Machine Learning: Transform Managing Your Field Workforce

Let’s talk about machine learning. Dispatchers and technician managers deal with so many variables when coordinating their field resources. Emergencies pop up out of nowhere, customers change their minds, and sometimes they fail to be present for an appointment.

And when assigning jobs, there’s figuring out which technician has the right skills, an opening in their schedule, and isn’t too far away from the customer site. Throw in the need to make sure the right parts and tools arrive with the technician, and that incident status is apt to change at any moment. It’s enough to make heads spin!

Access to Accurate Data in Real Time Holds the Key

Perhaps you have key people in place who can manage all the variables. But they are probably stressed out. You risk losing them to job burn-out, and things are apt to fall apart anytime they are out sick, take a vacation, or even worse, leave the company.

The answer to these field workforce management challenges is access to real-time accurate data. By digitally transforming your workflows, you can automate scheduling, work orders, and status reports.

This puts technicians with the right skill sets in the right place at the right time. It also alerts managers and dispatchers about developing situations that require extra attention when there’s still time to rectify negative situations.

Streamlining Decision-Making When Emergencies Occur

While real-time data access starts with a field service management solution, you also need a solution powered by artificial intelligence with machine learning capabilities. The combination of machine learning and automated digital workflows—such as those delivered by Velosio through Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service, allows you to forecast the demand on your field technicians for planned installations and regular maintenance.

You can also predict how many unplanned emergencies will happen as machine learning models analyze the incident history of your customers. With this intelligence, you can identify days, weeks, and months when you are likely to be over-staffed or under-staffed, and then adjust your workforce resources.

When emergencies occur, machine learning kicks in again. Dynamics 365 Field Service allows you to quickly identify available technicians and which one with the necessary skills is nearest to the customer. You can also see what your options are. This gives you the information you need to decide, for example, if it’s better to send Joe in two hours after he finishes his current job—rather than sending Bob right now. You know that the customer will be better off waiting for Joe.

Machine Learning in Action

Dynamics 365 Field Service is just as helpful for managing routine service incidents. It helps determine the order of jobs each technician should follow to optimize their travel routes. In addition to matching technician skills to each job, the system also identifies the required parts and tools. All this helps ensure your technicians work efficiently and maintain high utilization rates.

An example of a company capitalizing on the capabilities of Dynamics 365 Field Service is We first helped them centralize all database information into one place and eliminate redundant information among the company’s divisions.

The transition to Dynamics 365 Field Service along with the centralized database allowed Phillips Corporation to leverage machine learning to track technicians and schedule their time effectively. Service engineers now have better resource tracking along with a central database for parts and diagnostic equipment.

The company is also using Dynamics 365 Field Service to support its robotics division. As consulting teams train customers on how to use robotic devices, they examine inefficiencies in customer supply lines and manufacturing processes. Using the dispatch and time reporting system provided by Dynamics 365 Field Service, the solution automatically creates service incidents to address these issues and has improved the efficiency and time allocation of the technicians who handle the incidents.

Driving Greater Efficiencies to Boost the Bottom Line

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service can empower your organization to elevate field service operations by improving customer satisfaction, first-time fix rates, and resource productivity. The solution’s automated processes and machine learning capabilities enable advanced scheduling, resource optimization, and mobile collaboration.

Velosio works with field service organizations throughout the country. We can also help you leverage the technology to improve operations, drive greater efficiencies, and boost the bottom line. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service also integrates with Dynamics 365 Business Central, Office 365, Teams, and Power BI to boost productivity, eliminate context switching, and enable successful end-to-end customer engagement and field-service automation.

To learn more about Dynamics 365 Field Service and how it can help your team digitally transform the way you manage field operations, visit our website or contact Velosio today.