SAP Field Service Management expands the SAP CX portfolio

At the present level of automation, the main expectations of users of the purchased equipment are: maximization of efficiency, reduction of maintenance costs, real-time service and, above all, zero downtime. In order to meet the current needs of customers, SAP decided to expand its portfolio.

SAP acquires Coresystems

On 5 June 2018, SAP acquired Coresystems FSM AG, extending the package of functionalities offered within the CX portfolio. SAP Field Service Management (which includes SAP Field Service Management and SAP Crowd Service) provides a comprehensive service for customer service requests in an end-user-friendly way, allowing to turn negative feelings related to technical problems into positive feelings of customers, increasing their attachment to the company.

Non-integrated solutions have limited capabilities and generate significantly higher maintenance and operating costs. This is why SAP Field Service Management is a SaaS cloud solution for integration with other systems. For this purpose, Coresystems has developed an open API that enables connecting SAP FSM with other systems, not only those offered by SAP. There is a possibility of integration with ERP, CRM, and Web Services solutions.

SAP FSM – a tool for optimizing field service processes

SAP Field Service Management is a product that supports the entire service process, starting with the acceptance of a request from a customer, which has never been so easy. After scanning the device’s QR code, all the necessary data will be read automatically. Then, using a chatbot, a customer can arrange an appointment with the technician at a convenient time.

SAP FSM also makes it possible to dispose service requests in two ways. The dispatcher can manually assign requests to selected service technicians by using the function of finding the most suitable service technicians and automatically comparing the skills needed to perform the job with the qualifications of the technician. The dispatcher also has access to a tool based on AI technology, which allows automatic assignment of service requests based on many factors, such as:

• availability of service technicians at the time chosen by the customer,
• the service technician’s skills needed to perform a specific job,
• location of the service technician compared to the location where the service should be provided,
• having spare parts necessary to perform a certain job.

How does SAP Field Service Management work?

The mobile application enables service technicians to handle the request comprehensively, starting from noting the time of arrival at the customer, through the whole Smartlist, to add the products that have been used. At the end of the maintenance work, the service technician may summarize the implementation of the request, which should be signed by the customer as a confirmation of the fulfillment of the job. The last step is to send a signed summary for approval by the dispatcher, who has access to all the details of the completed request for in-depth verification and acceptance before the payment is processed. The dispatcher can also send an invoice to the ERP system if both systems are integrated.

Service request handling couldn’t be so automated without the other functionalities of SAP Field Service Management. SAP FSM offers the ability to create new products with all the necessary information, including the skills needed to complete a request, assign a specific product to a customer and generate a QR code for each product. The user can also create a Smartlist – an interactive form that must be filled in by a technician to process the request.

SAP Crowd Service – a platform using artificial intelligence

SAP FSM also offers the functionality of SAP Crowd Service. This innovative solution is addressed especially to companies that use external service technicians in their daily service operations. With SAP Crowd Service, entrepreneurs can find additional service technicians in real-time within a branch, partnership, or freelance. It allows dispatchers to allocate service requests to external service technicians in situations where they lack suitably qualified employees.

SAP FSM also offers the possibility of using the potential of IoT, which allows automating the process of creating service requests in real-time in case of technical problems. It eliminates the need for the employee to create service requests manually. This solution reduces the response time to a failure, which results in minimizing downtime in the operation of the device. An additional advantage of SAP Field Service Management is the ability to create service plans for devices, which also reduces the probability of potential downtime in their performance.

Source: SAP.com

Benefits of using FSM SAP

SAP Field Service Management is not only a solution for handling service requests, but also a tool for managing larger assembly operations. SAP offers the possibility to divide the assembly work into separate projects in order to manage the work of the installers more efficiently.

The solution offered by Coresystems wouldn’t be complete if it didn’t give the possibility of a detailed analysis of service requests in real-time from any place and device. Coresystems Dashboard enables monitoring and analysis of KPIs, as well as providing managers with a real-time view of the progress of work performance, including the division into departments, teams, and individual employees. Managers can personalize their reports in any way they want, making their daily work more effective.