FSL Intro

Introduction to Field Service Lightning

By: Juel Hood, Engagement Manager, SFDC

Increase in clouds with lightning.  To most people that sounds like a weather report, but in Salesforce “speak” this means product development.

Salesforce has expanded their Service Cloud offerings by adding Field Service Lightning. The foundation of Field Service came from a product developed by ClickSoftware which was purchased by Salesforce.  Salesforce now has a product team devoted to Field Service and has been rolling out enhancements with scheduled releases, including Winter ’17. (Click here for Salesforce’s Field Service Lightning Toolbox – Salesforce Winter ’17 Release Notes.)

What is Field Service Lightning?

Field Service Lightning works with Service Cloud, adding functionality for dispatching, monitoring, and reporting field service representative’s activity. Salesforce’s FSL product focuses on putting the right mobile employee in the right place, at the right time, to meet or exceed customers’ expectations.  With Salesforce 1 mobile, a Field Service agent can update work orders, change requests, and update job status real time.

What can you expect from Salesforce Field Service Lightning?

Field Service Lightning comes with the intuitive and sharp screens that you would expect from Salesforce, and works seamlessly with the Salesforce 1 mobile application.

Field Service Lightning provides:

• accurate time recommendations for customers based on existing schedules and travel time
• assigns work based on skills and availability
• allows fields service reps to complete work orders while on the job site
• captures electronic signatures for work orders or service reports
• supports anywhere from 3 – 3,000 (and more) field service reps, including contractors
• dispatch Supervisors the ability to view and manage work from either Gantt chart or map view
• admins the ability to configure and manage specific work rules to manage territories, service level agreements, or business priorities