Oracle Field Service (OFS) – Release 24D New Features Summary
Administration Enhancements
Additional Language Support
To support Oracle’s global and regional customers, 24D offers additional language options of Croatian, French (Canada), Slovak, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese.
Control Work Zones and Calendars by Organization
Organisations operating in multiple countries or have multiple entities can now efficiently control their work zones and work schedules or shifts. By associating Work Zones, Work Schedules, or Shifts with relevant organisations, companies can effectively manage their resources, optimize operations, and make informed decisions.
Edit Access of Work Zone Key
From the latest 24D, the Edit 'Work Zone Key' button on the Work Zones page is only visible to users who have configured the 'Business Rules' page in read-write mode. This ensures that only authorized users can modify the work zone key configuration. This restriction helps organisations to avoid inadvertent changes or misconfiguration of work zones and strengthens the audit and compliance aspects of organisations.
Quota and Capacity Management Enhancements
Quota and Capacity User Experience Enhancements
Quota and Capacity Management is a powerful capability for optimizing resource utilization and managing demand. It enables capacity planners to define and manage capacity limits, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to various activities and services.
Starting 24D, the user experience of the Available Capacity and Quota Configuration pages feature the Redwood design, thus improving the use experience with its modern aesthetics and improved accessibility. The Mass Populate page has also been improved to bring more clarity into the process. Additionally, the dialog to prevent leaving pages without saving changes has also been unified among the Quota pages to prevent any data loss and provide users greater control and flexibility.
Flexible Quota Close Time Enhancement for Time Slot-based Booking
Quota Close Time allows administrators to automatically close a quota when it is full or when a specified close time is reached by increasing the number of days before a quota can be closed from 5 to 255. This enables a more flexible booking approach and also aligns with the behaviour of the related API operation and facilitates the application of changes when the quota for specific time slots, capacity areas, or work zones needs to remain closed for extended periods.
Unified Late Start Mitigation Control for Availability-based Booking
The lateStartMitigation parameter which previously was available only in the API for showBookingGrid or Get activityBookingOptions methods, is now accessible within the user interface as the 'Activity Starting Threshold %' setting. This parameter allows for adjustments to the default value of the Activity Starting Threshold %. This setting influences booking suggestions, reducing the likelihood of activities starting close to the end of a time slot. Altering the default value of 20% for the 'Activity Starting Threshold,%' allows for tailored booking suggestions to meet specific requirements.
By integrating the lateStartMitigation parameter into the User Interface as the 'Activity Starting Threshold %' setting, administrators gain direct and intuitive control over this feature, streamlining quota management and enhancing the overall booking process.
Collaboration Image Interaction Enhancements
Starting with update 24D, Oracle Field Service collaboration users can now view larger images directly within the app without downloading. The preview allows zooming, rotating, and downloading images. GIFs images are now also supported. When sending images, users will see a thumbnail preview, with options to remove or change the image before sending. They can also copy and paste images into the Message text box and preview the image by clicking the thumbnail before sending.
Core Application Enhancements
Booking Availability User Experience Enhancement
Starting with update 24D, the Oracle Field Service Booking Availability page has been enhanced with the integration of the Redwood Design, elevating the user experience and visual appeal. Additionally, the page has been renamed from 'Time Slot' to 'Booking Availability' to better convey its purpose and functionality.
Dispatch Console Multi-Day Activity List View
The Dispatch Console Activity List View previously displayed information for only one day, which differed from the Time View, where several days of activities could be shown. Starting with update 24D, it is possible to display activities for multiple days within both the Activity List View and Time View.
Nearby Future Activities
Starting with update 24D, when the 'Show future activities' option is enabled from the View menu within the Nearby workflow, the future activities are displayed in the list and map views based on configured map markers defined within the 'Non-scheduled and Not assigned activities map markers' section of the Business Rules screen. Future activities will appear with a schedule date label within the list view.
When enabled, activities scheduled for the next 30 days from the selected date are available for self-assignment. Customers can reduce this period by setting the 'Number of Future Days to View in My Route and Activity List' within the Display screen.
Routing Enhancements
Multi-Day Continuous Routing with Machine Learning Exception Management
Starting with update 24D, a Continuous Routing plan may be set as multi-Day. You can also assign all the activities (up to the allowed capacity on the routing plan level), having high (or higher) non-assignment cost in at least one of the configured filters.
Assigning all important activities during routing allows to implement different kinds of business scenarios - from working in a completely dispatcher-free environment to assignment of 100% of the activities created, or being in the middle by means of using machine-assisted technology, where dispatchers are forming patterns and then just look at the automatic assignments to ensure that everything is done according to company policies and business needs, and correct the assignment when needed.
Thus, depending on the desired configuration, the following benefits may be achieved:
- Increased automated activity assignment
- Quicker resolution of learned assignment exceptions
- Reduced dispatcher workload resulting in higher focus on other tasks
Conclusion
As a leader in Oracle CX consultancy, Kyte Consulting is dedicated to empowering organisations to reach their objectives in enhancing customer experience and delivering superior customer service. With the latest developments in Oracle Field Service Cloud Release 24D, Kyte Consulting stands ready to help businesses harness these new features to optimise their operations. Leveraging our deep expertise, we guide our clients through the complexities of integrating and maximising the benefits of each update, ensuring that they not only keep pace with technological advancements but also stay ahead in delivering exceptional customer interactions.
Furthermore, Kyte Consulting offers comprehensive Managed Service and Upgrade Management solutions tailored to the unique needs of each client. Our proactive approach ensures seamless upgrades and continuous system improvements, reducing downtime and minimising risk. By partnering with us, organizations benefit from our strategic oversight and operational support, which are crucial for maintaining and enhancing system functionality over time. This dedicated support helps our clients focus on strategic business activities while we handle the technical details, driving efficiency and innovation in customer service operations.
For additional information, refer page – OFS 24D Release Notes.
Author: Alf Martin