AI Powered Future State of Service

Sep 23, 2019 • Features • Software & Apps • Ageing Workforce Crisis • Future of FIeld Service • workforce management • field service • Uberization • Industry 4.0 • Customer Satisfaction and Expectations

With an eye to the future and a desire to push today’s technologies to their limit, artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to creep into a variety of service technologies. On its surface, AI might still seem like science fiction, but the number of practical use cases will only increase over time. Are you ready to use AI to its fullest potential?

In this series, run in partnership with IFS, we will be looking to see exactly what impact AI will have on the field service sector and how your organisation can harness it. In part one of this series we looked at some of the AI basics and in part two we explored how tomorrow's advancements in AI can guide us through today's digital transformation. Now in the final part in this series we take a look to the future...

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THE AI-POWERED FUTURE STATE OF SERVICE

Previously, we’ve discussed how AI can be used today. Let’s now talk about what the future may hold for AI implementation. The data that is available does give us something of an idea.

Indeed, data from IFS shows that though current implementation of an AI solution is comparatively limited, there is a great deal of interest. The main caveat to this datapoint is that in many circumstances, organizations are adopting technologies that may have AI power under the hood, so let’s consider this through the lens of the next step in AI evolution, rather than AI powering a specific function. What will that look like?

As we’ve established, AI has begun to make its way into numerous types of software in different ways. The thing about all of those technologies is that, as of now, they’re individual technologies, disconnected from one another. True digital transformation through AI will bring AI across all processes within an organization, automating systems and making repetitive tasks a quaint memory, allowing managers, technicians, and dispatchers to focus on customer engagement and nuanced complexities best suited for humans.

For most firms, the underpinnings of this are already in place. Service firms have a central piece of software to manage operations—their field service management platform. It’s easy to see how FSM software could employ a next-generation AI to manage all aspects of its operations. Let’s break this down into three generations of AI:

Generation 1 (Today): The beginning of automation. Individual systems begin to employ machine learning to improve service outcomes.

Generation 2 (Tomorrow): Near-full automation. The individual systems tie together though an advanced AI, which seamlessly transitions from process to process. For example, IoT sensors could indicate that a malfunction was imminent, which prompts the system to route a technician. The technician completes the job, prompting the system to send an invoice. Once the invoice is paid, the system schedules follow-up maintenance for the following month, and sends out a marketing e-mail for supplemental service. All of this is done with the only human interaction being the direct interaction with the customer.

Generation 3 (Not-too-distant future): Automation of physical tasks. The individual systems, optimized for service excellence, interface with human technicians, as well as a fully automated call center, self-driving cars, and drone deliveries of parts.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Our AI-enabled future is, in many ways, already upon us, but it is imperative that organizations prepare their businesses for the next set of advancements. This requires a great deal of initial investment today. Here are some key recommendations that businesses can work towards today to make sure that they’re poised to take full advantage of what Artificial Intelligence has to offer:

Your field service management system needs to be central, connected, and future-proof.

This is a necessity for all service firms. Field service management is not meant to be a bolt-on to a CRM. Field service operations are far too complex to cut corners. Your field service management system needs to be the coordinating factor of all touchpoints within your system. Beyond this, it needs to be calibrated to accept whatever the next new technology is, whether it be a new module built off of the system itself, or a separate system that integrates with your field service software platform. Smart organizations are taking a cloud-first approach to this, allowing for constant updates and easy integration.

Data needs to flow freely.

We can talk ad nauseum about the importance of a solid data science team that cleanses and distributes data insights throughout the business, but more important than that, even, is simply ensuring that data is written in a common language and freely accessible, so that, for instance, if work order history needs to be pulled into an AI system connected to routing management, that it can be done quickly and easily.

Invest in the hardware today.

IoT will ultimately be the key to successful utilization of many AI systems. In manufacturing, this is an easy sell, but what about HVAC repair, telecomm, home services, and other systems that, as of today, might not yet be calibrated for IoT? The short answer is, even if you don’t think the technology is there, it is. And if it’s not, it will be in the next five years. It’s imperative that you stay on top of these advancements as they become available, and invest smartly. When AI becomes standard practice, everyone’s going to be sprinting for your customers. If you want to run with them, you have to start by building the road to their front door.

Want to know more? The full white paper relating to this series is available as premium content to fieldservicenews.com subscribers...

sponsored by:

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content, IFS, who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this content.

Features Software & Apps Ageing Workforce Crisis Future of FIeld Service workforce management field service Uberization Industry 4.0 Customer Satisfaction and Expectations

About the Author: Sarah Nicastro

Sarah Nicastro is a well-known figure in the industry having served for more than a decade as Editor- in-Chief of Field Technologies before creating the Future of Field Service platform in late 2018. As a writer, podcast host, and keynote speaker, Sarah is passionate about aiding businesses in realizing the full potential of service.