Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service is a specialized customer service module from Microsoft Dynamics 365 that aims at leveraging the Dynamics platform for a wide range of on-site customer service, including work order shielding to predictive maintenance.
It is a perfect fit for businesses who need to carry out several on-site service tasks such as installation, product demonstration, periodic maintenance, or issue resolutions at the customer’s home or on their office premises. Field Service can be made more effective and efficient with features like schedule optimization, asset management, invoice processing, and workflow coordination for field agents, and more. The Field Service platform provides a complete end to end solution for all field related service tasks and customer support powered by Dynamics 365.
Any service-oriented business that offers aftercare services and product maintenance can benefit a lot via the Field Service. Companies can focus on improving their overall customer experience and retain customer loyalty with the help of Field Service. For instance, a fiber cable utility company can use Field Service s to take care of cable disconnections and outage issues with quick resolution time. Some industries that can make great use of Field Service are
- Utilities
- Health care
- Equipment maintenance
- Manufacturing and supply
The various roles that can effectively use Field Service features include the customer service field technicians, service managers, dispatchers, and inventory managers.
Benefits Of Dynamics 365 Field Service
Here are some benefits you can experience by effective implementation of the Field Service module.
- Optimal use of resources
With integrated data services and AI-powered analytics, you can set up efficient scheduling to dispatch the best service personnel and technicians who can reach the service destination on time. You can thus optimize and make the best use of your available resources.
- Save time and minimize errors
Automatic scheduling helps save time and makes the best use of available resources by quickly assigning the right technician for the task. The system takes care of automatic creation, scheduling, and dispatching of work orders, thereby reducing manual effort and manual error with respect to service tickets.
- Service transformation
The quality of on-site customer service can be upgraded to include advanced options like web portal integration, proactive updates, and tracking of technician performance and customer experiences. The customer service will be transformed from being reactive to proactive with appointment reminders, comfortable follow-up, and monitoring issues.
- Help technicians efficient
Technicians can be empowered with the Dynamics 360 degree views and real-time support to improve issue resolution time and build better customer relationships.
- Efficient management of service agreements
You get the necessary tools required to ensure quality service by managed service agreements, and every detail regarding installation, product information, contracts, and warranties are recorded and made easily accessible.
- IoT integration
Field Service can connect with the Internet of Things (IoT) and thus facilitate better integration with the latest technologies and allow for remote issue resolutions.
- Minimal learning curve
Technicians and service managers can quickly adapt to the platform as it requires zero coding knowledge and allows for easy deployment of mobile and web apps that can cater to your business needs.
Additional Apps
Some of the additional apps and features provided by Dynamics 365 Field Service are explained below:
- Customer Insights
With a 360 degree view of customer data and knowledge management, Field Service can provide technicians and service managers the best insights into interacting with customers and arriving at the right resolutions faster. The platform uses AI-powered analytics and real-time insights to understand customer intent, predict their needs, and take meaningful actions. It helps reduce administrative overhead and increase efficiency in scheduling, work order management, and inventory management.
- Remote Assist
Field Service can be easily deployed in mobile or web apps that can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. It can also connect with IoT and efficiently gather data from equipment sensors and product installations to offer remote monitoring and issue resolutions. Remote assist can be accessed on HoloLens, Android, or iOS devices.
It helps solve real-time issues, even when the technician cannot be present physically at the service location. This feature also allows you to identify problems early on and alert your customers and service technicians to provide quick resolutions. Connected Field Service can bring about an efficient troubleshooting and diagnosis process that will reduce costs and maximize customer satisfaction levels.
- Guides
By using the Dynamics 365 Azure data collection and machine learning features, technicians can easily predict asset failures, automate diagnostics, and keep track of past service history to enable efficient service delivery. The Guides feature of the Field Service platform allows technicians to launch the assigned guide for each work order assigned to them and do their work with minimal errors. The guides can be made to provide step by step instructions and help employees solve the issues under safe conditions. It helps save time and improves productivity as well.
- Customer Voice/Forms Pro
The forms pro feature allows you to gather customer feedback and queues when a work order is completed to collect more data and improve your service offerings. You can easily create customer survey forms using the Customer Voice (previously Forms pro) feature and send it to your contacts to complete every work order. The data collected can be integrated across your organization and used to understand customer needs and intent better.
What Are Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service Licenses?
The Field Service licenses are available in two pricing models. For your first use of the Dynamics 365 app, the price starts from $121.60 per user and per month of usage. For subsequent usage of the Dynamics 365 app, the price starts from $25.60 per user per month. As you can see, as the number of users increases, the subscription charge will also increase.
The standard Field Service license includes the latest version of the Field Service Mobile app. The newest version of this app does not limit the number of custom entities that are to be used in the context of Field Service.
You can also subscribe to add ons like the Resource Schedule Optimization App, which is licensed per resource that is to be included in the optimization process. The add-on license can be used for unlimited use of schedule optimization on a daily, weekly, or ad-hoc basis.
Dynamics 365 for Field Service
Full User
A full user subscribed to Dynamics 365 Field Service has access to all essential features. Field Service can also be accessed as part of other Dynamics 365 product plans, as listed below.
- Field Service is included in the Dynamics 365 Plan
- Field Service is included in the Customer Engagement Plan
- Field Service application
Additional Users
For each additional user, the subscription charge for utilizing the Field Service platform will increase.
- Teams members
Field Service is included in Team Members Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement offering with support for 15 custom entities and use rights like access, read, approve on dynamics 365 app data and apps like Dynamics 365 Mobile client app and web apps. It also gives limited use rights on Actions and General system use. But several important features like work orders, service agreements, Schedules, repairs and returns management, dispatch, teams support, Dynamics 365 forms, and more are not supported by the Team members license.
- Dynamics 365 Field Service Attach
Field Service licenses provide full user rights to all the Field Service related apps, customer data, and general system use.
What Are Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service Pricing?
- Pricing for a user’s first Dynamics 365 app – starts from $121,60 per user/ month
- Price for a user that use already Dynamics 365 app- starts from $25.60 per user /month
- Additional apps: customer insights pricing + remote assist + guides + customer voice
The starting price of the subscription charges for the additional features are listed down:
- Remote Assist – $83.20 per user / month for first usage and $25.60 per user/ month for subsequent usage.
- Guides – $83.20 per user / month
- Customer insights – $1920 per tenant / month for first usage and $1280 per user/ month for subsequent usage.
- Customer Voice (Forms Pro) – $128 for 2000 survey responses per tenant/month
Conclusion
Field Service is the perfect solution you need now to carry out safe and efficient service assistance to your on-site customer locations both in person and via remote assistance. You don’t have to be overwhelmed with the technicalities of adapting it into your workflow. Leave the job of implementing the Field Service solution to experts.
We can deploy the Field Service platform tailored to your particular business needs and get you started on the road to better customer satisfaction and faster, advanced issue resolutions in no time. Give us a call today for a detailed demonstration and discussion on how you can best use the Field Service feature for your business.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact one of our experts!
