Workload Manager

Use the Workload Manager feature to manage your users' work by seeing all items and tickets assigned to a folder or user and changing these assignments.

Items are listed by folder and user. The list of users is the default.

 

Icon (Left column) Category (Gray row)
Folders ( )

Folder: Folders containing tickets or items

Not In Folder: Tickets or items not in folders
Users ( )

Unassigned: Users without tickets or items assigned to them

Contract Locator: Locators with tickets or items assigned to them

 

Columns list items in relation to due date.

Column Description
Beyond + Shows three additional columns for items due within two, three, and four days
Past Due Items past due
Due Within 2 Hours Items due within 2 hours
Due Within 2-4 Hours Items due within 2-4 hours
Due Within 4-8 Hours Items due within 4-8 hours
Today Items due today
Tomorrow Items due tomorrow
Total Open Total number of open items
User/Folder

Shows folders or users. If showing users, you can schedule time off:

  1. Put the cursor on the user name and click the user ( ). Result: The User Schedule Details appears
  2. On the User Schedule Details page, click + Add Time Off
  3. See On the Schedule Time Off window, fill in the fields:

 

Search

Search by folder name or user's first or last name.

 

Config

 

Setting Description
Default Capacity of Items Assigned to a Folder The maximum number of items that can be assigned to a folder. This number is the limit that indicates workload capacity has been exceeded. It does not limit actions or auto processing rules used to assign items to a folder
Default Capacity of Items Assigned to a User The maximum number of items that can be assigned to a user. This number is the limit that indicates workload capacity has been exceeded. It does not limit actions or auto processing rules used to assign items to a user
Past Due Configuration Excludes tickets with ongoing responses from being listed as past due
Note for Assignment and Put in Folder Requires users to add notes when assigning tickets or putting them in folders

 

Refine

 

Refine By Refine By
Contract Locator (user / personnel only) Shows all items assigned to the locator you choose
Folder Shows all items assigned to the folder you choose
Personnel (user / personnel only) Shows all items assigned to the user you choose

 

View

  1. On the top menu bar, click Workload > Workload Manager
  2. On the Workload page, in a column, click the number of tickets or items. Result: The Item List window appears

  3. On the Item List window, in the upper right corner, choose the view:

     

    Display Description
    List ( ) Lists items or tickets by item ID. Click column headings to sort
    Map ( ) Lists items or tickets by location on map

     

Actions

From the list of items, you can take two actions on multiple items at once. On the Item Details page, you can take all actions:

Page/window Action
List of items/tickets window
  1. Click boxes to select items. Result: The Actions List appears in upper right corner of the window

  2. In the Actions List, there are two actions:

    • Assign/Unassign
    • Put in/Remove from Folder

    For details (and the full list of actions), see Item Details, below
Item Details page In the Item ID column, click the ID number. Result: The Item Details page appears with all actions. See Item Details, below

 

 

Actions available on Item Details window (from Item ID link).

Action Description
Add Note

In the Add Note window:

  1. Type the note
  2. Click Save
  3. Item redisplays. In History "Note Added" appears with the note
Add Response (Complete or Ongoing)

Complete: Add a response to a ticket and change the status to Closed. See Item Response.

Ongoing: Add a response to a ticket but the ticket remains open (on-going). See Item Response.

Assign / Unassign

  • Assign

    1. In the Assign To dropdown list, click the person you want to assign the item to
    2. In the Reason dropdown list, click the reason for assigning the item (tickets only)
    3. In the Schedule dropdown list, schedule the item (items only):
      1. Schedule to: Set the date and time for the item to be started (edit or use calendar)
      2. Keep Current Schedule: Leaves any scheduled time unchanged
      3. Clear Schedule: Deletes any scheduled date
      4. Optional. Write a note
    4. Click Save
    5. Item redisplays. In History, "Assigned' or "Re-Assigned" appears with any notes you added while assigning the item

  • Unassign

    1. In the Assign window, uncheck the items you want to unassign
      1. Click Save
      2. Optional. Write a note
    2. Item redisplays. In History, "Unassigned" appears with any notes you added
Change Status (items only)
  1. On the Change Status window, in the Status dropdown list, click the status
    1. Optional. Write a note
    2. Click Save
  2. Item redisplays. In History, the Type column says "Status Changed (Status)" with any notes you added while changing the status

Clear

Dispatch

Review

(outside Actions list in upper right corner)

Use these actions to process tickets with a status of Pending Your Research and at least one Auto Process Recommendation in a simpler, faster way. You must configure registration codes to use them. See Registration Codes > Select Codes for Clear, Dispatch, and Review Tickets

  • Clear: The response you configured for ticket's registration code(s) is applied
  • Dispatch (if ticket status is Pending Your Research): The relevant auto process recommendations are applied

  • Review (if ticket status is not Pending Your Research): The ticket is marked as Reviewed (ticket history updated) and Clear and Dispatch are no longer available actions. Reviewed tickets can be found by using these methods:
Email (tickets only)
  1. Click Email
  2. The Share window appears
  3. Choose recipient, type in any email address, or use the email address in the form
  4. Options
    1. Include attachments
    2. Include history: Item includes all lines in item’s History view
    3. Optional. Write a note
  5. Click Save
  6. The item redisplays. In History, "Ticket queued" appears with any notes you added when emailing the ticket. After ticket is sent, History says "ticket successfully sent"
External Links (tickets only) Opens any links to 3rd party sites in a new browser tab. To add links, see External Links
Link to

On the Link Related Items window, find the work item you want to link to:

  • View Map: Finds items within 1000 feet of the current item:
    1. In the upper right corner, click View Map. Result: The Map appears
    2. In the upper left corner, click Zoom In ( + ) until the zoom level is 500 ft (bottom left corner)
    3. In the upper right corner, click Search in Map ( ). Result: Any pins for related items in the map area appear
    4. Click the pin for the related item you want to link to
    5. On the pop-up window of the pin, click Add. Result: The pop-up window refreshes and says "Linked"
    6. Click Done. Result: The linked item displays in the Related Items section of the Details page. In the History view, the Type column says "Item Updated. "
  • Search by ID: Find an items by ID number (the search finds both parent and child)
    1. Type ID number and press Enter
    2. Work items appear. To link to a work item, click Add. The window refreshes showing the item has been linked
    3. Click Done. Result: The linked item displays in the Related Items section of the Details page. In the History view, the Type column says "Item Updated. "
Modify (items only)
  1. Make your edits to the item
  2. Click Save
  3. The item displays in Details view. In History "Item Updated" appears
Print / Print to PDF (items only)
  • Print: On the Print window, choose printer and click Print
  • Print to PDF:
    1. On the Print Options window, choose the options:
      1. Optional. Choose a message template (If your company uses templates)
      2. Include attachments: Attachments are separate PDF files attached to the item PDF. Inline puts attachments into the item PDF as new pages
      3. Include related items (parent and children items): Related items are attached to the item PDF as separate PDF files. Inline puts related items into the item PDF as new pages
      4. Include history: Item history lists all lines in item’s History view
    2. Click Print
    3. A PDF of the item appears in a browser window or download window
Put in Folder / Remove from Folder

On the Put Item in Folder (or Remove Item from Folder) window:

  1. Check the item you want to put in (or remove from) a folder
  2. In the Folder dropdown list, click the folder. An item can be in only one folder at a time.
  3. Optional. In the Schedule dropdown list, schedule the item:
    1. Schedule to: Set the date and time for the item to be started and completed (edit or use calendar)
    2. Keep Current Schedule: Leaves any scheduled time unchanged
    3. Clear Schedule: Deletes any scheduled date
    4. Optional. Write a note
  4. Click Save
  5. Item redisplays. In History "Put in Folder" appears with the folder name and any notes you added
Related Items If your item form is the parent of child forms, the child forms appear under the Related Items heading in this dropdown list. Clicking a child form creates a child item and links it to this form. For more information, see Links

Respond

(outside Actions list in upper right corner)

 This is the same feature as Add Response, above. Opens the Item Response window with a default setting of complete (you can change this to an ongoing response). See Item Response.
Schedule (items only)

On the Schedule Item window:

  1. Check the item you want to schedule
  2. In the Schedule dropdown list, schedule the item:
    1. Schedule to: Set the date and time for the item to be started and completed (edit or use calendar)
    2. Don’t Change Schedule Time: Leaves any scheduled time unchanged
    3. Clear Schedule: Deletes any scheduled date
    4. Optional. Write a note
  3. Click Save
  4. Item redisplays. In History "Scheduled" or "Re-Scheduled" appears with any notes you added
Set Action for Future Ticket Updates

Overrides autoprocessing rules by automatically making future versions of an item (with the same ticket ID number) either:

  • Assigned (to a locator/contractor)
  • Put in a folder

These future updates do not change who the ticket is assigned to or its folder (They only affect future versions/updates of the item).

Start Work / End Work

(outside Actions list in upper right corner)
  1. Click Start Work / End Work
  2. In the window confirming the start or end of the work, click OK
  3. A confirmation message appears. The item reloads. In History, the Type column shows the start or end of the work (time, date, and location)

 

Standard Field Description
Locator

The locator who did the work. There are two kinds of locators:

  • UtiliSphere user: Authorized by your company in Users and Groups
  • Contractor: A third-party company that your company allows to update tickets in UtiliSphere from their system. See Contractors
Locate Time The time when the locate occurred (field automatically shows the current time)
Notes

Free text field for any notes.

If your company uses Standard Comments, this field can be automatically filled in based on the Standard Comment you chose (you can still type a note before or after the standard comment)
Response

Responses indicate what happened with the ticket. The response you choose determines the Standard Comment list. Your company defines responses in Responses

If needed, send a positive response to close the ticket and tell the excavator to start work. See Send Positive Response to Excavator, below
Unit of Work The number of units of work used to do the locate. Units are defined by your company
Optional Field Description
Additional Message to Excavator (Optional)

When making a positive response to an excavator, use this field to type a message in addition to the Notes and Standard Comment. To make this field appear:

  1. Turn it on in Options
  2. Add it to Responses by typing [Addl Msg] in the Message fields of the Responses
  3. On the ticket response window, check the box for Send Positive Response to Excavator
Did you talk to Excavator? (Optional)

If you talked to the excavator, use the Message Addressed dropdown list to indicate what you talked about (this is a standard list and cannot be customized):

  • Appropriate Response
  • Emergency Telephone Numbers
  • Leak Recognition
  • Markers and Signs
  • OneCall Requirements
  • Right of Way Encroachment Prevention
  • Safety Precautions

Turn on the Talk to Excavator/Message Addressed feature in Excavator Compliance

Send Positive Response to Excavator (Optional)

A positive response is sent to the excavator. To learn how your company defines which responses are positive, see Set Up Excavator Positive Response

If sending a positive response to an excavator, you can also send a message to the excavator beyond the standard response. Type any such message in the Addl Message to Excavator box (optional)

Standard Comment (Optional)

This list of standard comments comes from the Response you chose. The standard comment automatically fills in the Notes field. By default this option is off.

Configure standard comments in Responses

 

 

Displays the compete text of the ticket

  1. On the Item Details page, at the bottom, click Full Ticket Text. Result: The compete text of the ticket appears

 

The History view lists all the actions performed on the item.

  1. On the Item Details page, at the bottom, click View History. Result: The History page appears listing the actions
  2. Optional. On the History page, click Attachment Added ( ) to open the Attachments page to view or download the attachment.

 

The Related Items page lists the items linked to the item you are viewing.

  1. On the Item Details page, at the bottom, click Related Items. The Related Items page appears listing the items
  2. Click an item to view it

 

The Attachment page lists the image files attached to the item.

  1. On the Item Details page, at the bottom, click Attachments. The Attachment page appears listing the image files

  2. Optional: Click the file to view or download the image file

 

 

If your item contains location data, the map is displayed to the right.

The map is interactive:

  • Use your mouse to click, pan, and scroll to zoom within the map

In the upper-left corner of the map, the map tools are in a vertical toolbar:

Map Tool Description
Map Layer Information ( )

For information about a specific point:

  1. Click Information ( )
  2. Click on a point on the map
  3. Layer Information and General Information display on separate tabs, if available for that point. General Information includes facility locations and responsibility areas
Measure Distances ( )
  1. Click Ruler ( )
  2. Click on two points on the map to get the distance

To turn off, click Ruler ( ) again

Show My Current Location ( ) (Optional) Click Bullseye ( ) to center the map on your current location as determined by your web browser
Zoom In/Zoom Out (+ - ) Click Zoom In (+) and Zoom Out (-) to increase or decrease the details shown on the map
Zoom to a Specific Area ( )
  1. Click Zoom ( ) to a Specific Area icon
  2. Click the map and drag to draw the zoom area
  3. The map zooms to the area you drew

To turn off, click Zoom ( ) again
Dialog ( )

For information about a specific point:

  1. Click Dialog ( )
  2. Put the cursor on a point on the map

  3. General Information displays in a popup window, if available for that point. General Information includes facility locations and responsibility areas (This is the same General Information that appears in the Map Layer Information feature, above). If map definition linked to a ticket, additional layer information may be available.

 

In the upper-right corner of the map, put the mouse pointer on the Layer Picker ( ) to see the map layers (Street, Satellite, Hybrid, irth GIS) you can display on the map. If your company uses custom Map Layers, these are also in the Layer Picker (see Map Layers under Administration)

Layer Information Description
Activities

A layer that shows worker activity that has location information:

  • Item (Start/End work, Add photo)
  • Ticket (Start/End work, Add photo, Add response)
Dig Site Area on the map based on geocoded address with buffer applied from ticket. Dig sites can be based on To/From street address, for example, 15 Main St to 63 Main St
Dig Site Bounding Box Box on map drawn by user to indicate the four corners of the dig site. Dig site bounding boxes can contain multiple OCC dig areas
Dig Site Point The pin marking the dig site (when map is zoomed out)
Facility Location A facility location is the geographical location of the asset or facility you are trying to protect. Facility locations are defined when you add map definitions. If you indicate that facilities are not in use, they appear differently on the map. Facility locations can be processed by auto processing rules (Auto Response)
ESRI Hybrid A base layer that shows streets, photographic landscape, and political borders (state, province, nation)
ESRI (Sat) A base layer that shows photographic landscape
ESRI (Street) A base layer that shows only roads, streets, highways
irth GIS A base layer that shows streets and political borders (state, province, nation)
Location The location of the item. From the Location field in the form (if any)
Near Street The nearest intersecting street (from ticket). Not part of dig site
OCC Dig Area The One Call Center (OCC) dig area contains the latitude and longitude coordinates from the One Call Center ticket (can also contain grid data). This dig area is a shaded box

Responsibility Areas

 A responsibility area is the area in which a person, group of people, or an office is responsible for the work to be done in it. Responsibility areas are defined when you add Map Definitions (If you indicate that responsibility areas are not in use, they appear differently on the map)
Users A layer that shows the GPS location of the most recent Start/End action and the worker who performed it

 

  1. Click Search ( )
  2. In the search box, type an address (the search is formatted as street, city, state) or latitude/longitude coordinates (type latitude, a space, then longitude)
  3. Press Enter or click a suggested result to go to it on the map

 

Use Export to export map data, including any work actions.

  1. Click Export ( ). Result: The option to choose the file format of the export appears

  2. Click the file format of the export. Result: A Zip file downloads to your computer:

    File Format Description
    Geojson

    The export file unzips to a Geojson file.

    GeoJSON is an open standard geospatial data interchange format that is based on JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). GeoJSON encodes a variety of geographic data structures and their nonspatial attributes. It uses a geographic coordinate reference system, World Geodetic System 1984, and units of decimal degrees.
    Shapefile The export file unzips to 4 shape files: .DBF, .PRJ, .SHP, .SHX

 

External links are optional, custom links to external, third-party web sites. They are added by your company. See External Links

  1. Click External Link ( )
  2. In a new browser tab or window, the link to the external web site opens