Learn About Work Plans

Available in: Lightning Experience

The Field Service core features, managed package, and mobile app are available in Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer Editions.

Work plans are a set of prescribed steps that guide front-line and back-office workers on how to complete a work order. By following steps in work plans, field service teams can complete assignments quickly, consistently, and with less guesswork.

Work plans appear on a work order or work order line item. Each plan shows an ordered list of work steps. A work step can be a simple instruction such as “Put on your safety goggles.” Or it can be a quick action or a field service mobile flow that guides workers through a procedure.

To make work steps and work plans easier to manage, they’re created from templates. Templates help reuse plans and common steps across these plans. For example, service managers can reuse a work plan template for safety checks and add steps for work in an earthquake zone.

Automate how work plans are assigned to work orders or work order line items using work plan selection rules. Service managers configure rules that add plans based on fields such as work type, asset, location, and service contract. A selection rule generates a point-in-time copy of a work plan and its steps from the templates, and it adds them to work orders or work order line items.

For example, for break-fix procedures, define work step templates and work plan templates for different assets. The selection rules map required work plans to asset types. When the service manager creates a work order or work order line item for an asset, the rules add instances of the right plans and steps.

Front-line and back-office workers view work plans on the work order or work order line item. As they complete steps, quick actions and flows guide them through the work.

Creating, maintaining, and using work plans is a team effort.

• Service managers, operations managers, or dispatchers typically build and maintain work plans. They define templates for work steps and work plans, and they create work plan selection rules.
• Salesforce Admins assign the right permissions for users to use and manage work plans. Also, if there’s a work step that uses a field service mobile flow, the admin usually creates it.
• Front-line and back-office workers are the consumers of work plans. They’re often a great resource to help admins build and refine work step and work plan templates.

Here’s a summary of objects related to work plans.

• Work Step Template: A reusable pattern that describes a task. It can include a quick action or a field service mobile flow.
• Work Plan Template: A reusable pattern that describes an ordered list of steps.
• Work Plan Template Entry: A step, in the form of a work step template, that’s added to a work plan template.
• Work Plan Selection Rule: The logic that selects which work plan templates and steps to associate with a work order or work order line item.
• Work Plan: A checklist that’s displayed on a work order or work order line item.
• Work Step: A task on a checklist that the worker can complete.