1. Collaboration
  2. Nearby Resources and Inventory

Nearby Resources and Inventory

The Nearby Resources and Inventory feature in Oracle Fusion Field Service Collaboration allows users to quickly identify and contact nearby resources, specialists, or Helpdesks using the Address Book and Location + Radius targeting. It combines visibility-based search, presence indicators, and Smart Location data to enable proximity-driven collaboration directly within the application.

Users can find the right person, group, or Helpdesk, confirm availability, and initiate a chat or broadcast without relying on external lists or manual lookups.

Business Benefits:
  • Faster expert access: Searchable contacts and presence indicators help users reach the right person on the first try.
  • Proximity-aware operations: Location targeting reduces travel time by prioritizing nearby resources for broadcasts and conferences.
  • Reduced tribal knowledge: Teams no longer rely on outdated phone lists; groups and helpdesks formalize who to contact.
  • Better onboarding: New hires can find helpdesks and subject matter experts quickly from curated lists instead of guessing channels.
  • Coordinated safety response: Location filters assemble the closest crew for urgent or hazardous situations.
Functional Description:
  • Search contacts and groups, and add participants to ongoing chats.
  • Presence indicators (online or offline) guide who to contact.
  • Location-aware operations depend on Smart Location configuration.

Use Cases

Nearby Resources and Inventory in Collaboration supports a variety of operational scenarios across the field service landscape. Here are some examples:
  • Add the right specialist fast (Address Book and presence)

    A mobile worker needs a second opinion mid-job. They open the Address Book, search for the specialist by name or skill, confirm presence, and add them to the conversation. The specialist reviews the shared activity in the thread and provides next steps. If deeper collaboration is needed, the team escalates to a conference from the same chat.

  • Nearest on-shift assist (Location and Radius)

    Dispatch targets resources near the job site using Location and Radius, typically within 5 to 10 kilometers. The message includes the activity link and a clear request, such as “Who can arrive within 30 minutes?” Nearby users respond; dispatch follows up in a one-to-one chat and, once accepted, completes the activity transfer. The chat retains the acceptance and timing for audit.

  • Route to the correct desk (Address Book to Helpdesk)

    A policy or warranty question arises. The supervisor opens the Address Book, searches for the Helpdesk that supports the relevant territory or function, and adds that desk to the thread. An operator takes chat, confirms details, and either resolves the issue or transfers it to a specialist desk with a reason, keeping the decision and context together.

  • Parts pickup coordination (Address Book and proximity follow-up)

    A mobile worker is missing a critical part. The dispatcher finds a nearby colleague in the Address Book (presence on, same region, or bucket) and adds them to the chat. After confirming the item, they move to a one-to-one chat to complete the inventory transfer. The original thread records who accepted and when, so the job proceeds without rescheduling.

  • Shift coverage gap fill (Address Book and presence, targeted outreach)

    At shift change, a supervisor sees open work in one area and checks the presence of adjacent teams in the Address Book. They add two or three available resources to a short chat, outline the priority activity, and confirm who can take it. Accepted items are transferred, and the thread serves as the handover record for dispatch and audit.

Configure User Access

Proper configuration ensures accurate discovery of nearby resources and locations.
  1. Go to Configuration > User Types, and ensure Collaboration is enabled.
  2. Enable Allow initiation of chat with all visible resources to let users start a chat with any visible resource from New Conversation. During selection, the visibility tree appears alongside Collaboration Groups and Favorites.
  3. Go to Configuration > Business Rules > Map Parameters, and verify that location units (kilometers or miles) and update intervals are correct.
  4. Go to Configuration > Collaboration > [Group], and maintain relationships under Collaboration with groups or Assisting Helpdesks.
  5. Confirm users have access to Collaboration and can open the Address Book.
  6. Enable Smart Location if using radius-based targeting.
  7. Maintain groups and Helpdesks to ensure the right contacts are discoverable.
    Note:
    • Smart Location data is updated automatically by the mobile app. Do not overwrite it with synthetic locations through APIs.
    • Maintain resources, user types, calendars, skills, and territories using REST APIs.
    • When resources move between organization units or buckets, their membership in the linked Helpdesk or Collaboration Group updates automatically.
    • Use Collaboration REST APIs to retrieve individual user or resource information. You can also use them to automatically identify and group nearby resources based on their locations, territories, or skills. For more information, see Integration with Collaboration.

Find and Connect with Nearby Resources

You can use the Address Book and Location+Radius tools within Collaboration to identify and contact the right resources instantly.

To find and add contacts:
  1. Open Collaboration > Start Chat > Address Book.
    Note: Only users with Collaboration access can open the Address Book.
  2. Search by name, role, or skill.
  3. Review the presence indicator (green for available, gray for offline).
  4. Click the contact or helpdesk name to add them to your chat.
To create a location-based group:
  1. Open Collaboration > New Conversation > Group Message.
  2. Choose Location as the selection method.
  3. Define the Radius (for example, 5-10 kilometers).
  4. Review the list of visible users returned by Smart Location.
  5. Add a message and click Send to initiate chat.
    Note: Search results and location-based targeting show only the users and groups visible to you in Collaboration.