Field service management is an integral part of many business’s operations, enabling them to serve customers at their own premises.
However, field service poses significant challenges. As work isn’t done at one single location, you need to empower agents to work on the go. This means maintaining sight of company inventory, customer assets and task details.
Field service managers also need to schedule resource to get optimum productivity and make the best of their agents’ skills.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service was developed to make field service management easier. Using its functionality, agents feel supported to complete tasks efficiently, while managers can improve scheduling for cost-effectiveness.
Let’s explore Dynamics 365 Field Service in more detail.
What is Dynamics 365 Field Service?
Dynamics 365 Field Service is an application in Microsoft’s wider Dynamics 365 platform. It is specifically created to support businesses who operate from their clients’ offices.
The application helps you to deliver holistic service experiences to customers through the combination of workflow automation, assistance for mobile workers and scheduling algorithms.
It covers the entire field service lifecycle including opportunity management, quoting, contracting, proactive and reactive maintenance, scheduling and inventory management
What can you achieve in Dynamics 365 Field Service?
Dynamics 365 Field Service can help you achieve a lot. There’s a particular focus on streamlining field service management, allowing for greater efficiencies and driving customer satisfaction.
Here are the specific ways it can help your business’s field service provision:
Inventory management_
Dynamics 365 Field Service includes an inventory management system that tracks your stock in real-time. As products move in and out of your warehouse, you can get an accurate view of what’s available and what needs to be ordered.
Better yet, the system will show inventory that’s on your company site or with agents on the go. As agents prepare for customer visits, they’ll be able to check if they have the stock they need and attend fully prepared.
Over time, the inventory management features will enable your business to better track the stock you need, when, for efficient ordering.
Empower agents_
While off-site, agents may find themselves limited to the data and resources they have access to. But with Dynamics 365, they can get the customer, stock and job information they need.
Agents have access to the Dynamics 365 app, built on the Microsoft Power Platform and compatible with any Android or iOS device. It allows them to stay connected while on the go. They can continue to get real-time inventory views, review customer asset information and find out job details.
They can also communicate with other agents, customer service staff and dispatchers for greater collaboration.
Reduce callouts_
If agents attend customer sites without the resources they need or a lack of understanding of the task at hand, it results in repeat callouts. This wastes agent time and leads to increased costs per visit.
However, Dynamics 365 gives agents the information they need to fully prepare before visiting customers. They’re more likely to secure a first-time fix for improved time and cost efficiency.
Match resource_
When you have multiple field service agents, you need to match the right ones to customer jobs. This can depend on the skills of the agent, the resources in their truck, their availability and their proximity to the customer.
Dynamics 365 Field Service enables managers to allocate resource better, with job routing and skill matching capabilities. You can send the best person to the job, ensuring a reliable fix while making the most of available resource. It will also help to control travel costs and turnaround times.
You can even reallocate resource in real-time, such as if an agent gets stuck on the road or at another job, so customers aren’t kept waiting.
Manage customer assets_
Dynamics 365 Field Service stores insight about customer locations and assets, enabling agents to get greater context before attending a job.
This information can be reviewed on the go, so there’s no room for knowledge gaps. Customers will get a quicker resolution and agents can attend in confidence.
It will also make you aware of customer issues before they’re reported, so you offer a better service with more effective planning.
Prevent customer issues_
With greater insight into customers’ serviceable assets and service history, you can better plan maintenance visits.
Dynamics 365 Field Service will automatically generate work orders based on your customer service agreements and past visits to ensure regular maintenance. This means customers’ equipment works smoothly for longer, offering them increased productivity.
It also reduces the need for agents to respond to emergency callouts in the event of system disruption. This also makes it easier to schedule agents and manage inventory, based on when your customers are likely to need support.
What are the key benefits of Dynamics 365 Field Service?
If you’re considering field service management technology, you might be wondering why you should choose Dynamics 365 Field Service over alternative systems.
With Dynamics 365, you’ll be able to empower your staff with the necessary resources so they can provide optimised services on the ground. It provides the opportunity for businesses to discover and fulfil new opportunities by unifying the customer journey through streamlined tools. It also simplifies workflows involved in fixing onsite customer issues.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s dive deeper into the benefits.
- Connectivity across Microsoft apps: Dynamics 365 Field Service connects with your other Dynamics 365 modules and Microsoft apps. Conversations in Teams and Outlook are recorded in Dynamics 365, meaning your team constantly has the full context. It’s then easier to deliver consistent customer service and smarter decision, while minimising the need for repeat data entry.
- Remote Assist: Dynamics 365 Field Service includes Remote Assist, allowing engineers to review customer assets without being on-site. It is ideal for diagnosing issues ahead of a visit, as well as allowing senior agents to collaborate with junior engineers from separate locations. It also contains built-in tools to review work order information and customer records on the go.
- Guides: The Field Service module comes with Dynamics 365 Guides, providing practical guidance for workers on the job. Agents can get step-by-step mixed-reality instructions to assist them as they complete tasks. They can bring in experts remotely to support them for a faster, effective finish.
- Smart routing: The smart routing function within Dynamics 365 automatically matches resource based on skill and proximity. It becomes simple to allocate agents to jobs, while minimising costs associated with travel to callouts. It also offers your customers a swifter response for improved experiences.
- IoT sensors: Using sensors connected to the Internet of Things, you can remotely monitor customer equipment to determine issues ahead of time and diagnose outages. This data sits within your Dynamics 365 platform, offering agents greater insight and allowing preventative action.
- AI-powered assistance: With Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service, agents can automatically generate work orders based on historic data. It can also prioritise orders, looking at the language used to determine urgency. Plus, it can fetch information for users, saving time wasted manually searching.
- Regular updates: Microsoft continually invests in research, culminating in bi-annual updates across their products, including Dynamics 365 Field Service. With ongoing development, you can unlock new value in your field service management system and make the most of cutting-edge innovation.
Get started with Dynamics 365 Field Service_
Dynamics 365 Field Service offers significant benefits to field service managers and agents, allowing for leaner, efficient support to customers.
A Dynamics 365 Field Service licence starts from £71.60 per user per month, with plenty of scope to customise your platform to advanced functionality. If you already have other Dynamics 365 licences, you may be able to get the Field Service module at a reduced cost.
For effective implementation, work with a Microsoft partner who can build an out-of-the-box solution to fulfil your specific objectives and ensure successful deployment.
As one of the largest Dynamics partners in the UK, Infinity Group boasts an elite team of certified consultants who can support your Field Service implementation. We’ve worked for many well-known brands to plan, tailor and support their field service management, fuelled by Dynamics 365.
Get in touch today to discuss your needs with one of our experts.
