Field Service Lightning: A Complete Guide
Field service is a distinct and growing industry in the business sector. With customers requiring and expecting on-location service, a variety of players are involved in cultivating a top-notch customer experience.
Customers need information regarding the service. Mobile workers need information, support from in-house staff, and, of course, enough available resources. In-house staff needs to communicate with all parties involved to ensure that everyone is kept informed and has the tools they need to do their job successfully.
Connecting the customer, field workers, and in-house staff has, in the past, taken an assortment of tech solutions that just don’t get the job done. Salesforce set out to address this problem and create a complete solution designed to eliminate the challenges of managing a field service operation and streamlining the experience from start to end.
What is Field Service Lightning?
Field Service Lightning (FSL) is a part of the Service Cloud Suite offered by Salesforce aimed at improving and optimizing field service operations across several industries. Though offered as a part of the Service Cloud Suite, FSL can be used as a standalone solution.
As our workforce continued to grow and provide services on the go, businesses found themselves in need of a single solution that would enable them to effectively communicate with dispatchers, field technicians, managers, and mobile workers.
Not to mention, customer expectations must also be met. Customers want to schedule service from multiple devices, receive consistent updates regarding their appointment status, and get accurate time estimates for the service. Of course, this is on top of the expectation that their services will be performed quickly and efficiently.
FSL optimizes communication and offers a plethora of useful features, including van inventory records, AI-backed scheduling and job assignment, and informational articles for users. It is a tool designed to improve field service management by streamlining processes and enhancing the ability of employees to perform essential tasks
If you’ve ever managed a field service operation, it’s easy to see why FSL is a powerful solution — it addresses the needs of workers and provides a line of communication to in-house staff. That’s just on the business end.
Customers and clients benefit from a complete customer experience without unnecessary delays, avoiding the pitfalls of poor communication, and getting better service. In short, Field Service Lightning is an end-to-end solution for all your field service needs.
What are the Benefits of Field Service Lightning?
At its highest level of service, Field Service Lightning is a tool that can be used to complete every task necessary for managing an efficient operation. There are many benefits of FSL for users, here’s what you can accomplish with it:
- Standardize field service tasks by utilizing maintenance plans and templates.
- Stay abreast of the status of inventory, warehouses, customer sites, and service vehicles.
- Take advantage of AI-powered scheduling tools to set up recurring appointments for customers based on maintenance schedules.
- Create service reports for customers to inform them about the progress of their service.
- Include details about which technician should show up where, what resources they’ll need, and other specific information that will enable them to best perform their jobs.
- Utilize multilevel service territories to keep track of the locations that your employees are occupying.
- Make use of the Field Service Lightning mobile app to communicate pertinent information to your technicians in the field. With the app, users can track parts, update records, collect customer signatures, and communicate with dispatchers.
- Manage technicians, agents, dispatchers, and in-house staff all in one place.
Field Service Lightning Pricing
One of the deciding factors that influence whether Field Service Lightning is the right choice for you and your team is the cost. Luckily, Salesforce understands that there shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all price for all businesses. Your business is unique — your membership options will be too.
FSL is priced to serve different roles. Here are the starting prices for Field Service Lighting by package:
- Dispatcher: $150 USD/user/month
- Technician: $150 USD/user/month
- Contractor: $50 USD/user/month
- Contractor Plus: $75 USD/user/month
- Field Service Lightning Plus: $200 USD/user/month
Each package offers different elements of the Field Service Lightning services, so it’s necessary to compare the elements of service that each package offers. You’ll be able to find a package that works for your business and potentially save you money. That said, it can be difficult to make a final decision without expert help — that’s where Apps Associates comes in. Our experts can help you determine what services would work best for your business and help you get the most bang for your buck!
Key Takeaways
It’s no secret that managing a field service operation is difficult. With so many moving pieces and a high standard of customer service to maintain, it takes a complete solution to address the unique needs of a field service operation. It’s a task that presents a distinct challenge to CRM software developers, but Salesforce has hit the nail on the head with Field Lightning Service.
Field Service Lightning solution was built to eradicate the need for third-party software, so managers could take care of everything in a single place. Take care of communication, record-keeping, scheduling, inventory tracking, and more with Field Service Lightning.
If you’re still not sure about whether Field Service Lightning is the best option for your business, Apps Associates can help.