would see Dispatch Software is in the trucking industry. The companies use the software primarily as an employee scheduling machine for dispatching customer deliveries and shipments. Dispatch software is not only for trucking companies. It can also be used by courier businesses, taxi services, dispatch services, any small business that needs better scheduling.

Dispatch software for small businesses can be as simple as a yellow legal pad and a pen, but there are times when it is helpful to have dispatch software that can help with your scheduling and route optimization. If you own a small business that needs to schedule drivers and delivery people then you probably don’t want to spend a lot of money on dispatch software. That’s why we recommend these dispatch solutions:

BTX Dispatcher

With abundant features and enhancements of versatile voice calls, data service, GPS, automatic roaming, terminal control, and advanced encryption, the BelFone dispatch console streamlines the real-time distribution of mission-critical information for improved dispatch decision making and increased responder awareness and safety, facilitating faster and more accurate response and management.

MobileStar

We know expectations are high. Your customers expect you to bring cutting-edge operations to support their business. That means delivering across all modes at the lowest possible cost while improving service levels. In other words, walking a logistical tightrope. And of course, you need to be able to change and adapt your services to help them compete. An increasingly big part of this equation is mobility. Providing real-time tracking, driver management, and configurable workflow is now table stakes to compete in this market. It’s a good thing BluJay developed MobileSTAR to help you not only compete at this level but also change the game and create new value and workflow capabilities to help you and your customer’s brand create world-class customer experiences at the lowest possible cost.

Purpose-built for operators in mind, MobileSTAR brings the following capabilities to your operations:

  • Flexible routing and tracking at the package, pallet, container or order level
  • The ability to capture photos and signatures to minimize claims and improve the customer experience
  • Track and manage driver progress in real time and ensure compliance
  • Optimized routing and turn-by-turn navigation to lower costs and fuel use
  • Configurable workflow with no code changes to adapt to customer requirements and needs
  • Track events and milestones under the roof for end to end tracking

We designed MobileSTAR with the following attributes

  • Ease of use – The UI and workflow creator make getting drivers and operations up to speed quickly with minimal training
  • Integration – The MobileSTAR standard API is based on a RESTful design, making heavy use of the well-defined HTTP protocol to provide a scalable web service.
  • Any device – MobileSTAR works with iOS and Android which makes training and access that much easier. And when you need to scale, it’s easy to deploy a BYOD (bring your own device) approach to your operation.
  • MobileSTAR also supports rugged devices with built in scanners for high volume operations
  • A simple pricing model built to scale with your business and needs

Onfleet

Onfleet is a last-mile delivery management SaaS platform suitable for large enterprise businesses as well as SMBs.

Onfleet’s software includes intuitive driver apps for iOS and Android devices, robust proof-of-delivery features (photo, signature, and barcode capture), powerful route optimization and auto-dispatching, real-time driver tracking, automated customer notifications and powerful analytics.

Onfleet’s RESTful API allows businesses to integrate seamlessly with various systems, such as online ordering interfaces, inventory and warehouse management systems, and more.

Onfleet powers millions of deliveries per month for thousands of smart businesses around the world.

Locate2u

Locate2u is a fleet management software designed to help businesses streamline route optimization, GPS tracking, and dispatching operations. The platform enables managers to track drivers’ locations, manage bookings, and capture and store customer data in a centralized repository.

It allows organizations to send live location and estimated time of arrival (ETA) to customers via text messages. It offers a variety of features such as analytics, asset tracking, mobile support, communication management, scheduling, and more. Locate2u lets managers track the status of bookings and team members, monitor drivers’ speed and driving performance, maintain logs of dispatching jobs, and handle billing processes. It also helps drivers capture and store customers’ electronic signatures and photos as proof of delivery.

Locate2u offers an API, which lets businesses facilitate integration with several third-party booking platforms. Supervisors can use the application to optimize retail store deliveries, track vehicles, heavy trailers, equipment, and bins, assign deliveries to specific drivers, and generate custom reports.

Samsara

Samsara is a fleet operations management platform designed to help various industries including transportation, logistics, and construction streamline fleet operations with features like GPS fleet tracking, ELD compliance, routing and dispatch, documents, reporting and alerts, and more. Live GPS tracking shows where vehicles are in real time, helping users share accurate ETAs with customers. Reporting tools enable users to plan more efficient routes, while integrated dash cams, driver safety scores, and automatic alerts for speeding, idling, and geofences help users protect their business and assets. Samsara is an FMCSA-approved ELD solution.

Samsara works with all types of vehicles, from cars and buses to trucks and specialized vehicles, allowing a single dashboard to unify the management of these mixed fleets and mobile assets. Distracted driving detection, automatic incident upload, and in-cab voice coaching tools serve to enhance fleet safety, while two-way messaging helps users streamline fleet communication. Samsara enables users to capture documents in real-time by taking photos of items such as delivery and fuel receipts. Users have quick access to these documents, as well as other notes and relevant fleet data. Samsara supports paperless DVIRs, allowing users to carry out pre-and post-trip vehicle inspections and walkarounds via any mobile device. Other key features include usage-based maintenance, automatic historical logs, trailer tracking, open REST APIs, and more.

Synchroteam

Best for Large Service Teams

Mobile field team management presents dozens of new challenges when it comes to dispatching management. However, Synchroteam delivers everything you need to manage your large team with ease. It includes GPS tracking, job management, a field service CRM, a customer portal, time tracking, and more. Pricing starts at just $22 per user per month paid annually.

If you have a mobile field team providing services, it can be hard to keep up with client demands. Synchroteam is full-feature software, allowing you to do a lot more than simply manage service dispatch.

Synchroteam has an interactive daily schedule, where you can easily see all your staff’s appointments and booked time. You can easily schedule new jobs and change existing jobs using a drag-and-drop feature.

Aside from daily scheduling, you can also view weekly and monthly schedules for a more long-term approach. The in-depth job scheduling tool allows you to assign jobs based on skills required, availability, and travel distance, among other parameters.

You may prefer that your team assign themselves jobs. The Job Pool shows all unassigned jobs where technicians can pick a job based on their schedule.

Additional features include:

  • Mobile app
  • Map & GPS tracking
  • Job management
  • Field service CRM
  • Time tracking
  • Custom forms
  • Invoicing
  • Inventory management
  • Customer portal
  • Payment processing

Synchotream supports a wide range of service industries. It has one plan with all features included, and you can choose to pay monthly or annually. For monthly subscribers, the price is $28 per user per month. If you pay annually, the cost goes down to $22 per user per month.

Verizon Connect

Best for Vehicle Maintenance

Despite being known as a phone service provider, Verizon Connect is an industry-leading dispatch software designed to help you manage vehicle maintenance so you can prevent breakdowns and unexpected downtime before it occurs. Plus, you can easily set up service reminders for each vehicle, schedule jobs with a drag-and-drop calendar, and leverage smart suggestions to optimize your schedule.

It’s impossible to dispatch drivers if your vehicles aren’t on the road in the first place. If you are continually needing roadside assistance and having trouble maintaining your fleet, you should look into Verizon Connect.

This software helps you manage vehicle maintenance to prevent breakdowns in the first place. You can easily set up service reminders for each vehicle.

Additionally, Verizon Connect offers roadside assistance as an add-on feature. Services include towing, fuel delivery, battery boost, locksmith services, tire changes, and winch service.

With the add-on, your team gets 24/7 roadside assistance that drivers can call right from the app’s live map on their mobile device.

From a dispatch perspective, Verizon Connect is intelligent software. The drag-and-drop calendar allows you to schedule jobs easily and manage technicians. This feature also offers suggestions for scheduling technicians based on their skill set, location, and availability.

You can also automate reminders and customer appointment notifications. Additionally, you get an alert in case the technician has not viewed the job you scheduled.

You can also track vehicles in real-time, communicate with field technicians and automatically alert customers of delays based on real-time GPS data.

Additional features include:

  • Job management
  • Multi-technician and multi-visit
  • Proof of service
  • Technician status
  • Customer ratings & reviews

Verizon Connect has a very flexible pricing plan. You choose the feature set you want, and the company prepares a customized quote for you. The features to choose from include:

  • Dispatch and scheduling
  • Roadside assistance
  • GPS fleet tracking
  • Dashcam
  • Electronic logging device (ELD)
  • Proof of delivery

Conclusion

Dispatch Software for Small Business is an organizational tool that has become popular among businesses of all types. Not having to rely on pen and paper allows for more opportunities to connect with customers. These days, individuals don’t appreciate it when they call or email a business and they get put on hold or receive poor service after the call is over. The right type of Dispatch Software ensures customer satisfaction while allowing businesses to take better care of themselves. This can be done by reducing opportunities for error, increasing consistency in the delivery of service, and just generally making things easier on businesses that adopt this technology.

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