Delivering exceptional service is key for building customer preference and loyalty. Today, we’re introducing new capabilities for Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service that help service managers and technicians efficiently find the information they need to resolve issues right the first time while keeping customers updated at every step of the process. Additionally, with the introduction of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist capabilities within Microsoft Teams and seamless data flow across Dynamics 365 Field Service, finance, and operations applications as well as Microsoft 365, we’re helping break down application silos and making it easier to stay in the flow.

Streamlining work order management with next-generation AI

With new capabilities generally available starting today, field service managers can interact with Copilot to find pertinent information about work orders using natural language in the Dynamics 365 Field Service web app. Copilot can assist in retrieving work order details, summarizing them, and presenting them in an easily digestible format. Copilot can also go beyond searching work orders to searching other Microsoft Dataverse records, including accounts, contacts, opportunities, and more. In addition, organizations can now configure the data that Copilot uses to generate work order summaries in Dynamics 365 Field Service to meet their specific business needs.

“The introduction of Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service, with its powerful summarization capabilities, is a game-changer. Not only does it benefit our leaders, but it also streamlines internal communications, aids finance, and helps customers stay up to date. By automating this process, we reduce manual work and ensure critical information isn’t overlooked.”

Amit Nene, Business Applications Director, BW Packaging Platform, Barry Wehmiller

With new capabilities generally available starting today in the Dynamics 365 Field Service Outlook add-in, field service managers can go beyond asking Copilot for help creating work orders based on customer emails and scheduling them. They can now also ask Copilot to draft email updates to customers recapping details of scheduled work orders or suggesting next steps for unscheduled work orders.

Boosting technician efficiency with new tools in Teams

With the Dynamics 365 Field Service plugin for Microsoft Copilot now generally available, field service managers and technicians can use natural language chat in the flow of work in Teams to find key information about their work orders and other Dataverse records. Starting today, technicians can also use this experience to ask Copilot to search through lengthy product manuals and find relevant answers to resolve product issues faster.

Should technicians need additional assistance from remote experts to resolve issues, starting today they can access Dynamics 365 Remote Assist capabilities in the flow of work in Teams. As a technician shares what they see through their mobile device’s camera during a video call, the mixed reality tools enable technicians and remote experts to use annotations and arrows to refer to specific parts of a machine. These spatial annotations stay anchored even if the camera moves. Access to Dynamics 365 Remote Assist is available at no additional cost with Dynamics 365 Field Service, and licensed customers can try out Remote Assist’s spatial annotation capabilities available in preview starting today within their Teams mobile app for iOS.

To further streamline collaboration among field service managers, technicians, and remote experts in Teams chats, meetings, or channels, Dynamics 365 Field Service users who have installed the Field Service app in Teams can now share links to work orders that automatically expand to provide key details. This link unfurling capability is generally available starting today.

Introducing efficiencies with more integrated offerings

To help the frontline and back office stay in sync as service deliveries impact financial and inventory systems, the Dynamics 365 Field Service integration with Dynamics 365 finance and operations applications is now generally available. Additionally, for small businesses, seamless financial and inventory data flow between Dynamics 365 Field Service and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is also now generally available.

Learn more at Hannover Messe 2024

Next week at Hannover Messe 2024, the world’s leading industrial trade fair, organizations across engineering, digital technologies, energy, and more will gather to demonstrate solutions for high performance, sustainable industries. The Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service team is honored to attend to showcase how the innovations announced today can help manufacturers. Visit us at the Hannover Messe expo, Hall 17, Stand G06 to discover new ways to transform your service operations with generative AI and mixed reality.

Dynamics 365 Field Service

New capabilities generally available today.

Learn more

The post Introducing new Microsoft Copilot capabilities to optimize Dynamics 365 Field Service operations   appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Across industries and around the world, field service leaders face any number of challenges in areas including digitalization and modernization of traditionally paper-based processes, rising customer expectations, and employee training and retention. With these challenges top of mind, we have continually invested in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service as a solution to meet the growing requirements of field service management (FSM) operations. That’s why we take great pride in sharing we’re the only vendor positioned as a Leader in the following four IDC MarketScapes:

• A Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Applications 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US49989523e December 2023)
• A Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Service Life-Cycle Management Platforms 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US49989623, October 2023)
• A Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Solutions for Utilities 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US50036223, October 2023)
• A Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Solutions for Oil and Gas 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US50040023, November 2023)

Field service management applications

According to the 2023 report “Product Innovation and Aftermarket Service Survey,” IDC notes that “the top metric prioritized by service leaders as determining success in service was customer satisfaction (46.2%), followed by customer retention (39.0%).” This means frontline worker roles such as service agents and field technicians are absolutely critical to ensuring the best possible customer experience. That’s why we’re continuously developing Dynamics 365 Field Service so that organizations can equip those workers with modern digital tools to make them more responsive and efficient.

Microsoft was positioned as a Leader in the 2023-2024 IDC MarketScape for worldwide field service management applications based on two strengths: “innovation at scale and pace” and “infusion of AI into field service processes.” The IDC MarketScape notes that “Microsoft’s end-to-end service experience capabilities aid field service companies in a continuous transformation journey. As customer expectations evolve, frontline workforces shift, and business models get disrupted, Microsoft leverages its platform to incorporate technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), mixed reality, industrial metaverse, and digital twins.” In addition, the IDC MarketScape says that in the areas of AI and generative AI, which would include Copilot in Field Service, “Microsoft is enabling service organizations to realize near-term and long-term strategies around this innovative technology.”

The IDC MarketScape suggests that organizations consider Microsoft field service solutions “if they are looking for a vendor that can incorporate end-to-end capabilities with innovative technologies for transformation and growth.”

Service life-cycle management

IDC has noted that service is no longer something that happens only after a sale is complete. More and more, organizations are aligning services and sales to help drive greater revenue through better alignment and new service offerings. This IDC MarketScape report highlights two key Microsoft strengths: an integrated platform supporting the front and back office, and innovation accelerators that enhance experiences.

From an integration standpoint, the IDC MarketScape notes that “the service team can no longer operate in a silo and requires tools that allow it to connect to other business functions, customers, and the wide network of partners. Microsoft’s integrated platform of back-office, midoffice, and front-office applications aids customers across their digital journey and not just within a single function.” The integration of Dynamics 365 Field Service with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams is key. Dynamics 365 Field Service integrates with Outlook, Teams, and Microsoft Viva Connections so that frontline workers and managers can create, view, and manage work orders within Outlook and Teams. This integration enhances collaboration between dispatchers, frontline technicians, and managers by enabling work order data to sync automatically between Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365. Additionally, frontline technicians can quickly start their day with access to key workday information at a glance, with work orders visible from the Viva Connections homepage in Teams. Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365 empower technicians with the right information to resolve issues the first time, which is key to creating a positive customer experience.

When it comes to innovation, the IDC MarketScape explains, “Microsoft through its AI, GenAI, IoT, and mixed reality capabilities and tools allows service organizations to deliver enhanced experiences for the service team and the customer. Microsoft customers value this level of shared innovations, which has cemented partnerships for shared growth.” Dynamics 365 Field Service can be integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist on Microsoft HoloLens, Microsoft HoloLens 2, Android, or iOS devices to enable technicians to collaborate more efficiently by working together from different locations. This means service technicians can find and connect with technical experts working at other locations to share what they’re seeing, receive remote assistance, and quickly resolve customer issues. Dynamics 365 Field Service can also be integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides to attach mixed reality guides to Field Service tasks. Overall, the integration between Dynamics 365 Field Service, Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, Dynamics 365 Guides, and tools like HoloLens helps to elevate field service operations by enabling them to optimize processes and deliver unparalleled customer experiences.

The IDC Life-Cycle Management report suggests organizations “consider Microsoft when searching for capabilities that will enable continuous exploration of innovation across the service life cycle and partner networks. Microsoft has enabled a broad set of innovation capabilities, which support collaboration, co-innovation, and prescriptive service at speed and a global scale.”

Field service management for utilities

For customers in the utilities industry, the IDC MarketScape explains that a key strength for Microsoft is that “[customers] recognize Dynamics 365 Field Service as a well-engineered, flexible FSM solution, offering a solid user experience in terms of usability, configurability, ease of integration into complex landscapes, and extensibility thanks to the Microsoft portfolio.”

The IDC MarketScape also notes, “Microsoft is putting considerable resources behind the product, including significantly increasing the engineering budget this year.” It also states that “[the] ability to instantly access this innovation through a pure-play SaaS ultimately results in good value for money.” Many Field Service customers experienced this with the addition of the Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service Outlook add-in, which streamlines work order creation with relevant details pre-populated from emails and optimizes technician scheduling with data-driven recommendations based on factors such as travel time, availability, and skillset. Frontline managers can see relevant work orders and review them before creating new work orders, and they can easily reschedule or update those work orders as customers’ needs change.

Field service management for oil and gas

For customers in the oil and gas (O&G) industry, the IDC MarketScape stated, “Microsoft’s FSM solution comes in an integrated and comprehensive portfolio catering to core O&G field services and asset operations. By seamlessly integrating FSM with Mixed Reality, Microsoft 365, AI, IoT, and Azure, it provides customers the flexibility to tailor solutions, enhancing efficiency, driving innovation, and boosting productivity in a highly customizable manner.”

“Drawing on its long-established customer base, Microsoft works with major O&G players addressing a wide range of field service challenges. Typically, these collaborations focus on enabling frontline workers and optimizing planning and service workflow automation in vast scale operations spanning large assets such as refineries, petrochemical plants, LNG facilities, renewable gas plants, and the extensive network of gas stations.” For service technicians on the frontline, a primary benefit of Dynamics 365 Field Service is the Field Service mobile app which enables technicians to see their workdays at a glance so they can view and update work orders, customer assets, accounts, and more, no matter where they are working—even in areas with limited connectivity. Technicians can also easily access up-to-date inventory information, eliminating the need for cumbersome manual inventory checks and reducing delays caused by missing parts. The Field Service mobile app also incorporates safety checklists and real-time reporting, helping to ensure compliance with safety regulations and to improve the well-being of service technicians who often work under hazardous conditions.

We invite you to read the following IDC MarketScape report excerpts for full details:

• IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Applications 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment
• IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Service Life-Cycle Management Platforms 2023–2024 Vendor Assessment
• IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Field Service Management Solutions for Utilities 2023-2024 Vendor Assessment

Learn more about how Microsoft customers are optimizing service operations with Dynamics 365 Field Service:

• G&J Pepsi optimize field operations, exceed service expectations while maximizing revenue and cost savings with Dynamics 365 Field Service
• Phillips Corporations modernized its service operations and increased revenue using Dynamics 365 Field Service
• Vattenfall streamlined service operations to help employees become more efficient and improve customer service and engagement.
• XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, tapped into IoT and the cloud to optimize operations and drive growth with Azure and Dynamics 365 Field Service.

Source: IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. The Capabilities score measures vendor product, go-to-market and business execution in the short-term. The Strategy score measures alignment of vendor strategies with customer requirements in a 3-5-year timeframe. Vendor market share is represented by the size of the circles.  

The post Microsoft named as a worldwide Leader in four IDC MarketScapes for Field Service Management & Service Life-Cycle appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Service professionals on the frontline rely on having nearly-instant access to a range of customer and technical information at the moment it’s needed. However, data from Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index Annual Report[1] reveals not being able to easily find the information they need ranks in the top 5 most disruptive issues faced by frontline workers in their current day-to-day role. This can have a serious impact on KPIs, such as first-time fix rates and customer satisfaction and retention.

Today, we are introducing new AI-powered experiences for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service that give frontline workers a faster way to access information on a job site—by asking questions and stating what they need in conversational language. We’re also announcing the general availability of streamlined, AI-assisted work order creation and technician scheduling; the availability of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist at no additional cost; and the public preview of financial and inventory data flow between Dynamics 365 Field Service and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management.

Boosting Technician Productivity with Next-Generation AI

In public preview beginning December 2023, frontline workers can access key work order information by asking Copilot questions within Microsoft Teams. They can simply state what they need using natural language to receive specific information related to their work orders in Dynamics 365 Field Service including status updates, parts needed, or instructions to help them get the job done. Additionally, with the Dynamics 365 Field Service app in Teams becoming generally available in December 2023, frontline workers can not only view, but also edit their work orders directly within Teams. Ask your IT administrator to make work orders accessible at-a-glance for your frontline via the Microsoft Viva Connections home experience in Teams.

Earlier this year, we introduced a modern user experience in Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile to help frontline technicians easily access the key information they need on the go. We are now enhancing this experience with next-generation AI to further save valuable technician time. With the public preview of new capabilities for Copilot in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile in December 2023, frontline technicians can quickly get a summary of key points in a work order without having to navigate through a series of tabs. They can also swiftly make updates by simply speaking to Copilot and describing their progress. Copilot will provide suggestions to efficiently check off service tasks, add notes, and update product quantities as well as statuses, accelerating data-entry so technicians can focus on providing great customer service. To try it out, opt into the new Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile experience.

“From the incoming service request to the creation of the invoice – Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service is assisting in streamlining work and increasing productivity. In combination with the new Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile experience, it is reducing the administrative burden on the frontline workers tremendously.”
-Henk-Jan van de Beek, Global director Customer Experience at HSO Group

We are also pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI and mixed reality for frontline workers who need to be heads-up and hands-free. As demonstrated in the Microsoft Ignite keynote, Copilot in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides will revolutionize real world operations with the ability to point at a complex machine that needs service, and then engage in a back-and-forth dialogue about that asset. Copilot uses generative AI to search for information from technical documentation, service records, training content and other data sources that customers curate. Copilot will not only be able to suggest what to do next, but also show what to do by projecting holograms into the real world. We are excited to introduce this capability in private preview to a limited set of customers with Microsoft HoloLens 2 and roll it out more broadly to mobile users in the future.

Streamlining Manager Workflows with Next-Generation AI

Next-generation AI can not only help frontline managers accelerate time-consuming processes but also improve the accuracy of data entry. Introduced in preview earlier this year and becoming generally available in December 2023 for frontline managers, Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service Outlook add-in can streamline work order creation with relevant details pre-populated from emails. It can also optimize technician scheduling with data-driven recommendations based on factors such as travel time, availability, and skillset. Relevant work orders are surfaced within this experience for managers to review before creating new work orders and these can be easily rescheduled or updated as customer needs change. In addition organizations will be able to customize work orders for their frontline needs by adding new fields as well as renaming or rearranging existing fields. Copilot will also become generally available in December 2023 to assist frontline managers with work order scheduling in Microsoft Teams, saving time and effort to find the right worker for the job.

“Vixxo is excited about the potential AI has to transform our business processes and deliver better customer experiences. With Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service, we are discovering how to leverage AI in a secure and flexible way to enhance the efficiency of our service and field teams. This is only the start and we look forward to what’s next!”
– Jim McCarthy, Chief Technology and Supply Chain Officer at Vixxo 

A redesigned Dynamics 365 Field Service work order management experience is now generally available, featuring a simplified web experience that brings important information front and center. The experience not only offers concise information about the work order but also provides relevant next steps based on booking statuses and supports making quick updates inline or in a side panel to not lose context. Additionally, Copilot is available in preview within this experience to provide frontline managers intelligent recaps so they can stay up to date without having to navigate through all the information in a work order.

“Medxcel has previewed the new Dynamics 365 work order management experience and is excited to introduce it more broadly to facility managers, directors and coordinators. From enabling mass edits with infinite scrolling to providing quick visual references with color coding on priority and system status – the redesign offers several features to improve work efficiency.”
 – Sonali Atram, D365 Solutions Architect at Medxcel

Introducing Efficiencies With More Integrated Offerings

IDC reports field service is shifting from being reactive to more proactive, predictive, and prescriptive. This shift requires field service technicians to evolve and provide a new set of experiences for customers. More organizations are leveraging third-party technicians who may service multiple asset brands or newer technicians who have never seen a particular type of equipment. The entire workforce needs to be equipped with the tools to solve problems, and mixed reality capabilities can ensure that expertise is shared for the benefit of resolution and customer experience.[2]

Beginning December 2023, Dynamics 365 Field Service customers can get access to Dynamics 365 Guides and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist at no additional cost. Users can create guides to provide technicians with step-by-step instructions for key tasks and enable real-time collaboration with remote experts via mobile or HoloLens 2 devices when additional assistance is needed. Ask your IT administrator to install Guides and Remote Assist for your frontline technicians.

“The inability to find new talent hampers the growth potential for organizations. Technologies like Copilot are allowing people to see manufacturing jobs as innovative again and do a lot more with the same amount of people by helping them work smarter. Add to that field service solutions like Dynamics 365 Guides and Remote Assist and it really lowers the barrier for companies to recruit new talent into the workplace.”
– Tim Verpoorten, Go-To-Market & Business Development Director at 9altitudes

Beginning December 2023, customers can purchase Dynamics 365 Field Service Contractor to provide essential work order management functionality to external vendors, easing onboarding as they scale field service operations to meet demand. Learn more about this offering.

In public preview starting today, seamless financial and inventory data flow between Dynamics 365 Field Service and Dynamics 365 Finance as well as Supply Chain Management will help ensure the frontline and back office stay in sync. By syncing real-time price and cost information from work orders and automatically updating financial and inventory data as work orders are executed, this integration will reduce the effort required to connect these Dynamics 365 apps. Request your IT administrator to opt in today.
 
“We are thrilled about the new integration between Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management and Dynamics 365 Field Service. This out of the box process orchestration will help us standardize processes from both sides, reduce our time to value, and improve our business operations.”
– Dardan Imeri Northvolt, ERP Lead at Northvolt

Learn More

Tune in to the following Microsoft Ignite breakout sessions to learn more about AI-powered experiences in Dynamics 365 Field Service, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft’s mixed reality applications for your frontline workforce:

• Transforming service organizations with generative AI 
• Reimagine the frontline with next-generation AI and fast deployment 
• Unleashing the Potential of Industrials 

[1] The Work Trend Index survey was conducted by an independent research firm, Edelman Data x Intelligence, among 31,000 full-time employed or self-employed workers across 31 markets, 6,019 of which are frontline workers, between February 1, 2023, and March 14, 2023. This survey was 20 minutes in length and conducted online, in either the English language or translated into a local language across markets. One thousand full-time workers were surveyed in each market, and global results have been aggregated across all responses to provide an average. Each market is evenly weighted within the global average. Each market was sampled to be representative of the full-time workforce across age, gender, and region; each sample included a mix of work environments (in-person, remote vs. non-remote, office settings vs. non-office settings, etc.), industries, company sizes, tenures, and job levels. Markets surveyed include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

[2] IDC Analyst Brief sponsored by Microsoft, Generative AI and Mixed Reality Power the Future of Field Service Resolution (Doc #US51300223), October 2023

The post Streamline Field Service Operations with new Copilot capabilities  appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

The Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app helps your frontline workers manage and complete their service tasks while onsite at a job. The mobile app enables them to view their daily schedule, complete inspections, bill for products and services, send reports to customers, and submit their time-off requests.

The Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app is built on Microsoft Power Platform. If your organization is using the mobile app built on the Xamarin platform, you’ll need a plan to move workers to the Power Platform mobile app by June 2022.

As you transition your organization to the Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app, follow these best practices and tips for setup and deployment.

Tip 1: Assign the Field Service-Resource security role or equivalent permissions

To make sure that frontline workers have access to the right tables (entities) and columns (fields) on the mobile app, you might need to edit the security role assigned to them.

Assign each frontline worker, or resource, the Field Service-Resource security role and field security profile because many processes check for users with that security role. For more information, check out the frontline worker setup instructions.

For example, the Booking and Work Order form is visible to users with the Field Service-Resource security role by default, but users with other security roles need to be given access explicitly.

Augmenting the Field Service-Resource role

If you want to augment the security privileges of the Field Service-Resource security role, you need to create a new role with the permissions you want to add, and then assign the new security role to users in addition to the Field Service-Resource security role. The same principle applies for field security profiles.

Removing privileges from the Field Service-Resource role

If you intend to remove or lower security privileges, then we recommend that you copy the Field Service-Resource security role, make your changes to the copy, and then assign the copied security role to the frontline worker users. Then, give your newly created copy of the security role access to the Booking and Work Order form included with Dynamics 365 Field Service. This form is used to view scheduled jobs (see the next tip).

Read about Field Service security roles for more information and steps to copy security roles.

Performance considerations

Using the mobile application with a role that has broad access to data, like an admin role, might result in larger data downloads and longer sync times of offline data. Test your application with the security role applicable to end users.

For more information about security roles, check out Install and set up the Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app.

Tip 2: Use forms and controls included with the Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app

It’s important to use the forms that come with Field Service rather than creating new ones, because the default forms and controls are optimized for performance and usability on mobile devices.

For example, use the Booking and Work Order form to show frontline workers their schedules and job information. The Booking and Work Order form has custom code that is purpose-built for field service scenarios. Add your organization’s schedule and job information into the form.

The same is true for controls. Use the controls that are included with Field Service where possible. Examples include the booking map for job locations and the calendar control for schedules.

Here is an example of some of the mobile optimized forms and controls included with the Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app, such as at-a-glance agenda view, customer information with address and maps, and an intuitive experience to track the services performed and parts consumed:

Performance considerations

Surface the most relevant fields and information to technicians up front. Overloading the form with less-used fields and controls will impact app performance, so consider creating new sections or tabs to host custom content. Take feedback from users to determine what content is necessary and what can be removed or hidden from forms.

For more information, go to Edit the sitemap (home screen), forms, and views.

Tip 3: Follow best practices when using offline profiles

Offline profiles control which data is downloaded to the device. We strongly recommend that you use the offline feature, even if your frontline workers always have internet access.

Using downloaded data is much faster than using data on the server that is accessed over the internet, thus improving overall performance. Set up an offline profile, and then add users and teams to the offline profile.

Here are a few more pro tips for using offline profiles:

• Use the offline profile included with Field Service – The Field Service Mobile Offline Profile provides an ideal starting point for offline configuration, with defaults for out-of-the-box entities and sync intervals. Use this profile and build upon it by including your custom entities. By working within the provided profile, default entities can still receive updates over time.
• Avoid removing default entities from the offline profile – These default entities are purposefully added to ensure the right data is available to the frontline worker. Focus on adding the entities you need to the offline profile rather than removing ones you do not need.
• Avoid using “All records” as an offline filter – The offline profile is the gate that controls the amount of data downloaded to the frontline workers’ devices. To keep sync times fast and efficient, avoid including “All records” as an entity filter and avoid wide date ranges. As an example, rather than downloading all customer asset records, download only the records related to scheduled work orders. This will reduce the number of customer asset records without impacting work that needs to be done.
• Use offline JavaScript – Organizations often need to run workflows on mobile devices to execute business processes. However, Power Automate flows only run when the device is connected to the internet or on the next sync. Use offline JavaScript to run workflows on the device quickly and without internet access. For more information, go to Workflows and scripts for the Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app.
• Understand how the app works offline. Lastly, it is important to know that once you set up an offline profile, the mobile app prioritizes offline operations. This means the app will use downloaded data when there is no internet access, and even when there is internet access. The only difference is that, when there is internet access, data will be synced back to the server every few minutes or when the frontline worker manually syncs the app. When there is no Internet access, the sync runs later, when a connection is restored.

Performance considerations

By using offline profiles, data will be downloaded to the device. With offline data, in-app performance such as displaying forms will be much better. Limiting the amount of data in the offline profile to what is needed by the user will improve sync performance.

For more information, go to Configure offline data and sync filters for the Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app.

Tip 4: Use up-to-date devices that meet recommended requirements

Many organizations follow a “bring your own device” (BYOD) policy where frontline workers use their personal phones or other devices for business. The Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app works on many devices running iOS or Android software, and support for Windows 10 devices is planned.

For the best performance, make sure your team has newer devices that run the latest operating system versions. Review the supported mobile platforms for recommendations about operating system versions, RAM, and storage.

Tip 5: Take advantage of Microsoft Power Platform

The Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app is built on Microsoft Power Platform, so the mobile app can take advantage of several capabilities of Microsoft Power Platform.

Here are just two common examples:

• Use Power Automate to send push notifications to frontline worker devices based on predefined triggers and events. For more information, go to Enable push notifications.

• Use Power Apps component framework to create new controls for the Field Service mobile app. For more information, go to Power Apps component framework overview.

Planning for your deployment

In addition to these Field Service best practices, here are a few more planning tips that can be helpful for your project:

• Do user acceptance training. Ensure buy-in across your organization by bringing the people who will be using the application into the release process early. Select a diverse set of users across geographies or business units. Set up feedback channels to understand pain points and address problems before going live.
• Do a phased roll out. Reduce risk by segmenting your release over phases; commonly this is done by geography, or by business group. Take feedback from users and expand the deployment once stable.
• Pilot the mobile apps side-by-side. If you are a current customer of Field Service, you can pilot the new Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app alongside the Field Service Mobile (Xamarin) app, as well as other Field Service apps your organization might be using. This will help you assess how your frontline workers are currently using the apps: what data is most important and what information is most commonly viewed and edited. In this way, you will better understand what functionality to include in the new Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app.
• Measure performance. How the mobile app performs is a big factor in how much frontline workers enjoy using the app. Add performance measures to the deployment plan and test how editing forms, the mobile offline profile, and workflows affect app performance. Take feedback from users to determine what is necessary and what can be removed or hidden from forms.

Next steps

We’ve put together some resources to help you before and during your mobile deployment.

• Field Service mobile adoption playbook – Get guidance on how to plan for and adopt Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile, along with information on how to manage migration from the previous mobile app.
• Dynamics 365 Field Service docs – Find details to set up and use every feature of the mobile app, along with configuration considerations and FAQs.
• Field Service videos – Watch step-by-step video tutorials to set up and use the mobile app.

The post 5 tips for implementing the Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

This post has been updated on June 15, 2020; for the most up-to-date information on Dynamics 365 offers, see Microsoft offers.

Organizations with essential frontline employees in the field are facing a unique set of challenges responding to the COVID-19 crisis. With travel restrictions and many technicians working remotely, the challenge is to keep employees safe and healthy while maintaining business critical functions and continuing to support your customers.

• Getting the help needed: Some frontline employees must continue to work onsite and may require critical information or expertise from those located elsewhere
• Repairing what’s critical: Many companies are working to balance travel restrictions with business continuity including critical repairs, maintenance, or training
• Enabling collaboration: Organizations are seeking solutions to train employees and provide coaching and expertise to employees working onsite or in the field

Keep experts connected from anywhere with Dynamics 365 Remote Assist

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist uses mixed reality to enable frontline workers across industries including healthcare, retail, and manufacturing to work together from different locations—accessing information and experts from anywhere, hands-free on Microsoft HoloLens, Android, or iOS devices, enabling:

• Collaborative maintenance and repairs: Complete critical repairs and maintenance by allowing an onsite worker to share real-time views of a job site or equipment with experts working remotely, helping to solve issues faster and eliminate travel.
• Knowledge sharing: Enable clinicians who are self-isolating to continue to share valuable expertise by directing, coaching, and educating healthcare workers who are onsite.
• Remote inspections and audits: Empower onsite inspectors and auditors to collaborate with remote inspectors to evaluate and document asset quality.

Watch the video below to learn how to get started with Dynamics 365 Remote Assist.   

New capabilities expand integration and enable new support scenarios

For the 2020 release wave 1, we’re focused on the following areas:

• Enabling features that support break or fix scenarios, such as video recording or file sharing
• Expanding integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service by allowing richer information to flow into work orders

Share files between collaborators to speed up resolution

Remote collaboration in the field is a unique challenge. Solving an issue often requires providing experts located offsite with visuals, measurements, and views of the tasks at hand. In addition to getting the expert’s help directly, technicians can solve issues faster if they can receive instructions, diagrams, or photos from the collaborator.

In this release, we’re enabling collaborators to share files including instructions, diagrams, photos, and other media with remote workers through text chat as conversation attachments. They also can post call artifacts (files, etc.) to a Dynamics 365 Field Service work order to continue solving the problem and get the right person for the job.

Capture session history through call recordings

For companies working to resolve incidents, it’s important to keep a record of what happened. Oftentimes, these records are kept through paper trails or text-based collateral. Taking advantage of the information captured through video in a Dynamics 365 Remote Assist session will allow operations managers, technicians, and clinicians to refer back to sessions later and create a knowledge base of calls for others.

In this release, we’re enabling employees using Dynamics 365 Remote Assist to document their processes and service calls through video recordings between users to keep track of what was done and next steps to resolve.

Dynamics 365 Remote Assist in response to COVID-19

Learn how to buy and deploy and find technical requirements for getting started, including Dynamics 365 Remote Assist in the Government Community Cloud and GCC High on HoloLens and HoloLens 2 which is now available.

See Dynamics 365 product updates for more information on any upcoming features.

Please contact your Microsoft sales representative or contact our sales team via chat, phone, or email for specific guidance to help you solve business-critical challenges.

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