Service Cloud’s extension, Salesforce Field Service, offers a sweeping view of workforce management. Offering services to clients away from your office or site, or “in the field,” is referred to as field service. Consider mobile workers who perform the service in-person, such as service technicians; other parties include service agents, dispatchers, and service managers.

This article will discuss “what is Salesforce Field Service?” and who uses it, reporting, scheduling, optimization, and more.

The definition of Salesforce Field Service

The addition to Service Cloud that offers a sweeping view of workforce management is Salesforce Lightning App Development, formerly known as (FSL) Field Service Lightning.

Simply put, Field Service Lightning manages where the cable installer is, where they’re going, and how many meters of cable they have in their van when a customer orders new cable service.

In-Field Support Salesforce’s Lightning product has developed over time and is still evolving. With each new Salesforce release, functionality is frequently added. The following components make up Salesforce Field Service:

Scheduled services: the crucial component of field service. Service Appointment records combine Salesforce’s standard service capabilities with scheduling and geographic information (described below).

• Salesforce Service Cloud: By sharing the “Work Order” object, Field Service and Service Cloud are closely allied.
• Region and timetable: the associated items that make appointment scheduling easier (scheduling & optimization)
• Field Service user interface: the console for the field service dispatcher.

The Field Service Mobile App (for iOS and Android) has offline functionality.

How is Salesforce Field Service Used?

Organizations with mobile field technicians who provide customer support can benefit from Salesforce Lightning Application Development

FSL will offer organizations using it more valuable if more “moving parts” are involved in providing the service, which involves specialized individuals working in concert.

Consider a posh door installation business. The area where the door will go must first be bricked over and strengthened structurally. Before it makes sense to send the door-fitting crew, the new entry must deliver. The customer’s signature serves as approval for the installation.

Multiple parties are involved in these service scenarios:

Dispatchers: responds to “work orders” from customers, like service call-outs. They will send the best candidate for the job based on skill, availability, and proximity to the site.

Field technicians: the professionals perform the service, like the installation team.

Service Providers: manages customer communication when they request a service call-out. They confirm whether a call-out is necessary or whether a different, more straightforward solution exists.

Service Directors: Keep an eye on the number of service calls, service effectiveness (such as the amount of time the technician spent on the job and travel time), and customer satisfaction.

These people (personas) utilize Salesforce Field Service in various ways, including the following:

Dispatchers: must simultaneously access several pieces of information to decide who is the best candidate for the position. The “Dispatcher Console” is what Dispatchers use.

Field technicians: use the Field Service Mobile app since they are constantly “on the go” and require offline functionality to avoid interfering with their work.

Service Providers: will try to resolve a “Case” by working with it initially. They create a “Work Order” after determining that a call-out visit is necessary (which the dispatcher works on). The “Lightning Service Console” is where you’ll find Service Agents.

Service Directors will combine Salesforce reports, list views, and other Salesforce platform analytics to track service effectiveness and success.

Use Cases for Salesforce Field Services

Repairs: servicing customers by making one or more visits to their locations. Depending on the Work Order, a particular skill set is needed and There might also be a need for physical equipment.

Maintenance: regularly scheduled visits with a consistent pattern of work.

Sales: representatives who go to the websites of potential clients and customers (especially those who need to coordinate multiple single visits). Field Service records and Opportunity records can easily sync.

Healthcare: care visits that take place frequently or rarely.

Scheduling and Optimization of Salesforce Field Services

As I previously stated, the FSL objects create a solid data model and an optimized, guided usability that enables dispatchers to decide who to send out at any given time with the most accuracy.

Console for Dispatcher

The dispatcher uses the Dispatcher Console UI to control scheduling in Salesforce Field Service Lightning Consultant. To decide who is the best candidate for the job, dispatchers must consult several data sources concurrently. A split panel, tabs, and selectors to switch between policies are all the design features of the dispatcher console. The Gantt chart is displayed on the right-hand panel.

How to Make an Appointment

The Dispatcher’s Gantt view can display appointments in various ways, including manually, partially automatically, and fully automatically.

1.  “Book Appointment” action 

Gives the service agent a selection of arrival “windows” (as opposed to specific delivery times). This strategy is advantageous to both parties because it (a) provides the customer with a reasonable indication and (b) allows you to move the precise time within the slot to improve schedules, resource availability, etc.

2. The “Get Candidates” action

There are two critical distinctions between the Get Candidates action and the “Book Appointment” action, despite their apparent similarity.

Instead of using background rules to select the most suitable candidate, the service agent selects a particular person based on that person’s availability and slot rating (as shown below) (Book Appointment action).

Instead of providing a list of slots when a resource is anonymous, “Get Candidates” displays intervals based on that resource’s availability (Book Appointment action).

3. Automatic appointment creation (using the Work Type)

When configuring Work Types from Field Service Lightning Consultant Setup, “Auto-Create Service Appointment” can enable. When a work order or work order line item is created from the work type, this will “generate a child service appointment” (source). The Service Appointment can also use to launch “Auto-schedule,” which automatically uses the scheduling policy to find the best available time slot.

4. Automatic appointment creation (using the Maintenance Plan)

Work Orders can create using Maintenance Plans regularly, such as monthly planned maintenance visits. The entire scheduling process is automat this way; the first human interaction with the appointment will occur when it is pushing the mobile app for the field technician’s information.

5. Individual Appointment Scheduling

There is always “code” in addition to “clicks” Beyond what the Field Service package provides, appointment scheduling can expand. Custom interfaces could address particular use cases, such as making scheduling functionality accessible to store employees.

Salesforce Lightning Service Web Components or Sites can use to call the GetSlots API and provide a fully customized booking experience when granting these users Salesforce licenses is not practical.