Cloud Readiness / Oracle Field Service
New Feature Summary
  1. Update 19D
  1. Revision History
  2. Overview
    1. Administration
        1. Data Retention Period Configuration
        2. Visual Form Editor Configuration Improvements
        3. Forms and Plugins Screen Improvements
    2. Android and iOS Applications
        1. Collaboration Notifications in iOS App
    3. APIs
        1. Find Matching Resources for Segmentable Activities
        2. Retrieve the Configuration of a Work Zone Key
        3. Retrieve and Update Activity Types and Activity Type Groups
    4. Collaboration
        1. Collaboration User Interface and Usability Improvements
        2. Video Call in Collaboration
    5. Core Application
        1. Ability to Resume Screen Completion from Draft
        2. Month View Improvements
        3. Non-Scheduled Activity Map Markers
        4. Presenting Forms on Landing Page
        5. Route Map: Select Activity to Schedule
        6. Where Is My Technician
        7. Optimization of Screen Layouts on Big Monitors
    6. Integration
        1. New Warning Messages in Outbound Channels
        2. Oracle Field Service Cloud - Oracle Knowledge Advanced Integration
    7. Routing
        1. Optimization of Travel Within a Single Route
        2. Alter Automatic Ordering for a Routing Plan

Update 19D

Revision History

This document will continue to evolve as existing sections change and new information is added. All updates appear in the following table:

Date Feature Notes
13 DEC 2019

Visual Form Editor Configuration Improvements

Updated document. Revised feature information.
18 OCT 2019 Optimization of Screen Layouts on Big Monitors Updated document. Delivered feature in update 19D.
18 OCT 2019 Alter Automatic Ordering for a Routing Plan Updated document. Revised feature information.
30 SEP 2019   Created initial document.

Overview

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

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this document may include statements about Oracle’s product development plans. Many factors can materially affect Oracle’s product development plans and the nature and timing of future product releases. Accordingly, this Information is provided to you solely for information only, is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.

This information may not be incorporated into any contractual agreement with Oracle or its subsidiaries or affiliates. Oracle specifically disclaims any liability with respect to this information. Refer to the Legal Notices and Terms of Use for further information.

Administration

Data Retention Period Configuration

Starting with update 19D, you can configure the retention periods, ranging from 1-90 days, for different sets of data in the application. These include:

  • Activity, Inventory, Service Request and History Information
  • Resource Location History
  • Collaboration History
  • Daily Extract files  

You can use the Retention Period section on the Business Rules screen to configure this.

Visual Form Editor Configuration Improvements

Starting with update 19D, the Visual Form Editor is improved with these features:

  • The left panel includes New Element, Data Fields, and a Content Navigator to show all the configurations used in the layout. 
  • Different icons show different types of elements added to the form.
  • Users can filter within a section.
  • Users can drag-and-drop an element.

The process of binding form elements to data sources is also simplified. Users can select data sources from the automatically-suggested options and search for data sources.

Forms and Plugins Screen Improvements

Starting with update 19D, you can view the count of action links that you have configured for each form, on the Forms & Plugins screen. You can click the counter and see the details about where the form or plugin is configured, grouped by user type.

Android and iOS Applications

Collaboration Notifications in iOS App

Starting with update 19D, Collaboration messages and events appear in the notification center as badges for the users of Oracle Field Service Cloud installed iOS Application.

APIs

Find Matching Resources for Segmentable Activities

Starting with update 19D, a new response parameter, 'estimatedCompleteDate' is added to the 'findMatchingResources' operation to support segmentable activities.

Retrieve the Configuration of a Work Zone Key

With update 19D, a new endpoint is added to the Metadata API to retrieve the configuration of a work zone key.

Retrieve and Update Activity Types and Activity Type Groups

Starting with update 19D, the Metadata API is enhanced to retrieve and update activity types and activity type groups.

Collaboration

Collaboration User Interface and Usability Improvements

Starting with update 19D, the Collaboration module includes these changes:

  • The Start screen of the Collaboration window has been improved.
  • Collaboration users can add a conference room name or edit an existing conference room name.
  • The Broadcast option is available in the Core Application for helpdesk operators.
  • The Collaboration module includes several user interface style and formatting updates that modernize the look and feel.

Video Call in Collaboration

Starting with update 19D, Video Chat is available to subscribers of Oracle Field Service Cloud Enterprise. Video is available as part of Collaboration.

Core Application

Ability to Resume Screen Completion from Draft

Starting with update 19D, you can save a partially filled form as a first draft. When you accesses the same form the next time, you can restore the draft and resume filling the information. When you submits the form, the draft is not available for future use.

You can configure drafts for Forms and Tabs on the Activity details, Resource Inventory, and User screens in Core Application and the Installed Application (for Android and iOS platforms) only.

Month View Improvements

Starting with update 19D, you can view on-call shifts and activity labels on the Month view. A telephone icon shows the on-call shifts.

Non-Scheduled Activity Map Markers

Starting with update 19D, you can define map markers to differentiate between activities. These markers are displayed on the Route map—Scheduling layer and Dispatch Console map—for not-assigned and non-scheduled activities. Marker configurations are not applicable for activities on an individual resource's route.

Presenting Forms on Landing Page

Starting with update 19D, Forms configured in Oracle Field Service Cloud are displayed on the Landing Page. The Form links appear as separate tiles on the Landing page. Users can configure the Forms from the Activity List context layout structure for the selected User Type.

Route Map: Select Activity to Schedule

Starting with update 19D, you can pick and assign activities in an easy manner, using the Scheduling Layer on the Route map. Activities within the same location or close to each other are clustered into one marker with a thick border. You can select one or more activities when working with clustered activities.

Where Is My Technician

Starting with update 19D, you can provide your customers the ability to track the status of their activities. You can provide a tracking URL, through which your customers can view the details such as the technician’s location in near real-time, delivery window, and service address. This feature is available only if you have an Oracle Field Service Cloud Professional or an Oracle Field Service Cloud Enterprise subscription with Google Maps. The feature is not yet available for your subscriptions with Oracle Maps at this time.

Optimization of Screen Layouts on Big Monitors

This feature improves user experience for users running Core application on different kind of devices. For large computer monitors, the application introduces optimized screen layouts that will present more information on a single screen. For users that utilize Core application on mobile devices, it remains optimized for touch interaction. Dispatchers operating in Dispatch console can perform easier search and complete typical flows with the minimum number of clicks.

Integration

New Warning Messages in Outbound Channels

The Outbound Integration page has been enhanced with update 19D. It displays new error messages or warning messages related to Oracle Analytical Cloud (OAC) and Oracle Database as a Service (DBaaS) integration.

Oracle Field Service Cloud - Oracle Knowledge Advanced Integration

Earlier, a single user account was used to authenticate the Oracle Field Service Cloud – Oracle Knowledge Advanced (OKA) integration. OKA reports always showed this single user and thereby, made it difficult to identify the actual users who accessed the OKA service from Oracle Field Service Cloud.

With update 19D, the PTA authentication support has been added, allowing each user to be unique. This change enables OKA reports to show the details of the actual user who is currently accessing the OKA service from Oracle Field Service Cloud.

Routing

Optimization of Travel Within a Single Route

Earlier, travel could not be optimized within a single route by changing the order of activities. With update 19D, Routing allows you to optimize travels within a single route, by reordering activities within the route. In this case, Routing does not allow you to reassign them to another resource.

Alter Automatic Ordering for a Routing Plan

Starting update 19D, the Automatic Ordering feature is renamed as Not Ordered Activity Behavior. In addition to Order or Not Order, you can select the Order by filter option in the Not Ordered Activity Behavior field in the Add or Edit Routing Plan dialog.