What are Field Service Inspections in Dynamics 365?
Inspection functionality has been available as an add-on from a third-party plugin (i.e., Resco Inspections) but not as a core Dynamics 365 Field Service feature.
However, the wait is over now. Inspection in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service is available now. The inspections tool is fully functional and has been pushed out in the October 2020 release.
Field Service inspections are digital forms that technicians use to quickly and easily answer a list of questions as part of a work order. Field Service inspections allow us to create forms and checklists for repeatable tasks.
Users who are Field Service Administrators can create new Inspections. Inspection worked as a template in Field Service. So, once the user has created one inspection form, it will reuse again for the same product if the questions are the same. (Like A.C repairing Technician or Water Purifier Technician).
In one Inspection form, the user can ask multiple questions with different answer types. Users who design/create the Inspection form can choose the answer type by themselves. Inspection form design/creation is effortless in the Field Service.
It just drags and drops control users you want to use and defines the name/question and its answer.
Inspection is attached to the Service Task Types & Service Task Types are linked with Work Orders. Service Tasks can be added to work orders manually or automatically by adding an Incident Type.
Response to the Inspections are stored in the CDS and can be viewed in the Dynamics Field Service work orders where related service tasks are added into the work order.
Security roles that require inspections
- Field Service-Administrators can create inspection templates and associate them to service task types.
- Field Service-Dispatchers can add service tasks with assessments to work orders.
- Field Service-Resources can view work orders they are assigned to, work order service tasks, and the related inspections.
Benefits of using Field Service Inspections
Offline support:
Technicians can view and fill out inspections on their mobile phones or tablets without internet access. Assessments and answers are stored locally on the mobile device and then synced to the server when connectivity is restored (Mobile Data or Wi-Fi).
Version management:
Administrators can easily republish or change inspections to accommodate changes as per the business needs.
Easier to create and use:
Field Service inspections do not need any training to use, and Administrator users can design inspection forms easily. it’s easier to create Field Service inspections with a drag-and-drop interface
Export to PDF:
Exporting an Inspection to PDF is helpful for situations where you need to send the inspection questions via email ahead of time.
More flexible and robust:
Infield service inspections, users can create different question formats and validation options, such as multi-option select, mandatory fields, images, attachments, and more.
To create New Inspection, go to Settings – > Inspection (under the Work Orders section).
Question types
On the right side of the Inspection form, the user can see Toolbox where different types of controls (For other question types) available.
- Text box – Allows users to type in a response
- Checkbox – Users can select one or more checkboxes
- Radiogroup – Allows users to choose one value
- Entity Lookup – Allows users to select a Dynamics 365 record.
- Number – Allows users to select only number value or define number range like between 10- 90
- Dropdown – Allowing users to pick one value from a dropdown list
- Date Time – Users can insert a Date and Time
- File – Allows users to upload a file
- Barcode scan – Allows users to populate the field with the barcode number by scanning a barcode with their device’s camera
- Use the Required toggle to make the inspection question mandatory.
- By selecting the Gear icon, you can add more details for an inspection question.
- Select the page dropdown in the top left of the designer to add one or more pages
- Then click on the Preview section to verify how the form will look when the Field Technician uses it.
- If they look good, the final step is to click on the publish button at the top of the screen.
- Exporting an Inspection as a PDF is helpful for situations where you need to send the inspection questions via email ahead of time. Below is pdf view of the Inspection form
To perform inspections on mobile use Field Service (Dynamics 365) mobile app