How did automation improve the dispatch process?

Automation replaced manual job assignments with a Go function that uses APIs to match jobs by skill tags and vehicle status, reducing assignment time from two hours to five minutes and saving 90% of manual effort.

What APIs were used for job assignment automation?

The automation uses GET /v1/jobs?status=open to fetch jobs and POST /v1/jobs/assign to assign them, with logic to match technician skills and vehicle status.

What were the main benefits of the first automation sprint?

The first sprint reduced average Monday delays from 120 minutes to 5 minutes, cut weekly manual clicks from 600 to 10 API calls, and lowered error rates from 8% to 0.5%.

How were legacy data errors fixed during automation?

A JSON Schema validator ensured asset_id fields matched the correct format, and a microservice called normalizeAndAssignAssets() synced clean data with the master registry to prevent duplicate assignments.

What is a JSON Schema validator and why was it used?

A JSON Schema validator checks that JSON payloads meet expected field structures and formats. It was used to validate asset IDs and prevent data errors in automation scripts.

What impact did validation have on technician assignments?

Validation prevented assignment glitches, such as sending multiple technicians to the same job, ensuring only the correct technician was dispatched and reducing idle time.

How much of the deployment is complete?

The automation deployment is currently 80% complete, with significant improvements already realized in dispatch efficiency and error reduction.

Dispatch Automation with ServiceTrade API: Real-World Results and Workflow Improvements

Q: How does the end-to-end API-driven workflow operate?

Job creation, dispatch, and payroll are now automated in a single flow using POST /v1/jobs with fields like location_id and tech_skill_tags, enabling automatic job assignment and timesheet generation.

TLDR

Automate dispatch and asset validation with APIs and Go scripts to save time, reduce errors, and streamline fleet management workflows for independent IT and operations teams.

Dispatch Challenges and the Turn to Automation

Before: Overflowing Dispatch Board

Every Monday, unassigned jobs stacked up while technicians waited in the shop. Manual clicks through ServiceTrade IDs ate up two hours before any work even began.

After: Custom Automation with Go and APIs

Reliable Climate Solutions replaced manual clicks with a assignJobsByPriorityFilter() Go function. It polls GET /v1/jobs?status=open, matches by skill tags and vehicle status, then uses POST /v1/jobs/assign—all with retries for server hiccups. Mondays went from chaos to calm in minutes.

90% time saved

First Automation Sprint Wins

Before: Placeholder Functions

Sprints included stub functions with no real API calls. Teams still clicked through screens.

After: Real Code, Real Results

In one sprint, the new Go script reduced assignment time from two hours to five minutes—just enough time to grab a coffee.

Assignment Time Comparison
Metric	Before Automation	After Automation
Average Monday Delay	120 minutes	5 minutes
Weekly Manual Clicks	600 clicks	10 API calls
Error Rate	8%	0.5%
Tech Idle Time	90 minutes	10 minutes
Data based on one-month pilot; key terms: automation saved manual step, created custom dispatch filter

Fixing Legacy Logic with Validation

Before: ID Errors and Data Mess

Early scripts tripped over retired asset records and caused duplicate assignments.

After: JSON Schema and Asset Sync

A JSON Schema validator checked that asset_id matched UUID format. The normalizeAndAssignAssets() microservice then synced clean data with the master registry.

JSON Schema: A defined structure to validate JSON payloads against expected fields and formats.
Microservice: A small, focused service (like normalizeAndAssignAssets()) that handles one task—here, data cleanup and sync.

API Mastery and End-to-End Flow

Before: Manual Postman Steps

Job creation, dispatch, and payroll runs were separate, manual processes.

After: Single-Call Job Creation and Payroll Trigger

Using POST /v1/jobs with fields like location_id and tech_skill_tags, dispatch_ready_tags flow into payroll automation at paiy.org. Jobs go live, techs get assigned, and timesheets generate automatically.

Diagram illustrating the API-driven dispatch workflow, detailing the process from job fetching to payroll synchronization in fleet management automation.. Photographed by Vlada Karpovich — A developer examining an API-driven dispatch workflow.. Photographed by Vlada Karpovich

80% deployment complete

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