Introduction to Field Service Management

In the world of customer service and field support, efficiency and convenience are paramount. The integration of Zuper and Freshdesk seamlessly bridges the gap between support requests and on-site jobs, offering a comprehensive solution that enhances the entire service journey. By combining the strengths of both platforms, it streamlines the entire service journey, from ticket creation to job completion. With automation, real-time tracking, and effortless data synchronization, this integration ensures that businesses can provide a top-notch service experience to their customers.


Enabling FSM

In this guide, you’ll learn how to enable the Field Service Management in Freshdesk, add field technicians, service groups, create and manage service tasks, and empower your field technicians with an app on the field.

To enable the FSM app in Freshdesk, you will require admin access in Freshdesk. If you are the account owner, you will have admin access by default.


Setting up Field Service Management in Freshdesk with Zuper

  1. Login to your Freshdesk portal as an Administrator

  2. Go to Admin > Support Operations > Field Service Management

  3. Click on 'Enable' to enable Field Service Management for your account

  4. Go to Support Operations > Apps > Zuper FSM, and click Install. 


Setting up Freshdesk ticketing in Zuper 

To integrate Freshdesk ticketing with Zuper, use the following steps:


  1. Access your Zuper dashboard.

  2. Find and click on the Freshdesk Integration settings.

  3. Connect your Freshdesk account.

  4. Authenticate by providing your Freshdesk API key and subdomain.

  5. Customize your synchronization preferences, specifying what data elements to sync.

  6. Configure custom field labeling for consistent data matching.

  7. Define how you want ticket resolutions to be handled in Freshdesk when a job is marked as completed in Zuper.


Convert a Ticket-to-Job:

Imagine a scenario where a pressure washer malfunctions, leaving a customer in a lurch. In the Freshdesk environment, as a support agent, you can register the issue as a ticket, initiating the service process. However, after conducting remote troubleshooting, it becomes evident that a field visit is required to resolve the problem.


Support agents or field technicians can create service tasks that are: 


  1. independent, i.e., not associated with a support ticket.

  2. a part of a parent ticket — i.e., as a child service task of a parent ticket).

  3. created under another service task — as a child service task of a service task.


Independent service tasks are labeled as ‘Service Tasks’ while service tasks associated with a support ticket or another service task are labeled as ‘Child Service Tasks.’


Creating a job

With a single click, you can convert the ticket into a job in Zuper. This swift transition eliminates the need for manual data entry and ensures that all essential information is seamlessly transferred from Freshdesk to Zuper. This includes the job title, priority level, tags, and other relevant details.


  1. Click "Create Job" to open the job creation form in the Zuper widget located in the right-side panel. This will seamlessly open the job creation form in the Zuper widget.

  2. All the essential information from the original Freshdesk ticket is automatically prepopulated, including the job title, description, due date, tags, and priority. 

  3. You can choose to add more details and pass on additional context to your field technicians.

  4. You can select the job category, which can include organization information, installation, maintenance, and repair. 

  5. They can also schedule dates for the visit using assisted scheduling

  6. If necessary, you can create multiple jobs for a single ticket and efficiently handle complex service scenarios.


Assisted Scheduling:

When you click on “choose slots,” you have the option of manually selecting the service date or you can do so using Assisted Scheduling. 

 


  1. As an agent, you can select a date, resource view, and team for dispatching the job using the assisted scheduling feature. 

  2. A technician is automatically assigned to the job, and the customer's details are effortlessly associated with the task.

  3. The customer's address is auto-populated. 

  4. For scenarios with multiple customer properties, select the relevant property. If a different address is needed, it can be picked using the "Pick from Map" feature.


Geo Coordinates: Note that picking an address from a map captures Geo coordinates, which might be essential for tracking while prefilling the address from contact information might not include Geo coordinates.


Contract and Part Selection:

  1. You can choose the appropriate asset associated with the customer, e.g., "Pressure Washer."

  2. Select the relevant contract for the job. The contracts are filtered based on the selected asset. 

  3. You can choose parts for the job, check the available quantity, and specify the location.


Sync Custom Field:

Custom fields play a crucial role in service customization. The integration ensures that custom fields between Freshdesk tickets and Zuper jobs are in sync. If a corresponding custom field exists, the values are automatically pre-filled, eliminating the need for redundant data entry. This feature streamlines the process and ensures data consistency.


Viewing and Managing Jobs

You can access a full-page embedded app within Freshdesk to view and manage jobs and assets created within Zuper.

The integration allows you to associate jobs with specific tickets and contacts, making it easy to access related field service information.


Performing automations

Based on the field synced from the field agent app, agents can change the ticket status to be closed or resolved.


Assets and Jobs Dashboard

The Kanban dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of jobs and assets. 

You can access this from the left panel by clicking on the Zuper FSM icon. 


Field Service Management in Zuper

As the field technician is dispatched, the support agent in Freshdesk gains real-time visibility into the technician's location. This not only aids in informing the customer but also enhances the overall service experience. The support agent can monitor the technician's current location, the customer's destination and even receive real-time updates on the technician's estimated time of arrival (ETA).


Job creation in Zuper

  1. Freshdesk ID is the linking field between the Zuper job and the Freshdesk ticket.

  2. The Zuper job provides real-time information on the technician's current location and the customer's location, including distance and ETA for the technician's arrival.

  3. Once the technician arrives at the customer's location and starts the job, the status can be updated in Zuper, e.g., "Work Started."

  4. Technicians can add notes and attachments, including annotated images, to keep a comprehensive record of the job. The Freshdesk agent can view all the details. 


Real-time Note Sync

 Notes added in Freshdesk are pushed to Zuper and vice versa in real-time, ensuring that both systems stay updated with the latest information. Note addition and sync between Zuper and Freshdesk (both directions)

Attachments, annotations, signatures, and notes are all synced in real time.



Automatic Resolution

 When the technician marks the job as "Work Completed" in Zuper, the Freshdesk ticket is automatically marked as resolved. The end date and time, along with the customer's signature, are captured.


Automation Integration

Zuper status updates are captured in Freshdesk fields, allowing for automation triggers based on these status changes.