Automated snow removal tracking system

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a tracking system for a snow removal remote unit and crew. The tracking system of the invention is configured to interface with a GPS system to determine the location of a remote unit, and more particularly, to determine if the remote unit is operating at a removal location. If the removal unit is operating at a removal location, the tracking system of the invention is configured to track the time expended at the removal location conducting removal operations. Once the removal operations are completed at the removal location, the tracking system of the invention is configured to transmit the tracking data to a base location where the information may be used for accounting, billing, invoicing, and / or scheduling operations via transmission or interfacing of the data to other software processes configured to conduct these processes.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]Embodiments of the invention generally relate to an apparatus and method for automating tracking processes for a snow removal business.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]In the snow removal business, there are several challenges associated with tracking what properties have been cleared, what properties have been billed, what services have been provided at particular properties, what properties are under weather conditions that will necessitate attention in the near future, etc. These challenges have a direct impact on the profitability of snow removal businesses, as the time and manpower it takes to monitor and control these issues has an associated cost, and this cost is often times a significant portion of the operating budget for a snow removal business.[0005]Conventionally, snow removal companies track and control these issues through a manual paper and pencil driven operation. For example, scheduling of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]Embodiments of the invention provide a tracking system for a snow removal remote unit and crew. The tracking system of the invention is configured to interface with a GPS system to determine the location of a remote unit, and more particularly, to determine if the remote unit is operating at a removal location. If the removal unit is operating at a removal location, the tracking system of the invention is configured to track the time expended at the removal location conducting removal operations. Once the removal operations are completed at the removal location, the tracking system of the invention is configured to transmit the tracking data to a base location where the information may be used for accounting, billing, invoicing, and / or scheduling operations via transmission or interfacing of the data to other software processes configured to conduct these processes.

Problems solved by technology

In the snow removal business, there are several challenges associated with tracking what properties have been cleared, what properties have been billed, what services have been provided at particular properties, what properties are under weather conditions that will necessitate attention in the near future, etc.

These challenges have a direct impact on the profitability of snow removal businesses, as the time and manpower it takes to monitor and control these issues has an associated cost, and this cost is often times a significant portion of the operating budget for a snow removal business.

One the properties are scheduled, the removal units are sent out to do the work, however, the office staff generally does not know if all of the properties were cleared until much later, often times not until the next day, and the removal crews work several locations before returning to the office to confirm that the work has been completed.

This process opens up the possibility that a property can be overlooked by either the scheduling staff or the removal crew, and more importantly, that the oversight might not be discovered until the next day.

In this situation, a client will almost certainly be displeased and likely to seek another removal provider.

Inasmuch as work orders are conventionally filled out on site by the removal crews and then transferred to the office staff for invoicing, there are inherent inaccuracies that are injected into the process.

For example, since the work order paperwork is filled out on site by the removal crew, it is often subject to weather conditions, e.g., snow and ice, which causes illegible work orders.

Additionally, the work order information must be transferred to the staff before it is actually recorded in the system that generates the invoices, and when a removal crew is assigned to several work locations before returning to the office, as is often times the case, the work orders are frequently lost or damaged before they are ever transferred to the office staff.

Further still, even when the work orders are transferred to the office staff, there is still a possibility that the information on the work order will not be correctly entered into the billing or invoicing system through human error or illegible items in the work orders.

Another challenge associated with conventional processes is the onsite tracking of the services provided.

The number of workers, tasks, and working conditions lend to errors and / or omissions in the tracking process, which equates to a loss of revenue for the snow removal company.

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