Launched in 2016, Microsoft Dynamics is an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and Customer Relationship Management solution. Dynamics 365 Field service is a popular Microsoft Dynamics application for mid-range companies that need to provide exceptional on-site service on customer locations. This definitive Dynamics 365 Field service guide will convey the benefits of integrating this application into your business.
What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service?
D365 Field Service is a business application that automates workflow, scheduling, and various other day-to-day applications for companies that offer on-site services. The application is prominently used by companies that provide on-ground services, including installations, maintenance, or repairs. This can simplify the day-to-day operation, allowing the business to provide exceptional customer service.
Features of Dynamics 365 Field Services
Dynamics 365 Field Service is a regularly updated application used by manufacturing, utilities, healthcare, or maintenance companies. Some of the promising features of Field Service Dynamics 365 include:
- Preventive and breakdown services
- Automated scheduling options
- Tracking field agents
- Intelligent inventory management tools
- Remote access tools (for technicians and in-field operatives)
- Communication tools
- Automated invoice generation
- Customizable KPI-based smart analytics
- Embedded Internet of Things (IoT)
Some other Dynamics 365 Field Service features include:
- IoT Anomaly Detection
Use IoT sensors to detect and fix problems before customers are aware of them.
- Predictive Maintenance
Perform predictive maintenance according to actual consumption rather than a time-based schedule.
- 360° Visibility
Technicians can provide personalized service with 360-degree knowledge of customer preferences and history.
What are the benefits of D365 Field Service?
Their benefits of integrating Dynamics 365 field service are as follows:
- Simple deployment: Unlike various applications that require specific training, Dynamics 365 Field Service is easy to use and deploy. It is easy to implement it into any business model without losing productivity or data. Furthermore, it can be customized and deployed remotely.
- Reduce fix times: The Dynamics 365 Field Service provides detailed reports on the maintenance required. It ensures the on-field operative knows the tools and skills needed to complete the maintenance and can come prepared. This improves the first-time fix rates.
- Easy resource planning: The communication tools provided in Dynamics 365 Field Service ensures dispatchers know which operative is closest and available to the job site. As a result, it ensures better human resource planning and improves the business’s response time.
- Contract and warranty management: The business application can track which customers regularly call for service. This data is often displayed as analytics, and businesses can then use these to sell contracts or warranties.
- Unified schedules: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service featuring a centralized, routing-connected scheduling system allows you to set business hours well-tailored to your customers’ needs, assign task assignments to the right service agents, and keep customers informed about their arrival. Moreover, it includes real-time notifications.
- Job Optimization: When employees gain complete visibility of their customers and outstanding jobs, their productivity and value rise. With Dynamics 365 for Field Service, you can create on-demand resource schedules that significantly reduce traveling time and costs while ensuring work gets carried out in the order of priority. As part of the system, you can also integrate payments with ERP, and the system can calculate costs and time. Moreover, it will ensure that each employee makes the most of their working time.
Capabilities of Dynamics 365 Field Services: A Quick Overview
Ensure in-context fix
A variety of mixed-reality tools, bots, guides, and seasoned technicians assist brand-new technicians in locating customers. It also offers step-by-step guidance on maintaining and capturing videos, voice notes, and photos using the mobile application.
Even offline, you can view all service activities such as work orders and customer information. Field service technicians can manage service requests. Through guides, bots allow technicians to access product information on the field.
Customer & Partner Engagement
It is possible to diversify your communication channels and make them available to your partners and customers. It enables you to meet SLAs and deliver proactive instead of reactive service. You will receive all the visibility and insights relevant to your customer or partner’s role by doing this.
Additionally, you can provide better self-service options to customers. For example, customers can view their active or expired agreements on their portal, while the partners get automatically notified of new opportunities.
Schedule & Dispatch Optimization
With Field Service, it’s easy to manage scheduling and dispatching personnel and equipment. Moreover, most dispatchers can assign resources and set schedules for multiple work orders using a drag-and-drop schedule board, while resource scheduling optimization automates the scheduling.
A Real example of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service
An HVAC company based in the U.S. provides various services – installations, maintenance, tune-ups, repairs, etc. They have several contractors on call during the week, each with different working hours or schedules. Implementing Dynamics 365 Field Service in such businesses can improve their working efficiency. You can use communication and automated scheduling tools to find technicians closest to the job site. The technician can use their mobile device to find which service is required and which tools they have for the job.
With direct access to a case, customer portal, email, or directly from your CRM, you can create work orders and track against SLAs, entitlements, revenues, and associated costs. Moreover, routing rules ensure seamless work distribution and queue management. If they lack any tools required for the service, they can use D365 to update the inventory. It allows the business to reduce response time for their clients while providing the best person for the job.
Installing and Configuring D365 Field Service
Using the Dynamics 365 field service module, you can easily categorize and build different work orders, like installation, preventive maintenance, repair, sales, quotes, etc. Hence, when creating a work order type, the information is also divided into various views, reports, and dashboards on the schedule board.
Work Order Generation
Work orders are generated either manually or as part of a case or opportunity record, depending on the circumstances. It can be via an incoming call, email, portal, or automatically as part of a service agreement. These work orders include information about the incident, product, services, skills or certification needed, territory, etc. In doing so, the field agent can automatically add tasks and durations to the work order.
Schedule & Dispatch
Work orders are typically scheduled based on field agents’ skills, hours, and geographical location using the Schedule Board, Schedule Assistant, or routing engine. After the work order is submitted, the system can automatically notify the customer or field agent, reviewing and accepting or declining the work order.
Service Delivery
A mobile application allows field agents to perform on-site work. By recording or reporting the information in the apps, dispatchers can monitor what happens on the field.
Review & Bill
After the work gets completed, the back-office reviews and approves it, and using the interface, the back office sends out the invoice and makes necessary inventory adjustments. Additionally, Field Service can be integrated with any ERP or accounting system and used with a customer-facing portal and trigger notifications.
Moreover, Field Service enhances first-time fix rates, provides extended technician availability, and decreases travel time. It also allows organizations to organize and track the resolution of customer issues.
How to Implement D365 for Field Service?
Dynamics 365 field service in a few simple steps:
- Consideration: Field service consideration involves assessing the business’ current tactics. How are orders received? How are schedules for each employee made? This involves assessing each business area, from receiving orders to invoicing creation.
- Organizational units: Creating organizational units and territories will help the business understand their effect on schedule. This involves understanding how tasks and requests are classified.
- Defining products: The second step involves finding tools and products in D365 that can be implemented for the business. This involves selecting the right inventory, communication, automation, and other tools that the business needs.
- Customizations: The application needs to be customized according to the business’ services. The customization revolves around the business’s types of orders and their statuses.
- Population: The final step involves populating the application with the business’s data. This includes adding customer information, employee information, etc.
Takeaways
D365 Field Service is the ultimate solution for businesses that aim to provide exceptional customer service. DynaTech Systems, an official CMMI Level 3 & Microsoft Solutions Partner, and D365 field service partner provide you with easy implementation and customization services. You can get an application tailor-made for your services. Simplify managing customer demands, schedules, and invoices with our expertise; consider dropping in an email to sales@dynatechconsultancy.com
FAQs on Dynamics 365
- What is Field Service in Dynamics 365?
With Dynamics 365, you can create three different fields based on the type of information you are trying to collect or display. Businesses can deliver onsite service to customers using the Dynamics 365 Field Service application. Moreover, it combines workflow automation, scheduling algorithms, and mobility to prepare better mobile workers to resolve issues onsite with customers.
- Where can I find Field Services in Dynamics 365?
Field service is also available on this Dynamics 365 purchase page. First, go to Settings > Microsoft AppSource in a Dynamics 365 organization to add a Field Service trial. Then, search for Field Service trial, choose Dynamics 365 Field Service trial, and click Free Trial.
- What is Incident Types in Field Service?
They are issues reported by customers on work orders. Moreover, it describes all the required tasks, products, services, skills, and estimated work order duration. This is an essential parameter from a managerial and worker perspective in terms of analytics.
