If you work in the utility damage prevention industry, you know the feeling: the tickets never stop. Between emergency requests, overlapping projects, and routine maintenance, the sheer volume of tickets can quickly overwhelm even the most experienced teams. Left unchecked, ticket overload doesn’t just cause frustration—it can delay projects, increase costs, and, most critically, compromise safety.
The good news? With the right strategies—and the right ticket management system—ticket overload can be managed effectively. Here are three best practices that industry leaders are using to keep projects moving and locators focused.
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Make Search Fast and Flexible
Time spent digging through a backlog of tickets is time taken away from the field. Best-in-class ticket management platforms allow fast searches by multiple criteria—like address, ticket number, or close date—so information is always at your fingertips. Flexible search isn’t just a convenience; it’s a safeguard against errors and missed deadlines.
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Prioritize What Matters Most
Not all tickets are created equal. High-risk excavation projects and emergency repairs demand immediate attention, while lower-priority work can be scheduled accordingly. Ticket management systems that include filtering tools and customizable views make it easier to highlight urgent tasks, ensuring the right resources are assigned to the right jobs.
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Customize Workflows to Fit Your Organization
Every utility locator operation has unique needs. Some manage large-scale projects that require bundling and bulk closure of tickets, while others emphasize technician-specific routing. Organizations that adopt ticket management platforms with flexible, customizable workflows are able to adapt quickly as workloads shift—reducing bottlenecks and improving accountability.
Turning Best Practices into Everyday Practices
Ticket overload isn’t going away, but it doesn’t have to derail your team. The key is moving from reactive to proactive: building processes and using ticket management systems that streamline search, simplify prioritization, and fit the way your team works.
SmartTIX Modernizes Ticket Management
That’s where SmartTIX comes in. Purpose-built for the utility damage prevention industry, SmartTIX brings these best practices to life through intuitive search, customizable filters, and field-friendly workflows—helping teams spend less time managing tickets and more time keeping communities safe.
Explore how SmartTIX supports smarter ticket management by scheduling a demo with our expert team.