Purpose of this guide
This guide encapsulates the key steps in the Zoho FSM account setup and the automated process flow. At the end of this guide, you will be able to complete the gamut of activities under work order management successfully.
About FSM
Zoho FSM is a cloud application that offers an overarching solution for handling the entire life cycle of processes involved in the management and execution of field services. All processes that are pivotal to field services are automated, such as work order management, scheduling, dispatching and tracking of service appointments, and invoicing. This eliminates the burden of paperwork and other tedious manual tasks that usually bog down field service activities. By providing a unified platform that allows users to segue into the different field processes, Zoho FSM helps users carry out their tasks efficiently. The availability of composite, real-time information about the process entities provides users with the visibility that helps enhance first-time fix rates and lessen process errors.
Service appointments can be scheduled based on their territory, and dispatched to the most appropriate technician to ensure minimum turnaround time. The FSM mobile app is a handy tool for the on-the-go field technicians giving them access to pertinent data to complete their assigned tasks swiftly and efficiently. Built-in invoicing features ensure that billing times are greatly reduced, resulting in immediate payments and realization of revenue.
Navigating this guide
The topics in this guide are divided into two parts: Onboarding and Work Order Management. Onboarding covers the steps immediately following your first sign in to your account. Work Order Management covers creating your first work order and completing all its affiliated processes.
1. Onboarding
When you create a FSM account for your organization, you will be guided through the steps that comprise the Zoho FSM account set up.
You will be required to provide the following information:
1.1 Organization details
- Name of your organization
- The locale of your organization
- Primary or home currency for your business operations
You can edit these details later at Setup > General > Company Details.
1.2 Time and language settings
- A common time zone for your organization's Zoho FSM account
The time zone will be automatically selected based on the locale of the organization you chose in the previous step. - The language for use in your account
You can edit these details later at Setup > General > Personal Settings > Locale Information.
1.3 Country-specific Tax Rate(s)
- The tax rates you want to use in your estimates, work orders, and invoices and the tax authority administering it
Zoho FSM supports taxes for your transactions, with
region-specific tax rules. The tax-related properties can be added for
Services And Parts,
Customers, and
Companies. The invoicing and payments in Zoho FSM is powered by Zoho Books.
The taxes defined here will be set in Books and can be edited later at
Settings >
Taxes in
Zoho Books.
1.4 Services offered
- The services you are providing as part of your business.
These will be used while creating estimates, work orders, and invoices. Click here for details on how to add services in the application.
1.5 Users
- The users of the application.
A default user (admin) will be created automatically. You can add additional users. Click here for details on how to create users in your application.
2. Work Order Management
2.1 Create your first Work Order
Work Order
A Work Order is a record created for executing a customer service request.
To create a work order:
- Select the Work Orders module and click New Work Order.
- Enter the following details and click Save:
- A Summary of the work order
- A Priority
- A Type to indicate the nature of the service the work order is being created for.
Service: For providing among others, repair, installation, or maintenance services
Inspection: For performing diagnostics tasks - The Company (if applicable) the customer belongs to.
This field will be displayed if options 2, 3, or 4 are chosen for mapping the entities in Zoho FSM with those in Zoho Books. - The Customer (if applicable) for whom the work order is being created
This field will be displayed if options 1, 3, or 4 are chosen for mapping the entities in Zoho FSM with those in Zoho Books. - A Service Address
This is the address of the customer's location where the service task needs to be carried out. If a Service address exists for the customer, then on selecting a value in the Customer field, that address is filled in the Service address field. If the Service address does not exist then you can choose any other address available for the customer or click Create New. - A Billing Address
- A Preferred Slot for the service call
A Preferred Start Time and a Preferred End Time for the service call. These fields will be displayed if Preferred Time is chosen in the Preferred Slot field. - Any additional Preference regarding the preferred time
- A Due Date by which the work order should be closed
- An Asset
An Asset is added when the service is for a product that you have sold - Entries for Service Tasks
These denote the services which have to be delivered for this work order. The Services added in Services And Parts module will be listed here. Select a Tax Rate or choose non-taxable by providing a reason. Click here to find details about setting the tax rates. Enter a percentage for the discount you wish to offer or a discount amount.
- Add the Parts necessary for the service tasks.
For Service, select the Service task for which the Part has been added. Select a Tax Rate or choose non-taxable by providing a reason. Click here to find details about setting the tax rates. Enter a percentage for the discount you wish to offer or a discount amount. - Add the Skills necessary for the service tasks.
For Created To, select the Service task for which the Skill has been added.
2.2 Create a Service Appointment
Service Appointment
Service appointments are jobs created for carrying out the services in a work order.
To create a service appointment:
- Go to the Work Order module and click the work order you want to add the service appointment to.
- Click Manage Appointment button at the top or click Service Appointments related list in the right pane and click Manage Appointment.
- Enter the following details, then click Schedule:
- A Summary for the service appointment
- The values for Start Date/Time and End Date/Time.
The Start Date/Time and End Date/Time can be scheduled for different dates - A Field Technician or a Crew
One or more resources can be assigned to the appointment.
2.3 Dispatch Service Appointment
To dispatch a service appointment:
- Go to the Work Order module and click the work order whose service appointment you want to dispatch.
- Click Service Appointments related list in the right pane and click Manage Appointment.
- Click Dispatch in the Manage Appointments overlay.
When a service appointment is dispatched, the field technicians assigned to the appointment are notified in their FSM mobile app through push notifications.
2.4 Start Work
The lead field technician assigned to the service appointment can update the status of the service appointment from the mobile app.
- Log in to Zoho FSM mobile app and Check-in.
If the user is checked-in, the All Service Appointments screen for the current date will be displayed. You can also view this screen by clicking All Service Appointments from the left menu. - Select the service appointment from the All Service Appointments screen or the Home screen.
In the Appointment Details screen, click Start Work.
As the field technician commences the work for the service appointment, a timer starts to record the duration of work.
2.5 Complete Work
When you have completed the tasks for the service appointment, you can update the status of the service appointment.
- Click Complete Work when the task(s) for the service appointment is done.
The screen for creating a service report is displayed.
- Create the Service Report to complete the service appointment.
In the Service Report, capture the following details and click Save:
a. Problem Statement for the service appointment
b. End Date Time for the service appointment
c. Customer feedback
d. Customer Signature
Once the service appointment is completed and the service report created, you can generate the invoice for the service appointment. Although the invoice may be generated from the mobile app as well, the following sections covers steps to be carried out from the FSM web app.
Service Report
A document capturing the details of the completion of the service appointment that is verified by the customer.
2.6 Generate Invoice
- Go to the Work Orders module and click the work order whose service appointment you want to create the invoice for.
- Click Service Appointments related list in the right pane and click the name of the service appointment.
- In the Service Appointment Details overlay, click Generate Invoice.
- Click Continue in the Generate Invoice overlay.
- Click Send Invoice in the Invoice Details overlay.
- Click Send Invoice to dispatch the email.
2.7 Record Payment
In the invoice mailed to the customer, there will be a link for the user to make the payment online. Once the payment is done successfully, the status of the service appointment changes to Paid. In case if the payment is done offline (e.g. cash), then you can explicitly change the status of the service appointment as explained below.
- Go to the Work Order module and click the work order whose service appointment you want to record the payment for.
- Click Service Appointments related list in the right pane and click the name of the service appointment.
- In the Service Appointment Details overlay, click Record Payment.
- Click Record Payment in the confirmation message. The status of the service appointment changes to Paid.
2.8 Close Work Order
Once the status of all the service appointments in the work order is paid, the status of the work order changes to Closed.