Perth Panthers Blog 5: Enhancing Arena Operations with the Dynamics 365 Field Service Mobile App
What is the Dynamics 365 Field Service Mobile App?
The Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile app is a robust tool that empowers technicians with real-time access to work orders, equipment history, and service information. This mobile solution is designed to improve technician performance by enabling them to stay connected and up to date on their tasks from any location.
For the Perth Panthers, the app plays a critical role in coordinating repairs and maintenance at the Enclosure. Both the arena’s in-house staff and external contractors—who use a B2B account—rely on the mobile app to receive job assignments, track progress, and update the status of repairs in real time. This seamless integration helps ensure that all operations at the Enclosure run smoothly, whether the technician is on-site or working remotely.
The Problem: Coordinating In-House Staff and External Contractors
The Perth Panthers face several challenges in maintaining their arena, from fixing equipment to performing regular upkeep. These challenges are heightened by the need to manage both in-house arena staff and external contractors. Some of the key issues include:
- Lack of Centralised Communication: The operations team at the Enclosure needs to ensure that both in-house staff and contractors are aware of any ongoing or upcoming tasks. In the past, communication between these groups was fragmented, leading to delays or missed maintenance jobs.
- Access to Equipment Information: In-house staff often have a deep knowledge of the equipment, but external contractors may lack detailed insights into the arena’s systems and repair history. This gap in knowledge can result in wasted time while contractors gather information before starting repairs.
- Manual Reporting and Updates: Without a unified system, both internal staff and external contractors needed to manually report job progress to the operations team. This manual process not only led to delays but also made it difficult to track real-time status updates on repairs.
- Coordination of Schedules: External contractors may only visit the Enclosure for specific jobs, while in-house staff are present full-time. Coordinating their schedules manually can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
How Dynamics 365 Field Service Mobile App Solves the Problem
The Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile app is designed to address these challenges by offering real-time communication, access to job details, and seamless coordination between in-house staff and external contractors.
Here’s how the mobile app helps both groups work more efficiently at the Enclosure:
- Unified Platform for All Technicians: The mobile app serves as a central platform for both in-house staff and contractors. In-house technicians can access the app from within the Enclosure, while external contractors can use their B2B accounts to log in remotely. This ensures that everyone is using the same system to view work orders, access information, and update job statuses.
- Real-Time Job Assignments and Updates: The operations team can use the Dynamics 365 platform to create and assign work orders. Once a job is created, the mobile app sends an alert to the relevant technician—whether they are in-house or an external contractor. The technician can view the details of the job, accept the assignment, and provide real-time updates as they complete the repair.
- Access to Equipment History: One of the key benefits of the mobile app is that it provides full access to the Enclosure’s equipment history. When a contractor is dispatched to fix a piece of equipment, they can view its past repair records, maintenance schedules, and any known issues. This information ensures that they arrive on-site fully prepared and can complete the job more efficiently.
- Mobile-Based Collaboration: The mobile app enables technicians to collaborate more effectively. If an external contractor needs to consult with an in-house technician about a specific piece of equipment, they can communicate through the app, reducing the need for lengthy back-and-forth calls or emails.
- Seamless Reporting: As the technician works on the assigned task, they can update the status of the job in real time via the mobile app. The operations team can monitor these updates through the centralised dashboard, ensuring they are always aware of which jobs are in progress, which are completed, and if any delays arise.
Real-World Example 1
Real-World Example 2
Conclusion
The Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile app has become an indispensable tool for the Perth Panthers, helping to streamline operations at the Enclosure by empowering both in-house staff and external contractors with real-time access to work orders and equipment information. By using the app, the Panthers can ensure that repairs are completed efficiently, whether the technician is on-site or working remotely through a B2B account.
With better communication, improved job tracking, and access to detailed equipment history, the Panthers have significantly reduced downtime and improved the overall efficiency of their maintenance operations.
In the next blog, we’ll explore how managing inventory and purchasing with Dynamics 365 Field Service helps ensure that technicians always have the right parts on hand to complete their jobs.