No Aircraft
Dispatch Dispatcher
Time Pressure; Workload
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors
I believe with the new workload system in place I temporarily lost operational control of the desk this morning. I do not remember the exact amount of flights I took over; but after I completed my 'self-brief' I immediately began sending updates to my airborne flights about weather / turbulence and PIREP information for ahead. There was a low pressure system over the southeastern U.S. and at least 3 SIGMETS for MOD-SEV Turbulence across the Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley (FL270/370) as well as out west across the Front Range (FL170/380). With a great amount of PIREP and altitude change information coming through [my display]; I made sure I passed along as much information to my crews as I could. The amount of work as well as the geographical location of the flights on the desk was an issue. Especially with the amount of turbulence and the fact desks were recently closed. With the new workload distribution system that took effect [recently]; dispatchers are planning flights all over the Continental U.S.; Mexico; and Canada without a regional focus. Now they are responsible for all of the WX and NOTAMS for every hub; more messages; alerts; and out-stations than what we had before. [Dispatch and Flight Planning systems] had latency issues right when I was busy releasing a bank of early morning departures. The Chief Dispatchers were aware of the issues and had also 'rebalanced workload across all the open Domestic desks.' Around the same time; I also had another flight return-to-blocks for a passenger with a medical issue. With approximately 4 flights to plan per hour [during the early hours of the morning]; all of the [flight planning system] issues; SIGMET changes; turbulence reports; and ACARS messaging to crews; I missed a few important SIGMET updates to crews (timing - as they were past a particular SIGMET area - or didn't pass along info in what I thought was ample time for crew to inform passengers). I also feel that I didn't have the time to completely read and ingest all of the ATC updates. I missed an ATC Advisory for a re-route and in turn released this flight without knowing that I had previously acknowledged the ATC Advisory.I was also pressed for time when my [morning] relief came in and I could only provide a 'Verbal Shift Briefing.'At the end of the shift I looked back and realized how busy I was over the past 8 hours. I felt like I had temporarily lost control of my operation on the desk at times due to the amount of workload and weather issues at hand. Other Dispatchers felt the same way; but with little time to even take screen shots and document these issues; I'm afraid no-one else with use the reporting system for this issue. Safety is the number one goal. We need to be able to safely do our job; not be set-up to fail.
Air Carrier Dispatcher reported that a new procedure resulted in increased workload causing temporary loss of operational control.