Backfill Last-minute Cancellations

Introduction

Field service and Shift-based work are often impacted by last-minute cancellations. Even when workers accept shifts in advance, unforeseen issues on the day of the job can prevent them from reaching the customer location. This leaves your team scrambling to find a qualified replacement on short notice—someone with the right skills who can still meet your customer promise.

Location data plays a critical role in solving this challenge. HyperTrack offers a simple, powerful set of APIs that allow workers to share real-time availability and location. This enables your system to quickly identify and match the nearest qualified worker, ensuring the job gets done on time and at the right place.

Prerequisite

Required
1. Onboard Workers to the HyperTrack platform by following the Worker App Setup guide
Optional
1. Set up known Work Places where searches often happen by following the Places guide

Step by step solution

To solve for last minute cancellations, there are 2 simple steps that you can follow.

1. Set Worker Availability

Workers can be marked as available either through the server-side API or via an on-device method using the SDK. The choice depends on your operating model—whether you’re managing an on-demand workforce with dynamic availability or a shift-based workforce that works designated hours each day.

To learn more on how to implement your preferred option, use the guides below:

Set availability only when necessary to ensure Worker privacy is respected.

2. Invoke Nearby API

Once your Workers are marked as available, they become discoverable via the Nearby API. Based on your integration, the API can use an order_handle, place_handle, or raw coordinates to define the location for the search.

The API supports powerful filtering options to return a refined list of Workers, delivering up to 10 results sorted by proximity—from closest to farthest from the specified location.

For implementation details, refer to the Nearby API reference.

Cookbook

Here is an implementation cookbook to get started with solving your last minute cancellation issues and ensuring a high fill-rate.

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Backfill Last Minute Cancellation

Open Recipe

FAQ

Does setting the availability mean the Worker is always tracked?

No, while the HyperTrack SDK requires “always-on” location permission, the availability feature uses a lightweight tracking configuration. It retrieves the Worker’s location only when a Nearby API request is made. HyperTrack manages the process of reaching the Worker’s device in real time, ensuring minimal impact on battery life.