Here's a preview video of what's new in this release:

New features included in this release

• Exception codes enhance and replace hold reasons. They provide a structured way for drivers to document events or issues throughout the entire delivery process. They can be applied on an item, at pick-up or delivery, or when explaining a decision to put an order on hold. Moreover, like parcel type schedules or customer profiles, they can be grouped together by customer type.
  

  Note: This feature can only be turned on once all drivers are upgraded to Driver App version 1.39 which is planned to be in the store the first week of October. 
  Once all your drivers are upgraded, please send a ticket to support@dispatchscience.com to request the feature to be turned on in Production. 
  In the meantime, you can review the feature on your Test Site.

• Users now can see a linked map at the same time as the Dispatch Grid in real time

Other new Features:

• In Orders-->Recurring Orders, it is now possible to  create multi-segment orders based on multi-segment Order Templates:
  

• On multi-segment order, the first pickup date and time of any order will be used on the multi-segment order in the pickup address section and the last delivery date and time of any segment will be used on the multi-segment order.

Definition

The release notes refer to different sections of the application:

Back Office: Where Customer Service Representatives (CSR) create and edit orders, create accounts, review drivers, etc.

Dispatch Board: Where Dispatchers assign orders to drivers, get notifications for invalid orders, etc.

Auto-Dispatch: This section refers to the automated order assignment setup and its process.

Administration: This section is in the Back Office but refers to sections only an administrator will use like Settings and Pricing.

Customer Portal: Where account users log in to create orders, view their order history, enter a credit card, etc.

Tracking site: Where customers enter a tracking number like the order ID or a reference number to view the status of their order.

OData: Data fields and variables saved in OData

Account API: API provided to your accounts to create, update and get orders. For documentation, please follow this link:https://api.dispatchscience.com/
Tenant API: API provided to you to create orders for your accounts, retrieve invoices and change invoice status. For documentation, please follow this link: https://api.dispatchscience.com/  

Administration, Back Office, and Dispatch Board

Exception Codes

Exception Codes can now be set up to provide a standard explanation for putting an order on hold, applied to an item (if damaged for instance), and at pickup, delivery or at a checkpoint. Exception codes make it easy to review and analyze issues, control automated communications, support varying shipper exception reporting requirements, and eliminate reliance on drivers' field reporting capabilities.  

Note: The introduction of "Exception Codes" for Holds replaces the notion of "Hold Reasons". You will still be able to see a "Hold Reasons" column in your Order List.

How to setup Exception Codes:

1) An Administrator must setup exception code types for the business. Dispatch Science provides some commonly used ones by default. Go to Settings -->Exception Codes, and click Manage Exception Codes:

2) Either click on New Exception Code to create a new one, or click on an existing one to edit it:

Let's create a new one.

3) Click on New Exception Code, then fill-in the requested information. First give it a short ID, an optional CODE, a DISPLAY NAME, and a DESCRIPTION, then determine if it will be visible to the driver, if it's a code specific to a damaged item, then check the exception code type(s) to which it can be applied, then click Save:

You now have created a new Exception code Type. You must now apply it in an Exception Code Schedule. Dispatch Science provides a Default schedule to help get things started.

How to Set-up an Exception Code Schedule:

1)Return to  Settings -->Exception Codes, and click on New Schedule to create a new Exception Code Schedule, or click on an existing shedule to edit it. Click on New Schedule to create a new one:

2) Type a NAME for the Schedule, then click Create. The window will expand and you will be able to add exception codes to your schedule. Click Add Exception Code:

An EXCEPTION CODE TYPE dropdown will appear. Click on the dropdown and select one of the exception codes you want to apply:

3) Click Save, and repeat the process until all the exception codes you want to apply are included, then click Save:

Your new Exception Code Schedule is now ready for use by Customer Service:

Once an Administrator has created an Exception Code Schedule, Customer Service can apply it at the Customer level. Here's how:

1) Go to Accounts-->Accounts, and select a customer. Then click on Edit in the Order Options section. The Order Options dialog box is displayed. Click on the EXCEPTION CODES SCHEDULE dropdown and select the schedule you want to apply to that customer, and click Save:

The Exception codes available in that Exception Code Schedule will available for all orders taken for that customer until the schedule is modified by either an administrator or Customer Service.

Dispatchers and Drivers can apply exception codes. Customer Service can see them. Here's how Dispatchers can apply them:

How Dispatchers apply Hold Exception Codes:

1) In the Dispatch Map, click on an order, and then on HOLD ORDER. A popup will be displayed. Select the Hold reason from the dropdown and click PLACE ON HOLD:

2) The same Dialog box will display when clicking on an order in the Dispatch Grid.

Note: Dispatcher can only apply HOLD exception codes to orders. Drivers can apply all types of exception codes to their assigned orders and items.

The Driver App release notes will describe how Drivers apply Exceptions Codes.

Customer Service can see Exception codes in three ways: 

1) First, by looking at an order details. In the example below, the Hand icon means that the order is on hold, and the exclamation means that another type of exception has aslo occured on the order:

Hovering over the icon will display more details.

For Hold:

For other reasons:

2) By adding the new Exception Codes column. These will display all NON HOLD exception code types:

Note: We have kept the HOLD exception codes separate from the other exception codes in this report as they have a higher degree of importance in the delivery process.

3) By reviewing the Order History:

Similar symbols will also be visible on the dispatch board and dispatch grid.

4) By reviewing the Items List and hovering over the exception code item:

Note that damaged and missing icons will still be used for exception codes set as damaged exception code and missing icon will be displayed for items that were not scanned.

Dispatch Board

Dispatch Grid Map

You can now show a detached map view of your Dispatch Grid View. The grid and the map are linked to allow you to see the order selected on the grid view when hovering on the map and jumping on the map when hovering over the order on the grid. It will be possible to see your Driver route on the map without having to move to the Drivers list. 

How to display a separate, but linked view of the map:

1) Click on the Map icon on the top of your current grid:

A map tab is added on your browser. Depending on your browser capabilities, you can separate that tab and display it separately. However, the 2 are linked in the same way as above. this is particularly useful for users working with multiple displays:

Note that the map can be opened from the Vertical Grid, the Horizontal Grid and the Order Grid. It is not available in the Driver only grid.

Note: When hovering on an order in the grid view, ensure the grid's tab is the active tab. When hovering on an order's pickup or delivery pin on the map, ensure the map's tab is the active tab.

Each grid has its own map. It is important to have the correct grid selected when viewing the map.

The orders on the map will be filtered by the grid filter.

Ensure the grid is the active tab and while hovering over an order in the grid, the order's stops will jump on the map.

Ensure the map is the active tab and while hovering over an order's stop in the grid, notice the other stop will start jumping and the order will be highlighted in the grid if the order is visible in the list. 

You can dispatch an order from the map by clicking on a stop:

Select the driver from the Dispatch window and acknowledge dispatching.

Hovering on a driver in the Grid will have the driver jumping in the map. 

Hovering over a driver on the map, will have the driver highlighted on the grid.

Showing the Driver rainbow road on the map

Click on a driver to open its side panel and click on the Stop list:

You will see the driver's rainbow road on the map with the addition of the Driver name and number:

Close the Driver information will return to the order's list.

Dispatch Grid with Embedded Map Beta Version

Note: This feature is in Beta Version and will not be turned on automatically. If you wish to have the feature turned on in Production, please send an email to support@dispatchscience.com 
If you find any issues, you can submit them on the support site. This feature will be available in its released form in the next version.

We have linked the Dispatch grid with the map view. This exciting new capability allows dispatchers to make changes to the dispatch grid and instantly see the results on the map. For instance, if the dispatcher clicks on an order on the dispatch grid, he will see the corresponding pickup and delivery location markers jump on the map.

A new layout type is available: Vertical Grid with Map
This layout will have an embedded map in the grid's browser tab as a third panel.

How to display an embedded view of the map in the dispatch grid:

1) Click on the gear icon next to a grid tab. The Board Settings dialog box will slide in from the right. Click on the Select Layout type dropdown and select Vertical grid with map, then click Apply:

Result:

Click or hover over any pick-up or delivery stop on the map and the associated order will automatically be highlighted on the grid. Click on any order, and the associated pick-up and delivery stops will jump on the map.

The same features as the detached map are available on this new layout.