Use case guide

The Field Service Routing (FSR) model powers automated, optimized, and fair route planning and scheduling across industries, from field service to healthcare logistics.

This guide outlines common use cases and shares tips on how to use the Timefold model for each.

Use cases of the Field Service Routing model include:

  • Field service: Send the right technician, at the right time, every time.

  • Home care: Automatically assign optimized routes to caregivers visiting patients.

  • Facility maintenance: Cut travel time, boost output, and keep every facility running flawlessly.

1. Field service

1.1. Typical use case

Field service organizations use the Field Service Routing model to send technicians to jobs. It balances technician skills, travel time, SLAs, and customer preferences to boost efficiency, improve customer experience, and reduce costs.

1.2. Key challenges

  • Sending the right technician to each job, while dealing with limited availability of specialized skills and certifications.

  • Maintaining customer satisfaction through Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and on-time arrivals during customers' preferred time windows.

  • Reducing travel time between appointments to increase efficiency.

  • Handling urgent or same-day jobs in customers' available time windows.

  • Balancing technician workloads, while respecting individual working hours and overtime limits.

1.3. How to interpret model terms

Model term How it applies to this use case

Technician

A field worker (electrician, HVAC engineer, telecom installer, IT technician) who performs on-site jobs.

Vehicle

The technician’s assigned van or truck. One vehicle usually corresponds to one technician.

Vehicle shift

A single workday or duty period for a technician (for example, 8:00–17:00).

Visit

A service call or customer appointment that requires a technician on site.

1.4. How to address common scheduling problems

Problem Solve it with

You need to assign the best-qualified technician.

Use skills and skill levels to match technicians to required service types.

You want to minimize travel distance and fuel consumption.

Apply distance and cost optimization objectives.

You need to meet strict appointment windows.

Add time window constraints to ensure punctuality.

You need to meet strict SLAs.

Define visit SLAs to reduce risk.

You need multiple technicians (potentially at the same time) to complete the work.

Define visit dependencies or multi-vehicle visits.

You want to respect technicians’ service zones.

Use coverage areas to localize assignments.

You want to dynamically reassign work when a new visit comes in.

Enable real-time replanning.

2. Home care

2.1. Typical use case

Home care providers use the Field Service Routing model to assign and route caregivers to clients (the person receiving the care, e.g. a patient in a healthcare setting), ensuring timely care while minimizing travel.

2.2. Key challenges

  • Ensuring continuity of care by sending familiar caregivers.

  • Minimizing travel time between clients to reduce costs and increase coverage.

  • Handling schedule changes and emergencies.

  • Balancing caregiver workload and minimizing overtime to protect morale and reduce burnout.

2.3. How to interpret model terms

Model term How it applies to this use case

Technician

A caregiver, nurse, or home aide who visits clients.

Vehicle

The caregiver’s transport mode, usually their (personal) car or bike.

Vehicle shift

A caregiver’s workday, typically one morning or full-day route.

Visit

A client/patient appointment at home or their location of stay for medical or personal care.

2.4. How to address common scheduling problems

Problem Solve it with

You need caregivers to see the same clients regularly.

Define preferred vehicles for a visit.

You need to ensure daily care and want to honor clients’ preferred times for care.

Combine required time windows with preferred time windows.

You want to reduce travel between visits.

Optimize distance and travel time.

You need to handle sudden caregiver unavailability and emergencies.

Implement real-time replanning.

3. Facility maintenance

3.1. Typical use case

Facility management teams use the Field Service Routing model to efficiently plan and assign maintenance staff to preventive and corrective jobs across multiple distributed sites.

3.2. Key challenges

  • Respecting* tight SLAs and site access constraints*, while still building efficient routes.

  • Ensuring only properly certified staff are assigned to high-risk jobs.

  • Moving from reactive firefighting to preventive maintenance, while avoiding too much preventive work that feels expensive and hard to justify.

  • Responding to emergency repairs quickly, without destabilizing the entire daily or weekly plan.

  • Balancing staff workloads, while respecting individual working hours and overtime limits.

3.3. How to interpret model terms

Model term How it applies to this use case

Technician

Maintenance staff (e.g., HVAC, electrical, janitorial, or general maintenance).

Vehicle

The service van or maintenance vehicle used by that staff.

Vehicle shift

The maintenance staff’s working day.

Visit

A maintenance task or repair job at a specific building, facility, or site.

3.4. How to address common scheduling problems

Problem Solve it with

You need to respect site access times.

Add time window constraints.

You need to meet strict repair SLAs.

Add visit SLAs to reduce facility downtime.

You want to minimize travel between facilities.

Optimize distance and travel time.

You need to plan preventive maintenance efficiently.

Use optional and mandatory visits & visit priorities to distinguish preventive maintenance from urgent repairs.

You need multiple maintenance staff (potentially at the same time) to complete a repair.

Define visit dependencies or multi-vehicle visits.

You want to respect staff’s service zones.

Use coverage areas to localize assignments.

You must respond to emergency repairs fast.

Implement real-time replanning.