Recommended Position Setup, Default Positions

Recommended Position Setup

It is important to consider how to manage positions. You can assign only one position to a user, but you can assign one or multiple functions to a position. To perform a specific job, the user must have access to all the necessary functions for that job. myAvail is designed with the understanding that a job has a position, and the position has only those functions that are required to perform that job.

For a case where, for example, a Road Supervisor also needs to fill in as a Dispatcher and an Operator, Avail recommends that you assign some additional functions available for both Dispatcher and Operator to the Road Supervisor position. The employee can ask for the access to these additional features.

Please consult with Avail for recommendations on best practices when making changes to any position structure.

In this document we are going to describe some examples of the most common default positions:

• Bus Dispatcher
• Bus Operator
• Bus Supervisor
• Customer Service Agent
• IT Manager (Sys Admin)
• Maintenance Manager
• Planner

Default Bus Dispatch Position

The default Dispatcher position is the primary position for dispatchers. Dispatchers can have varying responsibilities such as publishing messages to the public, reconfiguring their myAvail screen layouts, entering detours, and setting up Special Events.

This position performs the following tasks:

• Monitor system operations in real-time
  • Using the Operations tab with all features
  • Will respond to events as needed
  • Track and record incidents
• Set up fixed route Detours
  • This includes public messaging through all available channels
• Review and adjust operator run assignments
• Review and adjust vehicle block assignments
• Research past operator or vehicle actions
  • This includes using Replay and the Incident tracking system
• Review operations related reports

The focus is on day-to-day aspects of the system’s operation. Employees with the dispatcher position assigned will spend most of their time in it. The number of people with this position assigned depends on the size of the property and number of shifts.

This position likely requires customization. Consider:

• Do all dispatchers have the same set of responsibilities?
  • Are some dispatchers allowed permissions that others are not?
  • Are there fill-in or temporary/replacement dispatchers with restricted permissions?
• Who handles public messaging - all dispatchers, Customer Service, Public Relations/Marketing?
• Can individual dispatchers add prepared “canned” message text?
• Are the Detour and Incident features installed?
• Is Pullout/Yard Management installed?
  • Who performs these tasks?
• Will this position need to access reports?

The default Bus Dispatcher position has access to the following myAvail main tabs:

The default Bus Dispatcher position has access to the following myAvail suites, modules and their functions:

Default Bus Operator Position

The Bus Operator position is a required system position. It is not intended to have access to myAvail. This position is unlikely to require customization. The only consideration is the rarely used logon password. Permission is granted to log on to vehicles.

Default Bus Supervisor Position

The default Bus Supervisor position is the primary position for supervisors who work outside the vehicle garage/yard using mobile devices such as laptops or tablets. Bus Supervisors can have varying responsibilities like dispatchers.

This position performs the following tasks:

• Monitor system operations in real-time
  • Using the Operations tab with a subset of features
  • May respond to events as needed
  • Record on-site data on incidents
• Set up fixed route Detours
  • This includes public messaging through all available channels
• Research past operator or vehicle actions
  • This includes using Replay and the Incident tracking system
• Review operations related reports

The focus is on day-to-day aspects of the system’s operation. Employees assigned to this position will spend most of their time in it. The number of people with this position depends on the size of the property and number of shifts.

This position likely requires customization. Consider:

• Do all Bus Supervisors have the same set of responsibilities?
  • Are some bus supervisors allowed permissions others are not?
  • Are Bus Supervisors considered “dispatchers” when logged in to a given fleet group? Consider whether Bus Supervisors should be assigned fleet groups they have not selected but are not being monitored by any other Dispatcher.
• Who handles short term detours for accidents or other temporary road closures?
  • Who handles public messaging on short term detours?
• Are the Detour and Incident features installed?
• Do Bus Supervisors need historical information related to vehicles or operator performance?
  • Will this position need to access reports?
  • Will this position need to access Replay?

The default Bus Supervisor position has access to the following myAvail main tabs:

The default Bus Supervisor position has access to the following myAvail suites, modules and their functions:

Default Customer Service Agent Position

The default Customer Service Agent position is intended for staff that handles customer service questions and complaints. This position will be a primary position at a property with dedicated customer service staff. At a property where other staff handle customer service calls, this could be a secondary position, or it can be eliminated by adding some functions to other positions.

This position performs the following tasks:

• View Public Messages
• View Detours
• Has access to DataPoint Reporting functionality

This position likely requires customization. Consider:

• Does the property have a dedicated Customer Service staff?
  • If dispatchers handle most customer calls, then this position is not needed.
• Consider use of the public web page for accessing real-time vehicle information in place of the Operations.
• Does this staff assist with complaint resolution?
  • Replay is only needed for complaint resolution

The default Customer Service Agent position has access to the following myAvail main tabs:

The default Customer Service Agent position has access to the following myAvail suites, modules and their functions:

Default IT Manager Position

The default IT Manager position is a supporting position that IT staff will use infrequently. This position focuses on maintaining and managing the IT related tasks of myAvail such as the following:

• Set up users
  • Excluding Operators and other Operations staff.
• Adjust position settings
• Monitor vehicle software downloads
  • This would be done only in support of Avail.

Because these items change infrequently, users do not need to use them often. Avail recommends that you do not add access to these tasks/features to other positions. Assign this position to as few people as possible with a minimum of two.

The default IT Manager position has access to the following myAvail main tabs:

The default IT Manager position has access to the following myAvail suites, modules and their functions:

Default Maintenance Manager Position

The Maintenance Manager position is appropriate for an employee who oversees the vehicle health monitoring system and is above the Maintenance Technician position.

This position has direct access to vehicle information and, if implemented for the property, Vehicle Health Monitoring. The position will be primary at a property where Maintenance staff are tasked with monitoring vehicle issues. At a property where other staff handle and direct the actions of Maintenance, this could be a secondary position.

This position performs the following tasks:

• Use the operations tab to see the real-time system status and vehicle details with:
  • Dispatch Map
  • Block/Run Schedule
  • Maintenance Queue
• View Vehicle locations in the vehicle yard
• View Pullout information
• Vehicle Files tab to assist Avail with software upgrades or during the replacement of Avail equipment.

This position likely requires customization. Consider:

• Will Maintenance or Dispatch monitor the Maintenance Events Queue?
  • Will Maintenance manage sending out replacement vehicles.
• Will Maintenance assist with vehicle software update or is this an IT function?
• Will Maintenance also need to monitor the Events Queue?
• Does the property use Special Events?
• How is vehicle assignment to blocks managed?
  • Is vehicle assignment done as part of Maintenance or is there a dedicated Yard Coordinator.

The default Maintenance Manager position has access to the following myAvail main tabs:

The default Maintenance Manager position has access to the following myAvail suites, modules and their functions:

Default Planner Position

The default Planner position is appropriate for staff that handle service changes, service analysis, and maintaining and managing the schedule data in the system. This position will be a primary position at a property with dedicated planner staff. At a property where other staff maintain the service schedule, this could be a secondary position.

This position performs the following tasks:

• Enter schedule data changes through DataPoint
• Run service-oriented reports (e.g. Running Times Reports, Schedule Adherence, …)
• Adjust Route display attributes
• Assist planning long term detours
  • Examples here would be a detour for a bridge replacement that will take a year or more.
• Add, change or remove stop announcements
• Validate, prepare and deploy schedule related information
• Add and update trigger boxes
• Add and maintain route trace paths and displayed route traces.

This position is unlikely to require customization. However, consider:

• Will this position need to access Detour?
  • Is Detour installed for this property?
• On the Build & Deploy tab, remove access to GTFS, Pre-Trip and Farebox if these optional features are not used by your property.
• Review the schedule change process from the decision to alter the schedule to the “go live” moment.
  • Is the planning for service changes separate from the deployment of those changes?
  • Who enters data for the change?

The default Planner position has access to the following myAvail main tabs:

The default Planner position has access to the following myAvail suites, modules and their functions: