Get Started with Salesforce Field Service
Learning Objectives
- Describe field service management.
- Name and define the roles in a field service organization.
- Identify the benefits of Field Service.
What Is Field Service?
Ever try herding cats? It’s similar to trying to run a mobile workforce without a field service management system. You’ll find field service management helpful in numerous industries, particularly those that employ mobile workers or contractors. That includes public utilities and transportation, vending machine services, telecommunications, waste management, financial services, retail, professional services, manufacturing, child care, and so much more.
Coordinating field operations—including scheduling service appointments, dispatching mobile workers and equipment, and tracking vehicle locations, product stock, and appointment status—is nearly impossible without an automated system. Thank goodness for Field Service!
Who Are Field Service Users?
In the game of field service, there are generally four players: administrators, agents, dispatchers, and mobile workers, or people who make service calls. Each one has a specific job to do to keep things up and running.
A generic field service workflow starts with the Salesforce admin setting up Field Service according to your organization’s needs. Your agents create work orders as customer service calls come in. The dispatcher schedules appointments, optimizing them according to who has the right skills, is carrying the right parts, and is in the right location. The mobile resources (also known as mobile workers or technicians) complete the service appointments and close out the work orders.
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Sets up field service features according to their unique business needs. Set up includes installing the Field Service managed package and Field Service mobile app. |
| Agent | Takes customer service calls and requests field service appointments via work orders, which list the skills and parts that are needed. |
| Dispatcher | Assigns and manages the service appointments. The dispatcher console included in the managed package helps dispatchers schedule, optimize, and dispatch service appointments from one screen. |
| Mobile Worker or Technician | Manages their service appointments. Their tasks include closing work orders, tracking the parts they used, and providing service reports. |
Follow Along with Trail Together
Want to follow along with an expert as you work through this step? Take a look at this video, part of the Trail Together series.
What Makes Salesforce Field Service Special?
- Core Field Service features including Service and Dispatcher Consoles
- Scheduling and optimization from a managed package
- A mobile app for your mobile workforce
You can start with the core Field Service features, and then add the managed package and mobile app as you need them.
All users need the “Field Service Standard” user permission to access standard field service features. Most user licenses already include this permission. You need special permission set licenses to view the dispatcher console, use the mobile app, or be included in scheduling optimization.
After Field Service is enabled, you’ll find the core features ready to configure in Setup.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Related to workers | |
| Service Resources |
Mobile employees who can perform field service work |
| Service Crews | Teams of service resources that are assigned to service appointments as a unit. |
| Service Territories | Regions where field service work is performed |
| Skills | Skills required to perform field service tasks |
| Related to time | |
| Operating Hours | Times when field service work can be performed for service territories, service resources, and customer accounts. Operating hours are made up of time slots: a time period within a day when field service work can be completed. |
| Time Sheets | Tools to track the time your field service employees are spending on tasks |
| Shifts |
Times that service resources can work. Shifts can extend operating hours so that you can create service availability outside of normal hours. |
| Related to work | |
| Maintenance Plans | Plans that help you track preventive maintenance work using auto-generated work orders |
| Product Items | Parts for services that can be requested, required, transferred, and consumed in field service work |
| Product Requests | Requests for a part or parts |
| Product Transfers | Transfers of inventory between locations. |
| Return Orders | Records of inventory returns or repairs. |
| Service Appointments | Appointments for field service work |
| Service Report Templates | Templates for customer-facing reports summarizing the status of service appointment and work orders |
| Work Orders | Requests for field service work |
| Work Types | Templates for common field service work, such as cable installations or furnace repairs |
Enabling Field Service also turns on geocoding, which means location data. You can use this data with the managed package to track where your mobile workforce is at any given time. How rad is that?
Field Service comes with a link to the managed package. The managed package provides a customizable schedule, real-time map, and dispatcher console so you can get the right tech to the right job at the right time. No more cat-herding for you!
Although you can use the Salesforce app to connect with your mobile workforce on their phones, the Field Service mobile app even works without web access (no signal, no problem!).
This table breaks down who can do what with the three parts of Field Service.
| Core Field Service | Field Service Managed Package | Field Service Mobile App |
|---|---|---|
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When you enable Field Service in your organization, admins and agents can:
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When the managed package is installed, dispatchers can:
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The Field Service mobile app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play. Mobile workers using the app can:
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