Track Customer Assets

An asset in Salesforce represents a specific purchased or installed product. For example, if you sell robots, you can create a Robot product in Salesforce, and then create multiple assets representing the robots you’ve sold. Each customer’s robot would be tracked in its own asset record that’s linked to the Robot product.

So where do assets fit into field service? Well, the products you sell and service likely require visits from service technicians. By tracking your customers’ assets in Salesforce, you can easily view and log each asset’s purchase timeline, maintenance history, and more.

You can also create hierarchies of assets to represent those not-so-simple products. Asset hierarchies help you track related assets, like components of a machine, as a unit. To define hierarchical relationships, use the Parent Asset field and Child Assets related list.

Now that we’ve introduced assets, it’s time to create one!

We recommend that you complete the Field Service Basics module for an introduction to field service. If you don't complete that module, enable Field Service in your Trailhead playground org. Then you can perform the steps in this module and complete the hands-on challenge at the end. 

1. Add the Assets related list to the Account page layout.
   1. From the Object Manager in Setup, click Account, then click Page Layouts.
   2. Click Account Layout.
   3. Click Related Lists.
   4. Drag Assets to the Related Lists section.
   5. Click the wrench icon on the Assets related list.
   6. Use the UP arrow to move the Status field right after Asset Name. Click OK.
   7. Save your changes. If a dialog asks if you want to overwrite users’ related list customizations, click Yes.
2. Following the same steps, navigate to the Asset object and add the following related lists to the Asset page layout. You don’t need to click the wrench icon on any of the related lists or move any fields.
   • Maintenance Plans
   • Primary Assets
   • Related Assets
   • Work Orders
3. Add fields to the Work Order page layout.
   1. From the Object Manager in Setup, click Work Order, then click Page Layouts.
   2. Click Work Order Layout.
   3. Drag the Generated from maintenance plan field to the Information section.
   4. If it’s not already there, drag the Work Type field to the Information section.
   5. Save your changes.

1. Every asset must be linked to an account, a contact, or both. To get started, let’s create an account for DreamHouse Realty.
   1. Click the Accounts tab, then click New. (Don’t see the Accounts tab? From the App Launcher, find and select Accounts.)
   2. Enter the following details:
      • Account Name: DreamHouse Realty
      • Type: Customer - Direct
        
   3. Leave the rest of the fields blank, and click Save.
2. Next, create a product to represent the type of solar panel system that DreamHouse Realty purchased. You don’t have to link every asset to a product. But when you do, it’s easy to check the Assets related list to see which customers have purchased the product.
   1. From the App Launcher, find and select Products.
   2. Click New and enter the following details.
      • Product Name: Solar Panel System 4000
      • Active: Checked
        
   3. Leave the rest of the fields blank, and click Save.
3. Now, create an asset to represent DreamHouse’s new solar panel system.
   1. From the App Launcher, find and select Assets.
   2. Click New and enter the following details.
      • Asset Name: Solar Panel System 4000
      • Product: Solar Panel System 4000
      • Account: DreamHouse Realty
      • Install Date: Today’s date
      • Quantity: 1
      • Status: Installed
        
   3. Leave the rest of the fields blank, and click Save.

1. Create an asset to represent the new model.
   1. From the Products tab, create a product record with these details.
      • Product Name: Solar Panel System 6000
      • Active: Checked
   2. From the Assets tab, create an asset record with these details.
      • Asset Name: Solar Panel System 6000
      • Product: Solar Panel System 6000
      • Account: DreamHouse Realty
      • Install Date: Today’s date
      • Quantity: 1
      • Status: Installed
2. Navigate to the Solar Panel System 4000 asset record, and change the Status to Obsolete.
3. In the Primary Assets related list on the Solar Panel System 4000 asset, click New.
4. In the Asset field, select the Solar Panel System 6000 asset that you just created. The Related Asset field auto-populates to list Solar Panel System 4000.
5. In the Relationship Type field, select Upgrade.
   
6. Save your changes.