Connected Field Service: Easily Connect IoT Devices with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Aug 27, 2019
  • operations
  • engineering & projects
  • Microsoft
  • internet of things

IoT devices are becoming increasingly important for your business because of the data and insights they can deliver. However, the set-up of these devices and the connection to your business applications can be difficult and time-consuming. With our Connected Field Service, you can connect an IoT device to Dynamics 365 in less than 5 minutes, without writing a single line of code. When the device is coupled, you can use telemetry to change your Field Service business models from a break-fix model to predictive maintenance.

Connected Field Service allows you to keep up with the state of your infrastructure by connecting your devices. Reduce customer downtime by using IoT data and provide technicians with useful digital insights, which they need to offer customers new products and services.


Proactive and Connected Field Service

Dynamics 365 for Field Service allows organizations to deliver on-site service to their customer’s locations. Connected Field Service provides an extension to these services, allowing for data synchronization between Dynamics 365 and Azure IoT. This vital connection supports the implementation of a predictive service model to field service organizations within the same platform.  

The Connected Field Service solution harnesses data from the Azure IoT Central platform into the Dynamics 365 for Field Service app. This way, it lets organizations proactively detect, troubleshoot, and resolve issues remotely, dispatching a technician only when necessary. The solution enables you to shift from costly scheduled maintenance plans to just-in-time predictive maintenance.

Connected Field Service helps you:

  1. Reduce downtime by connecting to IoT devices to diagnose problems before customers are even aware of an issue;
  2. Address issues as soon as they arise by remotely monitoring devices and keeping customers in the loop;
  3. Access device telemetry and service maintenance data to make intelligent decisions around dispatching technicians with the right expertise, availability, and proximity to the job.

By combining IoT diagnostics, scheduling, asset maintenance, and inventory on the same platform, Connected Field Service enables companies to transform to a proactive and predictive service model.

Manage your IoT Assets at scale with Azure IoT Central

Easily connect, monitor, and manage your IoT assets at scale. Azure IoT Central is a hosted, extensible software as a service (SaaS) platform that simplifies the set-up of your IoT solution and helps reduce the burden and costs of IoT management, operations and development.

Connected Field Service for IoT Central provides a direct integration of Dynamics 365 for Field Service with Microsoft Azure IoT Central, a fully managed IoT software as a service solution. Microsoft Azure IoT Central enables builders to configure rules and actions. Based on those actions, IoT alerts will be created in Connected Field Service. Also, based on service activities in Connected Field Service, information can be sent back to IoT Central. This is accomplished by using Microsoft Flow, a SaaS offering for automating workflows across applications and services.

Manage your IoT Assets at scale with Azure IoT Central

The below end-to-end integration processes can be easily implemented based on a pure configuration experience:

  • IoT Central can send information about device anomalies to Connected Field Service (as an IoT Alert) for diagnosis;
  • Connected Field Service can create cases or work orders triggered from device anomalies;
  • Connected Field Service can schedule technicians for inspection to prevent the downtime incidents;
  • IoT Central device dashboard can be updated with relevant service and scheduling information.

Azure IoT Central requires no extensive cloud development or coding skills to get an IoT solution up and running. With Microsoft Flow templates, users can connect their accounts, take advantage of our pre-built templates, and customize their own flows in an easy visual designer without the need for coding experience.

Key Business Benefits

In conclusion, with Connected Field Service and Microsoft Azure IoT Central you can enjoy the following key business benefits:

  • Drive operational efficiency with IoT: Enhance your service experience by proactively detecting and resolving issues so a technician is dispatched only when necessary.
  • Engage your customers: Provide customers with self-service portals, proactive updates, and technician tracking to ensure a positive experience at every step.
  • Optimize your resources: Automate and improve scheduling to dispatch the right technician and get the most value out of your resources.
  • Innovate with an adaptable platform: Drive innovation with an application that is easy to tailor, extend, and connect to other apps and services you already use.
  • Make technicians more effective: Empower technicians with a 360-degree view of your customers and real-time guidance to improve resolution time and earn customer trust.

Looking to drive innovation in your company with the adaptable Microsoft Azure IoT Central platform in Microsoft Dynamics 365? Contact our experts for more information or join us at the delaware Inspiration Fair for a session about this topic.

field services: making the shift from cost to profit center