Equipment Distributor Finds Success with Affordable Field Service Solution
A company that sells and rents equipment was looking for a solution to help them schedule field technicians and track the location of equipment. They also wanted to empower their field service technicians to utilize mobile devices to access customer, project, and work order information.
As current Dynamics AX users, the organization first considered implementing the Dynamics 365 Field Service solution, which fully integrates with other products in the Dynamics platform. However, they quickly learned the solution was priced higher than what their budget would allow based on their company size and number of field techs.
Based on the business needs and requirements, they determined their solution could be scaled down from the full Field Service application within Dynamics as long as it included the following features:
- Integration with their existing ERP system, Dynamics AX
- Ability to build and modify work orders
Scheduling and dispatching capabilities - Mobile application for field technicians with access to work orders and customer data
Stoneridge Software utilized Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement to build an XRM solution for the customer that would allow them to stay in budget and meet their business needs.
Ability to schedule and dispatch
A custom form was built within CE that matched the work order fields they used to gather information.
Within this form, they could easily identify delivery and pickup dates, customer information, type of product being delivered, and more. Because the system ties directly to Dynamics AX, it automatically fills in client data fields with information from the ERP solution.
A field for specific equipment was included that allowed field techs to auto-populate specific available equipment within the system, which was then tied to the work order.
In the same way, another field allows specific load information. The scheduler can identify the field technician for each load if there are subcontractors involved and any specific haul rate. This information is then routed directly back into the ERP system for invoicing when the work order is marked complete.
As information is entered and saved in the work orders, reports with the data are automatically generated and sent to the appropriate individuals. For example, when a load is assigned to a field technician, that person then receives a notification of a bill of waiting directly on their mobile device. The salesperson assigned to the order also receives notifications as work orders are fulfilled.
Once the system was live, the company saw immediate benefits:
- All departments had access to real-time data on work orders, customer identification and invoicing thanks to the integrated solution
- The dispatching team had a reliable solution for effectively communicating projects with field technicians
- Field techs could access job information directly on their mobile device no matter their location
- Equipment warehouse personnel had sales and load information to prepare for pick up as soon as an order is sent. This sped up the process and eliminated the time field technicians had to wait for their order materials to be fulfilled in the warehouse
This solution allows the entire company to be more productive and provide a better customer experience.
