Salesforce today detailed the next generation of Salesforce Field Service, its suite of machine learning-powered tools tailored for field service. Among the highlights are appointment scheduling and optimization features, AI guidance and assert performance insights for dispatchers, and automated customer communications to help ensure jobs finish on time.
As the pandemic continues to disrupt all aspects of business, companies face challenges in delivering in-person service. The repair and maintenance of machinery like medical devices, air conditioning units, and assembly line robots in some cases can’t be delayed. That could be why after an initial dip in March, Salesforce says Field Service saw a more than 50% jump in usage between April and July 2020. It’s now being used 20% more compared with pre-COVID levels, perhaps because of service request backlogs from early in the pandemic.
Field Service’s forthcoming Dynamic Priority feature will offer intelligent scheduling that prioritizes jobs based on service-level agreements or level of criticality. For instance, if maintenance is due or a warranty is about to expire, that job will automatically receive higher priority.
Dynamic Priority dovetails with Einstein Recommendation Builder, which will enable organizations to deploy models to enhance service, including AI-powered recommendations. According to Salesforce, Recommendation Builder will scan past orders for previous similar jobs to identify parts the current one might need.
Beyond Dynamic Priority, there’s Asset 360, a robust set of asset management capabilities ServiceMax built in partnership with Salesforce. Asset 360 will surface contracts and asset performance to maximize the uptime of equipment and reduce costs. Meanwhile, the new Appointment Assistant will leverage status updates and GPS to update customers on technicians’ arrival times. Salesforce notes this could give customers a chance to vacate the premises or prepare before the technician arrives, potentially decreasing viral transmission risk for the technician and customer.
“Our customers tell us that it is more crucial now than ever for their field technicians to have the right information and tools to maximize equipment uptime and first-time fix rates,” Salesforce senior VP of field service management Mark Cattini wrote in a blog post. “Decades of industry expertise and innovation have gone into building our next-generation field service management product, and organizations across industries are deploying it to keep their equipment working, businesses running, technicians productive, and end customers safe.”
Salesforce says Dynamic Priority will be generally available in October 2020. Einstein Recommendation Builder will launch in beta in October 2020 with Asset 360 to follow sometime in November 2020, and Appointment Assistant will debut in closed pilot in the U.S. starting October 2020.
Author: Kyle Wiggers
Source: Venturebeat
