Moving from another dispatch system.
Export your drivers, vehicles, customers and booking history from your old system as a spreadsheet, and import them under Settings, Import data. DispatchMe matches the columns, checks every row and shows you a preview, and nothing is saved until you confirm.
You can sign up and import on the same day, then run both systems side by side during your free trial.
What should I export from my old system?
Whatever it will give you as a spreadsheet. These are the columns DispatchMe can read; only the ones marked required have to be there. You can download a CSV template for each from the import screen.
| Export | Columns DispatchMe reads |
|---|---|
| Drivers | Phone (required), name, callsign or badge number, email, driving licence number and expiry, private hire licence number and expiry, date of birth, notes |
| Vehicles | Registration (required), make, model, colour, year, passenger seats, MOT expiry, insurance expiry, private hire plate expiry, and the callsign of the driver who has it |
| Passengers | Phone (required), name, email, notes such as “ring on arrival”, and whether they're a VIP |
| Bookings | Date and time, customer phone, pickup and destination address (all required), plus job number, name, postcodes, passengers, bags, fare, mileage, driver, payment type, status, who took it and who dispatched it, flight number, notes |
How does the import work?
The same four steps for each type. Do drivers first, so vehicles and bookings can find them by callsign.
- 1
Upload or paste
A CSV, TSV or Excel file, or rows pasted from a spreadsheet. Up to 5,000 rows and 10 MB at a time. - 2
Check the matches
Columns are matched by name, including the names other systems use. Change any match, or leave a column out. - 3
Read the preview
Every row is checked. Problems point to the spreadsheet line number, and duplicates are flagged. Nothing is saved yet. - 4
Import
Confirm and the rows go in. Past jobs are stored as completed with their fare; future jobs go into the diary.
A realistic plan for switching
How long it takes depends mostly on how quickly your drivers get the app and their documents in. The software side can be done in an evening.
- 1
Sign up and set the basics
You land in the dispatch screen with vehicle types and a standard tariff already set. Change the tariff to your prices and add your account customers.
- 2
Import your data
Drivers, then vehicles, then passengers, then as much booking history as you want to bring.
- 3
Get the drivers on the app
Drivers install the driver app (Android from our download page; the iPhone apps are coming soon to the App Store), sign in and upload their documents. You approve them before they can go online.
- 4
Run both side by side
Take some work through DispatchMe while the old system carries on. Try the dispatch suggestions, the offers and your booking page.
- 5
Move over
When you're confident, take every booking in DispatchMe and switch the old system off.
What changes for the office, the drivers and the passengers
The office
The drivers
The passengers
- 60 days free, no card to start, and no sales call
- What it costs after the trial is on the pricing page
- Your data exports as CSV or PDF if you decide it isn't for you
Questions offices ask
What file formats can I import?
CSV, TSV and Excel (.xlsx or .xlsm), or rows pasted straight in from a spreadsheet. Each import can be up to 5,000 rows and 10 MB, so split a bigger file into parts.
My old system's column names are different. Does that matter?
Usually not. DispatchMe matches columns by name and knows the common ones, such as Reg, Badge No, Pax, Collection time or Job No. You can change any match before you import.
What if I import the same bookings twice?
Map your old system's job number to Reference and DispatchMe uses it to spot jobs it already has. Rows that look like an existing job are flagged, and you choose for each one: skip it, import it as a separate job, or merge its details in. Nothing is created twice without your say-so.
Can I keep my old system running while I try DispatchMe?
Yes, and we'd suggest it. The first 60 days are free and need no card, so run both side by side until you're confident, then move the phones and the drivers across.
Can I get my data out again?
Yes. Bookings export as CSV from Reports, and the record of bookings, staff register, documents and complaints log export as CSV or PDF from Settings, Records and audit.
Related
- Choosing dispatch softwareA vendor-neutral checklist for comparing systems.
- ComplianceDriver documents, records and exports, once you've moved.
- For small fleetsWhat switching looks like for a five to thirty car office.
- HelpGetting started, step by step.
- PricingWhat DispatchMe costs once your free trial ends.
Start the switch tonight.
Sign up, download a template and import your drivers. Or open the live demo first and see what your office would look like.