Field Service IT workflow example

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Field Service IT workflow example

    This example illustrates how ServiceNow Field Service Management (FSM) integrated with IT Service Management (ITSM) transforms the coordination between IT support and field service teams to enhance service quality in a retail environment. Prior to implementation, inefficiencies such as inaccurate data entry, lack of maintenance schedules, and poor communication led to delays and customer dissatisfaction. After adopting ServiceNow FSM and ITSM, these issues are resolved through automated workflows and shared information, resulting in faster issue resolution and improved system reliability.

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    Key Features

    • Automated incident creation: Store managers can scan malfunctioning equipment to instantly open IT support incidents pre-populated with relevant asset data.
    • Seamless work order generation: Support agents can create field service work orders directly from incidents with one click, including necessary repair tasks and details.
    • Intelligent technician assignment and routing: Work orders are automatically assigned to the nearest qualified technician with availability, optimizing response times.
    • Real-time communication: Customers receive automated notifications about technician arrival times, enhancing transparency.
    • Mobile Agent support: Technicians access full asset history, knowledge articles, and maintenance tasks via mobile devices to perform thorough repairs and preventive maintenance.
    • Digital documentation and audit tracking: Technicians document work digitally; all task details, parts used, expenses, and time are tracked in a unified platform for reporting and analysis.

    IT Field Service Workflow Steps

    1. Open incident: Issues are identified at the store; scanning equipment triggers automatic incident creation in IT support.
    2. Generate work order: Support triages the incident and creates a high-priority work order when field service is needed.
    3. Assign technician: The system assigns an internal or external technician, who accepts the task and travels to the site; the customer is notified of arrival time.
    4. Comprehensive check: Technicians use Mobile Agent to review system history and knowledge articles, perform repairs, and conduct preventive maintenance.
    5. Complete work order: Upon finishing, the technician documents work and closes the order; the store manager digitally confirms completion.
    6. Track and provide audit trail: A PDF summary of tasks, parts, expenses, and time is generated and attached for future audits and performance analysis.

    Key Outcomes

    • Improved visibility: Enhanced asset tracking, technician location, and status visibility improve operational efficiency.
    • Cost reduction: Automated documentation and scheduling reduce service costs and minimize downtime.
    • Faster resolution and customer satisfaction: Quicker response times and preventive maintenance meet customer expectations and boost business results.

    This Field Service IT workflow example describes a coordinated field service and IT service management situation.

    As a retail store manager, Joe was unhappy with the quality of service delivered by the organization's IT support and field service processes. When Joe called in a problem to the store's IT help support desk, the support representative would ask Joe a long list of questions about the equipment but could never provide Joe with an estimate of how long it would take to fix the issue. Sometimes, the technician would arrive with the wrong parts because someone entered wrong information when manually transcribing data between the IT support system and field service system. Because no one was keeping track of system upgrade schedules, outdated software would bring down the card transaction system, resulting in lost sales and disappointed customers.

    Joe's experience changed for the better after the company implemented ServiceNow Field Service Management with IT Service Management.

    Administrators from IT Support and Field Service Management could develop processes that automatically collect and share information across the IT Support and Field Service teams, including recommended solutions for known issues and maintenance schedules to address potential issues before they become problems. Now, if Joe discovers an issue, they can scan the malfunctioning equipment to automatically open an incident with IT Support containing all the required equipment information.

    If the solution requires a field technician, the IT Support representative can click a button to open a field service work order containing the repair tasks along with the required information from the Support incident. Field Service Management automatically routes the tasks to the technician closest to the store who has the availability and the required skills for the tasks. As the technician starts traveling to the site, the system automatically notifies Joe of the technician's estimated arrival time.

    The technician can use the Mobile Agent to review information about the issue, suggested solutions, and preventive maintenance. After fixing the issue and performing preventative maintenance to prevent new issues from affecting the equipment, the technician can digitally document the work and close the work order.

    Field Service Management automatically records tracking information such as parts used, incidental expenses, and time to completion on a shared platform so that both the IT Support and Field Service teams can include the data in their reports and analysis. Improving data quality across IT Support and Field Service systems enabled technicians to resolve issues faster, and scheduling maintenance helped prevent costly system downtime. As system performance improved, Joe's store experienced better sales revenue and happier customers.

    Key Benefits
    • Increase visibility of assets, technician location, and status to improve performance and productivity
    • Minimize service costs by reducing documentation time
    • Meet customer expectations with quicker time to resolution
    Roles
    • Customer
    • Field Service agent
    • IT Service Management agent
    Products
    • Field Service Management
    • IT Service Management

    Field Service IT workflow diagram

    Field Service Management IT workflow from opening an incident to analyzing the audit reports. For more text description, refer to the folloiwng table.

    IT Field Service workflow steps

    The following table provides the steps for the IT Field Service workflow.
    Table 1. Workflow steps for IT incident resolution and work order process
    Steps Description
    1. Open incident At a store location, the point-of- sale (PoS) systems are having trouble reading cards. The store manager identifies the issue and uses the Mobile Agent to scan the bar code on the PoS system. This automatically creates and populates an incident, which is assigned to the store Support Service desk.
    2. Generate work order The Support team triages the incident and determines whether it requires a software or hardware fix. In this case, the PoS system requires a software upgrade, so the store Support Service Desk opens a high-priority work order directly from the incident with just one click.
    3. Assign a technician The work order can be assigned to either internal or external third-party teams. In this case, the work order is automatically assigned to an internal technician. The technician is notified of the assignment, accepts the task, and starts travelling to the store. The store manager is informed of the technician’s expected arrival time.
    4. Comprehensive check With the Mobile Agent , the technician has access to all the information about the PoS system and its history (for example, inspections, past fixes, and so on), along with relevant knowledge base articles that can help them resolve the issue. Technicians do a thorough maintenance of the PoS system, which helps reduce future issues and travel costs.
    5. Complete work order Once the technician completes the work, they document their work effort, make any notes, and close the work order. The store manager then digitally signs and confirms the work order is complete. This submission automatically updates the incident.
    6. Track and provide audit trail A PDF summary of all the completed tasks, parts used and returned, incidental expenses, and time taken to do the work is automatically created and attached to the work order. All data is tracked in one single platform for future trend analysis, reports, and audits.