Service management
Service management enables you to set up service agreements and subscriptions, process service orders and inquiries, and deliver and evaluate services for customers. A service agreement lets you define the resources that are needed for a typical service visit and how the customer is charged for them. A service agreement can also have a service-level agreement (SLA) that sets standard response times and provides tools to track the actual time.
Use service orders to keep track of information about planned and unplanned visits by a service technician to a customer location. Service orders contain the following details:
The hours of work of the service technician.
The type of service or repair.
The item to repair including symptoms and diagnosis.
Expenses and fees related to the service or repair.
The Service management module allows you to receive, process, and dispatch service requests. Use service stages to track progress and specify rules that define actions enabled in each stage of the service order. After completing a service order, you can finalize the order to confirm that it’s complete and then post the order to start the invoice process.
The reporting tools allow you to monitor service order margins and subscription transactions as well as print work descriptions and work receipts.
Create a service agreement from Service management
To create a service agreement from Service management follow these steps:
Navigate to the Service management module.
Select the Service agreements page.
Select New. Enter a description, select a reference to a project in the Project ID field, and complete the remaining fields and lines for the service agreement. Select Save.
On the Relations tab, select Service objects and/or Service tasks to create service object relations and/or service task relations for the service agreement. You can attach the service objects and tasks that you’ve created relations for on the service agreement lines.
Create service agreement lines manually or by copying lines from a service template or another service agreement.
Create a service agreement from Project
To create a service agreement from Project follow these steps:
Navigate to the Project management and accounting module.
Select All projects.
Select the project from the list.
On the Action pane, select Manage. In the New Action group, select Service, and then select Service agreement.
Follow the steps in the Create a service agreement from Service management section, as described above in this unit, to enter the project reference.
Service agreement groups
Service agreement groups are useful for sorting and filtering service agreements and are available at Service management > Setup > Service agreements > Service agreement groups.
Service agreement line
The service agreement line has a service agreement interval that determines how often service orders are generated for service agreement lines when you automatically create service orders. If the Interval field for a service agreement line on the Service agreements page has no value, the line is a single occurrence, and it’s not repeated to create service orders. To create service intervals go to Service management > Setup > Service agreements > Service intervals.
Time windows
The service agreement lines have a time window that indicates how much a service order line can deviate from its original date. The original date is the date when the service order line was planned to happen. The date depends on its interval setting and the service period that you selected in the Create service orders page. If a service agreement line has no time window, the service order line that comes from the service agreement has to be on the same date as it was initially scheduled. To create time windows go to Service management > Setup > Service agreements > Time window.
Specify a time window as described in the following table:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Week | The date that the service order line can be moved to any open day in the same week as the initial calculated date. |
| Month | The date that the service order line can be moved to any open day in the same month as the initial calculated date. For example, the calculated date for a service order line is February 15, 2017. The service order line can be scheduled for any weekday between February 1 and February 28, 2017. |
| Manual | You define the maximum number of days before or after the initial calculated date that the service order line can be moved. |
You can use Service template groups to sort and filter service templates, available at Service management > Setup > Service agreements > Service template groups.
Service tasks
Service tasks are descriptions of the work that needs to be done in a service order. Technicians and customers can view this information. You can link service tasks to a specific service agreement or service order by establishing service task relations. Each time that you make a service task relation, you can write notes for the task that are internal or external. To access service tasks go to Service management > Setup > Service tasks.
You can choose to group service orders by selecting the following options in the Combine service orders field on the service agreement header:
By service agreement
By service task
By employee
By service object
Create a relation between service tasks and a service order
To create a relation between service tasks and a service order follow these steps:
Go to Service management > Service orders > Service orders.
Select a service order.
On the Action pane, select Service tasks.
From the Service tasks form, select New to attach the service tasks to the service order.
On the Description tab, enter any internal or external note descriptions
Close the form to save the record.
Service objects
Service objects are assets or products owned by a customer that you can provide a service for. Depending on the type of service, objects can be tangible or intangible:
Tangible objects: are physical things, such as a machine or a building, or inventory items. An inventory item can have a tracking dimension serial number. A tangible service object can also be an item that isn’t directly related to a company's direct production or supply chain. In this scenario, don't register it as an inventory item.
Intangible objects: are nonphysical things, such as a set of accounts or a legal document, for which you can perform a service task.
Service objects are a customer's assets and products for which you can perform a service. To create service objects follow these steps:
Go to Service management > Setup > Service objects > Service objects.
On the Action pane, select New.
In the Description field, enter a description of the object.
In the Service object group field, select the group that the object belongs to.
Optional: For a tangible service object, add an inventory item for the service object line, or select a service template bill of materials (BOM).
Service object groups are used to sort and filter data for reports and statistics. For example, create service object groups to group objects by geographical location or by type. To access service object groups go to Service management > Setup > Service objects > Service object groups.
Assign service objects to the Service object group by using the Service objects form.
Use this procedure to set up a service template BOM that represents objects at a customer site:
Go to Service management > Service agreements > Service agreements.
Select the required service agreement.
Select the Setup tab.
Select Service objects to attach a template BOM to the service agreement.
In the Service objects form, select a service object, and then select Functions > Attach template BOM.
In the Select template BOM form, select a template BOM in the Template BOM field, and then select OK.
In the Service objects form, select Designer to modify the template BOM so that the BOM represents the objects.
Close the forms to save changes.
Template BOMs for service objects
You may choose to specify a template BOM for the object relation. The template BOM is a bill of materials for the object on which you perform service. To replace a component of the service object during a service visit, register this change in the service BOM by using the Service objects form.
Setting up subscriptions
Subscriptions are based on a time-and-materials project. You can create subscriptions from a project, from the Service subscriptions page, or by using a service subscription group.
You can set up as many subscription fees as you want for each subscription. The subscription fees are the charges that you bill to the customer.
A period code shows the length of the subscription fee period or the frequency at which the subscription should be billed.
The service subscription group determines the period code, and it applies to the subscriptions that belong to the service subscription group. When you create a new subscription fee, it has a suggested start date. This is either the start date of the first period or the end of the previous period, depending on whether it's the first or a subsequent period.
To set up a subscription, first create a Subscription group for the new service agreement:
Go to Service management > Setup > Service subscriptions > Subscription groups.
Select New.
In the Subscription group field, enter a name.
In the Invoicing field, select an invoicing frequency for the subscription. The invoicing frequency is defined by a period code that’s set up in the Period types form.
To accrue revenue for subscription transactions, select the Accrue revenue checkbox, and then in the Accrual field, select a frequency. The accrual frequency is based on a period code that’s configured in the Periods form.
Follow these steps to create a new service subscription:
Go to Service management > Setup > Service subscriptions > Subscription groups.
Select a Subscription group.
Select the Service subscriptions button.
Select New to create a new subscription and add a subscription group.
Enter information in the remaining fields.
Close the form to save changes.
Next, you can create the subscription fee transaction based on the periods in the period types form. To do so follow these steps:
Go to Service management > Service subscriptions > All service subscriptions.
Select a Service subscription.
On the Action pane, on the Subscription tab, select Subscription fees.
On the Create subscription fee form, enter the appropriate information in the fields.
Select OK.
Service orders
A service order is used to plan and document a visit that a service technician makes to a customer site on a certain date. A service order contains one or more service order lines. Service order lines include the hours of work that must be performed by the service technician and the related items, expenses, and fees.
Attach tasks and objects to a service order line as needed. Group service order lines by task or by object. Additionally, you can attach items that are listed in inventory to service order lines.
Create service orders
Create service orders based on a service agreement and the lines only in the period that is specified in the agreement.
To create service orders that aren't associated with a service agreement, you must activate the Allow without service agreement checkbox in the Service management parameters page.
To create service orders manually from a service agreement follow these steps:
Go to Service management > Service agreements > Service agreements.
Select a service agreement.
Select the Deliver tab, and in the Create group, select Planned service orders to open the Create service orders form.
To create service orders manually in the service orders form follow these steps:
Go to Service management > Service orders > Service orders.
Select New.
Create service order lines for the service order.
If the Allow without service agreement checkbox in the Service management parameters form is active, you can post the transactions from the service order lines without attaching the service order to a service agreement. If the checkbox is cleared, you must attach the manually created service order to a project before posting the service order lines.
To create service order from a project follow these steps:
Go to Project management and accounting > Projects > All projects.
In the Projects form, on the Action pane, select the Manage tab. Then select Service > Service orders.
Follow the previous procedure to create a service order manually in the Service orders form. The Project ID field displays the project reference.
To create a service order from the Sales order form follow these steps:
Create a service order from the Sales orders form by using the Create a new service order based on the sales order wizard.
Go to Sales and marketing > Sales orders > All sales orders.
Open the relevant sales order.
On the Sales order tab, select Service order to start the Create a new service order based on the sales order wizard.
Select Next then complete the following steps on the Select agreement for service order page:
Use the Service agreement field to select the service agreement with which the new service order should be associated.
Optional: Use the Project ID field to associate this service order with a particular project.
Select Next then complete the following steps on the Create service order page:
Enter a date and time for the service call to begin in the Preferred service time field.
Optional: Modify the text in the Description field.
In the Responsible field, select the ID of the responsible employee.
In the Contact ID field, select the person in the customer's company.
Select Next then select Finish.
Service order stages
To track the progress of a sales order through the different processes, you can set up service order stages and reason codes. For each stage, you can specify the actions that are allowed by going to Service management > Setup > Service orders > Service stages.
Change service order stage
Follow these steps to move a service order to the next stage in the service workflow or revert it to a previous stage:
Go to Service management > Service orders > Service orders.
Select the service order, and then select the Dispatch tab.
On the Action pane, select either Next stage or Previous stage.
In the Change service stage form, select the appropriate stage.
You can specify the inventory items that are required for service orders. However, the service order must be associated with a project. Item requirements for service orders are processed through a project.
Follow these steps to move service lines between service orders associated to the same service agreement:
Go to Service management > Service orders > Service orders.
Select the service order that includes the lines that you want to move to another service order.
In the Service orders form, on the Action pane, select the Move lines button.
In the** Move service order lines** form, in the Service order field, select the service order that you want to move the lines to.
Select the Delete empty service order checkbox to delete the service order that you moved the service order lines from.
Select OK.
You have the option to cancel a service order or service order line from the service order, or you can cancel several service orders at once by running a periodic job. To undo the cancelation of a service order line and make the status Created again, select Revoke cancel.
Start and stop time recording on service order
To start time recording on a service order follow these steps:
Go to Service management > Service orders > Service orders.
Select the Service order tab. On the Action pane, in the Service level agreement group, select Start.
Enter the date and time that the time recording should be started.
To stop time recording on a service order follow these steps:
Go to Service management > Service orders > Service orders.
Select the Service order tab. On the Action pane, in the Service level agreement group, select Stop.
Enter the date and time that the time recording should be stopped.
Select Add a revocation reason, and select a reason code in the Stage reason code list to provide a reason for stopping the time recording.
If the Reason code on exceeding time flag is selected in the Service management parameters form, you must provide a reason code before you can stop the time recording.
You can view when the work on the service order was started and when the service order is going to be completed by following these steps:
Go to Service management > Service orders > Service orders. Select and open a service order.
On the General tab, view the time that the work was started for a service order in the Start time field.
On the General tab, view the time remaining to complete a service order in the Latest completion time field.
You can also view when the time recording for a service order was started and stopped by following these steps:
Go to Service management > Service orders > Service orders. Select and open an order to open the details form.
On the Action pane, select Time recording from the Dispatch tab to open the SLA time recording form and view the time recording entries for the service order.
Note
Stopping a service order postpones its completion time.
Set up repair management
For repair management, you can categorize issues methodically, which helps with the recommendation of solutions that have worked before. You establish symptoms, diagnosis, and resolution settings. These can later be helpful when you get a similar item for repair. You can also set up repair stages that can track the status of a repair issue.
Setting up repair management
Go to Service management > Setup > Repair to set up the following information for the repair process:
Conditions
Symptom areas
Diagnosis area
Resolutions
Repair stages
Symptoms and conditions
The symptoms are the customer's description of the problem. Symptoms are what the customer experiences that signify something needs to be fixed.
You can set up symptom areas, symptom codes, and conditions. The symptom area covers the area of malfunction, and the symptom code covers the malfunction symptom. The condition describes the situation or environment that is present when the problem occurs.
Example
A computer needs repair because the hard drive stops working after a long time of use. The hard drive problem leads to a blue screen error. The technician who gets the computer notes the following symptoms and conditions:
The symptom area is the hard drive.
The symptom code is the blue screen error.
The condition is that the hard drive fails after extended use.
Diagnosis and resolutions
The diagnosis and resolution fields describe the actions that a technician took to fix the problem. The diagnosis area explains what needs to be done to resolve the issue. The diagnosis code is the way the problem was dealt with, and the resolution could be that the item was repaired or replaced or that the order was canceled by the customer. For example, if the computer is repaired, the diagnosis area could be “faulty part,” the diagnosis code could be “new video card installed,” and the resolution could be “replaced.”
Repair stages
Repair stages indicate the status of the repair process. The repair stage has a Finished sign-off parameter that shows that the repair line is done, and the completion date and time are recorded.
Applying repair management
Before applying repair management to an item, you need to set up a service object relation for the item on a service order. From there, you can create a repair line that describes the current problem. On the repair line, you specify the service object that needs repair as well as information about symptoms, diagnosis, and execution. You can also add a note to the repair line. You can create multiple repair lines for each stage of the repair process.
Create repair line on service order
To create a repair line on a service order follow these steps:
Go to Service management > Service orders > Service orders.
Select the service order with the service object that needs repair.
Select Repair > Repair lines to open the Repair lines form.
Select New to create a new line.
Select a service object that has been set up with an object relation on the service order.
Select any of the preset symptoms, diagnosis, and execution values that are relevant in the repair line, and then select the Note tab to create a note on the repair line, if needed.
Select Save to save the new repair line. The Created date and time field in the General tab of the Repair lines form is updated with the time of saving.
Tracking progress and resolving repair issue
You can use the repair stages of a repair line to monitor the status of the repair. When a repair issue is fixed, you can close the repair line. Change the repair stage to a stage that has the Finished property enabled. The line records the current date and time as the finish time.
Close repair line for resolved issue
To close a repair line for a resolved issue follow these steps:
Open the Repair lines form.
Select the repair line.
In the Repair stage field, select a stage with the Finished property enabled.
Customer inquiries and returns
There are various reasons why customers might return items. For instance, an item could be damaged, or it could fail to satisfy the customer's needs. In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, the sales return process is typically initiated by creating a return material authorization (RMA) order. The process of creating an RMA order supports a scenario in which the reason for the return isn't immediately disclosed. The RMA order is the main document that directs the following steps in the return process, including the arrival at the warehouse and the procedures for receiving.
Sometimes customers might return products without providing advance notification or an associated order. In these cases, the standard RMA process is bypassed to process unannounced returns.
Reason codes
Reason codes can help you better understand the patterns of returns by explaining why a customer is returning items. Reason codes provide information about the causes of returns.
To create reason codes, follow these steps:
Go to Sales and marketing > Setup > Returns > Return reason code groups.
Create a new reason code group.
On the Action pane, select Return reason codes.
Create reason codes for the selected reason code group.
Add charges (optional).
Add external codes (optional).
Disposition codes
When a sales order is returned, a disposition code is required. A disposition code indicates the financial consequences, the disposition of the returned item, and the logistics of the returned item.
To create disposition codes, go to Sales and marketing > Setup > Returns > Disposition codes.
The following disposition codes can be created in the system:
- Credit: Return the item to inventory and credit the customer.
- Credit only: Credit the customer without requiring or expecting the item to be returned.
- Scrap: Scrap the item and credit the customer.
- Replace and credit: Return the item to inventory, create a replacement order, and credit the customer.
- Replace and scrap: Scrap the item, create a replacement order, and credit the customer.
- Return to customer: Reject the returned item and return it to the customer.
Overview of the physical return order process
The following are the steps needed to complete the physical return order process:
Create a return order: You need to formally document the authorization for the customer to return any defective or unwanted products. The return order itself doesn’t require that the company accept the returned products or provide a credit to the customer. If the return is accepted, you can authorize a replacement item to be sent even before the defective item has been returned.
Arrive at warehouse for inspection: Complete an initial inspection and validation against the return order document. The return order also supports quarantine of the returned items for additional inspection and quality control.
Determine disposition: Complete the inspection process and decide what should be done with the returned products. As part of this step, decide which disposition code is used based on whether you'll credit the customer; reject the product return; or accept the product return, scrap the product, and then send a replacement product to the customer.
Post a packing slip: Generate a packing slip and commit the disposition code that you selected in step 3. Finalize the logistics processes.
Generate an invoice: Close the return order.
Overview of the credit only process
The following are the steps needed to complete the credit only process:
Create a return order: Formally document the authorization for the customer to receive a credit without returning the defective or unwanted products. The Credit only disposition code authorizes the decision to credit the customer without physical return and can be entered directly in the return order line.
Generate an invoice: Generate the credit note and close the return order.
Create return orders: return material authorization
Return material authorization (RMA) processing builds on sales order functionality. An RMA is registered as a return order, which is created as a sales order, and might have another sales order associated with it, called a replacement order. Both sales orders link to the originating RMA number.
You can create new sales return orders by going to Sales and marketing > Sales returns > All return orders.
You need to specify the Reason code for the return order. Use the Find sales order feature to find and select the invoiced sales order that is being returned to allow exact reversal of the customer invoice including prices, discounts, and charges.
Return order
To register an RMA, you need to create a return order, which is a sales order that has a specific order type, Returned order. As long as the return order is open, it will not appear in the list of sales orders. Use RMA to manage the arrival and receipt of the returned items and to authorize a credit only disposition action. All subsequent processes must be handled in the sales order.
Receive unannounced sales returns
A blind return is a return that doesn't have a prior RMA order or return details record and that doesn't require any original sales order or shipment information during receiving. When workers receive return items, they must use the Return item receiving process on the warehouse mobile app to verify and provide the following information: customer account, item number, quantity, license plate, and disposition codes. Set up warehouse configuration for the unannounced returns:
Number sequences for Return IDs and Load line inventory, enable sales load picking route, enable return details creation, and enable return order creation from a mobile device.
Create disposition codes for a mobile device.
Return item policies.
Return item receiving policies.
Set up mobile device menu items for returns.
Set up printing return labels.
When you finish the receiving, the system automatically generates an RMA that’s ready for the next process for sales returns.
Indexes and subscription accrual
The Service management module allows you to set up the index for a subscription sales price when you create a subscription fee.
Use the Create subscription fee form and set the Get pricing from field to Indexed base price to then multiply the base price by the percentage in the Percent price change field to get the sales price of the subscription transaction.
For example, if the base price of the subscription is USD 1,000, and the index is 110, the sales price is USD 1,100.
Follow these steps to update the index or base price for a service subscription:
Go to Service management > Service subscriptions > All service subscriptions.
Select the subscription.
Select Index. In the Change field, indicate whether the update must use a percentage or a new value. Select from the following options:
Index by a percentage
Index to
Base price by percentage
Base price to
Select OK.
The subscription's base price or index changes to the specified value.
To update base price and indexes for subscriptions via periodic job, go to Service management > Periodic > Service subscriptions > Index subscription.
Accruing subscriptions
When processing service subscriptions, you can manually accrue revenue in the periods after the date when you invoiced a fee transaction.
Accrual periods are generated for the invoice period that you configure for the subscription fee, and the accrual periods are based on the period code of the subscription.
You can accrue and reverse accrued revenue.
Reverse accruals of credit amounts
You can use two processes to reverse the accrual amounts, if your credit invoiced subscription amounts:
Use the manual process to reverse each accrued revenue transaction individually before you create the credit note proposal for the transaction
You can have the accrued amounts reversed on the date where the credit note is posted or on the original posting date of the accrual.
Set up requirements for accrued revenue
To accrue revenue, make sure that the following data requirements are met:
- The WIP - subscription and the Accrued revenue - subscription accounts must be set up in the Project module.
Note
When you post accrued revenue, the WIP - subscription account is debited with the accrual amount, and the Accrued revenue - subscription account is credited with the accrual amount.
Set up accounts for accrual of subscription revenue
To set up accounts for accrual of subscription revenue ensure that the follow is completed:
Go to Project management and accounting > Setup > Posting > Ledger posting setup.
Select the Revenue accounts tab and select WIP - subscription or Accrued revenue - subscription to set up the accounts.
Subscription group set up
To accrue revenue for subscriptions, the Accrue revenue flag must be selected. This is found on the Subscription groups form for the group that is attached to the subscription.
Invoicing period codes
You need to create a code for the invoicing period. If you don't invoice and accrue revenue in the same time intervals, you also need to create an accrual period.
You must set up the invoicing period when you create a subscription group. You can also choose to set up an accrual period for the group. If you do, this period appears in the Period code field. This field is in the Accrue subscription revenue form when you accrue revenue. However, the accrual period isn't required for the group.
To open the Accrue subscription revenue form, go to Service management > Periodic > Service subscriptions > Accrue subscription revenue.
Transactions
The Service management module allows you to control the number of ledger transactions that are created when you post accrued revenue. On subscriptions, define if the ledger transactions should be created as a total or per line.
Specify the level of posting details to display for accrued transactions
Follow these steps to specify the level of posting details to display for accrued transactions:
Go to Project management and accounting > Setup > Project management and accounting parameters.
On the Financial tab, in the Invoice field, select Total or Line.
Accrue subscription revenue
To accrue subscription revenue follow these steps:
Go to Service management > Periodic > Service subscriptions > Accrue subscription revenue.
In the Period code field, select a period code. Revenue is posted for all subscription fee transactions that have the selected period code.
In the Posting date field, enter a posting date, and then select OK.
You must invoice the fee transactions before you post accrued revenue.