Challenges to Expect in Field Services and How Dynamics 365 Helps

The focus of businesses today is to keep customers satisfied and remain aligned with their changing requirements—for which customer-centric strategies are key. Field services are a leading business sector that deals with versatile logistics, resource management, and inventory maintenance. Common challenges they face are service delays, miscommunication, inadequate resources and staffing, and haphazard logistics management. To alleviate this, companies need a robust solution to manage work orders and field personnel, balance workloads, track inventory, and ensure timely service delivery to the client’s locations.

Top Five Challenges faced by Field Service businesses

1) Disparate scheduling

Timely services and product delivery are the critical factors involved in customer loyalty. Conversely, haphazard scheduling processes can lead to delayed services and customer dissatisfaction.

2) Expensive

Field service firms handle processes that often need re-work. For example, field service professionals might need to visit the customer’s site several times. Planning a revisit, carrying out appropriate tools based on the service request, and allocating staffing can be challenging and costly.

3) Communication gaps

Transparency in services is a critical factor that customers look for in a field service organization. Therefore, it is better to have processes that enhance visibility and constant communication to inform your clients about possible service delays, rescheduling, or order cancellations.

4) Poor management

Organizations rely on accurate and precise data to track their performance and access key business metrics such as ROI, market trends, customer behavior, sales performance, and internal resource management. As a result, companies cannot thrive in the competitive business world without an efficient management system.

5) Not future-ready

Sometimes, companies do not anticipate possible technological shifts as they lack insights into proactive service management systems and modern-day technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the

Internet of Things (IoT). Microsoft offers multiple features and capabilities of Dynamics 365 Field Service to tackle these challenges and streamline field service operations.

Dynamics 365 for Field Service in a nutshell

Dynamics 365 for Field Service enables companies to exchange critical business-related data easily and allows smooth and faster workflows. It deftly manages intra- and inter-team communication and coordination. Built-in intelligence preempts challenges and seamlessly solves them in advance, increasing productivity. In addition, it offers a holistic view of customer records and helps personalize their experiences.

• Offers a self-service portal and proactive updates to customers
• Predictive analysis of data resolves problems in advance.
• No-code visual editors and flexible tools seamlessly manage end-to-end operations
• HoloLens mixed reality headsets provide maintenance services anytime, anywhere.

Related: Tips to Select the Perfect Dynamics 365 Gold Partner

How Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service Management Helps

• Cloud intelligence: Several insights come through cloud intelligence, and users can analyze them with the help of Power BI, predictive analysis, and AI. Data analysis through cloud intelligence provides decisions that optimize sales, customer service, and field service.
• Integration with Dynamics 365 modules: Dynamics 365 Field Service is a module within the Dynamics 365 Suite of applications. Integration with other D365 modules such as Sales, Customer Service, Marketing, and Finance happens seamlessly.
• Interactive schedule boards: D365 Field Service manages resource assignments across several work orders and allocates innovative scheduling features and skilled field service agents to designated locations to quickly resolve customer issues.
• Asset Management: With a unified platform that stores data about total revenue, expenditure, and audit history, organizations can view and access warranty and service agreements anytime.
• Work Order Management: Companies can create work orders across multiple channels, such as customer portals, emails, and CRM systems. In addition, field service agents can track the status and invoice of ongoing projects, including payment details.
• Customer-centric approach: Dynamics 365 Field Service offers a holistic view of customer journeys. They can access customer preference data such as case and order histories to help them provide personalized services. In addition, accurate client data in a unified database helps companies seamlessly connect workflows across Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and Field Service teams.
• Systematic appointments and schedules: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service offers a mobile app that tracks the customer’s location and navigates field service agents efficiently. In addition,

it analyzes customer preferences and dispatches work orders to technicians based on their availability, location, and skillset.

Implement Dynamics 365 Field Service with a certified Microsoft partner

A Dynamics 365 Field Service implementation can produce the best industry advantages if companies engage a D365 expert to assist the process. Experienced Microsoft partners know their way around Microsoft ERP implementations, migrations, maintenance, and support. DemandDynamics is a trusted gold partner with a team of trained professionals with in-depth product knowledge. In addition, its famous on-demand services employ a pay-as-you-use model, where you have to pay only for the services you use.

Connect with one of our industry experts to learn more about Dynamics 365 Field Service and other offerings.