Microsoft Brings Generative AI to Frontline Workers

Microsoft is introducing a Copilot offering for the front-line workforce, bringing generative artificial intelligence to service professionals on the front lines.

The software giant also released a number of other features to help service professionals and their supervisors conduct and manage operations. They include the following:

• Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service will assist front-line service managers and technicians by streamlining repetitive tasks, from drafting work orders to equipping the technicians with sufficient support to successfully complete jobs. Front-line service managers who receive customer escalations in Microsoft Outlook or Teams can use Copilot in Dynamics 365 to streamline work order creation with relevant details pre-populated from emails or chats, optimize technician scheduling with data-driven recommendations based on factors such as travel time, availability, and skillset, and generate draft responses to customer messages summarizing next steps without switching apps.
• Dynamics 365 Field Service app in Microsoft Teams will enable front-line technicians to access key work order functionality in their flow of work. Technicians will now be able to see upcoming work orders at a glance in Teams, share full work order details, and access Dynamics 365 Remote Assist to troubleshoot with remote experts in real time if they need additional support to complete jobs.
• A Dynamics 365 Field Service mobile experience for front-line technicians includes Dynamics 365 Guides integration, providing technicians with step-by-step instructions for tasks and access to Dynamics 365 Remote Assist,.
• A redesigned work order management system will surface important information for service managers.
• Announcements in Viva Connections enables corporate communicators to draft, schedule, and target important announcements, like urgent communications, role-specific updates, and safety policy changes, to front-line workers. directly from Viva Connections without having to leave Teams. Messages are delivered to front-line workers through push notifications on their mobile devices and announcement cards in their Teams home experiences.
• Targeted Campaigns in Viva Engage enables communicators to create campaigns that promote company-wide initiatives targeted to front-line audiences.
• ?Windows 365 Frontline allows employees on the front lines to access their personalized Windows experience on any device, no matter where they work.

Additionally, organizations using Intune can use Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) to enable a single sign-in and sign-out experience for Teams, Outlook, Power Apps, and more with shared device mode for Android and iOS devices. And organizations using SOTI or VMware Workspace ONE as their endpoint management solution can now also enroll Android devices in Microsoft Entra ID with shared device mode.

And soon Microsoft 365 Copilot will be able to ground prompts and retrieve insights for front-line managers, leveraging data from the Shifts app with a new Shifts plugin for Microsoft 365 Copilot, in addition to user and company data, such as Teams chat history, SharePoint, emails and more.

"At Microsoft, we believe that technology can be a powerful force to reimagine how work gets done. By investing in innovative solutions for the front-line workforce, we are helping to drive positive change for front-line employees, customers, and the bottom line. Front-line innovations across Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, Windows 365 Frontline, Intune, and partner endpoint management solutions push the boundaries of what is possible and work toward a brighter future for all," Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president of business applications and platform at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post.