Getting Started with FSM software

Any organization that offers field service such as moving goods or personnel needs to optimize field operations. Traditionally field service management was executed through on premise spreadsheets with A lot of manual work like data-entry, roster drafts, schedules, etc. Now progressive organizations have switched to digital and automated management of field service operations. 

 

A Field Service software is a digital solution for optimizing field operations such as:

• Appointment Scheduling
• Right Skilled Personnel Assignment 
• Inventory Management Warehouse/van
• Fleet Tracking
• Route Optimization
• Warranty/Service Contract Tracking
• Service Follow-up
• Feedback Portal
• Escalation Management
• Expense Claims

For the unversed, an FSM software can be implemented for smaller teams with size as small as 10. Even if your field service team is using a messaging app to communicate with each other and share routes or invoices, they have built a rudimentary digital solution for streamlining field service.

Adopting an FSM software is not always a costly affair as implementation cost is based on the number of users. Hence, organizations shy of FSM solution because of budget constraints should discuss the possibility with Field Service Software vendors.

While some of the FSM software are commercial off the shelf (COTS), rest can be customized as per the needs of industry and business logic. An advanced FSM software should also communicate with ERP, CRM or accounting software for a 360-degree view of the customer.

New-age Field Service Management software like Optima Pro, are cloud based, offer CRM tools for nurturing customers at various touchpoints along with analytics and dashboard reports for identifying opportunities and taking data-driven decisions.

The most obvious advantage of implementing FSM software is the automation of redundant tasks like assigning, scheduling, route planning, and feedback collection. In several apps, offline access to data is also available so that the services are unaffected in the case of low network areas and low battery.

An OS-agnostic software can be implemented for web, Windows, iOS, Android, etc. with real-time data access made available for the designated users. Access through mobile devices ensures that updated information is available for all concerned stakeholders

More about FSM software– applicability to a particular business case, customization, and pricing; contact here.

Using Salesforce for Chatbot Integration

In this digital era customer relationship management (CRM) has become top priority for every business enterprise to successfully evolve itself in Technology and increase customer satisfaction. Today businesses can’t afford to overlook customer feedback and want round the clock interaction through single touch point. CRM data has taken pivotal position as it helps to provide insight into customer’s expectations and devise strategies to meet them. When it comes to customer relationship management solution salesforce clearly is way ahead than other applications and is successfully serving several clients globally. With Salesforce Chatbot Integration one can simply access all the relevant information and get it straight to his chat box.

Salesforce is an AI first platform and it is quite simple to integrate chatbot with Salesforce application. Salesforce Chatbot Integration will allow the user to access information faster using the featured components in the Bot Toolkit. Bot basically acts as a medium for client to communicate within organisation through a messaging interface without any need of an individual on the opposite side. It can guide clients either by utilising a menu type interface or the talk window adjusts by using natural language.

Some of the popularly available chatbot platforms are:

1. AliBaba Smart Service robot

2. Google Dialog flow

3. Amazon Lex

4. Microsoft bot platform

Einstein bots of salesforce have distinctive features to coordinates and access Salesforce information without code. They are arranged in such a way to utilise clicks and not code with Wizard based interface enabling easy Salesforce Chatbot Integration.

How Salesforce does coordinates with chatbot?

Salesforce Toolkit enable Salesforce chatbot intergration quickly as it includes a segment enabling a user to begin integration easily. Its features like chatbot direction are custom articles which are utilised to store chatbot directions. For any enquiry Bot tool box will go to handler find contact details and will recognise enquiry as per the parameter.

One can create a chatbot following the below mentioned steps.

1. Choose a platform for generating agent like dialogflow hosted by Google.

2. Then generate the Bot as per the platforms instructions and configure it. By setting up user expressions it will identify objects in the expressions and respond to intent.

3. Train the Bot- Train the Bot and observe that objects are working as planned while adding intents and entities as required.

After creating chatbot it needs to be connected to Salesforce lightning and that's where the API feature comes in. Sometimes the chatbot may direct integration tools with appropriate classes but sometimes it won't and there you can use middleware to invoke the API. It is much easier to create a chatbot on salesforce platform without a need to connect it externally by using Einstein bot.

Salesforce Chatbot Integration includes the following key elements.

1. Bot Commands - These are custom objects to store chatbot commands and are functioned to create mapping between users question and apex class to provide logical response.

2. Apex Classes - In this the Bot Toolkit is facilitated with series of Apex  classes and Bot controller can co-ordinate the conversation using submit method to provide appropriate response.

3. Stateful Conversation - The Bot toolkit supports stateful conversations using session objects which represent the state of the conversation and is passed back and forth between the client and server.

4. Formatting Message - Bot message can be in the form of records, image, list or just plain text message. Bot components can format the message in various ways and respond with suitable content for each message.

Automating Business Processes with Salesforce Administrator

As the business dynamics are becoming complex and interdependent the need for automating processes can no longer be ignored. Customer is supreme for any business organisation and each business entity tries to enhance customer experience through quality its customer service. Companies use advanced Customer relationship management platforms to collect and analyse data to make products or services that suit customer needs.

When we talk about Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Solutions, salesforce stands as number one in the world and is used by more than 150, 000 companies globally. Salesforce is a cloud based system which has standalone applications for customer service, marketing and sales. It is widely used by small and large businesses as a secure way to store data, generation of leads, discover new sales opportunities and interact with customers at various stages. Salesforce cloud based platform can be seamlessly integrated with external applications like Microsoft Office, social media platforms or emails. It can also be customised to provide solutions as per the specific business needs of client.

While Salesforce CRM provides huge range of services to its clients, it needs to be maintained to keep it running. Salesforce Database Administrators perform the task of day to day today management of Salesforce application while eliminating inefficiency and increasing productivity. Salesforce administrators create tools for any device like intelligent workflows, easy to use dashboards and apps for any project. Salesforce Database Administrators also solve complicated business problems to keep the project moving. They train users while providing Creative Solutions to make business processes smarter.

Following are some of the tasks performed by Salesforce Database Administrator.

1 - Ongoing Tasks - Salesforce Database Administrator has to take care of day to day admin tasks and resolve user problems in real time. They perform activities like adding new white-listed IP addresses and unlocking user accounts for resetting passwords. The help users to fine tune reports to produce meaningful metrics along with formulating workflows and troubleshooting email campaigns. Administrator also refines sharing rules and access privileges for proper viewing while hiding special records.

2. Weekly Tasks - Salesforce Database Administrator also have to perform tasks which are required weekly. It includes running data reduplication tools such as Ring lead or demand tools and run adoption dashboards. They also run and Store weekly snapshot of system data which includes history tables for at least 90 days. Data administrator also has to spot any user Lockouts, login errors or unexpected IP addresses. They deactivate users from time to time if the user does not require SFDC access and also transfer record ownership if there is any change in responsibility.

3. Monthly Tasks - Salesforce Database Administrator perform monthly activities like making additions and amendments to picklist values or other fields and also pre-test changes in a full sandbox. They run field utilisation report to find out new sources of data pollution and remove idle fields if they are consistently blank.

4. Quarterly Tasks - Salesforce Database Administrator perform some quarterly tasks like adding or removing members of your community or partner portals and downloading CSV from system administrator setup. Profile report is also run to identify rules for profiles which have no active users and new picklist values are also examined.

4. Annual Tasks - Annual tasks performed by Salesforce Administrator include creation of archive of all system field history tables to ensure audit trail. They also archive documents, image etc to reduce storage charges of your system while adhering to your companies document retention policy. They summarise upgrades and new feature additions and update the system roadmap to achieve business objectives.