Dynamics 365 Field Service : Perform time entry

In the world of field service management, tracking how much time technicians spend on each job is critical for understanding cost, improving productivity, and ensuring accurate customer billing. Dynamics 365 Field Service makes this process seamless with its Time Entry feature.

In this blog, we’ll dive deep into how Time Entry works, why it matters, and how your field technicians and back-office teams can use it efficiently.

What is Time Entry in Dynamics 365 Field Service?

Time Entry refers to logging the time a technician spends on work order-related activities—such as travel, on-site repair, inspection, or administrative tasks. These time logs are crucial for:

•  Billing: Charging customers accurately for labor hours.
•  Payroll: Calculating technician compensation.
•  Analytics: Understanding technician efficiency and operational costs.
•  Compliance: Keeping accurate records for audits and contracts.

Dynamics 365 Field Service supports both manual and automatic time entry modes, depending on how your organization configures it.

Where Do Time Entries Happen?

Time entries in Field Service are typically associated with:

•  Work Orders
•  Bookings (Schedule Board appointments)
•  Resources (Technicians)

Time entries can be created:

•  Manually by a technician using Field Service Mobile
•  Automatically via system rules when booking statuses change
•  By supervisors or dispatchers in the back office via the web app

Types of Time Entries

Dynamics 365 Field Service supports different Time Entry Types, which help categorize logged time:

1. Work – Time spent actively working on a job

2. Travel – Time taken to travel to the service location

3. Break – Rest time or lunch breaks

4. Training – Time spent on training or upskilling

5. Meeting – Internal team discussions or customer meetings

6. Other – Miscellaneous time spent

These categories help organizations understand where technician hours are being consumed.

Automatic vs Manual Time Entry

Automatic Time Entry

With automation enabled (via settings), Dynamics 365 can automatically create time entries based on booking status changes. For example:

•  When a technician marks a booking as "In Progress", a Work time entry is started.
•  When they mark it as "Completed", the time entry is ended and logged.

This ensures consistency and reduces manual effort but requires accurate status updates by technicians.

Manual Time Entry

In scenarios where more control or detail is required, technicians can manually enter time through:

•  Field Service Mobile App
•  Web Interface

They can specify:

•  Start and end times
•  Time entry type
•  Notes for clarity
•  Association with specific work orders or bookings

How a Technician Performs Time Entry (Step-by-Step)

Here's a simple example of a manual time entry process using the Field Service Mobile App:

1. Open the Mobile App and navigate to the scheduled booking.

2. Start the booking timer when you begin work (or choose to add a time entry manually).

3. Click Time Entries tab on the booking screen.

4. Tap + New Time Entry.

5. Fill in details:

• Start Time / End Time
• Time Entry Type (Work, Travel, etc.)
• Notes (optional but helpful)

6. Save the time entry.

7. Repeat for other time blocks (e.g., travel, lunch break, etc.).

Back Office Use: Reviewing and Approving Time Entries

Back-office users (like managers or dispatchers) can:

•  View time entries from the Time Entries section of the Field Service app.
•  Filter and analyze by technician, date, or type.
•  Approve or reject time entries if the approval process is enabled.
•  Export time data for reporting or integration with billing/payroll systems.

Security & Permissions

Only users with the appropriate roles and privileges (like Field Service - Resource, Dispatcher, or Time Entry Approver) can create, edit, or approve time entries. You can customize security roles to control who can:

•  View all time entries
•  Edit their own time entries
•  Approve time logs of others

Reporting & Insights

Time entries are a goldmine of data. Use Power BI dashboards or Dynamics 365 reports to answer questions like:

•  How many hours did each technician work this week?
•  What percentage of time is spent traveling?
•  Are technicians working within expected SLAs?
•  Are jobs under/over-estimated?

This can lead to better planning, optimized routing, and higher profit margins.

Best Practices for Using Time Entry

•  Automate where possible to reduce human error.
•  Train field technicians on the importance and correct method of logging time.
•  Enable mobile access to make time entry easy on the go.
•  Review and audit entries regularly for accuracy.
•  Integrate with billing and payroll for seamless operations.

Final Thoughts

Efficient time tracking is not just about logging hours—it’s about understanding your service operations better. With Dynamics 365 Field Service Time Entry, you empower your team to be more accountable, transparent, and efficient. Whether you automate the process or go manual, the key is to ensure consistent and accurate data entry.

Embrace Time Entry as a vital tool in your field service strategy—and you’ll see measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, technician utilization, and business profitability.