Dynamics 365 for Field Service

We cannot build our relationships with customers only by collecting data. Everything that happens around customers and how we provide them with our services, affects the image of our company.

Who likes to get a note that our package will be delivered between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm? Or, that a washing machine serviceman will come between noon and 6:00 pm? Let us imagine that the note says that the package will be delivered at 3:30 pm, and the serviceman will arrive at 4:30 pm. And, that, in fact, the package is delivered at 3:34 and the serviceman rings the doorbell at 4:27. We can plan our day! We know when we have to be at home. Next time, we will choose the service provider that was on time. The one, that properly informed us when to expect its employees.

It is difficult to plan our field employees. They have to move around the city or across the country. When planning a day, we must take into account how much time do they need to travel, how much will it take to get the job done and where will they have to go after.

Can Dynamic 365 ease field work?

Yes, it can!

Dynamics 365 for Field Service is a Dynamics 365 component that helps with (among others):

• managing teams,
• managing time-offs,
• managing work orders,
• planning daily schedules of our employees,
• managing purchase orders,
• managing inventory transfer,
• managing agreements.

Let us take an example: coffeemakers selling and servicing company.

Its employees are divided into mobile workers – vendors who drive to meetings with customer and technicians who repair the coffeemakers, clean and decalcify them, and employees at headquarter – accounting department, HR, marketing, call centre and management. Let’s focus on mobile workers.

John, the sales manager, is responsible of building a firm relationship with customers and product presentation. So, he visits his clients, presents coffeemakers and prepares offers. Within a single day’s work, he must schedule a time to meet, and commute between the company and customers’ seats in the most optimal way.

And there is also Gary, the serviceman, who visits HQ rarely. Equipped with a toolbox, he drives from one client to another one and cleans the coffeemakers. The only thing that he needs to know (getting up in the morning to work) is the address of the first client that he visits. He knows it thanks to the Field Service mobile application. This is his tool: he can check the address on the next client, what agreement the customer has and what part of the agreement he is to perform. He can use it to enter data into the system – for example remarks about the performed service such as information about the used spare parts. After he finishes the service at the first client, Gary goes to the next one. And that is his work day.

On the other side of the system, there is a group of coordinators. Their responsibility is to schedule work of John and Gary. Sales Coordinator decides who will visit particular clients. After all, it is better to send someone who knows the customer, who is in a close proximity and who is free at the time of the meeting. And the Servicemen Coordinator has to plan his team work so that the employees don’t have to cross the whole city in one day.

The coordinators see tasks that are not yet assigned to employees. They see them on the map and can plan their colleagues work in one district. Furthermore, if the job requires skills, the coordinator will be able to search for the people who have these skills. And they won’t assign a service in the German company to the employee who does not speak German.

Thus, from the small HQ in Bristol, a group of people can delegate task to the team in the whole country. All they need, is to be sure the spare parts of coffeemakers are on spot (and they can, thanks to the purchase orders and inventory transfers).

What is the profit?

By planning the work using Field Service, we can optimize the time of our colleagues. We can make the best of their skills. We will not lose money and time on the long drives between clients. What is the added value of the fact that John was traveling from one client to another for two hours? I will have to pay John for spending two hours in a traffic jam. And I have to pay for the petrol. Meanwhile, at the other end of town, Clara visited our other client. And she would have to walk 10 minutes to get to the John’s customer. She could easily go for that meeting.

The efficient management of field service will improve the market value of my business. Customers will be pleased that they do not need to call for service guaranteed in the contract once a month. Our technician will be there every month to decalcify coffeemaker. And should an ad hoc service be required we will be able to send them the employee that next to their HQ in the shortest time.

Because, admit it, working all day without a cup of coffee is extremely difficult.