Most service appointments are created from a parent work order or work order line item, which copies key details down automatically. You can also create one directly when you need a standalone visit. Here is the typical path from a work order.
- Open the parent record
Go to the work order or work order line item the visit is for. Creating the appointment from here copies the address and contact so you do not retype them.
- Add a new service appointment
Use the Service Appointments related list to create a new record. The parent link is set for you, which keeps the visit tied to the job.
- Set the scheduling window
Fill in Earliest Start Permitted, Due Date, and Duration so the scheduler knows the boundaries and how long the work takes. Add an arrival window if you promise customers one.
- Assign or schedule
Let the scheduler or optimizer pick a slot and resource, or assign manually in the Dispatch Console. Then move the status forward as the visit progresses.
The record the visit is for, usually a work order or work order line item, but it can be an account, asset, lead, or opportunity.
The earliest the visit may begin. With Due Date it forms the window the scheduler must work within.
The latest the visit should be completed. A due date that is too tight is a common reason an appointment cannot be scheduled.
How long the work takes. The optimizer needs this to fit the appointment into a resource's day.
- An appointment with no resource and no scheduled time sits in None until the scheduler or a dispatcher acts on it.
- A window that is too narrow, or a duration longer than any free slot, can leave the appointment unschedulable with no obvious error.
- Custom statuses only behave correctly when each one is mapped to a standard status category in Field Service Settings.