Important Dynamics 365 Field Service 2022 release wave 1 features

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service helps organizations harness the power of machine learning, mixed reality, and IoT technology to transform their service operations. This industry-leading field service management application undergoes two waves of updates per year to enhance usability and add new features. The 2022 Dynamics 365 Field Service release wave 1 was rolled out in April and includes usability improvements, enhancements on the new schedule board, and the general availability of the Windows app for Field Service mobile.

For a list of features released in the 2021 release wave 2, read our overview here.

The Dynamics 365 Field Service schedule board provides a complete overview of resource availability so managers can easily manage resources and equipment needed for customer service, visualize onsite appointments, and optimize service schedules. In the 2022 release wave 1, Microsoft added more features to the Schedule Board to bridge functional gaps and improve dispatcher productivity.

This new schedule board will be on by default for new tenants while existing tenants will have the option to use the legacy schedule board.

New schedule board capabilities include:

• Enhancements to overall usability and performance
• More booking info and tooltips are visible on the daily view to help bridge the gap between the hourly and multiday views
• Full-screen mode enhancements to show more resources and requirements to enable dispatchers to work more productively
• Improved Bing Maps integration to better display clusters of requirements when pins are close
• Driving directions available with one click
• Usability improvements to the settings page

In the 2022 release wave 1, Microsoft implemented usability enhancements in the Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile app. These enhancements enable frontline workers to easily edit information on mobile and tablet touch screens, greatly reducing the time frontline workers need to spend in the app, allowing them to focus on more important tasks such as addressing customer concerns.

Usability enhancements included in this update are:

• Date and time input fields will leverage default input controls provided by the device operating system
• Keyboards will be optimized for mobile devices when interacting with numeric, phone, email, and URL input fields
• Devices such as tablets and PCs will have a streamlined agenda view for their booking calendar
• Users will have access to upload files and images to the timeline from their mobile device
• Customer’s account phone numbers can be accessed in the Bookable Resource Booking Customer tab
• Commands that were used infrequently will be removed from the app interface, including the Start Task Flow

The Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile app is built on the Microsoft Power Platform and provides a modern and intuitive user interface. The Windows Field Service app will be available for the new Power Platform-based mobile app and will include:

• Offline support
• Outlook-style calendar with an intuitive user interface for bookings and quick service tasks
• Power Apps component framework to tailor user experiences using hundreds of powerful controls
• Device camera access to snap pictures and scan barcodes
• Deep-link support into the Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile app

Rand Group is your dedicated Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service partner and can help you understand the new features included in the 2022 release wave 1. Additionally, we offer holistic Dynamics 365 Field Service support options that include scheduling upgrades, highlighting features your organization could utilize, training users on new features, and performing system checks to ensure all modules and customizations are performing as planned after each release wave. If you have any questions about the new features, contact us today.

Are you ready to implement Dynamics 365 Field Service? From configuration and data migration to training and user adoption, Rand Group is your partner to ensure a smooth implementation of Dynamics 365 Field Service that is tailored to your users and processes. Learn more about Dynamics 365 Field Service implementation and get your business on a comprehensive cloud-based field service management solution.

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