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Why use Dynamics 365 for Field Service? A solution to help field service organizations increase customer satisfaction and improve operations

Friday, February 19, 2021

Field service requires an exceptional amount of customer planning and coordination. Dynamics 365 can optimize this process by simplifying processes and improving productivity during on-site visits. It helps organizations deliver efficient service for consistently high customer satisfaction.

Improved efficiency

Designed to improve First-Time Fix Rate and enable remote workforces to service more customers, Dynamics 365 reduces costs for both the organization and the customer. It’s possible to automate work orders, scheduling, and dispatching. And, costs can be further reduced with the use of predictive maintenance. It provides technicians with mobile access to all the data they need including customer account history, contract details, as well as detailed information about all work orders. And, thanks to mixed reality headsets, technicians can work hands-free further boosting on-site efficiency. Furthermore, with real-time visibility of each field service engineer and access to metrics such as time spent on site or total jobs completed daily, managers can easily monitor and improve performance.

Improved customer service

Dynamics 365 enables seamless, real-time communication between all parties. It’s possible to automate email communications for instant booking confirmations or expected time of arrival. This centralized solution offers tools that can track the location of field service technicians on a live map and lets you share this information with your customers. This level of transparency helps build trust while also reducing the number of unnecessary customer calls. Once a job is completed, customers can electronically sign off using the eSignature functionality. And, the job can then be sent directly to billing and an invoice issued to the customer. Technicians can also upload photos of the job for future reference.

With improved response times and First-Time Fix Rate, organizations can eliminate the need for repeat service visits to resolve issues. Recurring work orders can also be automatically generated to ensure the equipment is always maintained. And, because field service engineers are notified of upcoming maintenance tasks when they visit each customer, they can resolve any potential issues beforehand.

Optimized Scheduling

It’s easy to see the availability of field service engineers and allocate resources using simple drag-and-drop functionality. With access to information such as regulatory requirements, service level information, technician skills, customer preferences, and more managers can ensure they allocate the best resource for each specific job. Dynamics 365 also enables collaboration between field service team members making it easy to share daily schedules and monitor real-time updates on each job. Plus, optimizing availability helps reduce the number of hours technicians spend on the road.

Internet of Things

Dynamics 365 uses the Internet of Things (IoT) to detect and solve problems faster. Thanks to machine learning and powerful workflows, it can monitor devices for exceeded thresholds and immediately take action. For instance, it can scan for anomalies and automatically create work orders and dispatch technicians for preventative or emergency service. Furthermore, with self-healing functionality, it can resolve issues without the need for human interaction.

Inventory management

It’s easy to keep track of all inventory in real-time including warehouse inventory, stock levels in transit, current work orders, and returns. Customer assets can be logged and managed, and managers can assign the correct products to each field service engineer ensuring they have all the equipment and tools they need.

Need help?

Do you want to know more about the benefits Dynamics 365 can bring to your field service organization? Don’t hesitate to contact us today to find out how Pipol can help you define a plan for moving forward.

And, if you want to read more about Microsoft Dynamics 365, check out our blog about this scalable, cost-effective business application platform in the cloud.

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