The Dispatch Science Batch Tool can be used to mass update certain fields on orders, print and send invoices, get price lists, close routes, etc... It is a Microsoft Windows application so it only can be used on a Windows PC. You will first need to install the tool. Please follow the direction in this article: Install Dispatch Science Batch Tool.

Open Dispatch Science Batch Tool

1) Open Stat menu in Windows and locate Dispatch Science folder and click on Dispatch Science Batch Tool:

2) The tool will start and you will be asked to login to Dispatch Science:

3) Enter your Dispatch URL in Server Url

4) Enter your login information in Admin user and Admin password.

Note: If you want to have the URL and user information remembered, check Remember me.

5) Click on Login and the Dispatch Science tool will open on the Order List.

Note: The order list will display the information you would normally see on the Dispatch Board when selecting Today and Open. As well, depending on your screen resolution, the information may be displayed differently from what you see above.

Navigation

The application consists of 4 main panes:

1. The Data pane is the center portion of the screen where search results are displayed, usually as tables.

2. The Toolkit sits on the left side of the application. The blue-colored icon is the active tool:

The first icon lets you display or hide descriptions of each of the available tools

The second icon launches the Orders Batch Processing tool

The third icon launches the Invoices Batch Processing tool

The fourth icon launches the Recurring Orders Batch Management tool

The fifth icon launches the Settlement Batch Management tool

The sixth icon launches the Pricing Publishing tool

The last icon launches the Route tool

3. The filter tool sits at the top of the screen. It changes according to the tool you are using.

Order Batch Processing:

Invoices Batch Processing:

Recurring orders Batch Management:

Settlements Batch Management:

Pricing Management:

4. The "Actions" tool is situated at the bottom of the screen:

Order Batch Processing:

Invoices Batch Processing:

Recurring orders Batch Management:

Settlements Batch Management:

Pricing Management:

Mass Status Update on Orders

This tool allows administrators to apply mass updates, otherwise known as batch processes, to Orders.

1) Open tool (see above)

By default, the Orders Batch Processing tool is selected when you launch the application. If no orders appear, click Search to refresh the page and all Open orders should appear in the list. 

2) Apply filters to fine-tune your search prior to launching batch actions:

 To filter by name or number, type your key-in string in the Filter box (the filter does not support special characters like *), then select the Order Status dropdown for which you are seeking to apply your action and select the one on which you want to apply your batch process:

Select the Date. Usually users select the most current date to capture all past orders, but a past or future date can also be selected:

Optionally, check Include Routed to include Routed Orders to the list

To further refine your search, you can click on Grouping to filter by groups of orders:

Click on Grouping. A grey line will appear on-screen inviting you to "Drag a column header and drop it here to group by that column":

Drag a column header onto the grey line (in this case, the Reference 1 column):

The group will be displayed on the grey line and the table will show grouped orders:

Click on the Item (in this case "Blood sample" to see all associated orders. Otherwise... see 3.

3) click Search. A filtered list of orders will appear:

4) In the list of orders, click on the checkbox to the left of the orders you wish to mark and apply an action. To check all the orders in the list at once, click on the first checkbox on the top left of the table. To uncheck a selected order, click on the check-marked box .

5) Click on one of the actions buttons at the bottom of the screen to apply the same action to all selected orders:

Reactivate: This is for previously cancelled orders. Checked orders will be reactivated and appear as "Open" in the system"

Pickup: Checked orders will appear as "Picked Up" by a driver in the system

Deliver: Checked orders will appear as "Delivered" in the system

Cancel: Checked orders will appear as "Cancelled" in the system

Ready Invoice: (you will have to click More actions to see this option) Checked orders will appear as "Ready for invoice" in the system

Ready Settle: (you will have to click More actions to see this option) Checked orders will appear as "Ready for Settlement" in the system
Update Fuel Surcharge: (you will have to click More actions to see this option) A window will appear asking you to input the date to calculate the fuel surcharge.
Remove Notifications: (you will have to click More actions to see this option) This will remove all notifications from the order including scheduled notifications. Any actions done after this is done will not generate notifications.

Update Windows: (you will have to click More actions to see this option) A window will appear asking to edit the pickup and/or delivery windows. Note: no check is made to ensure the windows are valid.

Remove Items:  (you will have to click More actions to see this option) A window will appear asking you to input the number of items you want to remove from the order

Convert to On Demand:  (you will have to click More actions to see this option) Routed orders can be converted to On Demand orders.

In cases where you do not enter a date or edit a window or enter the number of items, a warning window will appear. Click Yes or No to confirm or cancel the request.

Mass Status Update on Invoices

This tool allows administrators to apply mass updates, otherwise known as batch processes, to Invoices.

1) Open tool (see above)

Select the Invoices toolto launch the Invoice Batch Processing tool (once selected the icon will be colored in blue):

2) Apply filters to fine-tune your search prior to launching batch actions: Select the date range for which you seek to apply change by clicking on the from: and to: icons . Calendars will appear for you to select your range of dates:

You can exclude Debit Notes by checking this

Type in the maximum number of invoices you want to display:

Alternatively, if you already know what specific invoices to extract, you can also click on Choose Invoices to extract them by name:

Click OK to confirm your list or Cancel to exit your search.

3) Click Load. The desired invoices will be extracted from the database and displayed on screen:

You can filter the list of transactions returned by using the filter on each column. For instance, if you want to only display the invoice to print, in Print Delivery select True then click on Filter.

4) In the list of invoices, click on the checkbox to the left of the invoices you wish to mark and apply an action. To check all the invoices in the list at once, click on the first checkbox on the top left of the table. To uncheck a selected invoice, click on the check-marked box .

5) Select the desired location where you want to save your invoices by clicking on Change at the bottom of the screen. A system dialog box will appear inviting you the select the folder where you want the application to save your files when you select to Download the file. They will be saved in PDF format, with the client name and invoice number as file name:

6) Click on one of the actions buttons or the Update to sent checkbox at the bottom of the screen to apply the same action to all selected invoices:

Check Update to sent to change the Status of the selected invoices from Draft to Sent (column 1)

Click Print  to create ready-to-print PDF versions of the invoices. Your computer will launch your PDF application and display the files you want to print, from there you can print the invoices.

Click Download to save PDF copies of the selected invoices to the folder you defined in step 5.

Click Email to email the selected invoices to the main contact on the account and the CCs under Billing Options.

In More Actions:
Click Change to Draft Status to change the selected invoices' status to Draft

Click Change to Sent Status to change the selected invoices' status to Sent

Click Cancel Invoices to cancel the selected invoices

Mass Status Update on Recurring Orders

This tool allows administrators to apply mass updates, otherwise known as batch processes, to Recurring Orders.

1) Open tool (see above)

Select the Invoices tool (third from top) to launch the Recurring Orders Batch Processing tool (once selected the icon will be colored in blue):

2) Apply Grouping to fine-tune your search prior to launching batch actions. Click on Grouping. A grey line will appear on-screen inviting you to "Drag a column header and drop it here to group by that column::

Select a column header and drag it onto the grey line (in this case, the Is Running column):

Click on a group (True or False in this case) to display details:

3) In the list of recurring orders, click on the checkbox to the left of the recurring orders you wish to mark and apply an action. To check all the invoices in the list at once, click on the first checkbox on the top left of the table. To uncheck a selected invoice, click on the check-marked box .

4) Click on one of the actions buttons at the bottom of the screen to apply the same action to all selected recurring orders:

Click Delete to delete the selected recurring orders. This will delete the check-marked recurring orders and the associated recurring order templates.

Click Start to restart the check-marked recurring orders.

Click Stop to stop the check-marked recurring orders.

In all cases, a warning window will appear. Click Yes or No to confirm or cancel the request.

Mass Status Update on Settlements

This tool allows administrators to apply mass updates, otherwise known as batch processes, to driver Settlements.

1) Open tool (see above)

Select the Settlements tool  to launch the Settlements Batch Processing tool (once selected the icon will be colored in blue):

2) Apply filters to fine-tune your search prior to launching batch actions: Select the date range for which you seek to apply change by clicking on the from: and to: icons . Calendars will appear for you to select your range of dates:

Type in the maximum number of settlements you want to display:

Click Load to extract and display all settlements that were created within the selected time range:

3) In the list of settlements, click on the checkbox to the left of the settlements you wish to mark and apply an action. To check all the settlements in the list at once, click on the first checkbox on the top left of the table. To uncheck a selected settlement, click on the check-marked box .

4) Select the desired location where you want to save your settlements by clicking on Change at the bottom of the screen. A system dialog box will appear inviting you the select the folder where you want the application to save your files. They will be saved in PDF format, with the driver ID number and the settlement number  as file name:

5) Click on one of the actions buttons or the Update to sent checkbox at the bottom of the screen to apply the same action to all selected settlements:

Check Update to sent to change the Status of the check-marked settlements from Draft to Sent (column 1)

Click Print Settlements to create ready-to-print PDF versions of the settlements. Your computer will launch your default PDF application and display the files you want to print

Click Get Settlements to save PDF copies of the check-marked invoices to the folder you defined in 4.

Click Change to Unpaid status (you may have to click More actions to see this option) to apply the self-described action on the check-marked settlements

Click Change to Sent Status (you may have to click More actions to see this option) to apply the self-described action on the check-marked invoices

Click Change to Paid Status (you may have to click More actions to see this option) to apply the self-described action on the check-marked invoices

In all cases, A warning window will appear. Click Yes or No to confirm or cancel the request.

Pricing Publishing Tool

This tool allows administrators and sales representative to quickly obtain location-based price lists for client in Excel format.

1) Open tool (see above)

Select the Pricing tool iconto launch the Pricing Publishing tool (once selected the icon will be colored in blue):

1) Input the client's account number in the Account # input box

2) All available service levels and vehicle type are pre-checked. Check or uncheck the Service Levels or vehicle types for which you want to publish a price list.

3) Enter the starting address (usually the client's pick-up address or one of its warehouses) and click Validate to verify the address.

4) Either manually enter the zip codes for which you want to publish pricing in the corresponding input box, or input a desired Radius number (calculated in miles in US and KM in Canada). If you input a number, click Use Radius and the associated zip codes within that radius will automatically be added to the input box.

5) Click Load Prices (on the right side) to extract and display the prices corresponding to the instruction you have set-up:

6) Click Export to export the prices to Excel.

Note: the Print function is not yet available.

Route Tool

This tool allows administrators to set the Route Container status to Closed. If a Route Container contains routes with orders, the orders will be converted to On Demand.