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Field service

About Field Service projects

A project (job) is an entity created to be associated with specific customers or companies for the purpose of defining tasks and sub-tasks, allocating resources, assign billing schedules, or other business processes.

Create a project

Because a project is an entity, the name of the project is set with companyname (string) and the customer/company associated with the project is set with parent (internalid). Employees to be allocated as resources in the jobresources sublist, must have the “Project Resource” check box checked on their employee record.

Example Using Advanced Inventory RecordCreate

{
	"recordcategory": "entity",
	"create": [{
		"mc_user": "Freddy.Jones@dsiglobal.com",
		"recordtype": "job",
		"entityid": "",
		"location": "2",
		"subsidiary":"1",
		"sublists": [{
			"sublistid": "jobresources",
			"subrecordname":"",
			"lines": [{
				"nvpair": [{
					"columnid": "jobresource",
					"newvalue": "114"
				},{
					"columnid": "role",
					"newvalue": "-2"
				}]
			},{
				"nvpair": [{
					"columnid": "jobresource",
					"newvalue": "117"
				},{
					"columnid": "role",
					"newvalue": "-3"
				}]
			}]
		}],
		"targetfields": [{
			"fieldid": "parent",
			"value": "14"
		},{
			"fieldid": "companyname",
			"value": "KC Tents: Weekend Camp"
		},{
			"fieldid": "allowtime",
			"value": "T"
		}]
	}]
}

Create a transaction for a project

Creating an opportunity, estimate or order for a project is exactly the same as creating any other transactions of those types. Simply include the project's internal id in the job field in addition to the other required fields. The following is an example estimate/quote; other transactions are similar.

Example Using DSI_RecordCreate

{
	"recordcategory": "transaction",
	"create": [{
		"mc_user": "jay.garrick@dsiglobal.com",
		"recordtype": "estimate",
		"entityid": "2956",
		"location": "2",
		"subsidiary":"1",
		"sublists": [{
			"sublistid": "item",
			"lines": [{
				"nvpair": [{
					"columnid": "item",
					"newvalue": "1314"
				},{
					"columnid": "quantity",
					"newvalue": "1"
				}]
		    }]
		}],
		"targetfields": [{
			"fieldid": "job",
			"value": "4062"
		},{
			"fieldid": "title",
			"value": "Sell stuff from project"
		},{
			"fieldid": "opportunity",
			"value": "33382"
		}]
	}]
}

Create a project task

The fields, title and company, are required as well as subsidiary and location if applicable. In the assignee sublist, resource, serviceitem, estimatedwork, and unitcost are required. Note, this has a recordcategory of event, not transaction.

Example Using DSI_RecordCreate

{
	"recordcategory": "event",
	"create": [{
		"mc_user": "lana.lang@dsiglobal.com",
		"recordtype": "projecttask",
		"tranid": "RESTlet Task",
		"location": "2",
		"subsidiary":"1",
		"sublists": [{
		"sublistid": "assignee",
			"lines": [{
				"nvpair": [{
					"columnid": "resource",
					"newvalue": "1626"
				},{
					"columnid": "serviceitem",
					"newvalue": "2024"
				},{
					"columnid": "estimatedwork",
					"newvalue": "16"
				},{
					"columnid": "unitcost",
					"newvalue": "15.00"
				}]
		    },{
				"nvpair": [{
					"columnid": "resource",
					"newvalue": "1644"
				},{
					"columnid": "serviceitem",
					"newvalue": "2024"
				},{
					"columnid": "estimatedwork",
					"newvalue": "4"
				},{
					"columnid": "unitcost",
					"newvalue": "65.00"
				}]
		    }]
		}],
		"targetfields": [{
			"fieldid": "title",
			"value": "RESTlet Task"
		},{
			"fieldid": "company",
			"value": "4062"
		},{
			"fieldid": "finishbydate",
			"value": "10/26/2016"
		}]
	}]
}

Create a project sub-task

The only difference between a task and a sub-task is a second sublist, predecessor. This sublist requires task and type; enddate and startdate are optional. Values for type: FS (Finish-To-Start), SS (Start-To-Start), FF (Finish-to-Finish), SF (Start-To-Finish).

Example Using DSI_RecordCreate

{
	"recordcategory": "event",
	"create": [{
		"mc_user": "lana.lang@dsiglobal.com",
		"recordtype": "projecttask",
		"location": "2",
		"subsidiary":"1",
		"sublists": [{
			"sublistid": "assignee",
				"lines": [{
					"nvpair": [{
						"columnid": "resource",
						"newvalue": "1626"
					},{
						"columnid": "serviceitem",
						"newvalue": "2024"
					},{
						"columnid": "estimatedwork",
						"newvalue": "8"
					},{
						"columnid": "unitcost",
						"newvalue": "15.00"
					}]
				}]
		},{
			"sublistid": "predecessor",
				"lines": [{
					"nvpair": [{
						"columnid": "task",
						"newvalue": "101901"
					},{
						"columnid": "type",
						"newvalue": "SS"
					},{
						"columnid": "startdate",
						"newvalue": "10/24/2016"
					}]
				}]
		}],
		"targetfields": [{
			"fieldid": "title",
			"value": "RESTlet SubTask"
		},{
			"fieldid": "company",
			"value": "4062"
		},{
			"fieldid": "finishbydate",
			"value": "10/26/2016"
		}]
	}]
}

Project billing types

Billing types are used to define the billing processes used to charge for materials and resources associated with specific projects and tasks.

The following list provides examples of available billing types.

Projects and Time and Materials Billing

Bill customers for actual project expenses, such as resource time and materials.

Fixed Bid, Interval Billing Schedules

Bill customers for work completed at predefined intervals.

Fixed Bid, Milestone Billing Schedules

Bill customers based on percent of work completed, or preset milestones.

Charge-Based Project Billing

If you use the Charge-Based Billing feature, you can create charge rules that provide added flexibility for calculating billable value on projects.

To set the billing type, use the jobbillintype field when either creating or updating a project.

Job billing type	jobbillingtype internal id
Charge-Based	CB
Fixed Bid, Interval	FBI
Fixed Bid, Milestone	FBM
Time and Materials	TM

Assign a billing schedule

After a billing type is selected, you can then assign a billing schedule record to the billingschedule field. Billing schedules are assigned by internalid. Billing Schedules must already exist before they can be assigned to a project.

Values for frequency and the allowed values for repeatevery.

frequency	repeatevery
Hourly	6 or 12
Weekly	1, 2, or 4
Monthly	1, 2, 3, or 6
Annually	1, 2, or 3

Example Using DSI_RecordCreate

{
	"recordcategory": "entity",
	"create": [{
		"mc_user": "quincy.magoo@dsiglobal.com",
		"recordtype": "billingschedule",
		"targetfields": [{
			"fieldid": "name",
			"value": "Continuing Service for Douglas Farm"
		},{
			"fieldid": "frequency",
			"value": "MONTHLY"
		},{
			"fieldid": "inarrears",
			"value": "T"
		},{
			"fieldid": "initialamount",
			"value": "0"
		},{
			"fieldid": "numberremaining",
			"value": "6"
		},{
			"fieldid": "repeatevery",
			"value": "1"
		},{
			"fieldid": "public",
			"value": "F"
		}]
	}]
}

Enter or bill time to a project

Time entry that is directly assigned to a project requires the use of the Time Entry RESTlet. The customer will be the project internal id, not the parent customer. The use of the Record Create RESTlet is not applicable in this instance.

Example Using DSI_Time

{
	"mc_user": "dick.grayson@dsiglobal.com",
	"entry": [{
	    "employee": "1647",
	    "casetaskevent":"",
	    "trandate":"",
	    "customer":"4062",
	    "serviceitem":"2024",
	    "location":"2",
	    "hours":"2:15",
	    "memo":"Time Entered by Advanced Inventory",
	    "isbillable":"T",
	    "payrollitem":"",
	    "paidexternally":"",
	    "rate":"50.00",
	    "price":"",
	    "overriderate":"",
	    "department":"",
	    "class":"",
	    "supervisorapproval": "T"
	}]
}

Enter or bill time to a task

Time can added to the timeitem sublist of the task. The keyword NEW should be used in place of a line number.

Note:Timeitem accepts the values of P and A.

Example Using DSI_RecordUpdate

{
	"internalid": "102302",
	"recordtype": "task",
	"mc_user": "fats.domino@dsiglobal.com",
	"updatefields": [{
		"fieldid": "percentcomplete",
		"newvalue": "100"
	}],
	"updatecolumns": [{
		"sublistid": "timeitem",
		"lines": [{
			"line": "NEW",
			"remove": "",
			"nvpair": [{
				"columnid": "customer",
				"newvalue": "4062"
			},{
				"columnid": "employee",
				"newvalue": "1626"
			},{
				"columnid": "hours",
				"newvalue": "3:45"
			},{
				"columnid": "item",
				"newvalue": "2024"
			},{
				"columnid": "location",
				"newvalue": "2"
			},{
				"columnid": "isbillable",
				"newvalue": "T"
			},{
				"columnid": "timetype",
				"newvalue": "A"
			},{
				"columnid": "memo",
				"newvalue": "working a client site"
			}]
		}]
	}]
}

Create a project milestone

A project milestone is a special project task that is used to mark a point in a project, usually the completion of a set of tasks. Milestones should have ismilestone set to T. Project milestones cannot have estimatedwork, assignees, or a Finish No Later Than (FNLT) constrainttype.

Example Using DSI_RecordCreate

{
	"recordcategory": "event",
	"create": [{
		"mc_user": "lana.lang@dsiglobal.com",
		"recordtype": "projecttask",
		"location": "2",
		"subsidiary":"1",
		"sublists": [{
			"sublistid": "predecessor",
			"lines": [{
				"nvpair": [{
					"columnid": "task",
					"newvalue": "101901"
				},{
					"columnid": "type",
					"newvalue": "SS"
				},{
					"columnid": "startdate",
					"newvalue": "10/24/2016"
				}]
		    }]
		}],
		"targetfields": [{
			"fieldid": "title",
			"value": "RESTlet SubTask - Day 1"
		},{
			"fieldid": "company",
			"value": "4062"
		},{
			"fieldid": "ismilestone",
			"value": "T"
		},{
			"fieldid": "enddate",
			"value": "10/24/2016"
		},{
			"fieldid": "message",
			"value": "Completed Day 1"
		}]
	}]
}

Create a generic resource

A generic resource is a convenient placeholder for project planning when the specific resource (person) is not yet known. Creating generic resources is usually a back-office function, but the RESTlets can also create them.

Example Using DSI_RecordCreate

{
	"recordcategory": "entity",
	"create": [{
		"mc_user": "santa.claus@dsiglobal.com",
		"recordtype": "genericresource",
		"location": "2",
		"subsidiary":"1",
		"targetfields": [{
			"fieldid": "entityid",
			"value": "Assembly Worker"
		},{
			"fieldid": "laborcost",
			"value": "12.65"
		},{
			"fieldid": "workcalendar",
			"value": "1"
		}]
	}]
}

Enter a cost budget

When enabled, the cost budget is stored in the cbudget sublist. This list contains static lines and editable lines for labor, expense, supplier and other. If the Use Calculated Value for All Cost Budgets (field id cbudgetusecalculatedvalues) is checked, no lines will be editable.

The following table defines the available editable lines and associated line numbers.

Editable line	Line number
Labor	1
Expense	4
Supplier	6
Other	8

Example Using DSI_RecordUpdate

{
	"internalid": "4062",
	"recordtype": "job",
	"entityid": "",	
	"mc_user": "wile.coyote@dsiglobal.com",
	"updatefields": [{
		"fieldid": "cbudgetusecalculatedvalues",
		"newvalue": "F"
	}],
	"updatecolumns": [{
		"sublistid": "cbudget",
		"subrecordname":"",
		"lines": [{
			"line": "1",
			"nvpair": [{
				"columnid": "totalamount",
				"newvalue": "1000"
			}]
		},{
			"line": "4",
			"nvpair": [{
				"columnid": "totalamount",
				"newvalue": "100"
			}]
		},{
			"line": "6",
			"nvpair": [{
				"columnid": "totalamount",
				"newvalue": "12395.41"
			}]
		},{
			"line": "8",
			"nvpair": [{
				"columnid": "totalamount",
				"newvalue": "9.95"
			}]
		}]
	}]
}

Enter a billing budget

When enabled, the billing budget is stored in the bbudget sublist. This list contains static lines and editable lines for labor, expense, supplier and other. If the Use Calculated Value for All Cost Budgets (field id bbudgetusecalculatedvalues) is checked, no lines will be editable

The following table defines the available editable lines and associated line numbers.

Editable lines	Line numbers
Labor	1
Expense	3
Supplier	5
Other	7

Example Using DSI_RecordUpdate

{
	"internalid": "4062",
	"recordtype": "job",
	"entityid": "",	
	"mc_user": "wile.coyote@dsiglobal.com",
	"updatefields": [{
		"fieldid": "bbudgetusecalculatedvalues",
		"newvalue": "F"
	}],
	"updatecolumns": [{
		"sublistid": "bbudget",
		"subrecordname":"",
		"lines": [{
			"line": "1",
			"nvpair": [{
				"columnid": "totalamount",
				"newvalue": "1000"
			}]
		},{
			"line": "3",
			"nvpair": [{
				"columnid": "totalamount",
				"newvalue": "100"
			}]
		},{
			"line": "5",
			"nvpair": [{
				"columnid": "totalamount",
				"newvalue": "12395.41"
			}]
		},{
			"line": "7",
			"nvpair": [{
				"columnid": "totalamount",
				"newvalue": "9.95"
			}]
		}]
	}]
}

Project fields

The following table provides definitions for the available project fields.

Internal ID: job

Internal ID	Type	nlapiSubmitField	Label	Required
accountnumber	text	TRUE	Account	FALSE
actualtime	time	FALSE	Actual Work	FALSE
allowallresourcesfortasks	checkbox	TRUE	Display All Resources for ProjectTask Assignment	FALSE
allowexpenses	checkbox	TRUE	Allow Expenses	FALSE
allowtime	checkbox	TRUE	Allow Time Entry	FALSE
applyprojectexpensetypetoall	checkbox	FALSE	Apply to all time entries	FALSE
autoname	checkbox	FALSE	Auto	FALSE
bbudgetshowcalculatedlines	checkbox	FALSE	Show Calculated Lines	FALSE
bbudgetusecalculatedvalues	checkbox	FALSE	Use Calculated Values for all Billing Budgets	FALSE
billingschedule	select	FALSE	Billing Schedule	FALSE
calculatedenddate	date	FALSE	Calculated End Date	FALSE
calculatedenddatebaseline	date	FALSE	Calculated End Date Baseline	FALSE
category	select	TRUE	Category	FALSE
cbudgetshowcalculatedlines	checkbox	FALSE	Show Calculated Lines	FALSE
cbudgetusecalculatedvalues	checkbox	FALSE	Use Calculated Values for all Cost Budgets	FALSE
comments	textarea	TRUE	Comments	FALSE
companyname	text	TRUE	Project Name	FALSE
contact	select	FALSE	Primary Contact	FALSE
currency	select	FALSE	Currency	FALSE
currencyprecision	text	FALSE	Currency Precision	FALSE
customform	select	FALSE	Custom Form	TRUE
datecreated	datetime	FALSE	Date Created	FALSE
enddate	date	FALSE	Actual End Date	FALSE
entityid	text	TRUE	Project ID	TRUE
entitystatus	select	TRUE	Status	FALSE
estimatedcost	currency	FALSE	Estimated Cost	FALSE
estimatedgrossprofit	currency	FALSE	Estimated Gross Profit	FALSE
estimatedgrossprofitpercent	percent	FALSE	Estimated Gross Profit Percent	FALSE
estimatedlaborcost	currency	FALSE	Estimated Labor Cost	FALSE
estimatedlaborcostbaseline	currency	FALSE	Estimated Labor Cost Baseline	FALSE
estimatedlaborrevenue	currency	FALSE	Estimated Labor Revenue	FALSE
estimatedrevenue	currency	FALSE	Estimated Revenue	FALSE
estimatedtime	time	TRUE	Initial Time Budget	FALSE
estimatedtimeoverride	time	FALSE	Estimated Work	FALSE
estimatedtimeoverridebaseline	time	FALSE	Estimated Work Baseline	FALSE
estimaterevrectemplate	select	FALSE	Rev Rec Forecast Template	FALSE
externalid	text	FALSE	ExternalId	FALSE
fxrate	currency2	FALSE	Exchange Rate	FALSE
includecrmtasksintotals	checkbox	TRUE	Include CRM Tasks in Project Totals	FALSE
isbasecurrency	checkbox	FALSE	Base Currency	FALSE
isexempttime	checkbox	TRUE	Classify Time as Exempt	FALSE
isinactive	checkbox	TRUE	Inactive	FALSE
isjob	text	FALSE		FALSE
isproductivetime	checkbox	TRUE	Classify Time as Productive	FALSE
isutilizedtime	checkbox	TRUE	Classify Time as Utilized	FALSE
jobbillingtype	select	FALSE	Billing Type	FALSE
jobitem	select	FALSE	Billing Item	FALSE
jobprice	currency	FALSE	Project Price	FALSE
jobtype	select	FALSE	Project Type	FALSE
language	select	FALSE	Language	FALSE
lastbaselinedate	date	FALSE	Last Baseline Date	FALSE
lastmodifieddate	datetime	FALSE	Last Modified Date	FALSE
limittimetoassignees	checkbox	TRUE	Limit Time Entry to Assignees	FALSE
materializetime	checkbox	TRUE	Create Planned Time Entries	FALSE
otherrelationships	select	FALSE	Other Relationships	FALSE
parent	select	FALSE	Customer	FALSE
percentcomplete	percent	FALSE	Percent Complete	FALSE
percenttimecomplete	percent	FALSE	Percent Work Complete	FALSE
projectedenddate	date	FALSE	Estimated End Date	FALSE
projectedenddatebaseline	date	FALSE	Estimated End Date Baseline	FALSE
projectexpensetype	select	FALSE	Project Expense Type	TRUE
stage	text	FALSE		FALSE
startdate	date	FALSE	Start Date	FALSE
startdatebaseline	date	FALSE	Start Date Baseline	FALSE
subsidiary	select	FALSE	Subsidiary	TRUE
timeremaining	time	FALSE	Remaining Work	FALSE

About Field Service

The Field Service process is created and utilized to assist and support a company's resources employed at or en route to the property of clients. It provides scheduling options, dispatching, service parts management, clear communication to back office administration, maintenance of warranty plans, and labor and expense tracking.

Advanced Inventory provides a mobile app solution to facilitate the Field Service process through a hand held mobile device. The Advanced Inventory app is integrated to work with the NetSuite Field Service functions.

Functional Process

In NetSuite, Field Service transactions are created within the Projects module. From the project, creating Sales Orders, Opportunities, Cases, Tasks, and Milestones allow for an efficient way to track the various transactions that can take place to support a Field Service Request. Work orders, Sales Orders, and Case Management will all be determined by the type of transaction supporting the field service objective.

Environment recommendations

The following list provides recommendations that should be addressed when implementing the Field Service RESTlet.

Business process should be defined to begin the Field Service process in a Project.
The type of transaction to support the Field Service request should be defined.
Resource allocations should be defined.

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Mobile Enterprise Platform

Field service

About Field Service projects

Create a project

Create a transaction for a project

Create a project task

Create a project sub-task

Project billing types

Assign a billing schedule

Enter or bill time to a project

Enter or bill time to a task

Create a project milestone

Create a generic resource

Enter a cost budget

Enter a billing budget

Project fields

About Field Service

Functional Process

Environment recommendations