Dispatcher

Freight forwarding employee responsible for selling freight to carriers

A dispatcher is a person or department in a company responsible for planning, coordinating, and organizing resources, such as personnel, vehicles, or materials. The term “dispatcher” is used in various industries, such as transportation, logistics companies, utility companies or the service sector.

The duties of a dispatcher vary by company and industry, but may include the following activities:

1. Planning and organization: The dispatcher is responsible for planning and coordinating the deployment of resources. This can include assigning vehicles to specific jobs, scheduling deliveries, or scheduling employees. The dispatcher must ensure that resources are used efficiently and that all orders or deadlines are met on time.
2. Communication: A dispatcher often has an important interface function and is the point of contact for customers, suppliers, drivers or internal departments. He has to pass on information, take orders or solve problems. Good communication skills are therefore important in order to interact effectively with different parties.
3. Monitoring and control: The dispatcher monitors the progress of current orders, checks the status of resources and intervenes in the process if necessary. This can mean, for example, planning alternative routes, organizing the exchange of vehicles or finding solutions quickly when problems arise.
4. Documentation and reporting: A dispatcher often also performs administrative tasks such as documenting orders, creating reports on the use of resources or monitoring KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). This enables effective tracking and evaluation of the processes.

The role of a dispatcher often requires good organizational skills, the ability to work under pressure, and problem solving skills. Modern dispatchers often work with specialized software solutions to support the planning and coordination process.