Skip to main content

Calendar Views Explained: Choose the Right View for Every Situation

Master when and how to use each calendar view to maximize efficiency and visibility in your field service operations.

Updated over 3 weeks ago

FieldCamp offers four distinct calendar views, each designed for specific dispatching scenarios. Choosing the right view at the right time can transform how you manage your team and serve customers. This guide helps you understand when to use each view and how to leverage their unique strengths.

Calendar View: Your Daily Planning Hub

When to Use

  • Morning planning sessions to see the week ahead

  • Customer communications when discussing availability

  • Quick scheduling of single appointments

  • Holiday and capacity planning

Best For

  • Solo operators or small teams

  • Businesses with mostly scheduled (not emergency) work

  • Planning recurring maintenance visits

  • Getting a bird's-eye view of busy vs. slow periods

Pro Tips

  • Color coding: Jobs appear in different colors by status—use this to spot incomplete work quickly

  • Multi-day jobs: Stretch appointments across days for projects

  • Quick reschedule: Click and drag to move appointments

  • Availability check: Switch to month view to find open slots quickly

Real-World Example

Sarah at GreenFlow HVAC uses Calendar view every Monday morning to review the week. She can quickly spot gaps in the schedule and call customers from her maintenance list to fill them.

Timeline View: The Dispatcher's Command Center

When to Use

  • Active dispatching with multiple techs

  • Real-time schedule adjustments

  • Balancing workloads across your team

  • Emergency job insertion

Best For

  • Teams of 3+ technicians

  • High-volume scheduling days

  • Businesses with mixed scheduled/emergency work

  • Optimizing tech utilization

Pro Tips

  • 15-minute intervals for precision scheduling

  • Horizontal scanning to spot gaps instantly

  • Drag between techs to balance workloads

  • Stack view: See all unassigned jobs on the right

Real-World Example

Mike dispatches for 8 plumbers. He keeps Timeline view open all day, dragging emergency calls into gaps between scheduled jobs. The horizontal layout lets him see everyone's capacity at a glance.

Resource View: Deep Dive into Daily Operations

When to Use

  • Detailed daily planning for each technician

  • Skill-based assignments

  • Training or ride-along scheduling

  • Reviewing individual performance

Best For

  • Specialized service teams

  • Businesses tracking productivity metrics

  • Managing apprentices or trainees

  • Complex job assignments

Pro Tips

  • Vertical scanning for individual tech schedules

  • Compare columns to ensure fair distribution

  • Time blocking: Reserve slots for admin or travel time

  • Filter by skills to see only qualified techs

Real-World Example

Lisa manages HVAC and electrical techs. Resource view shows her who's certified for what, making complex commercial jobs easy to assign to the right person.

Map View: Location Intelligence for Smart Routing

When to Use

  • Route planning to minimize drive time

  • Territory management

  • Emergency response coordination

  • New customer evaluation (are they in your service area?)

Best For

  • Businesses covering large territories

  • Dense urban areas with traffic concerns

  • Companies with territory-based teams

  • Fuel cost optimization

Pro Tips

  • Cluster identification: Spot groups of nearby jobs

  • Route preview: See drive paths before confirming

  • Territory gaps: Identify underserved areas

  • Real-time tracking: Watch tech positions update live

Real-World Example

Tom's pest control company covers three counties. Map view helps him group nearby appointments and avoid sending techs across town multiple times per day.

Power User Workflows

The Morning Dispatcher Routine

  1. Start in Calendar (week view) for overview

  2. Switch to Map to identify route opportunities

  3. Use Timeline for actual job assignments

  4. Check Resource for individual tech loads

The Emergency Response Flow

  1. Receive emergency call

  2. Jump to Map view to see who's nearby

  3. Switch to Timeline to check availability

  4. Drag job into best slot

  5. Notify tech via mobile app

The Weekly Planning Session

  1. Open Calendar (month view) for capacity check

  2. Use Resource view to balance recurring jobs

  3. Switch to Map for route optimization opportunities

  4. Save optimized schedule

View Shortcuts & Navigation

Quick View Switching

  • Use view tabs at top of calendar

  • Keyboard shortcuts: C (Calendar), T (Timeline), R (Resource), M (Map)

  • Remember: Your last view selection is saved

Time Navigation

  • Mini calendar: Jump to any date

  • Today button: Return to current date

  • Arrow keys: Navigate days/weeks

  • Zoom controls: Adjust time scale (Timeline/Resource only)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Staying in one view all day - Each view has its moment

  2. Ignoring the map - Missing route optimization opportunities

  3. Over-scheduling in Calendar view - Switch to Timeline for realistic time gaps

  4. Not using filters - Resource view is powerful when filtered by skills/teams

Mobile Considerations

While all views are available on mobile, some work better on smaller screens:

  • Best on mobile: Calendar (day view), Map

  • Better on tablet/desktop: Timeline, Resource (need horizontal space)

Next Steps

Now that you understand each view's strengths:

  1. Experiment with different views throughout your day

  2. Create a routine that leverages multiple views

  3. Train your team on when to use each view

  4. Track results - measure drive time reduction and jobs per day

Did this answer your question?