Field service app for Microsoft Dynamics 365 helps manufacturing companies and other service providers
Peter Linke
Dec 12, 2018 | Last updated: Mar 5, 2023
Insights | 5 min read

Scheduling work orders for repair and maintenance technicians is one of the most complex tasks for any service organization that does field visits. Numerous factors must be considered to get the best qualified available employee on-site as quickly as possible to find a lasting solution to the issue that is plaguing the customer. However, even the best laid plans of schedulers often go awry: traffic jams, delays, missing tools or unavailable parts can put a spoke in the wheel.

Increased productivity through digitization

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service supports you in planning and executing on-site service visits and offers digital support for this tricky yet crucial area of business. Automation and algorithms offer a helping hand to dispatchers when scheduling and briefing service professionals. And technicians themselves benefit from mobile productivity tools that support them before and during jobs. Microsoft’s cloud app covers the entire field service process, from receiving a work order to customer communication, inventory management and KPI analysis. Companies in machinery and plant engineering, medical technology, electronics, high-tech and maintenance and industrial services report improved processes, more efficient resource allocation and significant cost reductions after just a short period of using the solution.

Businesses who use the app have been able to manage up to 15% more work orders per week and could reduce overhead costs by up to 20%, among other benefits.

Harness the potential of automation with Dynamics 365 Field Service

With tools that recommend optimal routes or even calculate them completely automatically, Dynamics 365 Field Service paves the way for more efficient service. Algorithms ensure that a qualified and well-equipped technician can be on-site more quickly and that a team can manage more appointments per week.

Customers receive automated notifications when a visit has been scheduled, the technician is en route or delayed and in case the appointment has to be rescheduled. This not only reduces costs for the service organization, it also keeps customers in the know and improves their ability to plan, too. Mobile apps help make the visit itself more successful for both parties. They enable technicians to access all available customer data in the system, including work order details, case history, required spare parts, checklists and detailed instructions.

The more information is available, the bigger the likelihood That the issue can be fixed during the first visit. This will delight customers and boost your first-time fix-rate, which in turn has a positive effect on productivity and efficiency.

Intelligently connected field service

With this software Microsoft also enables you to connect devices to the Internet of Things (IoT), allowing you to not only monitor and maintain assets remotely but also preventively.

Say, according to its maintenance schedule, your customer’s CNC mill is to be inspected and if necessary, serviced every 200 operating hours. Due to varying use of the machine, it is difficult to estimate and plan the optimal maintenance date. The machine may easily operate failure-free for 250 hours. However, it is also possible that in some cases wear-related malfunction occurs before the planned maintenance date.

With connected field service, the mill’s cutting and production data can be collected and analyzed and the figures accessed in Dynamics 365 Field Service.

Switching to a just-in-time maintenance model not only helps your customers optimize their production, it also lets you take external factors, such as asset downtimes or material data, into consideration. This helps you in your planning and allows you to react flexibly.

Implement Dynamics 365 Field Service with an experienced partner

As a Microsoft Partner, proMX has specialized in supporting manufacturing companies at every step of their digital transformation. We have worked on numerous projects with various companies in this industry, focusing on the customer engagement apps of the Dynamics 365 suite, including Field Service.

Watch CEO Peter Linke explain our approach (video includes English subtitles):

Our first successful Field Service project was with Interflex Datensysteme GmbH. The company, which produces hard- and software for workforce management and security solutions, decided to team up with digitization partner proMX to became one of the first users of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service, implementing it in combination with other Dynamics 365 apps.

Today, the solution is in use at Interflex and Simon Schwarz, Team Leader Business Applications, is a fan:  “With Dynamics 365 for Field Service we can offer our customers better and faster service than ever before. From a competition stand point, this is a major advantage for us.”

Would you like to learn more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service to be able to assess whether the app is a good fit for your company? Make an appointment for a free webinar in which our experts will guide you through the app and answer any questions you might have.

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