Dynamics 365 Field Service

Where do you stand regarding the end-to-end digitization of your service processes? What have other companies already achieved, and what can you learn from them? Above all, what can you do to quickly and easily achieve the greatest possible digitization and automation of your field service management?

To answer these important questions, you need a strong and competent partner. At audius, we have almost 30 years of experience in supporting digitization processes and have been able to provide helpful assistance to numerous companies of all sizes. 

Schedule a free consultation and benefit from our expert knowledge. If you can spare an hour or two, we will be happy to advise you at a high-level and show you the way to a digital and automated future for your field service management.

How the ServiceCheck works

Experienced audius consultants work together with your experts to analyze the status quo of your field service processes. The optimization potential is then identified and substantiated together with the departments involved. Of course, audius always keeps an eye on the industry benchmark, that is, on what other companies are doing.

Result: Documentation of the status quo and the identified optimization potential, including starting points for shaping your service even more efficiently and increasing your customer loyalty significantly.
 

How the ServiceWorkshop works

Specialized audius professionals carry out an individual fit-gap-analysis concerning audius.CRM Mobile Service as part of a 2-day workshop together with your experts. The analyzed gaps are documented on a high-level by audius for you.

Result: First requirement list for implementing audius.CRM Mobile Service, based on this a target price offer

Modern digital field service solutions overcome many known inefficiencies of the approaches commonly used so far. These are characterized by the field service being mainly organized in a paper-based manner. Numerous documents are required for each deployment, which then have to be dealt with manually in a highly inconvenient manner. Usually, the documents only arrive at the back office with a significant delay once the technicians have returned, which can be several days or sometimes even weeks later.

As a result, ordering spare parts or issuing invoices requires considerably more time. A central database is lacking as well in which, for example, the service records of specific machines and other relevant detailed information can be brought together. Evaluations and quality checks are likewise cumbersome with the methods used to date. Efficient resource planning is only difficult to accomplish with a paper-based approach.

In addition, there is no possibility to effectively and systematically collect the technicians' individual knowledge to make it available to other employees as needed. As a general result, employees are often lacking timely information capability toward the customer. In this manner, a proactive service is impossible to provide. 

To provide tangible added value, a digital field service management solution must meet a whole set of requirements. For example, customer satisfaction should be ensured throughout, and the productivity of field service employees ought to be increased through targeted deployments. Another important aspect is increasing the safety of employees in the field as well as optimizing travel management and travel costs (current locations of employees, route planning, fuel consumption and vehicles).

Similarly, data-driven insights into the respective sales contribution, for example, must be possible. Advanced, intelligent deployment planning is a necessity as well. The smooth integration of other digital solutions such as SAP or applications from the field of analytics is another indispensable feature of the system. In this regard, master data in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and transaction data are to be reconciled automatically.

Field service management software and applications have advanced significantly over the past decade. Certain digital approaches have emerged as particularly advantageous. Typically, these types of solutions are connected to the company's back-end systems, such as ERP. The installation can be on-premise or cloud-based. audius' Field Service Management solution, for example, is based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and offers both options. 

With 30 years of experience as an IT and software company, audius has tailored its solution to the specific needs of the field service in manufacturing companies. The package can either be implemented as a complete solution, or individual functions can be integrated into the customer's existing system, depending on the current system and service landscape.

Digital field service management connects various input systems, such as devices (Internet of Things, IoT), web stores, social media, databases and portals. Customers can, for example, create a service ticket in a self-service portal, which is then processed by the office staff. If the issue cannot be resolved by the internal service team at this point, a service order is then generated. Such a service order can also be initiated by an existing maintenance contract. The service order is then digitally scheduled by the dispatcher for a matching technician, who in turn can access the order via his mobile client. The field service employee gets immediate access to all important assignment data, including material lists and a knowledge database. Once an order has been completed, the technician creates a digital service report, which is sent directly to the customer in PDF format ready to be digitally signed by the customer. Finally, the entire order can be transferred to the ERP system for invoicing.

Field service management systems are advanced, cloud-enabled applications. Often, they are based on established software foundations. Microsoft Dynamics 365 serves as the basis for the audius offering. The browser-based web application offers a wide range of options, which can be configured to meet the needs of any company. 

In the application, all service requests can be reviewed and searched in detail using drill-down options. Complete contact and company lists can be provided and exported directly to Excel. When a disruption is recorded, potential solutions are identified in the knowledge database and immediately communicated to the customer. If necessary, the customer can also be helped directly via remote video support.

On a central planning board with an integrated map tool, assignments for the technicians are efficiently organized and managed in the deployment planning. The technicians are listed according to availability and eligibility, allowing customer preferences to be addressed in a targeted manner.

During deployment, the technicians use a mobile app available on all platforms for various end devices. Here, orders and booking statuses, also available to the office staff, can be conveniently accessed. Information on the individual machine (operating hours, oil level, etc.), maintenance or instructions are available too, as are details on service tasks, checklists and safety instructions.

Reports with images can be created directly in the system and stored as PDFs. Free texts are mostly omitted due to poor comparability. Tools based on artificial intelligence support the assignment of predefined categories. Here, the technician can document everything that is relevant, from recording working hours to expenses incurred or customer signatures, while also having access to his customers' maintenance contracts.

Billing processes in SAP, for example, can be initiated by employees on the move. Customer evaluations and feedback can also be integrated. This approach brings considerable advantages, including a substantial increase in the first-time fix rate. According to a study by Microsoft Germany, the use of digital field service management resulted in five percent more technician deployments, 75 percent fewer follow-up deployments and eight to 20 percent less maintenance effort. Particularly important for a mobile solution is also offline capability. This enables technicians to continue working efficiently even if the network is unavailable or breaks down. The relevant information is available in both online and offline mode.
 

Field service management is based on the digital exchange of information. This has many advantages for planning, communication and customer service. By eliminating the need for manual data entry, productivity increases, while reducing the likelihood of errors. In addition, an overview of all important data is available for each customer. In this way, it is easier to respond to customer requests on site. A smart materials' management function additionally provides real-time information on spare parts, inventories, and warehouse locations.

Chatbots, FAQs, and knowledge databases reduce the workload of employees and increase the quality of support. Service quality can further be enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI), such as AI-determined suggestions, program macros, and agent scripts. Chat modules also assist internally in effectively sharing information between different departments.

Partners and customers can be actively involved in the service process through interconnected portals, for example in the form of customer self-service portals where customers can independently set, view and manage orders. Options for direct customer feedback are possible as well. Once an order has been completed, for example, an automated e-mail can be sent containing a link to a customer survey. In this way, the customer feels appreciated and can directly provide valuable feedback on the respective services provided.

A complete overview of orders and employees enables an optimized management of the resources available. The scheduling of employees can be done manually, digitally supported or fully automated. This functionality is implemented using advanced AI methods resulting in shorter response times for service and significantly better adherence to schedules. 

Increased process reliability, reduced lead times and faster invoicing additionally improve the cash flow. The satisfaction of employees increases too, as they can transparently track workload and deployment planning. Employees perform their work on site at the customer's premises by means of a mobile client. The mobile client bundles all important data, allowing employees unrestricted access to it at all times. In case of a network loss during an assignment or if the network is simply unavailable, the employee on site will not face any difficulties as he or she can use all important information on the mobile client offline as well.

Efficient ticket and escalation management fundamentally improves the workflow. This includes automated processes and seamless ticket management across all available channels. Requests, for example, can be processed faster and better by integrating the company's hotline.

Employees can also easily obtain up-to-date relevant data on KPIs and SLA information. Extensive contact options and comprehensive support with the right expertise at the right time increase productivity and customer satisfaction. Based on the data collected, corporate knowledge is also systematically built up, collected and made available. 

A reliable data connection enables effective remote video support, further enhanced by the integration of smart devices such as data glasses and by IoT communication with the machines. The integration of Industry 4.0 approaches such as predictive maintenance can be conveniently implemented as well. Technologies such as Microsoft HoloLens enable technicians to work in a mixed reality environment in which data and expertise from the office can be used to provide precise support. The glasses also run 3D visualizations or relevant apps.

An end-to-end process chain offers the opportunity to automate an increasing number of processes. With Project Service Automation, for example, the planning of commissioning and service is optimized. In this application, project-based contracts can be linked to plans, reports, cost estimates and other relevant project documents. The solution sustainably improves team efficiency through automated task assignment. 

Information about resources as well as time and cost recording can be accessed on the move. Expertise can thus be called upon as required and offered as the situation demands, simultaneously benefiting customer loyalty. Meaningful data-driven trend analyses enable continuous improvement in service performance by deriving priorities and sensible investment areas. The central bundling of data creates a basis for intelligent evaluations of operations using standardized procedures. Integrating data from sales and marketing also helps optimize the revenue profile.

Ticket statistics, integrated Excel pivot tables and other tools provide additional options for controlling. Proactive behavior of employees is significantly promoted by this approach. The integration or linkage of other Microsoft Dynamics tools, such as those for marketing or sales, can also be carried out later on. This allows service staff to continue working in their familiar application environments, such as Office, Skype for Business or SharePoint, while simultaneously benefiting from the advantages of Field Service Management. Innovative services introduced by software manufacturers in the future can be easily integrated on this basis. In addition, SAP and other systems can be digitally connected.

Dynamics 365/Field Service is highly configurable and is characterized by a pronounced adaptability to the specific needs of a company. Deployment is possible as a flexible cloud solution, but also hybrid and on-premise, up to a software-as-a-service model. The architecture can be easily changed at short notice, CRM systems are seamlessly integrated. This approach enables the company to focus more on its core business and ensures targeted, effective use of capital.

In principle, field service management solutions are suitable for all industries where field service plays a role. The user advantage is that the solution also benefits from insights, developments and improvements gathered in other industries. The comprehensive functions and flexibility of the available applications enable companies to develop new business areas without having to sacrifice established individual services from existing partners. These benefits turn a field service management solution for companies of a specific minimum size into an indispensable tool for field service today.