Resources and resource data

In field service, resources are primarily the employees in the field (service technicians, commissioning engineers, engineers, etc.), but can also be other units scheduled for assignments, such as workshop employees, vehicles, tools, or measuring devices. In the traditional sense, however, the term “human resources” is usually used. Efficient resource management is at the heart of FSM, as the right people with the right skills must be in the right place at the right time.

Resource data is all information stored in the system about these resources that is relevant for planning and execution. For a human resource (e.g., technician Max Mustermann), this includes, among other things:

• Master data: Name, personnel number, contact information. Also affiliation to location/team.
• Qualifications/skills: What areas of expertise does the technician have? Certificates, experience, languages. This data is important for filtering who is suitable for a job.
• Availability: Contractual working hours, vacation times, planned absences. This data is included in the planning so that only available times are scheduled.
• Capacity: The capacity of a resource per day is often stored in the system. This is used to calculate utilization. Some systems allow part-time models or shift schedules to be stored.
• Location/address: Where does the technician typically start, relevant for travel time calculation and geo-planning.
• Cost rate: Hourly rate stored for internal evaluations to calculate internal costs or contribution margins per assignment.
• Equipment: Some FSM systems also keep track of which service vehicle someone has or which tools they carry with them. This can be relevant for special equipment.
• Assigned orders: The resource naturally has links in the system to the assignments assigned to it. This is dynamic: when the dispatcher plans an assignment, the resource is entered and the order then appears in its calendar.
• History: Which projects/assignments has the resource already worked on? For traceability and possible customer preferences.
• Vaccinations/health certificates & visas: In international assignments or special industries, technicians must have certain certificates. This ensures that only suitable persons are sent to certain countries or to certain facilities.
• Other special features: e.g., whether someone can be scheduled for emergency service, what language they speak, or whether they are a trainee/experienced. Preferences can also be stored informally.

All this resource data is stored in the FSM system and should ideally be up to date. The data is usually maintained by the personnel dispatcher or administrator. Changes, such as new skills acquired after training, planned vacations, or company car changes, should be entered promptly as they have a direct impact on planning.

In addition to planning, resource data is also used for reporting and further development: For example, you can evaluate which skills were most frequently requested and use this information to justify investments in training. Or you can track how often an employee has been abroad during the year and take this into account in performance reviews.

In summary: Resources are the real players in field service, and resource data is their digital representation with all their relevant characteristics. The quality of this data significantly determines the quality of planning and ultimately the quality of service provided to the customer.