5 benefits of implementing Dynamics 365 for Field Service

1: Boost business and performance efficiency

Using Dynamics 365 for Field Service, and the Connected Field Service system your remote workforce will be fully equipped with all the information they need about the customer including the account history, contract details and work orders containing in depth details of the imminent job. This information is accessible to your field service engineers using the easy to use Dynamics 365 for Field Service mobile application available on both iOS and Android. Dynamics 365 for Field Service was designed to improve 1^st time fix rates enabling your remote workforce to service more of your customer base during their working day than ever before, whilst at the same time reducing the costs incurred to both the business and the customer. Managers have total visibility of each of their field service staff in real-time and are able to monitor and improve their performance further. They can do this by using metrics such as time spent on site, total of jobs completed in the day and customer feedback reports.

2: Improved customer service

Businesses that utilise Dynamics 365 for Field Service are able to provide quicker response times as well as 1^st time fix rates and a seamless real-time communication between dispatch, field service engineers and their customers. You can also easily share the location of your Field Service Engineers with your customers using Glympse for Dynamics 365 which tracks and displays their location on a live map. Having this transparency instils trust, increases customer satisfaction and reduces unnecessary calls from customers. Once a job is completed, the customer can sign it off electronically using the eSignature functionality within the Field Service app and photos of the job can be uploaded for future reference. The job can also be pushed direct to billing, avoiding any unnecessary delay with invoicing. Additionally, you can configure service agreements that automatically generate recurring work orders to ensure your customers equipment is always maintained. Your field service engineers can be notified of upcoming maintenance tasks when they visit each client enabling them to proactively resolve potential faults before they arise and ensure no service level agreements lapse.

3: Inventory management

The inbuilt inventory management system within Dynamics 365 for Field Service tracks real time inventory levels from the warehouse and also includes the stock levels on the road, current work orders and returns. It also enables you to log and manage customer assets. Managers are able to assign the correct products to each field service engineer every day to ensure the have all the equipment and tools they require to complete each scheduled job.

4: Easy Scheduling

Field service managers can find their available field service engineers by useful filters such as estimated job duration, start and end dates and adding in radius constraints and the skill sets of each engineer ensuring that as a business, your customer gets the best person for the job. Alongside this, you can easily automate email communications to be sent to the customer at each stage of the process. Eg, Booking confirmations, Predicted arrival time. There is a useful schedule board feature within the Dynamics 365 Field Service application that you can share with the internal team to monitor the daily schedules of each engineer and monitor real-time updates on each job.

5: Integration and customisation potential

Microsoft Dynamics for Field Service can be fully customised and changed to accommodate frequent changes in business processes. We can make these changes, test them and immediately deploy them to all staff at once. The Field Service application integrates with other existing Microsoft Office 365 licenses such as Outlook for full calendar integration, providing a unified solution. It can also easily integrate with Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance or Enterprise Resource Planning software such as Microsoft Dynamics AX. By integrating the two platforms and using the data analytics, businesses are able to detect where excess money is being spent and where improvements can be made.

Managing your workforce with Dynamics 365 for Field Service