Set Up Regions

Overview #

Regions in FieldAx represent the geographical service territories where your field service operations take place. Proper regional setup is essential for efficient job routing, service engineer assignment, and territory management. This section covers creating regions, defining boundaries, associating service engineers, and establishing regional hierarchies for optimal field service coverage.

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Understanding Regions in FieldAx #

Purpose of Regions #

Regions serve multiple critical functions in field service management:

Territory Management

• Define clear service boundaries
• Prevent territory conflicts
• Ensure complete coverage

Resource Allocation

• Assign engineers to specific areas
• Balance workload across territories
• Minimize travel time and costs

Performance Tracking

• Monitor regional metrics
• Compare territory performance
• Identify growth opportunities

Customer Service

• Ensure local expertise
• Faster response times
• Better customer relationships

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Planning Your Regional Structure #

Regional Hierarchy Design #

Before creating regions, plan your structure:

Single-Level Structure (Simple)

Company

├── North Region

├── South Region

├── East Region

└── West Region

Multi-Level Structure (Complex)

Company

├── North Zone

│   ├── Chicago Metro

│   ├── Milwaukee Area

│   └── Madison Territory

├── South Zone

│   ├── Houston Metro

│   ├── Dallas-Fort Worth

│   └── Austin Area

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Factors to Consider #

When defining regions, consider:

• Geographic boundaries (states, cities, zip codes)
• Customer density and distribution
• Service engineer locations
• Travel time between customers
• Local regulations or requirements
• Language or cultural considerations

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Creating Regions #

Step 1: Access Region Management #

1. Open the FieldAx Admin app from App Launcher
2. Navigate to the Regions tab
3. Click New to create a region

Step 2: Basic Region Information #

Fill in the required fields:

Region Details

• Region Name: North Chicago Metro (required)
• Region Code: CHI-NORTH (unique identifier)
• Description: Covers northern Chicago suburbs including…
• Status: Active

Geographic Information

• Country: United States
• State/Province: Illinois
• City: Chicago

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Setting Up Regional Hierarchies #

Parent-Child Relationships #

For multi-level structures:

Create Parent Region #

1. Create the parent region first (e.g., “North Zone”)
2. Leave Parent Region field empty
3. Set Region Type: Zone
4. Click Save

Create Child Regions #

1. Click New for child region
2. Fill in details for “Chicago Metro”
3. In Parent Region field, select “North Zone”
4. Set Region Type: Territory
5. Click Save

Regional Hierarchy View #

After creating relationships:

1. Go to parent region record
2. Check Child Regions related list
3. Verify hierarchy is correct

Set Regional Inventory Locations #

Link inventory warehouses to regions:

1. In Region record, scroll to Inventory Locations related list
2. Click New Inventory Location
3. Create or link existing warehouse:
   • Location Name: North Chicago Warehouse
   • Address: Complete warehouse address
   • Primary Location: Yes
4. Click Save

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Best Practices for Regional Setup #

Naming Conventions #

Use consistent naming:

• Zones: [Direction] Zone (North Zone)
• Regions: [City/Area] [Type] (Chicago Metro)
• Territories: [Specific Area] Territory (Lincoln Park Territory)

Documentation #

For each region, document:

• Special customer requirements
• Local competition
• Growth opportunities

Regular Review #

Monthly regional review:

• Analyze performance metrics
• Adjust boundaries if needed
• Balance workload
• Update resources

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Troubleshooting Regional Issues #

Common Problems and Solutions #

Jobs Not Assigning to Region

• Check region status is Active
• Ensure no overlapping regions

Engineers Not Available

• Confirm engineer region assignment
• Verify skills match requirements

Cross-Regional Issues

• Review overflow settings
• Verify permissions for shared resources

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Next Steps #

With regions properly configured:

1. Set Up Job Management – Configure job types for each region
2. Create Service Engineers – Assign engineers to regions
3. Configure Dispatch Board – Set up regional views
4. Test Regional Workflows – Verify all processes work correctly

Proper regional setup ensures efficient territory management, optimal resource utilization, and excellent customer service across all service areas.