Patent ID: 7117160

Claim:
A method for eliminating an unnecessary dispatch of a service technician, comprising: receiving a service order at a work management center, wherein the service order is generated from a service request sent by a source; determining, at the work management center, that the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician; responsive to determining that the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician, generating a dispatch order for the dispatch of a service technician and placing the dispatch order in a queue for execution; receiving a duplicate of the service order at a trap service order system; after the dispatch order is placed in the queue for execution, determining at the trap service order system, whether the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician; selecting a set of predefined criteria for determining whether the service order is likely to cause an unnecessary dispatch based on the source of the service request associated with the service order; responsive to determining that the service order requires a dispatch of a service technician, determining, at the trap service order system, whether the service order meets the set of predefined criteria that indicates a likelihood of an unnecessary dispatch by examining selected sections of the service order; responsive to determining that the service order meets the set of predefined criteria, determining, at the trap service order system, whether the dispatch is unnecessary; responsive to determining that the dispatch is unnecessary, determining at the trap service order system, whether the dispatch associated with the service order in the queue is scheduled to occur within a predetermined time period; responsive to determining that the dispatch is scheduled to occur within a predetermined time period: placing the dispatch order in the queue on hold; generating a corrected service order; determining whether the corrected service order corresponds to the dispatch order generated in response to the service order; and responsive to determining that the corrected service order corresponds to the dispatch order, canceling the dispatch order.