Coordinating & Managing Teams in The Field Just Got a Whole Lot Easier

Are you required to dispatch teams into the field in order to perform operations efficiently? If so, you could greatly simplify the process of managing your field operations easier with some help from Microsoft Dynamics CRM  Field Service.

From product installations to routine maintenance, field operations require a complicated web of systems just to function. Often times, with these complications comes lost data, additional manual effort, and reduced visibility.

However, this doesn’t have to be the case. By bringing everything under one roof with Dynamics CRM, your organization can effortlessly track anything from initial marketing activities to a service call for field service, all on one platform with effortless up to the minute reporting on each piece. This insight can lead to a powerful competitive advantage in the market.

In this blog, we will preview some of the features of Dynamics Field Services that we’ll cover in depth in the Field Service session during nVerge this year and show you how they could help your business to streamline its field operations.

Scheduling and Dispatch

Work orders are the action items required of field personnel and can be created from either Opportunities or Cases. Work orders consist of incident types, such as the installation of new equipment, which can include several different tasks and can require pass/fail acknowledgment.

Dispatchers have three ways in which they can schedule work orders to field personnel:

1. Automated:
   Automated routing can use skill sets and locations to automatically schedule work orders to specific users.

2. Assisted:
   The assisted scheduling capability allows for the required skill set to be taken into account along with the location of field personnel and allows the dispatcher the ability to choose from a list of people.

3. Manual:
   Manual scheduling is drag and drop from pins on a map to the scheduling board.

Once scheduled, the appointments appear on a calendar-like view with colors to show the current status of the work order. You can customize the status of your work orders to fit individual business requirements, but Dynamics Field Service will come with the in-transit, in-progress, completed and a few other statuses by default. These statuses make it easy to provide everyone with the current status of all field work.

Resource Management

Field Service allows for teams to be deployed efficiently through effective resource management.

Resources can have an unlimited number of customizations assigned to them and can be cross filtered by every attribute. This provides the organization with a clear picture of resource utilization and allows for the right one to be assigned quickly and correctly.

This comes into full effect when there are multiple jobs at various locations which require a combination of skill sets. While normally this would be an exceptionally difficult task, Field Service makes allows this operation to be completed easily, quickly, and with complete visibility.

 Inventory Management

Field Services allows for inventory management through warehouses and trucks, as well as tracks customer assets in the field. This allows for integration to ERP systems and creates the ability for purchase orders and inventory controls throughout the sales and service cycles. Inventory items can also be serialized with bar codes and scanned by mobile devices using the mobile application.

Mobile Application with GPS

The mobile device can be used to capture signatures, audio recordings, and to attach pictures directly to the work order to be used for invoicing or verification of work performed.

Up to the Minute Status of Field Jobs:

From the mobile application, field service personnel are able to update the status of current jobs which helps coordinate new jobs and available resources with the dispatcher.

 Mobile Auditing:

The mobile application updates the CRM system with GPS location, User, Device, Time, and Affected Records data so managers can verify field personnel are doing what's needed and where they're expected throughout the day.

Want an even closer look at the features included in Field Services for Microsoft Dynamics CRM? Register for our session “Coordinating & Managing Teams in The Field Just Got a Whole Lot Easier” at  nVerge, FMT’s free online technology conference!

During nVerge, you can participate in educational sessions about this topic and more where you’ll gain valuable insight into the latest in business management solutions, collaborative software, business intelligence, and IT services. Check out the full agenda here and register today!

Can’t make it but still want to hear more about how Dynamics CRM could help your business? Contact us using the form below and we’d be happy to help you answer any questions you might have!