Update 19C

Revision History

Overview

This guide outlines the information you need to know about new or improved functionality in this update.

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Administration

Removal of Legacy Access to API

The deprecated setting, Allow legacy access via API using user login and password, has been removed from the User Types screen with Update 19C.

Customers are advised to use the Client_ID/Secret authentication or OAuth 2.0 authentication. You can configure these options  using the Configuration, Applications option. To ensure that your integrations continue to operate after Update 19C (August 2019), we strongly encourage you to migrate to the Client_ID/Secret authentication or OAuth 2.0 authentication between now and the end of July 2019. If you are using a SOAP API, you must replace the login with the Client ID and the password with the client secret when generating the user node.

Android and iOS Applications

Disable Route Activation if Geolocation Is Not Enabled on Device

Starting with Update 19C, there is a new setting that allows administrators to Disable route activation, if the field resource is not sharing their location. This is configurable by user type.

APIs

OAuth2 Token Service Compliance

Starting with Update 19C, a new endpoint (/rest/oauthTokenService/v2/token) is added to the OAuth2 Token Service API. The new endpoint returns the access token in the access_token field in compliance with the RFC 6749 - The OAuth 2.0 Authorization Framework standard.

Collaboration

Field Collaboration User-Interface Improvements

As part of Update 19C, the following usability and UI improvements are made in the Collaboration interface for Core Application and Mobility modules:

• Users can now click a URL and navigate to a web page from a chat window.
• Users now have better readability for large amount of text, since the Collaboration message box expands automatically with a scroll option.
• Users can view the unread message count for new messages on the Collaboration icon in chats. If the user refreshes the browser, or logs in again, the total number of unread messages from all chats is displayed in the unread message count.

Further, if an operator transfers a chat to the same helpdesk, or to any other helpdesk, then the message is treated as a new message and is notified in the Helpdesk window.

Communication

MD5 Authentication Support Removal for Delivery Channels

From Update 19C onward, the Disable Weak Password option is removed for delivery channels and the SHA256 algorithm is used for secured authentication.

• If the delivery channels of clients are configured with the Weak Password Hashing (MD5) algorithm for Outbound API integrations then the integrations will now use the SHA256 algorithm for secured authentication.
• If the delivery channels of clients are not configured with the Weak Password Hashing (MD5) algorithm for Outbound API integrations then the integrations will not be impacted.

Core Application

Dashboard Tiles – Resize Option

Starting with Update 19C, users have the option to resize Dashboard tiles in Core Application. A resize handler is available on the Dashboards page to enable users to increase or decrease the size. This option is available only in ‘Configure current dashboard’ mode.

Estimate Travel Time to First Activity Using Real-Time Data

Starting with Update 19C, travel time between the field resource's current location and/or Start Location to the first activity in the route for current day will be updated with real-time travel information, when available, for subscribers of Oracle Field Service Cloud Enterprise with Google Maps.

Groups and Favorite Resources Improvements

Starting with Update 19C, Dispatch Console users can group specific resources from the Resource Tree and save them as favorites, to have quick access to them. Having quick access helps users avoid scrolling up and down the entire resource tree to find a needed bucket or technician.

Legacy Manage – Users can create the Favorites group. Users can mark the desired resources in the tree as Favorites. All resources marked as Favorites are shown at the top of the Resource Tree with a star symbol. However, users cannot create multiple Favorites groups.

Dispatch Console/Calendar/Map (Core Application) – Users can create groups within the Favorites group and add the required resources.

Inventory List Improvements

Starting with Update 19C, the Inventory List screen is simplified to improve the usability. The screen lets Core Application users using a desktop or a large device to view inventory information in a table-like format.

Localization of Biometric Messages and Support of Face ID

Starting with Update 19C, all the messages and buttons on the biometric ID (fingerprint) dialogs are localized and translated to all supported languages. This feature is available for the user’s selected language when using iOS and /or Android apps.

In addition, from Update 19C, users can log in to the Installed application using the Face ID recognition rather than providing username and password for each login. As of now, this option is available only for iOS users.

Search Preferences Improvements

Starting with Update 19C, the Search function in the Core Application has the ability to save the Effective Date for search preferences. This means, your selection for the Date field on the Search Preferences dialog is retained even after you re-login or refresh the page.

Segmentable Activity and Extended Duration Support

Earlier, the term ‘multi-day activity’ was used to identify activities that can be carried over to the next day, or the activities that can be split into segments and managed individually. Now the term ‘multi-day activity’ is deprecated and the term ‘segmentable activity’ is used. Activity type with enabled segmenting and extended duration support (segmentable activity) is intended to be used for field work that must be split into segments before scheduling and assigning them to technicians. The technicians' work allows to plan the coming work-stack in terms of individual segments for a given segmentable activity.

Integration

Sample Reports and Dashboards in Oracle Analytical Cloud

With Update 19C, Oracle Field Service Cloud-Oracle Analytical Cloud integration offers new reports, data visualization projects, sample reports, and dashboards as reference. These reports and dashboards help you learn how to use Oracle Field Service Cloud raw data in Oracle Analytical Cloud to get different insights about your business. Oracle Field Service Cloud sample data models and reports will be shared with customers through OTN as a '.bar' form.

Routing

Improve Routing on Mobility

With update 19C, the look and feel of Routing screen tabs have been greatly improved to provide easy access on all the devices such as mobile phones and all screen sizes.

The Routing screen includes these changes:

• Add/Edit Routing plan dialogs are now accessible from mobile devices.
• A new text field Routing Plan Description can be used to populate notes about the intended usage of the routing plan.
• A new section Compatibility Parameters displays those parameters that are not yet deprecated, but are not recommended to use.
• New values for Start day for activity processing allows to run routing for activities scheduled at 2, 3, or 4 weeks in the future.
• Some translations are updated.

Segmentable Activities Assignment Using Bulk Routing

Earlier, you could assign multi-day activities to a resource either moving the activity manually or through Immediate Routing. Starting update 19C,  you can also route multi-day activities using Bulk Routing. Whether you route the multi-day activity from the bucket using Immediate Routing or Bulk Routing, the assignment rules are the same; the routing plan (Immediate or Bulk Routing) either assigns the whole activity to a single resource, or leaves it in the bucket.

Scheduled Immediate Routing

With the Update 19C, you can now restrict the time period when activities can be routed through a particular Immediate Routing plan using the new Start time and End time fields. This can be useful to meet specific business needs, such as using an Immediate Routing plan only during normal work hours (for example 7 AM to 7 PM), but not after business hours.