How It Works
Asset & Team Tracking connects your Data Tables (which hold asset records), FastField Mobile App (which generates team location data), and the portal map (where you view and act on everything) to provide real-time visibility into your field operations.
Admins configure what appears on the map, field users generate live data through the mobile app, and dispatchers use the map to monitor activity and assign work.
In this article
Key System Components
- Data Tables (Asset Source) — Your existing Data Tables act as the source for asset layers. Each row in a table becomes a pin on the map based on the location field you’ve defined. You can display any column from the table in the pin details or use it to drive conditional styling rules.
FastField Mobile App (Team Location Source) — The mobile app provides the location data for your team members. When a technician checks in, their GPS location is captured and sent to the cloud. If location breadcrumbs are enabled, the app continues sending updates every 5 minutes while the technician remains checked in. Form start and submission events are also recorded.
- Interactive Tracking Map (Portal) — The portal map is where admins and dispatchers view active layers, interact with pins, and take actions such as dispatching work. It supports features like clustering (grouping nearby pins with a count), layer toggling, zooming, and clicking pins to view detailed information.
Company Settings (Admin Controls) — Admins can control mobile app behavior through settings in Company Settings > Mobile Apps. These include Check In/Check Out (enables the check-in feature), Location Breadcrumbs (sends location updates every 5 minutes while checked in), and Form Actions (tracks form start and submission events in the activity timeline).
Data Flow
The system works by connecting data from multiple sources into one view. An admin first enables Asset Tracking and sets up layers in the portal. Asset layers pull records from Data Tables and display them on the map using their location fields, while team layers show checked-in users based on roster data. On the mobile side, when a technician checks in, their GPS location is sent to the cloud. If location breadcrumbs are enabled, the app continues sending updates every 5 minutes. Form events are logged as they occur. All of this data is then combined in the portal map, where it appears as interactive pins that can be clicked to view details, timelines, and dispatch work.
Map Layers
Layers organize what appears on the tracking map. Each layer represents a group of items—either assets or team members—that you want to display. You can create multiple layers for each type and toggle them on or off independently. Each layer draws from a single data source (one Data Table for assets, one User Group for teams). You can also customize the appearance of pins (color, size, and icon) for each layer. When pins from multiple layers overlap, the map automatically groups them together into a cluster with a count indicator.
- Asset Layers — Asset layers display equipment, vehicles, locations, and other resources from your Data Tables. Each record with valid location data appears as a pin on the map, with no need for duplicate data entry. You can configure what information is shown on each pin, including a title and selected fields from your table. You can also apply rules to change the pin’s appearance based on specific conditions. Clicking an asset pin allows you to view details such as its location history, scheduled tasks, and completed work. You can also dispatch work directly from the asset pin.
Team Layers — Team layers show the real-time locations of your field users. Each team member appears as a pin on the map when they are checked in through the mobile app. You can filter layers by User Group or specific users, and customize the pin’s color, size, and icon. Selecting a team member’s pin allows you to view their check-in status, activity timeline, and location history. You can also dispatch work directly from a team member’s pin.
Check-In/Check-Out
The check-in/check-out feature is the foundation of team tracking. It records when technicians start and end their work, captures their GPS location, and powers the activity timeline shown in the portal.
This feature is available on the FastField mobile app (iOS and Android). A Check In button appears at the top of the app, and when selected, it records the timestamp and location. Once checked in, users will see options to Start Break or Check Out. All activity is updated in real time and can be viewed in the team member’s detail view in the portal.
To use this feature, it must first be enabled by an admin under Company Settings > Mobile Apps.
Location Breadcrumbs
When Location Breadcrumbs are enabled, the mobile app sends a technician’s GPS location to the cloud every 5 minutes while they are checked in. This creates a movement trail that can be viewed in the team member’s detail view in the portal.
Breadcrumbs continue to update as long as the app is running (in the foreground or background). If the app is fully closed, updates will stop. If the device loses connectivity, location data is stored locally and will sync once a connection is restored. Please note that devices without GPS hardware (such as WiFi-only iPads) cannot capture location data while offline.
Tagging
Tagging links dispatches to specific Data Table records, replacing manual text entry with structured associations. When you dispatch from an asset pin, the related asset is automatically linked to the dispatch. You can also manually link additional records from other Data Tables as needed. To enable tagging, each Data Table must have a designated Tag Display Name column.
Rules-Based Pin Styling
Rules allow you to change how asset pins appear based on values in your Data Table, making it easy to quickly identify asset status on the map. These rules are set up per asset layer and define a condition (e.g., "when column X equals Y") and a resulting appearance (color, icon, size). Rules are evaluated in order, and the first condition that matches will determine how the pin is displayed.