Messaging in Onboard App

What does Messaging in Onboard App help?

For most transit operators, communicating with dispatch means one thing – reaching for the radio. And while radios do make life easier for operators and dispatchers, they’re also the source of major headaches: cluttered radio lines, overworked dispatch teams, and distracted operators to name a few.

Messaging in Onboard App allows for operators and dispatch to have two-way communication asynchronously while minimizing distractions for operators and allowing dispatchers to respond and prioritize messages on their own time. 

Within Onboard App:

• Operators can communicate with dispatch while on their route. Canned messages are available to operators to limit distraction and for ease of communication, such as: Restroom Break, Farebox Issue, Traffic on Route, Start of Shift, etc.
• Operators can reply while at stops when dispatch sends them a message. Replies are canned replies to aid in ease of use. 
• Operators are unable to use Messaging in Onboard App while driving, and Onboard App is disabled while driving more than 5mph
  
  

Within the Swiftly Dashboard:

• As operations staff use the Live Operations product, messages can be sent to vehicles to communicate without bogging down the radio.
• When an operator sends a canned message through Messaging in Onboard App, dispatch can reply using free-text. 
• Dispatcher can see whether an operator is logged into Onboard App or not so that they know whether to expect a quick response from an operator.

Different states when sending messages in Onboard App:

• An operator is logged in with their vehicle ID in Onboard App with a strong cellular connection: This means that the vehicle is assigned, and the cellular connection is strong enough to send bi-directional messages between the Swiftly dashboard and Onboard App. A dashboard user can see the route assignment for that vehicle ID when messaging.  

• An operator has logged in with their vehicle ID in Onboard App, and the vehicle is driving through an area with poor cellular connection: The messaging panel in the Swiftly dashboard for the selected vehicle ID will display the status "Offline ּּּּּּ ּ Route XX" to dashboard users. 

If a user attempts to message an offline vehicle, an error message will be displayed. Please, try later when there is stronger cellular connection. 

• Onboard App has ever logged into a vehicle: If that's the case, a dashboard user will find the following message when attempting to send a message to that vehicle ID: "Can't connect to vehicle, operator needs to log in." Make sure that Onboard App logs into the vehicle without Training mode enabled. 

• An operator has not logged in with their vehicle ID in Onboard App for that service day: The messaging status will display "Offline". If a user attempts to message an offline vehicle, an error message will be displayed. See screenshot below: