What's the difference between dispatch and scheduling?

Scheduling and dispatch get conflated in casual conversation, but in a service operation they're genuinely different jobs that benefit from different software surfaces.

Scheduling is the planning function. It answers: "When does this job happen, who is it for, and how long will it take?" Scheduling outputs a calendar — typically days or weeks ahead — with jobs slotted against time windows. The scheduler thinks in lead time, customer preferences, route density, and crew capacity.

Dispatch is the execution function. It answers: "Right now, where is each tech, what are they working on, and what changes when something goes wrong?" Dispatch operates in real time. The dispatcher reacts to: a tech finishing early, a customer canceling, an emergency call from a regular customer, parts not being on the truck, traffic, weather, illness.

In a small operation (1-3 trucks), scheduling and dispatch are often done by the same person — frequently the owner. As an operation grows past 5 trucks, dispatch becomes its own role with its own tools. The dispatch board is a different surface than the schedule: it shows live tech status, lets you reassign in two taps, and surfaces conflicts (skill mismatch, parts gap, route problem) before the truck rolls.

In FSM software, the same calendar usually drives both — but dispatch features (live status, drag-to-reassign, on-call routing, real-time tech communication) sit on top. If you're a 1-truck operator, you mostly use scheduling features. If you're a 10-truck operator, dispatch features are where you live.