Navigating Customer Self-Service

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to activate and configure the Customer Self-Service application in SAP Field Service Management.

Introduction to the Navigation of Customer Self-Service

Unit 8: Key Topics

In the next unit, we will explore the Self-Service module of the SAP Field Service Management (FSM), which is designed for end customers to initiate service calls and track the status of their equipment and service call history.

This module empowers customers by providing them quick access to information and issue resolution capabilities. The key topics are as follows:

  1. Overview of FSM Customer Self-Service: Understand how customers can use this feature to initiate service calls, and monitor their equipment and service call history.

  2. Accessing the Self-Service Portal: Investigate the two ways customers can access the portal: by scanning a QR code on the equipment or directly using a browser.

  3. QR Code Scanning: Understand the prerequisites and use cases for QR code scanning, a feature that allows customers to quickly access data related to specific equipment.

  4. Setting Up Customer Self-Service: Learn the steps to activate and configure the Customer Self-Service application within the FSM, including the set-up of scope and permissions for different user roles.

  5. Moments and Moment Sets: Explore how moments (action or dialog options) can be configured and strategically grouped into Moment Sets to create efficient service request flows.

  6. Pairing QR Codes and Assigning Moment Sets: Learn to link QR codes with specific equipment and how to assign the appropriate Moment Sets to an equipment for optimal user experience.

  7. User Onboarding and Management: Gain insights on how to create and manage users of the Customer Self-Service portal, including defining contact details and associating business partners with user accounts.

Overview Customer Self-Service

The Self Service module is intended for use by the end-customer.

Most modules in SAP Field Service Management are intended for use by dispatchers and technicians. However, the Self Service module is for the end-customer.

FSM Customer Self Service allows your customers to easily and efficiently initiate service calls and seeing the status of their equipment- and service call history.

The Customer Self-Service application is currently in maintenance mode. While SAP continues to support the current functionality in its entirety, there are no plans to add new features to this version of the application.

The Self Service UI consists of a portal (optimized for desktops/laptops) and a chat assistant (optimized for mobile devices).

The self-service functionality is a web-based UI for all devices (desktop or mobile). The UI consists of a portal (for desktops/laptops) and a chat assistant (for mobile devices).

Take note that the chat assistant (also called "Moments") is not an intelligent chatbot, but rather script-based with a fixed flow of questions and answers.

Image showing a typical self-service process flow for requesting a new service on the portal.

There are two ways for an end customer to enter the customer self-service portal:

  1. By scanning a QR code on the equipment: The QR code contains a short URL which is specific for the equipment. By navigating to the URL from a browser, it will directly jump to the chat assistant. The chat assistant then allows the customer to access various functions.
  2. By accessing the customer portal from a browser: The user lands on a portal for their organization, where they can see list views of their equipments and service calls. From there, they can check the detailed information for these objects or create new service calls.

The figure shows a typical self-service process flow for requesting a new service on the portal.

Customers can use QR codes to quickly access the data relevant to an equipment.

Customers can use QR codes to quickly access the data relevant to an equipment. The QR code contains an equipment-specific URL, generated by the FSM Cloud. The QR codes can be printed and attached to the equipment. When necessary, an end customer can scan the code and access the chat assistant to get more information about the equipment or to create a service call.

QR-code scanning prerequisites and use cases:

  • clear business partner-to-equipment relation is optimal for this functionality. This enables registered users to access the chat assistant as well as the Self Service Portal.
  • The QR-code scanning functionality requires that each equipment is given a unique QR-code sticker.
  • Attaching individual codes to each equipment is quite an effort and therefore not suitable for use cases where the service provider does not visit the equipment frequently.
  • Therefore, the QR code scanning scenario is best suited to use cases with a limited number of equipments and a high service frequency. This has to be considered when presenting this solution to customers (Field Service Management account owners).
A customer must have the necessary credentials as well as at least one equipment to log in to the Self Service Portal.

The minimum requirements for business partners having access to the Self Service Portal are as follows:

  • The business partner must have at least one equipment.
  • The end user needs to have a login.
  • Creating a login requires a valid e-mail address.

Access to these features is controlled with user access management. The access to the chat assistant ("Moments") can also be allowed for anonymous users. Please note that allowing anonymous access requires careful assessments of the implications for data security and GDPR compliance.

Image showing a typical self-service process flow by using the chat assistant.

The figure above shows a typical self-service process flow by using the chat assistant. After having scanned the QR code, the user can access the chat assistant via a short URL. The chat assistant is optimized for the small screen of mobile devices. The user is asked to authenticate, after which the assistant shows the options that have been configured by an FSM administrator.

Customer Self-Service: Setup and Configuration

Before Self Service can be set up and used, it must first be activated. To enable the Customer Self-Service application, please complete the following steps:

  1. Navigate to the Admin console console of your company.
  2. Select the Self-Service Access option from the navigation menu on the left-hand side.
  3. In the Self-Service Access screen, choose the Enable button below your company URL.
Configuration of self-service is done in the Field Service Management shell.

Configuration of self-service is done in the Field Service Management shell: Settings and Configuration → Customer Self Service. You will need admin permission to work with these functions.

The Partner Portal has various configurable branding options.

The configuration of branding for the Partner Portal is straightforward and supports the following elements:

  • Main color and accent color
  • Company logo
  • Background image for the portal
  • Avatar for the chat assistant

The changes will take effect as soon as they are confirmed/saved.

Some branding options also apply to the chat assistant.

The above figure shows how the branding options appear in the chat assistant. The main color is applied to the header, while the accent colors are applied to various information symbols and buttons. The avatar appears next to each message from the chat assistant.

A possible action or dialog option for customers is called a Moment.

A possible action or dialog option for customers is called aMoment. Each Moment consists of one of various possible interaction options, each having their own configurable parameters. The following types of Moments are supported:

  • Equipment Details: used to view important information related to the equipment.
  • Call Number: used to prompt customers to call a number.
  • Open URL: used to prompt customers to navigate to a URL.
  • Request a Service: used to prompt users to create a Service Call, by entering problem description, time, location, contact information etc.

All of these Moments are available in the chat assistant. Only the Request Service moment is available on the portal.

Each moment type has different configurable properties.

While the Moment types are predefined, each moment type has different configurable properties. For example, for the Request Service moment, you can define a default job duration, whether you want the customer to select job priority level, or how many time slots you want the system to propose.

Moments are grouped into Moment Sets. Moment Sets can be specific to the different outlets and to different equipment.

Moments are grouped into Moment Sets. Different Moment Sets can be defined for the portal or for the chat assistant. Moment Sets for the chat assistant can be assigned to specific equipments. This way, you can set up different features for end customers, depending on the channel or depending on the equipment they are using self service for. For example, a possible use case for this is to define different behavior for the creation of service calls, depending on whether the portal or the chat assistant is used, or depending on the equipment type.

Moment Sets can either apply to the Portal or to the Chat Assistant.

Moment Sets can either apply to the Portal or to the Chat Assistant.. This way, you can create and manage the dialog options that are displayed in a given service assistant scenario.

A Moment Set can be assigned to specific equipments.

Once you have created the moment set, you can associate the moment set with an equipment record on the QR Codes screen.

To enable the chat assistant for an equipment, it must be linked to a QR code.

To enable the chat assistant for an equipment, it must be linked to a QR code which contains a short URL that points to the chat assistant. Then, the appropriate Moment Set can be linked to the equipment. The process is as follows:

  1. navigate to the FSM start screen (Shell) and choose Customer Self Service.
  2. On the QR Codes tab, choose Create QR Codes to generate the short URLs
  3. In the dialog box, select the amount of short URLs that should be created.
  4. Choose Create. The QR code URLs are added to the list.
  5. To pair the QR code with an equipment or item, you can choose from the following options:
    • On the QR Codes tab, select the QR code from the list, and then choose Pair in the right sidebar and select the equipment that you want to pair
    • On the Equipment tab, go to the equipment that you want to pair and choose Pair in the right sidebar
    The equipment is now automatically paired with an available QR code and with the default moment set. If you choose this option, you can skip the rest of the following steps
  6. Go to the Equipment tab
  7. From the list, select the equipment that you have paired
  8. In the right sidebar, under the context menu, chooseAssign Moment Set
  9. In the dialog box, select the moment set
  10. Choose Save.

The QR code, containing the short URL, is now paired with the equipment and the moment set is assigned to the equipment. This means that the end customer can now you the features you defined. You can later unpair the paired QR codes by choosing Unpair in the right sidebar.

When an equipment does not have any moment-set assigned to it, a default moment-set is used.

When an equipment does not have any moment-set assigned to it, a default moment-set is used. You can also set one of your custom moment sets as default.

User Onboarding

On the User Management screen, you can create and manage the users of the Customer Self-Service portal. You find the screen in the Customer Self-Service application on the FSM start screen ("Shell").

When you create a new user, you can define not only the contact details but also the business partner that is linked to the user account. By doing this, the user can then view all the equipment as well as the service calls related to the business partner in the portal.

To create a new user, perform the following steps:

  1. On the screen, choose Create: the Create dialog box is displayed.
  2. In the dialog box, fill in the contact details and select the business partner associated with the user.
  3. Choose Create.
To facilitate inviting many customers, the customer records can be uploaded in bulk.

To facilitate inviting many customers, the customer records can be uploaded in bulk instead of being created manually by the Field Service Management admin.by uploading a .csv file. The .csv file contains the relevant information for the users that you want to import.

  1. On the screen, choose Import User:
  2. Choose between the following options:
    • Select or drag an existing csv file from a folder.
    • Choose Download Template to download our template for the csv file. From there, open the template and edit or add the users and business partners data. Once you are done, you can drag the file.
  3. Choose Import .csv.

From here, you can perform different actions, for example, send the invitation email to the users so they become active users.

When you have created a Self Service user, you can send an invitation email with the link for them to activate the account.

There users can be in 1 of 2 statuses:

  • Pending
  • Active

When you create a new user, this user automatically has the Pending status. Active or "registered" users are full accounts and have a login to the portal and assistant. To activate the pending user, there are two options

  • Once you have created a user, you can send an invitation email with the link for them to activate the account.
  • Users can also trigger this email by themselves if they try to login without having activated their user before. If the system detects a login attempt with an email address of a user in the Pending status, it will present the user the option to send themselves an invitation email to activate their account. This is useful, for example, if you import many users at once and do not want to send out emails to all those users.
After receiving the invitation e-mail, the customer creates their user account.

After receiving the invitation e-mail, the customer creates their user account. End users can edit their own contact information and their password in the Self Service Portal

How to Administrate a Self-Service

DemoStart Demo

Challenge Question: Navigating Customer Self-Service

Challenge Yourself: Putting Your Knowledge to the test.

In this lesson, you'll have the opportunity to apply the concepts and knowledge you've gained throughout the unit. We've designed an engaging Challenge Question that will put your critical thinking skills to work. Take a moment to reflect on what you've learned, and then use that understanding to craft your own unique solution to the question at hand.

To make the most of this exercise, we encourage you to write down your answer on a separate piece of paper. This will help you organize your thoughts and measure your learning progress. Once you've completed your answer, compare it to the expert response provided. This will give you valuable insight into how well you've grasped the material and where you might need to focus your attention for further growth.

Remember, this is an opportunity to apply your understanding in a practical way, so don't hesitate to think creatively and explore different approaches. Your active participation in this lesson will reinforce your learning and prepare you for success in the real world.

Scenario:

You are a Service Manager at a midsized machinery manufacturer that extensively uses SAP Field Service Management.

Due to heightened focus on the customer experience, you've been asked to activate and customize the FSM Customer Self-Service module, in order to empower your customers and enhance their service experience. Here are your tasks:

Task:

  1. 1. Describe your new goals in terms of customer experience and how implementing FSM Customer Self-Service contributes to it.

  2. Elaborate on the process of enabling and configuring the FSM Customer Self-Service portal.

  3. Illustrate how you would set up "Moments" and "Moment Sets" for the chat assistant for efficient service request flow.

  4. Explain how you would link QR codes with specific equipment and assign relevant "Moment Sets".

  5. Discuss the strategy for a smooth user onboarding process in the Self-Service portal.

Expert Consultant Response

  1. The goal is to provide a self-service option for customers allowing them to easily log service calls, check the status of their equipment, and view service call history. Implementing FSM Customer Self-Service gives more control to customers over their service journey, will likely improve customer satisfaction.

  2. To enable and configure the FSM Customer Self-Service portal, you need to navigate to the Admin Console and the Self-Service Access option. Choose Enable, which activates the application. Then, the configuration is done through Settings and Configuration → Customer Self Service.

  3. Moments and Moment sets can be set up through the Customer Self Service settings. Moments or dialog options can include Equipment Details, Call Number, Open URL, Request a Service and more. These Moments are grouped into Moment Sets, providing appropriate workflow interactions for different service scenarios.

  4. QR codes would be linked by navigating to the FSM Start Screen → Customer Self Service → QR codes tab → Create QR Codes to generate URLs specific for each equipment. To assign a Moment Set, select the equipment, choose Assign Moment Set, select the set, and then save.

  5. User onboarding will involve creating accounts for each customer or importing in bulk using a .csv file. A business partner must be linked to each user account. After the creation of the user profile, an invitation email can be sent to the customer to activate their account. The customer Self-Service portal allows customers to update their contact information and passwords.

Lesson Recap

The key elements covered in this lesson were designed to provide an understanding of the SAP Field Service Management (FSM) Customer Self-Service module.

  1. We started with an Overview of the Self-Service module and recognized how it allows customers to initiate service calls, and monitor their equipment and service histories, which ultimately enhances the customer experience.

  2. Then we examined ways to access the Self-Service Portal, either by scanning a QR code on the equipment or by accessing it directly using a browser on a desktop/laptop or a chat assistant on mobile devices.

  3. We discussed the concept of QR Code Scanning and learned about its prerequisites and use cases. We understood how QR codes provide a quick and efficient way for customers to access data relevant to their equipment.

  4. In the discussion on Setting Up& Configuration, we found out the steps to activate, configure, and customize the Customer Self-Service module, including setting up permissions and access levels for different user roles.

  5. Moments and Moment Sets was a critical topic. Moments refer to actions or dialogue options, and Moment Sets are groups of Moments that create an efficient flow for requesting services.

  6. We also explored the process to Pair QR Codes and Assigning Moment Sets, understanding how these are linked to specific types of equipment to provide a tailored user experience.

  7. Finally, the User Onboarding process discussed how to create and manage users of the Customer Self-Service portal, associate users with business partners, and allow them to view associated equipment and service calls.

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