Role-based access & permissions

Field Service Management (FSM) operates with two primary roles: the Dispatcher and the Field Service Agent (FSA). The Dispatcher oversees the planning, coordination, and quality of the work order management process, ensuring tasks are assigned correctly and progress is monitored effectively. Depending on the organization, a Dispatcher may also act as an assignee who completes work orders directly. The FSA, on the other hand, is responsible for executing the work—planning, preparing, and completing assigned tasks in the field. Together, these roles create a structured workflow that supports efficient service delivery and operational control.

Both Dispatchers and FSAs function within Support Groups, which are core organizational units in BMC Helix ITSM. Support Groups define which teams or individuals are responsible for handling specific types of requests, issues, or work orders. A user can belong to multiple Support Groups, enabling flexibility in workload distribution and cross-team collaboration. These groups help structure service delivery by aligning responsibilities, improving routing, and ensuring that work is directed to the correct team with the appropriate skills.

Roles

These are the following roles in FSM and FSM Mobile:

Dispatcher
FSA (Field Service Agent)

The Dispatcher responsibilities involve planning and oversight. In some companies the Dispatcher might also function as the work order assignee who performs the tasks for the work order. You can choose how to apply these roles in your organization.

Role	Description
Dispatcher	The Dispatcher is responsible for the quality and integrity of the work order management process
FSA	The Field Service Agent is responsible for planning and implementing assigned work orders

Support Groups

Dispatcher and FSA (Field Service Agent) are both members of a Support Group.

A Dispatcher can belong to more than one Support Group, allowing them to handle work orders across multiple teams or departments.

In BMC Helix ITSM (IT Service Management), a Support Group is a key component of the system used to organize and manage service requests, work orders, and other IT issues. A Support Group is a logical grouping of people or teams that are responsible for resolving specific types of issues or handling aspects of service delivery.

Key Aspects of a Support Group in BMC Helix:

Team Structure: A Support Group typically consists of multiple users (IT personnel, technicians, or subject-matter experts) who work together to address service requests or work orders. The group can be assigned specific responsibilities based on their expertise.

Assignment and Routing: In BMC Helix, incidents, service requests, and other tickets are often routed to a Support Group based on predefined criteria such as issue type, priority, or service category. This ensures that the right team is handling the relevant tickets.

Collaboration: Support Groups help improve collaboration among team members. Users within the same Support Group can share updates, comments, and work on resolving tickets together.

Escalations: If an issue cannot be resolved within a set time or by the assigned Support Group, it can be escalated to another group, or additional groups can be added to collaborate and resolve the issue more effectively.

Permissions and Access: Support Groups have specific access to data and functionalities based on their roles and responsibilities. For example, they may be able to view, edit, or close incidents related to their area of expertise, while having limited access to unrelated issues.

How Support Groups Are Used:

Incident Management: When an incident is logged in BMC Helix, it is typically assigned to a Support Group responsible for resolving it.
Service Request Management: Service requests (work order) can be routed to different Support Groups based on service catalog items (e.g., software installations, hardware provisioning).
Problem Management: For recurring issues, a Support Group might be assigned to investigate the root cause and implement permanent solutions.

Example:

A company might have different Support Groups like:

Network Support: Handles network-related incidents such as outages or connectivity issues.
Hardware Support: Resolves issues with computers, printers, and other physical devices.
Application Support: Addresses problems with specific software applications used by the organization.

Support Groups in BMC Helix ITSM help streamline the ticket management process by ensuring that each request/work order is handled by the appropriate team based on its content and priority, improving both efficiency and service quality.

Permissions

The Dispatcher and FSA must be set up with specific permissions. Permissions are given on Application Administration Console under People.

Access Types in FSM

Restricted Access:

Restricted access limits user’s permissions to data for a specific company. The user can only view or interact with information related to the company.

Unrestricted Access:

Unrestricted access grants a user permission to view or manage data across all companies within the FSM system. The user has access to information for every company in the system.

Unrestricted access should be avoided whenever possible. Limiting access to only the necessary data helps maintain security and ensures that users can only interact with information relevant to their role.

Dispatcher Permissions

Give the following permissions to the Dispatcher:

Select	Select	Screenshot
Login Access Details	License Type = Fixed
	Application Permission License is only on the Asset Admin
	Access Restriction
	IS Bundle Access = IS Bundle
Support Groups	Support Groups Dispatcher must belong to at least 1 Support Group
Support Groups	Support group Functional Roles

FSA Permissions

Give the following permissions to the Field Service Agent:

Select	Select	Screenshot
Login Access Details	License Type = Floating
	Application Permission
	Access Restriction
Support Groups	Support Groups FSA must belong to a Support Group
Support Groups	Support group Functional Roles