Platforms That Enhance Field Service

Built on Service Cloud, Salesforce’s customer service platform, Salesforce Field Service Lightning, https://www.salesforce.com/products/service-cloud/field-service-lightning) is an integrated solution for delivering mobile, frontline service for a variety of industries including construction. Optimized for use by service agents, dispatchers, mobile employees, and management, it provides a way to connect an entire workforce on a single platform to deliver service from any computing device. 

Field Service Lightning features a Dispatcher Console that facilitates intelligent scheduling, a mobile app that enables real-time collaboration with techs and other team members, and a customer portal that affords the ability to self-schedule appointments and review appointment history.

The software also handles account management and work order management and allows users to manage and track maintenance plans, request parts, transfer inventory between locations, and track return of inventory.

Working from the console, dispatchers can book truth-based service appointments, with jobs automatically assigned to crews based on anticipated length of job duration with respect to open time slots and the skills, location and travel time of the tech or crew. Users can also integrate the company’s own business rules. The console is customizable with maps and Gantt charts and can show real-time alerts for jobs needing attention.

The Field Service Lightning Mobile app empowers personnel in the field to view appointment schedules,  reach contacts and verify addresses; “chat” with other mobile workers, dispatch, and management; track stock and inventory consumed on jobs; track updates with push notifications; and view Knowledge articles that can aid in completing unfamiliar or complicated tasks. Service reports can be generated and customer signatures can be captured from any mobile device. Mobile app users can access and update information regardless of connectivity.

Onsite techs and repair personnel can also tap into Einstein Vision to access image recognition capabilities that immediately identify assets and parts in images. Users can utilize pre-trained image classifiers or train custom classifiers for specialized image recognition use cases, a capability that can help differentiate among similar looking parts and serial numbers of onsite equipment. The tech can take a photo of a part and the software will quickly identify the exact product type.

Field Service Lightning offers email integration with Outlook and Google Apps and allows integration with third party systems via Mulesoft (purchased separately), a platform for APIs and integrated assets that enables Field Service analytics snapshots and reporting to spot trends and anticipate problems.  

Cross selling and upselling features include the ability to generate leads, quotes, and sales contracts and to identify additional sales opportunities and territory management that can help companies balance out their workforce and assign techs to specific areas.  

The software includes a minimum of 1GB of data and 11GB of storage shared by all users, with additional data storage available.  

Field Service Lightning licenses for contractors carry a per user per month fee with that purchase requiring at least one Salesforce Service Cloud Enterprise (or above) license and at least one Field Service Lightning Dispatcher user license per organization.

Workiz Team/Workiz Professional (www.workiz.com, 855/790-7363) is a communication and field service platform for home service/field service businesses with single or multiple locations (franchise capable) and up to hundreds of technicians.

The solution, which includes a mobile app, features a live customizable dashboard viewable from any device, estimates which convert into jobs and invoices in a single click, drag-and-drop color-coded scheduling based on assignment by tech or by service area (metro area), GPS tracking, client management, invoicing, and accepting payments in field. Users can also search and filter jobs by tags or custom statuses.

The software also offers Workiz Voice, for call tracking, call recording, and client call masking. Voice enables contractors to generate and view reports that measure the effectiveness of each ad campaign with a specific, dedicated phone number assigned through phone masking, using temporary phone numbers assigned to each new client that routes calls to the tech in charge of the job. The software also offers two-way SMSing, allowing users to schedule and auto send customers customized reminders with full tracking and allowing them to respond to the SMS. Management can set user permission, up to 40 levels.

CRM capabilities accommodate full call and client history, including customer location, parts purchased, inventory down to the container-level (warehouse, mobile unit or truck) and which automatically notifies account admins of low inventory volume, discounts given, and balance history. The mobile app allows users in the field to check the calendar, schedule jobs, track jobs and location, create invoices, collect signatures, and send and receive messages to customers. 

Other features include an in-app phone dialer, customized contracts and service agreements, advertising tracking, telephone recording for future reference between techs and customers, and a fully hosted online booking widget which can be used on your website, Yelp page, Angie’s list profile or social media account and is fully trackable in Google Adwords. The software also supports creation of customizable phone trees and automatic transcription of voicemails into text messages.  

Workiz integrates with QuickBooks Online; Converge, AuthorizeNet, and Stripe for accepting e-payments; Mail Chimp for marketing by email to compiled lists of leads and customers; CompanyCam, for storing and access to job-related photos; and other third-party software.

Pricing: Tiered monthly subscription fee and SMS fee of $0.005 per message and Voice fee of $0.05 per minute plus $2 a month for local numbers. Free full-access 14-day trial available.

Patti Feldman writes articles and web content for trade magazines and manufacturers of building products. She can be reached at [email protected].