Booking setups

An agreement booking setup defines the recurring work and how Field Service generates work orders for it. It also controls whether those work orders receive bookings automatically or enter a separate scheduling process.

For the HVAC agreement, create one setup for the annual inspection and another for quarterly maintenance. Keep the monthly service fee in an invoice setup. A booking setup's name doesn't mean that a technician is already assigned.

Create setups for distinct service patterns

Use separate booking setups when the work follows different recurrences. The annual inspection and quarterly maintenance need their own patterns even though they belong to the same customer agreement.

1. Open the agreement, keeping System Status at Estimate while you configure it.
2. On General, find Booking Setups and select New Agreement Booking Setup. If the command isn't visible, open the grid's ellipsis menu.
3. Enter a descriptive Name, such as Annual HVAC inspection.
4. Check that Agreement refers to the intended parent agreement.
5. Add a Description that explains the service covered by this setup.
6. Configure the work order and booking settings, then select Save.

Repeat the process for Quarterly HVAC maintenance. Use names that help a dispatcher distinguish the schedules; the Agreement lookup links each setup to its parent record rather than defining a new customer account.

The next unit adds the recurrence and incidents that identify the work. Creating two setups alone doesn't establish their service dates or task lists.

Configure work order generation

The work order settings define what the system creates and how much preparation time the team has:

• Auto Generate Work Order: Select Yes for automatic creation from the agreement's booking dates. Select No when a user needs to generate the work order from a booking date manually.
• Work Order Type: Select the appropriate category, such as inspection or maintenance.
• Generate Work Order Days In Advance: Specify how many days before the target service date the work order is generated.
• Priority: Set the priority assigned to the resulting work orders.
• Work Order Summary: Enter a clear description of the recurring work so dispatchers and technicians understand its purpose.

For a target service date on the 15th, a seven-day lead time makes the work order eligible for generation on the 8th. The agreement's record generation time determines the time of day the generation process runs. This lead time doesn't move the service date to the 8th.

Choose enough lead time to arrange resources, confirm access, and prepare parts without creating an unnecessarily large backlog. If the setup's lead-time field is blank, Field Service uses the agreement work order generation setting in Field Service Settings. If that value is also blank, the documented fallback is seven days.

Automatic generation and automatic booking are independent choices. For dispatcher-managed HVAC visits, select Yes for work order generation and No for automatic booking. This creates the work without presuming who performs it.

Choose direct booking or a scheduling handoff

Set Auto Generate Booking according to how the organization assigns technicians:

• Yes: Generate a booking for the Preferred Resource at the Preferred Start Time. Specify both values when using direct agreement bookings.
• No: Leave the generated work order for the normal scheduling process. A dispatcher can use the schedule board or schedule assistant. Organizations using Resource Scheduling Optimization can include the work in its configured scheduling scope.

The booking setting applies when the agreement work order is generated, including when a user generates it manually from a booking date. Turning off automatic work order generation doesn't by itself turn off automatic booking.

Use a fixed assignment only when it matches the service commitment and the organization manages the resource's suitability and availability. If the technician or time needs to vary, hand the work to scheduling instead.

For the annual inspection, the service manager might generate the work order in advance and let the dispatcher choose a technician with the required skills. If quarterly maintenance has a fixed technician and start time, its separate setup can use direct booking. The agreement doesn't enable an optimization service simply because it generates work orders.

Set duration and scheduling windows

Duration and flexibility describe different aspects of the visit:

• Estimated Duration: Set a realistic estimate for the work included in the visit.
• Pre Booking Flexibility and Post Booking Flexibility: Specify the acceptable number of days before and after the target date. These settings populate the generated work order's Date Window Start and Date Window End for scheduling.
• Time Window Start and Time Window End: Define the permitted time window within a service day, such as 8:00 AM to noon.

For quarterly maintenance due on the 15th, three days of flexibility before and after creates a date window from the 12th through the 18th. An 8:00 AM to noon time window adds the customer's morning access requirement. Neither window chooses a technician or confirms an appointment by itself.

Keep these controls separate from the work order generation lead time. Creating work a week ahead gives the dispatcher preparation time; allowing three days of scheduling flexibility defines when the visit is acceptable.

Save both setups and review their generation, booking, and window settings before defining recurrence. Confirm that each setup reflects the customer's commitment rather than assuming both schedules need the same booking behavior.

For more information, see Set up customer agreements to generate work orders and Customer agreements overview.