This is the 5th blog of this series, before this I have created a blog on the topic “Configure bookable resources”  from Module 1 which you can check here :MB2-877 MICROSOFT DYNAMICS 365 FOR FIELD SERVICE MODULE 1 TOPIC – CONFIGURE BOOKABLE RESOURCES

In this blog we will cover up the topic from the module 1 “Configure additional options”

1. Configure territories and organizational units
   You can create territories for your resources in field service.Now, remember that traditionally when you’re using territories with Dynamics 365, you’re really just dealing with one territory per resource.  But in this situation, a resource might service multiple territories.  So I do have the capabilities to add multiple territories in here based upon my specific situation. To add a territory go from field service > Field Service Settings  > Territory :
   Click on “Add new territory” and fill out below information such as “name” and manager which is optional:
   

   Once you save and close this territory now you can go and assign this to your resource by following below steps. Open Resource and click on “Related” Tab and select “Resource territory.” Finally say add a new resource territory which will help you to use the recently created territory:

   

   Save and close:
   

   Organizational Units.
   Below are the main points on organization units before we configure them:
   a. They are Different from Business Units

   b. Organizational units represent how your consulting company categorizes its different businesses.

   c. Each Organizational Unit can have Latitude and Longitude define to assist in the scheduling process.

   To Configure an orgnizational units go from field service > Resource Scheduling >  Organization Units and click on add new organization unit:
   

   Add below information and save and close. Later you associated this with a resource:

   
   
   
   

2. Identify skills types
   Now when you are setting up your resource you might want a placeholder to say this resource has this skill i,e a consultant or technician etc.  To Define a skill or characteristic for a resource  go From Field Service > Resource Scheduling > Resource Skill and click on New > Add required field such as name of the skill and select the type as “Skill” > click on save and close:

   

   Post this this, it will be available to be associated to the resource. from your resource click on ” Field Service” Tab and in the “Resource Characterstics” Subgrid , click on New. Look for the skill that we have created and click on Save:
   
   

3. Configure characteristics and skills & Configure proficiency models below are useful points about characteristics/Skill:
   a. Skills / Characteristics are used to define areas in which resources are proficient

   Can be broken into two types:

   • Skill
   • Certification

    b. Used with proficiency models to denote a specific skill level in an area.

    c. Proficiency model is look up to additional values can be added or removed.

   Configuration:
   Before configuring Characteristics and skills we will first have to define a proficiency model as this is linked to a skill. You can configure a new one but i am going to use standard out of the box rating model by going to field service > Resource Scheduling > Proficiency Model:
   
   

   Open the default existing model and you will field like min and max rating and also a sub grid below which actually tells the rating:

   

   Now if you want to lets say customize it and would like to add a new rating ‘Expert’ what you will have to do is first make the max rating to ‘4’ so that 4 rating can be added. To that and save the record and what it does it add 4 options to the  grid and ask you to enter the names for 4 rating:

   

   select each rating and edit the label and we are ready to go and configure a characteristic to do this follow the steps given in the 2nd step above ‘Identify a skill type’ wherein i have added a characteristic as ‘Technical Consultant’.  Now if you go to resource and add characteristic for it you will add the skill as ‘technical consultant’ and rating value as well which we defined.

   One Important Point : We have been talking about Characteristic & Skill alot but on the grounds these two are exactly the same so dont get confused.

4. Implement resource roles and categories
   This option allows you to define what specific roles that a particular resource is going to play inside your organization.  few points:

   a. Define the role that a resource can play within an organizationb. Can be used for filtering on the Schedule Board

   c. Often used with Project Service Automation to define generic place holders for needed resources on projects

   To add a Resource Role/Category, go from field service > Resource Scheduling >  click on Resource Roles:
   

   add below information such as name, I have taken as ‘trainee‘ and other details such as utilization and Billing Type etc and click on save &  close:

   

   Now you will be able to associate this to a resource.

   One Important Point : We have been talking about Roles & Category alot but on the grounds these two are exactly the same so dont get confused.

5. Explain differences between organizational units and business units They are very much different. The major difference between them is that a traditional business unit drives the security structure of you dynamics crm however an organizational unit is just a placeholder for categorization  of your business.
   That’s it for this blog, I will see in the last topic of this module in the next blog.

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