Looking to collaborate with Field Service - Calendar Board users (service companies)

  • 9 February 2021
  • 11 replies
  • 511 views

Userlevel 4
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I’m looking to share feedback and discuss best practices with other Field Service module users, particularly with companies using the Calendar Board to dispatch technicians. Our company is looking to efficiently dispatch techs on 700+ service order appointments a month. We’re challenged with the limitations of the calendar board and we’re interested in hearing how other users are managing efficiently. If interested in collaborating, email me at sean@hopebuilders.com! Thank you to the community for continued support!


11 replies

Userlevel 3
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I’ve been working with Service Management for over a year but we are not using it for Dispatch.  We have over 80 field techs using it with the iOS app/Web and its been a long road to get things to a reasonable state with many workarounds…  

 

 Currently we are using a Rest endpoint to pull the Service Orders / Appointments into Acumatica from our partners SFDC / ServiceMax instance where they are already assigned and scheduled.  After that point all activity is captured in Acumatica from Travel to appointment time with Services and nonstock items.  

 

I would be more than happy to join a group of others using Service Management to share ideas and best practices. 

Userlevel 4
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@greglang I’d be down to chat via GoTo meeting to bounce ideas. Your solutions above are intriguing. We have 40 technicians using the mobile app to complete appointments daily. We too are creating optimizations to dispatch better within the Calendar Board/Field Service module, but we’re waiting for critical features to be released in 2021 R1 as well. 

I know there’s the AUGforums as well, but I’m not sure if there’s a niche community created for service companies using Acumatica… 

Shoot me an email if you want to link up! 

Userlevel 4
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Thanks to all for the feedback and discussion thus far! I’ve had the pleasure of conversing with many of you to share ideas, tips, and challenges.

Below is a list of feedback ideas that I have posted related to field service/construction. Check these out and upvote if you haven’t seen them already! 

allow users to specify the first day that displayed on calendar boards

allow for am pm time or 24 hr time on calendar board in preferences

customize and save dispatch views on calendar board

calendar board ability to schedule appointments projects service-orders quotes vacation misc

ability to schedule projects on calendar board

clone appointment allow user to select deselect detail lines to clone

log entry staff member list should be limited to assigned staff only

opportunity project quote web functionality in mobile app

copy service order notes to invoice

allow changing on bill to customer on projects

Userlevel 5
Badge +2

We see some of the same issues and thus aren’t using it. It’s even difficult to use the location maps to see where are techs are because the system isn’t showing the right Time Zone information.

Userlevel 3
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We to are struggling with the service module.  we do 1100 appointments a month with 50 techs and we rely heavily on paper work orders, due to the limitations of the module.  essentially we on use the field services for entering the information off the paper service order to invoice and and time entry and get the data to the GL for basic/insufficient reporting.

We are running 2020R2 and I would be willing to collaborate.

Userlevel 1

I would like to collaborate as well. We are working through implementation and have certainly experienced some challenges and frustration with the field service module. I am hoping for improvements on the mobile application for field techs...it is definitely somewhat cumbersome...rumor has it that 2021 R2 has some improvements in that area. There have been many times I have doubted our decision but I am optimistic that things will continue to improve.

Our company also uses the Map, but we find it not useful for our operation, since ir technicians are dispatched in teams. We woild like to see the placemarks by appoointment location instead of by personell, we foin this feature in acumatica to be a disappoiuntment. If anyone is also having this same issue, please feel free to count me in.

 

Userlevel 4
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@andrew15 - shoot me an email if you’re free and willing. I’d like to hear about how you are using the module with that level of volume. I think we could mutually benefit from a collaborative discussion! 

 

Userlevel 5
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Calendar Board Update - Show ACTUAL TIMES

Hi,

I’m a newer user to Acumatica and am working on starting to utilize the Calendar boar. Curious if you had received any feedback.

Userlevel 4
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@hhile I have received some feedback. We’ve implemented calendar board/field service. Feel free to email me at the address listed with specifics! 

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