NextGen FSM
NextGen FSM
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Understanding Crew Shells with Work Center Affiliation - Overview

Overview

As of the 2025 Wave 2 release, the Crew Shell functionality in NextGen FSM includes Work Center indications. This feature provides dispatchers with immediate contextual awareness of where a crew shell operates within the broader operational structure. Previously, dispatchers couldn't easily see a crew's specific affiliation, making filtering and resource management difficult.

This update allows dispatchers to quickly filter crew shells based on their operational context, such as specialized areas, geographic subareas, or specific subcontractors.

How it Works

The system adds a new, optional association to the Crew Shell configuration, which then informs dispatching operations.

  • Association: You can link each Crew Shell to only one Work Center Type. This association isn't mandatory, but useful if you manage operational sub-organizations like:

    • Territorial divisions.

    • External operating contractors.

    • Different job specializations.

  • Configuration: A new 'Work Center Type' field is available when you create or edit a crew shell via the Crew Shell Monitor. This dropdown lists all active work centers associated with the Crew Shell's assigned Operational Center.

  • Dispatching: After you configure the Work Center Type, dispatching consoles, like the Daily Plan and Multi-Day Plan, can filter resources, including fixed teams and crew shells, with the new Work Center Type filter criterion. This allows dispatchers to focus on resources that share a common work center affiliation.

Benefits

This enhancement provides several key advantages for dispatchers:

  • Enhanced Contextual Awareness: Dispatchers can immediately understand the work center affiliation of each crew shell, which provides context for decision making.

  • Improved Filtering and Focus: The work center type allows dispatchers to easily filter and focus on crew shells that belong to specific work centers, such as territorial subareas or subcontractors.

  • Increased Efficiency: Dispatchers can quickly identify and use crew shells based on their work center specialties on the dispatching console. This allows you to efficiently manage operations

Use Cases

This feature is particularly valuable for:

  • Territorial Subarea Management: A dispatcher can quickly filter and assign tasks to crew shells located within a specific geographic subarea of the operation center, identified by a Work Center.

  • Subcontractor Management: Dispatchers can isolate crew shells belonging to a particular subcontractor (identified by a work center) to effectively manage their workload and performance.

  • Specialized Task Assignment: Dispatchers can quickly locate and assign crew shells with specific work center specializations to tasks that require those skills.

To learn how to associate a work center with a crew shell, read How to Associate a Work Center with a Crew Shell.