>Prior to his death, Bill Pollock, left a number of articles to be published post-humously, his parting gift for the industry he served which such devotion for many years. Here, is the final article in that series, and is full of wit and insight in equal measure as anyone who has read Bill's work would of course expect... 

Well … How should I say this?

After more than 40 years covering the Field Services community, I’ve finally lost my Internet connection!

It’s been a great ride, and I’ve greatly appreciated the encouragement and support I’ve received from Kris Oldland and Field Service News over the years.

The way I’ve figured it, I’ve written more than 40 pieces for FSN, as well as having appeared in several Handy Little Books, Big Discussions, Podcasts and a video or two.

In addition, Kris and I were really kindred spirits (i.e., long before I actually became a spirit)! We both write extensively; we’re both Type A workers (actually, Kris is a Type A+ worker – he’ll leave you gasping in his dust!); and we’re both strong music aficionados!

In fact, Kris and I shared nearly equal reverence for our favorite guitar players – Kris likes Tommy Emmanuel, and I had always leaned more toward John Lennon, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn and Tom Petty. In fact, my prized possession among my 15 electric and acoustic guitars was my 1993 replica Rickenbacker 12-string electric, accompanied by the Roger McGuinn Jangle Box. I wasn’t anywhere near as good as my “fab four” – but I still got the jangle out of my 12-string!

But, enough about my personal life! Now would be better served by sharing some of my final words of wisdom!

Having covered the services sector for more than 40 years, I’ve actually reflected some flashes of wisdom over the years, some of which I would like to share with you (that is, since I won’t be writing any more articles for FSN in the future). Let me leave you with “10 Things to be Painfully Aware Of” as you move through your own respective careers [Note: Please excuse the dangling participle – good grammar isn’t necessarily at the top of my list anymore!]:

 

10. If you’re not already hard-wired for the services industry, it’s time to look for another profession.
11. If you think you’re already doing enough in support of your customers, you’re wrong; if you think you can do better, you’re right.
12. If you’ve adopted a “wait-and-see” attitude toward the implementation of new technology, you can assume that your top competitors have already done so.
13. When building your strategic marketing plan, don’t look back at your competitors for guidance; look forward to meeting your customers’ needs, requirements and expectations.
14. Don’t just pay “lip service” to word-of-mouth; build it directly into your services marketing plan.
15. Yesterday’s leader in your marketplace may not be around tomorrow; today’s leader may follow in the path of yesterday’s leaders; tomorrow’s leader may not even be in your marketspace today.
16. Don’t conduct a customer needs and requirements/satisfaction survey because you have to; do it because you need to.
17. Implement improvements when your market performance is not doing particularly well; but remember, it’s even easier to spend the time and resources to make improvements when things are going well.
18. If you discover something “broken” in your organization, fix it; but if you identify something stellar that your organization is doing, let the world know about it.
19. Don’t think of strategic services planning as a bunch of one-offs; build your plan on a foundation of synergy, collaboration and linkage.

 

If these top 10 items aren’t enough to get you through life, then I’ll see you on the other side soon! Otherwise, it may take some time.

In any event, goodbye to all my friends and associates in the global services community. It was a pleasure working with all of you toward the common good!

---

Further Reading:

Read more excellent insight from this true industry giant:

• What is the difference between good and great customer service?

• Identifying the differences between customers’ wants and needs

• Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

• Does Your FSM Initiative Require a “Mid-Course Correction”?

• Customers’ reliance on the services your field technicians provide

• Time to Raise the Bar in Field Service

• A CUSTOMER PROBLEM OR A PROBLEM CUSTOMER?

 

The differences betweeen Yesterday, Today and Tommorrow as they relate to the services industry are just as disparate now as they were back in 1965, however they’ve been amplified due to the literal ‘life and death’ nature of the COVID19 pandemic, as explored in this article written by Bill Pollock...

Even Paul McCartney wrote about the differences between “Yesterday”, “Today” and “Tomorrow”:

• Yesterday (1965) – “All my troubles seemed so far away!”
• Another Day (1971) – “At the office where the papers grow”
• Tomorrow (1971) – “When we both abandon sorrow.”

Of course, John Lennon also echoed these sentiments in “Tomorrow Never Knows”. But, what did the Beatles know about the COVID-19 pandemic that we still don’t know?

The differences between “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” as they relate to the services industry are just as disparate now as they were back in 1965 - 1971; however, they’ve been significantly amplified due to the literal “life and death” nature of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

HOW DO WE DO IT THIS TIME?

One thing to be sure of, however, is the fact that the services industry has already been hit many times before, resulting in a succession of “yesterdays, todays and tomorrows”, but has always risen to the task, performed over and above the call of duty, and aspired to the next levels of “hero-style” performance. World War ll, the Korean Conflict, Viet Nam, 911 and – oh, yeah – a number of recessions, terror attacks, natural disasters and economic downturns – have all tested our strength and leadership; and yet, here we are, once again, called to the frontlines because that’s what we do – and what we do best!  

The question on the table now, however, is “How do we do it this time?

The answer may not yet be readily apparent, so we may have to “wing it” for a while until things start to settle down. What this means, though, is that we all will quickly need to have a plan in place (that is, if we don’t already) to guide us through the foreseeable uncharted territory, until we can once again gather our bearings on the other side in a new and different world. 

The plan will need to be flexible (i.e., as all plans need to be); however, it will also need to be more fluid, agile and able to turn-on-a-dime in order to successfully address everything that is thrown our way in the interim. From this perspective, planning has never been more important – nor more complicated!

Are we all up to the task? The proper answer is “You bet!” So …, where do we get started? The following highlights from Strategies For Growth℠’s (SFG℠’s) 2020 FSM Benchmark Survey Tracking Update will hopefully provide some guidance in terms of where we should be focusing as we deal with these current existential disruptions.

Nonetheless, field services managers are increasingly being faced with multiple future challenges, with the top challenge essentially reflected in satisfaction with respect to the anticipated ROI of the selected FSM solution (i.e., cited by a plurality of survey respondents at 43%).

However, the second most cited challenge is not cost-related, focusing more on identifying the required functionality of the software solution (33%). Integrating new technologies into the existing FSM solution platform (33%), the cost of the technology acquisition (29%); and identifying the most appropriate devices to support field techs (25%) also appear among the top five factors. Selecting the most effective FSM solution falls just a bit lower at (24%).

Accordingly, some field service managers may also find themselves deluged with additional challenges, many of which relate directly to selecting the right solution/vendor, and the rest to functionality- and implementation-related issues, among others.

However, the benefits of successfully addressing each of these challenges are also multi-fold. For example, when thinking about the overall customer service experience, the single-most commonly cited reason for moving forward on the Journey is centered around the ability to meet (or exceed) customers’ services expectations, ultimately leading to improved customer satisfaction (i.e., cited by 41% of respondents as the top benefit)

 

"It will be the adoption and implementation of new technologies that will allow yesterday’s leading services organisations to maintain their respective positions among tomorrow’s leaders...."

 

Several of the other top-cited benefits are clustered in the 25% to 33% range, including ability to run a more efficient field service operation (33%), establish a competitive advantage (31%), improve field technician utilisation and productivity (27%) and provide an end-to-end customer experience relationship (25%).

Marc Tatarsky, SVP Marketing at FieldAware, a cutting-edge, cloud-based, mobile field service management platform that empowers companies to transform their field service organisation through automated processes and streamlined operations, agrees that, “It will be the adoption and implementation of new technologies that will allow yesterday’s leading services organisations to maintain their respective positions among tomorrow’s leaders.

Further, it will be the same process for those services organisations just beginning their aspirations toward Best Practices performance by enabling them to utilise the same technologies and tools used by the market leaders. All services organisations now have the same opportunity to compete head-to-head against all others”. Tim Andrew, CEO and Co-Founder of Localz, a global provider of real-time customer communications and service tracking solutions for field, collection and delivery teams, concurs that, “Rapid changes in customer expectations should be seen as an opportunity for service providers.

By taking advantage of readily available technology, companies can increase satisfaction while also driving down costs. We have designed our offering to help organisations deliver a competitive experience – all without the need to rip-and-replace existing systems.”

New technologies are also playing a big role in helping services organisations to move more quickly from a “yesterday” scenario to one that is more focused on “tomorrow”. To bear this out, the 2020 survey results cite that currently, just over one-quarter (27%) of services organisations are using Augmented Reality/Merged Reality (AR/MR) in support of their field service operations, and that within five years, the percent of FSOs incorporating AR/ MR into their services operations is expected to increase to more than 50%, or more than twice the existing reported level.

 

"As Servitisation continues to transform the field services industry, so, too, will the way in which services will likely be offered to the global services community..."

 

Similarly, just over one-quarter (28%) of services organisations are currently using Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML) in support of their field service operations, and this percent is also expected to grow significantly over the next five years to more than 50% or, again, more than twice the existing reported level.

Finally, a majority of services organisations (51%) are currently incorporating Predictive Diagnostics / Predictive Maintenance into their field service operations and the percent usage is expected to increase to an estimated ±85% range, if not higher.

But, the adoption of new technologies is not the only factor that is moving the services segment along the time continuum. As Servitisation continues to transform the field services industry, so, too, will the way in which services will likely be offered to the global services community. For example, today, 91% of service contracts are built on the basis of traditional Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that focus on such parameters as on-site response time, number of scheduled preventive maintenance service calls, guaranteed uptime (i.e., with vendor sanctions for non-compliance), and the like.

However, within the next three to five years, this percent is expected to drop by nearly 20% to less than three-quarters (72%) of all service contracts. Conversely, the percent of FSOs offering SLAs/contracts based on Uptime, is projected to more than double, from 16% today, to 40% by 2022 - 2024. Further, the use of Outcomes-based SLAs is projected to rise from a virtually non-existent 0% today, to at least 16%, or one-in-six, by 2022 - 2024. As such, this represents a rapidly-moving reversal of the way SLAs/contracts will be offered in the not-too-distant future.

The bottom line for FSOs in the current era of the COVID-19 pandemic is that the data derived from the SFG℠’s 2020 FSM survey make it clear that if your services organisation already finds itself behind the curve with respect to

1. Its ability to meet (if not exceed) its customers’ demands or requirements;
2. The automation of its existing field service management processes (or lack thereof);
3. Its ability to support its field technicians and customers with real-time data and information;
4. Its ability to deal with escalating costs associated with running its services operations; or
5. Its ability to gain management “buy-in” for new technology acquisition, this gap will likely only get larger over time – unless it considers implementing a new, more state-of-the-art, Field Service Management (FSM) solution (that is, one that incorporates “new” technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR)/Merged Reality (MR), Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML), predictive diagnostics/maintenance and/or Remote Expertise).

For some FSOs, the pandemic has dampened their ability (or inclination) to acquire these new technologies; however, for others, it has had the opposite effect, fostering a belief that now is the best time to upgrade its technology base to one that is both state-of-the-art, and can be used to manage the wellbeing of the services organisation as it transitions from “survival” through “sustainability. It will be among the latter organisations that are likely to be the most successful as they re-emerge in a post-COVID-19 scenario.

---

 

For more information, or to download a complimentary copy of the companion SFGSM Analysts Take paper that contains an Executive summary of the firm’s 2020 Field Service Management (FSM) Benchmark Tracking Survey, please visit either the FieldAware or localz websites.

 

---

Further Reading:

• Read BIll Pollock's thoughts on Building a Strategic Services Plan for Meeting Customer Expectations  @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/building-a-strategic-services-plan-for-meeting-customer-expectations
• Read more about Leadership and Strategy @ www.fieldservicenews.com/leadership-and-strategy
• Read more from Bill Pollock on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/bill-pollock

 

As the sad news of the passing of field service industry legend Bill Pollock still hits home, Field Service News is proud to continue to shine a light on his insights that so many in the industry have learnt from. Here we hear Bill's thoughts on how we must embrace a strategic approach to service delivery to ensure we meet our customers' expectations... 

Every day, more services organisations are relying on customer service to differentiate their otherwise commodity-like offerings in order to bring customers in, keep them happy, and make them loyal. However, while it is not "rocket science", any services manager can look like an "Einstein" if he or she embraces the rudimentary aspects of customer service throughout all phases of services marketing and promotion, sales prospecting, writing the contract, and managing the customer relationship over time.

While there are many ways to go with respect to defining and establishing a strong customer service mentality within the organisation, the most direct path to determining whether your organisation is on the right track is to test yourself on a number of questions that will indicate how well positioned you are from a customer service perspective.

The basic questions that any sales, marketing or customer service professional should be asking, and a corresponding set of guidelines for addressing each of them, may include:

 

1. Does your organisation have a formal customer service or customer care department? Does it have a well-defined customer service mission or charter? Is it adequately staffed and empowered?

Surprising as it may seem, some services organisations have no formal customer service or customer care infrastructure. Even in cases where other departments may be managing portions of the company's customer service activities (e.g., handling complaints, responding to inquiries, etc.), there may still be no formal companywide procedures or processes for managing customer service. As a result, any customer service activities provided are probably not being performed in a consistent and cohesive manner. Further, in cases where customer service is performed essentially as a "secondary" activity to the department's otherwise self-defined "primary" activities, lack of adequate staffing, empowerment and accountability may become major inhibiting factors.

 

2. Is there a formal process for handling customer service activities? Are specific responsibilities defined and assigned? Is there accountable ownership?

All functions within the organisation require formal processes to ensure effectiveness. Documented processes are even more important when they involve customers and other external parties (e.g., vendors, dealers, alliance partners, etc.). But processes, in and of themselves, do not get the job done. They must be managed by designated personnel, with specifically defined roles and responsibilities, in order to be effective. The capability to track who actually has ownership of each customer service activity as it is being performed will be critical in measuring overall company performance, as well as providing an ongoing record of success (or failure) in meeting the company's customer service goals and objectives.

 

3. Does your company management promote and encourage customer service? Are there incentives for doing it right, or sanctions for doing it wrong?

Regardless of where your customer service personnel get their primary inspiration, they must still be fully supported by management at all levels. However, this is clearly a case where actions speak louder than words. Management must do everything possible to articulate and communicate its philosophy of customer service throughout the organisation in order to empower its customer service personnel to get the job done – and reward them for being successful at it.

 

4. How interactive is your organisation with the customer base? Does it communicate with them enough? Does it offer them with a means for providing their customer service input and feedback?

A one-way street for customer service is never adequate. A services organisation's customers must also be able to articulate and communicate their concerns to the organisation, and they will need to know how to do so. Accordingly, the organisation should have a formal process in place for soliciting and receiving customer service input and feedback directly from customers. The process should be well-documented and promoted, easy to access, user friendly, and sincere. Most importantly, all communications coming from the customer base must be quickly and satisfactorily answered. It is generally also a good idea to summarise some of the customer feedback and related company responses in a communicated format such as a company newsletter or Blog, or on the company Website (e.g., FAQs, Customer Service Update, etc.).

 

5. Are your customer service personnel properly trained? Do they have all of the necessary tools and resources to get the job done?

Just because certain individuals are "good with people" does not necessarily mean that they are fully equipped to handle all types of customer service situations. It may mean that they have the "right stuff" – but they will still need to receive the "right training." Even with the proper training, a customer service representative is often only as good as his/her ability to get the job done. This requires access to all of the necessary customer service and support tools, such as guidebooks and procedure manuals; software systems that allow them to log-in calls and track how and when corrective actions are required; and state-of-the-art mobile communications capabilities.

 

As you can imagine, there are dozens of additional questions that will still need to be answered before you can be certain that your organisation is addressing all of its key customer service issues. However, these five questions should be at the top of your list in order to make an initial assessment of exactly where your company stands with respect to its customer service philosophy.

Steve Mason, COO at FieldAware, a cutting-edge, cloud-based, mobile field service management platform that empowers companies to transform their field service organisation through automated processes and streamlined operations, agrees that, “It is the planning process that helps services organisations to establish the goals, objectives, targets and vectors that they must follow in order to, first, survive, and then, thrive especially in the current pandemic reality. Once they have a sound plan in place, they will require the tools to empower them to take the necessary steps forward. This is where we come in to assist our customers with both their planning process, and their ability to implement, monitor and measure their success over time”.

The planning process is critical for services organisations of all types, sizes, and industry segments, as offered by Emma Lampert, Global Head of Customer Success at localz, a global provider of real-time customer communications and service tracking solutions for field, collection and delivery teams on the day of service, who explains that, “Before you can progress your customer service plan, you will need to listen to customers’ needs. Feedback can be used to tackle their concerns head-on, as well as shaping your long-term strategy. With this in mind, we provide a range of tools to communicate with customers before and after a service is delivered. You can easily configure the communication journey to meet the needs of your specific segment.”

First and foremost, management commitment is what is required for getting started, and the plan for services management is what is needed for getting organised. Direction and focus assists in setting the appropriate targets, and teamwork and structure help to provide the proper environment for plan execution. Finally, it is with leadership and training where all of the services management components are "pulled together" so that the organisation can be successfully led through plan implementation and roll-out.

In assessing the quality of your organisation's strategic services planning effort, it is important to remember that the strategic puzzle is only complete if all of the pieces are fit together in the proper placement. When any one piece of the puzzle is missing, the process is incomplete. Your organisation may already have most of the puzzle pieces in place, but only through the adoption and utilisation of a formal planning process will the services management puzzle ultimately be put together in an efficient and effective manner.

The more of the planning elements your organisation already has in place, the more ready it is to move forward toward plan implementation:

 

• Leadership is critical to the empowerment that is required to "get the ball rolling"
• Information and Analysis provides you with the tools required to measure and assess your services management effectiveness
• The Strategic Services Plan is the framework from which your organisation will operate
• Human Resource Development and Management assures that you have the right personnel to "get the job done" and reviews legislation to ensure requirements are fully complied with in the service delivery model
• Management of the Process assures the appropriate levels of quality are built into the design of the organisation’s products and services as well as the processes that bring them to your customers
• Performance and Operational Results provide you with a benchmark for evaluating your performance
• Customer Focus and Satisfaction assures that your organization will always strive to provide its customers with the levels of products, services and support they require

 

If carried out successfully, the key outcomes of the ongoing strategic services planning process would be:

 

• The ability to predict/anticipate changes that the business will have to face in the immediate-, short-, intermediate- and long-range
• The ability to manage/control the way in which the business evolves and grows
• The ability to keep your employees, customers and society safe during COVID-19 and other pandemic-related situations
• The ability to act/react to both evolving and sudden market events and occurrences
• The ability to positively impact the environment whilst reducing operating expenditure
• The ability to dampen/soften the impact of negative economic downturns, market trends and/or competitive threats
• The ability to plan/support the most effective actions for positioning the organisation for growth mode

---

For more information, or to download a complimentary copy of the companion SFG℠ Analysts Take paper, please visit either the FieldAware or Localz Websites.

---

Further Reading:

• Read more exclusive Field Service News from Bill Pollock @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/bill-pollock
• Read more about Managing the Mobile Workforce @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/managing-the-mobile-workforce
• Read Bill's personal blog @ https://pollockonservice.com/
• Read Bill's Obituary and comment to leave your respects @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/farewell-to-one-of-the-very-best
• Read more about the offerings Localz offer to Field Service Companies @ https://www.localz.com/
• Read more about the offerings FieldAware offer to Field Service Companies @ https://www.fieldaware.com/

We are at a tipping point in field service as we move from the traditional break-fix thinking towards field service to a more proactive approach. However, there is a balance to be held which Bill Pollock, President, Strategies for Growth discusses at length here...

The transition from the historical Service Level Agreement (SLA) model to a more broadly defined Servitisation, or outcomes-based, model is upending the global field services community. In fact, the movement away from a decades-old SLA service delivery model that typically guaranteed 4- or 8-hour on-site response, quarterly PMs (i.e., Preventive Maintenance) and online customer technical support is quickly being replaced by a “new” model that is built on a foundation of outcomes-based performance targets and metrics.

For example, in a typical food or beverage processing facility, the “old” way of executing an SLA may have been based on an assortment of contractual line items, such as guaranteed 4-hour, 8-hour or next day on-site arrival; 4 or more preventive maintenance visits per year; or access to a customer portal to initiate a service call, track the status of open call activity or order parts, etc. However, the “new” way of constructing a service agreement may now consist simply of delivering guaranteed system uptime, guaranteed minimum level of productivity throughput (e.g., gallons of milk processed per day, etc.), and an accompanying array of predictive and remote monitoring, diagnostics and system fixes.

As a result of this looming seismic shake-up of the way in which service performance is measured, some of the traditional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), used by virtually all services organisations, will likely soon be replaced by a swath of “new” metrics, where we will likely see:

 

• Mean-Time-Between-Failures (MTBF) being replaced by Mean-Time-Between-Prevented-Failures (MTBPF)
• Mean-Time-to-Repair (MTTR) measured in seconds or minutes, rather than in hours or days
• First-Time-Fix-Rate (FTFR), similarly being measured in seconds or minutes
• Preventive Maintenance (PM) being replaced by Pre-emptive Maintenance Support (PMS)

 

The immediate impact of these “new” KPIs will also, undoubtedly, cause year-over-year comparisons to have to wait at least a year or more in order to, once again, be relevant.

Along with this service delivery model transition also comes a major transition in the way services are being priced. As an example, over the past several years, the shift from perpetual license pricing to subscription pricing had taken some time to be fully embraced by the global services community; but the change has since become much more widely accepted and is now fairly universal. However, each of these major “disruptions” to the services marketplace have seemingly led to additional changes that may actually be even more disruptive – at least in the Post-COVID-19 short term.

Each of these major “disruptions” to the services marketplace are already leading to additional changes that may actually be even more disruptive – at least in the immediate- and short-term. For example, the “old” mission for services organisations was essentially “to keep up with the Jones’s – the Jones’s typically being represented by the competition, ever-evolving customer needs and requirements, availability of improved technology tools and resources, and the like. However, the “new” mission is now much more reflective of keeping up with “existential developments” (i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic, and/or whatever comes up next!).

 

"The impact of COVID-19 has basically expedited the process of re-looking at and re-engineering the ways in which our customers are delivering service..."

- Steve Mason, FieldAware

 

As a result, there will be a whole “new” way of delivering service, as well as measuring the success of the organisation through an entirely “new” set of KPIs, or metrics. [By the way – I have already written many times about the need for “new” KPIs/metrics and, respectfully claim the rights to MTBPF!]

Steve Mason, COO at FieldAware, a cutting-edge, cloud-based, mobile field service management platform that empowers companies to transform their field service organisation through automated processes and streamlined operations, concurs that, “The impact of COVID-19 has basically expedited the process of re-looking at and re-engineering the ways in which our customers are delivering service, as well as the means by which they can measure their performance success. The traditional ways of managing field services are now transforming, and the only way for today’s FSOs to ensure that they will still be around tomorrow, is to lead the change – rather than follow the leaders”.

This transformation is impacting all sectors of the global services market, as explained by Tim Andrew, CEO and Co-founder of localz, a global provider of real-time customer communications and service tracking solutions for field, collection and delivery teams. “The bar for field service is increasingly being set by forces outside the service industry – from the global pandemic, to the B2C customer experience. We aim to make it easy for service companies to keep up with changing behaviours, while delivering on key metrics such as first-time-fix-rate. That is why we believe this transformation will soon be felt throughout the field service segment, regardless of the size, coverage or depth of the service organisation”.

However, for many service managers, it is one thing to set goals and measurement standards, but another to actually implement them. They will still need to empower their teams to develop the “new” goals and associated KPIs that will be needed by following these guidelines:

1. Set targets – decide on the baseline, and define standards or targets; then create a plan to reach them.

2. Define a scoring methodology – determine how you will be measuring success and assign individual scores that roll-up to a total score for each category; for example, in measuring and tracking Customer Satisfaction performance:

- 95% to 100% = Exceeds expectations

- 85% to <95% = Meets expectations

- 0 to <85% = Does not meet expectations

3. Link KPIs – to critical factors that drive the performance of the organisation. If the metric is not directly linked to a critical organisation success factor, it will probably not be worth the resources to measure.

4. Assign someone to take ownership – of the data being collected, processed and shared. If you do not have accurate data to report on, there is no chance you will be able to recognise achieving your goals.

5. Communicate KPIs clearly – to every party involved.

6. Invest in resources necessary to achieve goals – you cannot expect someone to improve performance metrics in an area without first listening to their needs, and then giving them the resources necessary to make improvements.  

7. Foster collaboration between sales and service – give sales-reps an incentive to sell more service contracts to turn the service department into an improved profit center.

 

Without a formal set of objective, realistic, quantifiable, and actionable KPIs, your organisation may never be able to accurately assess its performance over time – especially post-COVID-19! However, by using the proper mix of both “traditional” and “new” KPIs, both the organisation, and each of its key departments and divisions, will be able to measure their success – or lack thereof – on an ongoing basis, with the ability to identify problems, cultivate opportunities, and make improvements, as necessary, all along the way.

 

---

 

For more information, or to download a complimentary copy of the companion SFG℠ Analysts Take paper, please visit either the FieldAware or localz Websites.

 

---

 

Further Reading:

• Read more exclusive Field Service News from Bill Pollock @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/bill-pollock
• Read more about Managing the Mobile Workforce @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/managing-the-mobile-workforce
• Follow Bill Pollock on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/sfgonservice
• Read Bill's personal blog @ https://pollockonservice.com/
• Connect with Bill Pollock on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-pollock-b74874/
• Read more about the offerings Localz offer to Field Service Companies @ https://www.localz.com/
• Read more about the offerings FieldAware offer to Field Service Companies @ https://www.fieldaware.com/

Bill Pollock, President Strategies for GrowthSM outlines the importance of advanced route management for field service engineers and sks is this the responsibility of the engineer, the company or both?

Every day, your field technicians travel the highways and the side streets, they fight the rush-hour and lunchtime traffic, and they avoid both the posted and non-posted detours to get to their customers’ sites. They have made customer calls to offices once located in the middle of nowhere, that are now located in the middle of busy shopping districts; and they have driven miles to get to locations for which there are now easy-on/easy-off highway interchanges that put them instantly right where they want to be.

Your field techs probably already know as much about the geographic areas they cover as any taxi or Uber driver in the city. This is an extremely valuable resource that does not replace, but certainly augments, any GPS-mapping functionality that may be incorporated into your company’s field services operations. The key question is, "How can you best leverage this first-hand knowledge of the territories they support into an effective means for improving your overall ability to support the organisation’s customers?” And what new technologies, or tools, are available to augment this knowledge?

Every field technician has his or her own "tricks of the trade" for dealing with “getting from point A to point B". Sometimes, it is nothing more than knowing the right shortcuts and through routes for getting from one customer site to another; and other times it is simply a matter of knowing which restaurants along the way can provide them with a quick – but wholesome – meal when they're starting to run slightly behind.

 

"What is important, however, is that they [field service engineers] are able to leverage all of the resources at their disposal to empower themselves to make intelligent decision..."

 

Knowing their territories does not only mean knowing the highways; it also means knowing what is located alongside the highways, including everything from rest stops, office supply stores, fax and copy centers, drug stores, supermarkets, and any other types of facilities that provide the products and services they may require as they're making their daily calls.

The proliferation of cell phones and tablets has made all of our lives quite a bit easier; but especially for those of us who are regularly on the road. However, cell phones have little value if they are not used every time the situation warrants. For example, if the field tech has a service call scheduled for 2:00 pm; it’s 1:45, and they believe they’re about half-an-hour away, this would represent a perfect time to make a quick call to the customer to let them know that they’re running a bit late, and that they will be there shortly.

Whether they know the territory so well that they can judge how long it will take to get through traffic, detours, or bad weather; or whether they know which local radio stations to listen to for the most up-to-date and accurate traffic reports, is irrelevant. What is important, however, is that they are able to leverage all of the resources at their disposal to empower themselves to make intelligent decisions, and that they pass on that "intelligence" to their customers in the form of pre-arrival alerts, notifications, warnings, or other types of "heads-up" calls. But, sometimes, they may need extra help!

 

"It may be arguable as to whether route management is the field technician’s responsibility, the responsibility of the company in supporting them in the field, or both..."

 

In some cases, it may be arguable as to whether route management is the field technician’s responsibility, the responsibility of the company in supporting them in the field, or both. What is inarguable, however, is that route management is also a critical component of any service organisation’s call handling and management function – and that all parties – including the field technicians – have something to contribute directly to the process.

Your organisation probably utilises route management applications primarily for the purpose of achieving improved scheduling of service calls. However, the total package of benefits is quite wide ranging, and typically results in the following outcomes: 

 

• Increased number of service calls per route/per day
• Improved field technician utilisation and productivity
• Quicker and more responsive service delivery
• Increased profitability per route/per field technician
• More satisfied customers

 

Through the effective use of route management, the organisation can ultimately save a great deal of time and money by routing and scheduling its field technicians more efficiently. But merely analysing and assessing route management from an internal operations or IT center, in and of itself, will not totally do the job. From time to time, the field technicians may also need to be called on to contribute some of their first-hand territory information to the organisation's general model or, if they are not, they should be prepared to proactively contribute any information that they think may ultimately be of value with respect to their territory.

Most route management models are extremely sophisticated, relying on GPS mapping functionality and a variety of mathematical algorithms to select the most efficient routes between two or more points. They may also provide field techs with real-time maps and recommended travel route printouts, or they may be displayable on screens embedded either in their vehicle’s dashboard and/or their handhelds; but they may end up being totally worthless in any given situation if they do not take into account the most current and accurate traffic-related data. This is where advanced tools come into play, for, otherwise, it will rest primarily on the shoulders of the field technicians’ particular expertise in their own territories that can serve to elevate a good route management system to a great one.

In addition to travel optimisation, route management models are also relied upon to improve a service technician’s efficiency in the field by allowing them to electronically: 

 

• Log in service call activity reports
• Place orders for parts
• Collect an electronic signature and close out the call
• Generate customer invoices
• Print customer receipts
• Enter updated customer information

 

The benefits of route management are also multi-fold, typically including:

 

• More effective scheduling of service calls and appointments
• The elimination of manual data entry and paperwork
• Reduced data entry errors (i.e., through the use of barcode scanning, etc.)
• Improved cash flow resulting from real-time, point-of-service billing
• Shortened time windows for customers
• Reduced mileage and fuel costs
• Reduced overtime hour requirements
• Improved time efficiency in the field

 

An efficient route management system can make a good services organisation even better. And, the organisation’s field technicians should learn to rely on it when they can, suggest improvements to it when they are able, and use it as a tool for making both themselves and their customers happy.

Knowing their territories is important; however the ability to apply that knowledge is what will ultimately differentiate your field technicians from those who cannot. It is a safe bet that by applying this knowledge effectively, augmented by the new technologies and tools that are currently available, they can avoid many cases of unnecessarily keeping their customers “hanging”, while increasing their ability to complete their calls more productively.

---

Further Reading:

• Read more exclusive Field Service News from Bill Pollock @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/bill-pollock
• Read more about Managing the Mobile Workforce @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/managing-the-mobile-workforce
• Follow Bill Pollock on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/sfgonservice
• Read Bill's personal blog @ https://pollockonservice.com/
• Connect with Bill Pollock on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-pollock-b74874/

Now is absolutely the time we need to start treating our Business to Business Accounts the same as our Business to Customers accounts writes Strategies for Growth^SM Bill Pollock...

Until only recently, the services purchase/acquisition cycle was a fairly closed-loop, highly structured, and oftentimes formal process. Potential clients obtained most of their decision-making data and informational input directly from the vendors, sought the top-level recommendations of published hardware and software buyer’s guides and directories, and picked up on the latest “buzz” at industry trade shows or via services trade publications – all were and still are powerful and rich resources (albeit, virtual trade shows will just have to do until the end of the current pandemic) .

This was the way services decisions had been supported and made for decades. But then, the Internet and social media changed everything – including the means by which information is gathered, reviewed, and analysed, the criteria by which potential vendors are evaluated and selected, and even the way in which customers position themselves as potential buyers in a largely buyer’s market.

The White House Office of Consumer Affairs has reported that dissatisfied customers will tell between nine and 15 people about their negative experience, with about 13 percent telling more than 20 people. Satisfied customers, on the other hand, will only tell about four to six people about their positive experience. Therefore, according to the report, customer service failures are likely to be communicated two-and-a-half times more often than customer service successes. As a result, services organisations will need to maintain a ratio of roughly 2.5:1 satisfied vs. dissatisfied customers just to break even in terms of word-of-mouth customer service feedback (i.e., 71 percent customer satisfaction). 

In all likelihood, customers will become even more critical – and communicative – about their service experiences in the future, based on the widespread usage of social media tools and technology devices. This presents a new front for services organisations to address in an increasingly social media-influenced marketplace; however, there are many other challenges that also must be addressed.

 

The Three Most Daunting Challenges to Field Service Organisations

The three most uniquely daunting challenges faced by services organisations over the past few decades include the following:

• Transforming themselves from manufacturer/OEM cost centers to strategic lines of business (i.e., with their own executive-level management and P&L responsibility).
• Shifting their operational focus from company-centric to customer-centric, whereby the customer represents the focal point of their universe.
• Learning how to treat their business-to-business (B2B) accounts with the same high level of service and support that other vendors use to treat their business-to-consumer (B2C) customers.

Surely there have also been other equally daunting challenges facing the services industry throughout this period, such as:

• The globalization of business operations
• A volatile cycle of economic upturns and downturns
• The proliferation of new technologies and applications
• The continuing shakeout of marginal performers, and the resultant consolidation within market sectors
• The widespread growth of social media for business purposes

However, while all of these business game-changers ultimately impact all business segments, the three challenges in the op list above focus uniquely on the services sector.

 

The Industry’s Success in Dealing with These Challenges

The main distinction between these two sets of challenges is that while the general influences of the economy, technology, market consolidation, and social media continue to impact all businesses from the outside in, the three challenges unique to the services industry are serving to transform services organizations from the inside out. As a result, the entire complexion of the services sector continues to morph on a virtually constant basis.

Let’s examine each of our three challenges with respect to their impact on the services industry.

Over the past 25 years or so, most services organisations have come to recognise that the “service as a cost center” business model is essentially outdated. Myriad books have been read – and conferences, seminars, and workshops attended – by enough managers to assure that the vast majority of services organisations have been able to successfully make the move from an historical manufacturer/OEM cost center to a more state-of-the-art profit center. All it took for this transformation to take place was for some of the larger and more progressive organisations to successfully bridge the chasm, coupled with the creation of third- and fourth-party organisations with no other line of business aside from service, and the ultimate introduction of a whole new genre of technology-driven, leaner operating upstart companies that did not carry the cost-center mindset of their predecessors. 

"Many of the service executives, managers, technicians, and general services staffs have never looked previously at their business accounts as “consumers” in the past..."

Shifting from a company-centric to a customer-centric focus was the next most daunting challenge to be addressed by services organisations on a wide-scale basis – though not always voluntarily. Some objection came from those steeped in a long-term R&D tradition where technology, manufacturing, production, and processes took precedence over customer service and support. Nonetheless, the need to focus on the customer has been satisfactorily addressed by the vast majority of today’s services organisations. 

The third challenge, however, is perhaps the most daunting of all, because it flies in the face of every marketing and promotional primer ever published, read, or taught. That is, the importance of treating your B2B accounts as if they were B2C customers. Many of the service executives, managers, technicians, and general services staffs have never looked previously at their business accounts as “consumers” in the past. But that’s what they really are – and that’s how they act when they collect information to support their buying decisions when they evaluate alternative vendors and products, narrow their “long lists” down to “short lists,” and make their final purchase decisions and/or recommendations.

In the past, businesses typically employed an entirely different process than consumers did to make their business-related product and service decisions. There was generally an elongated evaluation process, followed by an equally elongated negotiation process, ultimately leading to an acquisition decision that was approved by a committee or purchasing department. Business managers generally utilized resources such as comparative product/service reviews produced by research analyst firms to compare alternative offerings, then they typically would dissolve into committees and groups chartered to make the final purchase recommendations. Sales calls and marketing collateral provided by each of the short-listed manufacturer/OEMs and services organisations were also relied on heavily (as they still are today). 

However, the overall process was oftentimes slow, repetitive, incomplete, and short of the full complement of information it should have taken to support the decision-making process. Further, many of the short-listed vendors would typically only compare their products and services to those offered by their closest “like” competitors, oftentimes ignoring some of the otherwise applicable “new technology” solutions providers. But, as they say, times have changed. 

 

The Convergence of B2B and B2C:

The primary reason why the “like-company comparison” no longer holds up can be explained in just a few words and selected brand names, e.g., the Internet, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, Amazon, QVC, Federal Express, UPS. Of course, there are many other paradigms that may be just as illustrative, but these are representative examples of what has helped transform the “B” aspect of the B2B equation into a “C.”

The Internet has become the great equalizer, i.e., the means by which businesses (the B’s) and consumers (the C’s) have been afforded equal data and information access, availability, and use. Prior to the introduction of the Internet, businesses and consumers operated in two entirely different worlds; but now, businesses and consumers have an equally powerful tool to support their product and service decision-making processes.

Further, search engines like Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and others can equally empower both types of customers in their ability to search out the best products and services available to them. No longer would businesses need to rely primarily on printed or electronic buyer’s guides, directories, and product/service overviews published by research analyst firms. Nor would consumers need to focus exclusively on Consumer Reports, newspaper articles, and television advertising to obtain their purchasing information. Not that these sources aren’t rich and resourceful – they entirely are. But today, there are numerous websites, blogs, trade associations, and general e-mail communications, posts and tweets that are powerful additional sources of comparative information that is helpful in making a final decision.

"The question arises: Wouldn’t it be nice if all of the B2B business vendors offered the same capabilities as the B2C vendors?"

Then there are the companies that have taken the functionality of these Web-based tools to the highest levels. Companies such as Amazon that, every time you log in, tell you what you’ve bought in the past; what others who have bought the same items as you have also bought; what new items similar to the ones you have bought in the past are now available, and so on. They can even provide you with time-related reminders for purchasing (e.g., birthdays, holidays, anniversaries) and alternative shipping options for the items you have purchased.

The question arises: Wouldn’t it be nice if all of the B2B business vendors offered the same capabilities as the B2C vendors? For example, letting their customers know what comparable businesses have ordered in terms of related items, bundled product/consumables packages, extended service coverage agreements. Or reminding them that they may need to renew or extend their service agreement, stock up on consumables, or consider migrating to a newer model or version. Some companies already provide these services, but certainly it would be great if there were more businesses that did. 

Companies like QVC and the Home Shopping Network have also maximized their use of the Internet’s communications capabilities by making not only the buying process easy – but the returns process as well. For example, you might purchase an item from QVC via telephone, computer, or electronic device. Once you obtain a customer number, it’s all very easy to place an order. The overall customer experience is then heightened even further by the high level of communications provided to the consumer, receipt of a near-instant e-mail confirmation of the order, subsequent follow-up e-mails when the item is shipped, if it is on backorder, etc. Even the return process is easy with companies like QVC. If it doesn’t work out, one can simply return the item in the same packaging along with the supplied mailing label, with return-receipt and credit notification sent in a timely manner. 

Again, an equivalent B2B experience here would be an outstanding way to focus on your business customers. 

 

The Permanent Emergence of the “C” Account

It is no longer good enough to tell your accounts that your organisation is no worse than any of your similar competitors (the “like-company comparison). If you do, you will risk hearing something in return such as, “I understand that. But what I don’t understand is why you can’t provide me with as much past, present, and future order information as Amazon or process my return – and return credit – as quickly as American Express!” 

By simply delivering the same-old, same-old treatment to your accounts, you are guaranteed to continue treating them as B’s. However, your accounts have become accustomed to being treated as C’s. Your customers – empowered by the Internet, its evolving technology, and the explosion of related apps, devices, and social media tools – have already crossed that bridge; now’s the perfect time for your services organisation to do the same!

---

Further Reading:

• Read more exclusive FSN features from Bill Pollock @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/author/bill-pollock
• Read more about Service Innovation and Design @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/service-innovation-and-design
• Read more about Leadership and Strategy @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/leadership-and-strategy
• Connect with Bill Pollock on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/bill-pollock-b74874/
• Follow Bill Pillock on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/sfgonservice
• Follow Bill Pollock's Personal Blog @ pollockonservice.com/

Covid-19 has changed the world, Service leaders have to look beyond "business as usual" and find new ways to operate. Developing new solutions, delivered via strong leadership, is key to continuity. Bill Pollock explains...  

While many would argue that a serious marketing and business development action plan is required at all times, this is especially true during turbulent times. During historical boom economic growth periods, post-war recoveries and peacetime economic expansions, it seemed that virtually any half-hearted marketing or business development activities led to continuing business growth.

However, when the going gets rough, there are two key factors that all services organisations must keep in mind:

1. Life – and business – still go on, but
2. Customers have neither the time nor the inclination to mess around.

Field Service Strategy During and Post-Pandemic

The compound events of the sudden and unexpected spread of the Coronavirus, and the subsequent crash of the global economic markets have temporarily brought the world, and its businesses, to a stunned and sudden standstill. There is no longer “business (or life) as usual”. Many citizens are now “sheltered at home”, either voluntarily, or mandated by their respective governments. There is also an increasing realisation that life as we knew it would no longer be the same. As a result, neither would field services – nor services of any kind!

Already, there are many facets of the traditional services delivery model that have changed forever. However, workers will continue to use their computers, tablets and smartphones to get their day-to-day jobs done. The mobile workforce will become increasingly mobile – as will the pre-Coronavirus office workforce. As such, networks and carriers will become even more important components of the customer and field technician communications processes than ever before.

Payments will still need to be made, although there are likely to be less ATM transactions, as they will likely be replaced by an increase in online payments via the Internet, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo and the like. Chipped credit and debit cards were supposed to slowly replace the older magnetic strip cards; however, this transformation has been accelerated by the Coronavirus pandemic, where more and more payments will now be made via “tap” or “wave”, instead of swipe, insert or hand-to-hand transfers of cards or cash with human clerks.

Patients will still go for MRIs, CT-scans and surgical procedures – but, at least temporarily, not so much for elective surgeries or non-life-threatening medical situations. Milk will still be processed. Pharmaceuticals will be manufactured. Textiles will be sewn. And services organisations will still be called upon to support their customers, dealers and end users with a full array of new and steadily evolving services.

When you think about it, everything that we do in the services industry still needs to get done – especially in these turbulent times. In many ways, we are all doing the same things as we did pre-Coronavirus – although now, there is an extra measure of importance in everything we do, every step we take, and every customer we support. It’s just going to be different! And remain different!

 

"This may also be a good time to strengthen your own organisation’s relationships amongst its strategic partners..."

 

As recently as just a few months ago, undoubtedly, we were all dealing with customers (or vendors) who, for whatever reasons, simply strove to meet “acceptable” levels of service delivery performance and customer satisfaction. Some had internal goals, objectives or mandates that needed to be met; while others simply wanted to improve existing levels of customer satisfaction to “keep up with the Joneses”. Now, everything is different. The stakes are suddenly higher.

Every business, everywhere in the civilized world, now requires the highest levels of B2B (and, increasingly, B2C) support from its cadre of vendors and partners – no matter whether the support required is on-site break/fix, helpdesk or preventive maintenance; or systems integration, consulting or professional services. However, increasingly, there has been (and is now virtually mandated) a rapidly-moving transformation away from the traditional on-site, “hands-on” approach (whether supported by Augmented Reality or not) to a “hands off” approach where service and support is, instead, provided via Predictive Diagnostics, Remote Diagnostics/Maintenance, and now – Remote Expertise.

 

3D Printing within the Field Service Supply Chain?

Further, “last year’s technologies”, such as 3D Printing, have been propelled directly into the forefront of Parts & Inventory Management as global businesses have relied heavily on the ad hoc ability to manufacture parts – on-site, and immediately – to support local medical and related emergencies. Most analysts agree that 3D Printing will fast become a mainstay of parts and inventory management as quality continues to improve and costs come down further.

In today’s tense environment when an unforeseen development can bring air travel and mail service to a sudden halt, thereby stopping parts shipments or freezing deliveries; send unexpectedly high numbers of people to medical centers for tests, evaluation and possible hospitalisation; or disrupt field service operations as otherwise would-be mobile workers sit “sheltered at home” until they are permitted, once again, to make service calls on-site, there is a renewed need for services “above and beyond the call of duty” to support what used to be “business as usual”.

But how can this be done?

Quite simply, it will involve ramping up the types of services and support products that have been historically marketed to a higher level of contingency-based support as well. This may also be a good time to strengthen your own organisation’s relationships amongst its strategic partners. For example, whatever your company’s portfolio of service and support products may have been historically, now would be a propitious time to refocus it around professional services including contingency planning, business continuity and disaster recovery, etc. And, if you already provide these types of services yourself, now is the time to promote them more heavily to the marketplace. However, if you don’t – now may be the right time to find yourself a strategic partner in those fields with which to “piggyback”, or joint market, your services.

 

"Whatever happens from this point on, the world has changed..."

 

Customers, who only a few months ago, were primarily concerned with hardware, software and helpdesk support, are now also talking about contingency planning, business continuity and disaster recovery. Terms like “high availability” and “hot sites” have been around, it seems, almost forever. However, with the advent and proliferation of the Coronavirus pandemic, they are now “top of mind” for many businesses, and no longer on the “back burner”. Are these the types of professional services that are also “top of mind” to the marketplace when they think of your organisation? If not, what can you do to make it so?

 

The Critical Rise of Augmented Reality

Field service solution providers that did not offer an Augmented Reality (AR) or Merged Reality (MR) component to their respective portfolio of offerings yesterday, were still credible alternatives for supporting your organisation’s field operations – but, not any longer! If your services organisation is looking for a credible FSM solution today, you should only be considering those powered by the Internet of Things (IoT), and built on a foundation of AR/MR, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning.

However, AR/MR is mostly helpful for empowering on-site field technicians to perform the “fix” quicker, without mistakes, and without the need to carry pounds of paper or electronic schematics with them as they drive to the customer site – but they still need to drive to the customer site! Although an AR/MR solution is essentially resident in the Cloud, it still requires “feet on the street”!

One alternative would be to train the customer/user to AR/MR to perform the “fix” themselves – but this reflects an age-old conundrum as to how much power do you want to give to the customer? How much can they be trusted to make the “fix” correctly, and without damaging anything, or taking the equipment out of warranty? What about regulatory requirements, particularly in the medical/healthcare and other highly-regulated industry segments? There will need to be an orderly progression to allow some – but not all – customers to add this capability to their self-help capabilities. This is where Remote Expertise can be of great value, incorporating such features as a “virtual” technician on-screen presence, repair instructions shown via superimposed human hands, and on-screen telestration (i.e., similar to a sports commentator’s on-screen annotations during a football match, etc.).

Whatever happens from this point on, the world has changed. The way of conducting business has also changed; however, the way of supporting businesses with the services and support they require to satisfy their customers has not – it just got a lot more complicated, and, perhaps, a bit more serious. With this increased seriousness, we can “kiss goodbye” all those meaningless and frivolous attempts to “bundle” our existing services products into a “new” branded package, or otherwise try to disguise our “same old, same old” offerings by thrusting them into a tiered, or “bullion” packaging portfolio (i.e., Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, etc. – that would be so 1990’s). Our customers have always been too smart for that anyway!

What the market wants – and needs – is an honest and forthright offering of service and support that will give them one less thing to worry about as they attempt to meet their immediate struggles, and their customers’ quickly evolving needs in this “new” – and very different – world.

Turbulent times require a serious approach, plus serious marketing and promotion – and it doesn’t get much more turbulent than this! We owe it to our customers, ourselves and our respective communities to rise to the occasion, and ensure that we can provide the services and support that our customers require immediately, as well as in the short-, mid- and longer-term. Services marketing and business development have never been more serious.

 

---

Further Reading:

• Read more articles by Bill Pollock @ www.fieldservicenews.com/billpollock
• Read more about Covid-19 in service @ www.fieldservicenews.com/en-gb/covid-19
• Read more about Digital Transformation in field service @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
• Read more about 3D printing in service @ www.fieldservicenews.com/3d+printing
• Read more from Bill Pollock's own blog @ https://pollockonservice.com

The service sector will weather the Corona Virus storm but our customers needs will have changed so how do you operate in a post-pandemic environment? Bill Pollock talks us through the process.
For most services organisations, 2020 started out looking every bit the same as 2019 ended – full of uncertainty in an unpredictable economy, coupled with an increasingly demanding and volatile geo-political business model. Then, the world as we knew it changed dramatically – seemingly overnight – by the impact of the Coronavirus and subsequent global economic disruption. 

However, despite all of the uncertainty and volatility, it is important to remember what we all do for a living – that is, we serve our customers by making their jobs – and their lives – easier to deal with on a day-to-day basis. This is what services organisations do, and that model has not changed over the past several decades. 

What does this mean?

Time for the Field Service Sector to Stand Tall

It means that we, as an industry, still need to provide our services to our customers – but, now, even better, quicker and more efficiently than ever before. The marketplace has no tolerance for anything less than superior service and support, and if your services organisation does not already provide it, they’ll find another organisation that does! 

Everyday, businesses of all types are forced to wrestle with quickly-moving economic downturns and upheavals, staff reductions, fluctuating stock prices, an unstable global market economy, and all of the business and personal challenges that result from their ongoing attempt to make everything work together in harmony. What better can we do as an industry than to provide our products, services, and support to our customers in a fashion so well-designed and executed that we actually make their lives easier just by doing so? 

No more artificial "bundles" of services offerings or “lemon-freshened” software packages; no more late response times or missed deliveries; no more sub-par service performance; no more surprises; and no more excuses! Today’s business environment demands that services organisations get their respective acts together, manage their service delivery processes better, and provide a full complement of the types of services and support that are meaningful to customers. 

This is even more critical as ever before, as lives are literally at stake! 

But, how do we do this? There are many ways – but it will take a lot of work, and your organisation may not be able to do it all by itself.

 

An External Review of Your Customer's Field Service Needs:

First, you will need to take a hard look externally at exactly what your customers (and prospects) require from your organisation, addressing such questions as: 

• What are our customers' specific product, service, and support needs and requirements? How do their needs differ in the immediate-, short-, mid- and longer-term? 
• Does our organization's current service and support portfolio match our customers' needs? All of their needs? Their real needs? Their immediate needs? 
• Where are there gaps between our present offerings, and our customers' future needs? 
• What additional value-add, premium, and/or professional services do our customers require – but cannot get from their current vendors? (Even from us!) 

• How are the changes our customers' organisations will be going through change their needs for service and support in the future? And, to what degree? 
• What vendor options and alternatives do users presently have? What newer options and alternatives will they be looking for tomorrow? 
• Where do we stand with respect to the competition? What will it take for us to “make the cut” from a prospect's "long list" to its "short list"? How compelling are our demos? Do they reflect the proper level of criticality in today’s chaotic environment? 
• When the dust settles, where do we want our organisation to be positioned? Does the marketplace look to us as being a progressive and responsive solution provider? Or, are we perceived more as a once-progressive vendor that has become out-of-touch, or “dusty”? 

 

An Internal Review of your Field Service Capabilities:

Second, you will also need to take an equally hard look internally to determine whether your organisation's infrastructure, operations and processes are sufficiently in place to attain your – and your customers' –overall service delivery performance goals, addressing such questions as: 

• Are we organised effectively to deliver the right products, services, and support; with the right features; to the right customer segments; at the right time? 
• Is our organisational structure effective in managing all facets of the business? What do we need to do to make it stronger? 
• Do we have the right processes in place to deliver everything we promise? How can we best measure whether they are really working? 

• Are our customer support personnel adequately trained – and empowered – to support our customer base? Can they provide "knock your socks off" service? 
• Do we provide our sales, service, and tech support personnel with all of the tools they require to get their jobs done? What more do they need to become more effective? 
• Do we have all of the Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) systems in place that are needed to run our business? Where are there gaps? What “new” technologies do we need to incorporate into our existing services operations? Augmented Reality (AR)/Merged Reality (MR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Remote Expertise, etc.? 
• Are we focused enough on the customer? Is our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) approach good enough – and is it working? Are we as responsive during the current pandemic crisis as we need to be? Do our customers think so? 
• Are we tracking and reporting the right things? Do our managers have all of the data and information they need to make effective decisions? 

• Do we have a formal plan for growing our services and support capabilities along with the changing needs of our customers? How agile is our operational structure? 
• Do we have our internal act together? How can we ensure that everything we do yields the desired outcome? 

These are certainly turbulent times, and the market has never been more serious about its choices – nor more educated in its ability to distinguish between the leaders and the "wannabes" or followers. More users are getting more information – faster – about your organisation – and its competitors – than ever before. And, they’re acting quickly upon the information they receive! If your message is not adequately articulated – and communicated – to the appropriate marketplace, you could end up “dead in the water” before you know it – even if your products and services are actually better than the competition's!

The market is looking for your message, and the worst thing that can happen to your organisation is letting your competition communicate it to them first – ahead of, and instead of,you! 

Look around, and you will no longer see any underachievers or “dead wood” competing in the marketplace. They’re all out of business, or about to disappear – one way or the other. What’s left – or what will be left, once the dust settles – are solely going to be the true performers – the services organisations that both “get it” – and “do it”. Be one of the organisations that "gets it" – and goes after it!

Don't follow your competitors – follow the needs and requirements of your customers! And make sure that you utilize all of the external and internal resources that are available to you! 

---

Further Reading:

• Read more of Bill's features written exclusively for field service news @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/author/bill-pollock
• Follows Bill's blog and his analyst work @ https://pollockonservice.com/

 

We asked Bill Pollock to predict what he thinks 2020 will bring. Typically, he went beyond the next 12 months and horizon-scanned into the not so distant service future where failure to keep-up could mean the end of your offering.
There has been a growing shift away from manufacturing toward the Servitisation model for decades already. However, while the manufacturing model is a well-entrenched, deeply-rooted model that everybody understands; the Servitisation model is still not anywhere near being as widely understood – even within the services sector.

The transition from break/fix, to network services, to self-help, to remote diagnostics/support has been steady, and has followed a logical evolution over the years. However, the move toward Servitisation requires more of a “leap of faith” as well as a whole new mode of operating (and pricing) for which many services managers are still not familiar – or comfortable.

This trend has carried on for decades – and the services sector is just about ready to “rock and roll” with it moving forward; however, even some of the key (and more savvy) players are not yet 100% certain that they have it right with respect to re-engineering their overall service delivery structure; services support organisation; KPIs and metrics; services support policies, procedures and processes; pricing, accountability – and the list goes on. As such, this trend will positively carry on throughout 2020 – and well beyond – as each major group of services organisations (i.e., leaders, followers, “wait-and-see’ers”, skeptics, and all others) begin their respective transitions.

The evolutionary prospects for Servitisation are quite simple: the market, as a whole, will need to see some prime examples of success in their respective vertical and/or horizontal services segments before making the plunge. They’ll need to move beyond all of the “failure” and pratfall stories before feeling more confident. They’ll need to hear some success stories – and, in their own segment. Bank/financial organisations will need to see how others in their field have succeeded, and what the positive results have been. The same will go for the medical/healthcare segment, manufacturing/industrial segment, and so on.

Most organisations will also need help with how to price “power by the hour”, “airplanes in the air”, and other “new” ways for pricing their services. I suspect there will be an uptick in the number of case studies, Webcasts and conference sessions focusing on these and other related areas. Servitisation is – and will continue to be – a big deal for years to come.

"Customers no longer will be pleased simply with equipment that is working, sensors that are communicating, and devices that are operating..."

Organisations are also transitioning from providing corrective maintenance to predictive maintenance, and this trend continues to shape the industry moving forward. Corrective maintenance has worked for many years because, basically, that’s all the industry had to offer. From the break/fix, call the manufacturer’s hotline, days; through the current remote diagnostics and repair days, there has been a common thread running through our industry: Some piece of equipment fails, a call is made (i.e., either by phone, in the past; or, today, remotely from the equipment itself) and a corrective action is taken. 

However, these are examples of the soon-to-be-bygone OTR (i.e., On-Time-Response), MTBF (i.e., Mean-Time-Between-Failure), MTTR (i.e., Mean-Time-To-Repair), FTFR (i.e., First-Time-Fix-Rate) and PM (i.e., Preventive Maintenance) days. Through Predictive Diagnostics and Predictive Maintenance the need for any On-Time Response will be highly diminished, as will the need for MTBF, MTTR and FTFR KPIs/metrics, etc. Over the coming years, there will be the need for “new” metrics, such as MTBPF (i.e., Mean-Time-Between-Prevented-Failures); MTTR will be measured in minutes or seconds, rather than in hours or days; FTFRs will be normalised as everything will get fixed in a single attempt, whether it requires a single “try”, or multiple “tries”; and PMs will virtually disappear (or at least be replaced by another PM = Predictive Maintenance). 

There will be a whole “new” way of delivering service, as well as measuring the success of the organisation through an entirely “new” set of KPIs, or metrics. [By the way - I have already written many times about the need for “new” KPIs/metrics and, respectfully claim the rights to MTBPF!] 

Customers no longer will be pleased simply with equipment that is working, sensors that are communicating, and devices that are operating – they are now beginning to look more closely at how their systems, equipment, sensors and devices are working together, in their behalf to get the job done. A services organisation that merely keeps individual systems or equipment up and running (i.e., maintaining high levels of uptime), but does not ensure that they are all working together to effectively and efficiently execute the company’s business, will ultimately find themselves being replaced by other services organisations that do. The clear winners will be those organisations that “get” Servitisation, and not those that do not.

"There will need to be an industry-wide educational 'push' as to what Servitization really is..."

Again, what will move the needle in 2020, is clearly communicating to the marketplace what failures to avoid (and how to avoid them), and what successes can be had (and how to achieve them). There will need to be an industry-wide educational 'push' as to what Servitisation really is, what it can do for the organisation (and what will happen if they don’t embrace it), what the ultimate value propositions are for transitioning to this “new” model, and what some of the best success stories have been.

Further, most services organisations are not currently using their respective Field Service Management (FSM) solutions to their full capabilities. The most successful organisations may come close, but there are few that eke out all of the capabilities that may otherwise be offered to them. Some may augment their FSM solution with a home-grown Excel spreadsheet “patch”; others may be using their Sales & Marketing Management (SMM) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions for activities that their FSM could (or should) be able to support; and still others may not even be aware of the full spectrum of capabilities they may have right at their fingertips. Again, it becomes an educational process that should be driven by the FSM solution providers themselves through the offering of strengthened professional services, such as customer portals, training, train-the-trainers, etc.

As some FSM solution providers may be focusing more on developing Augmented Reality (AR), Merged Reality (MR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) based applications to bolster their offerings, they may be relatively deficient in focusing on the basic, or “core”, components of their solutions and, thereby, miss the opportunity to help their customers/users get the most out of their offerings.

Services organisations will also be relying much more heavily on apps and mobile devices in support of their service delivery performance in 2020. Society, as a whole, is relying more and more on apps and mobile devices for communications; and, in many cases, the services sector is leading the way.

Most FSM solution providers are providing their customers/users with more apps and customer portals to facilitate their use of the solution, as well as for communications with their remote support providers. Every year, a higher percent of business is being conducted remotely, and the need for more functional mobile communications is increasing commensurately. The IoT stands for the Internet of Things; and in this regard, humans may also be considered as one category of “things” that the IoT helps to connect. 2020 will see the proliferation of all types of “things” connected to one another through the IoT: systems, equipment, devices – and people. In fact, the numbers of connected things will likely to continue to grow at an accelerated rate in 2020 – and beyond. The more connectivity there is, the better the delivery of service can be.

 

"The move toward AR and VR is beginning to grow even faster as more installations have been deployed, and more success stories are making the rounds..."

 

Companies will also continue to expand their use of AI-powered field service technology and tools. Basically, companies that are already using AI technology in support of their services operations are much more likely to expand its use over time – and, probably, very quickly. However, companies that do not yet employ the use of AI in their services operations typically lie on either side of the fence: either, “we need to do it now”, or “let’s wait and see how this all works out.” The pressure to embed AI in their services operations will be so intense, however, that there is likely to be a surge in usage throughout 2020 and successive years.

Primary uses of AI include the powering of a chatbot capability; the ability to identify key target markets for selling/upselling/cross-selling products and services; and the ability to make their overall services operations work much more productively and efficiently.

Just as Virtual Reality (VR) has made watching American football games (and European football games, as well) easier for the layman to understand, it is also making it much easier for field technicians to repair equipment in the field. No more bulky documents or manuals are required, and training programs can be short-cut (to a certain degree) as AR and VR, merged together into MR, can lead the technician to a “perfect” fix, first time, and every time.

The move toward AR and VR is beginning to grow even faster as more installations have been deployed, and more success stories are making the rounds (at trade shows and Webinars, etc.). In fact, the merging of AR and VR has sent out a signal to the “Wait and see’ers” that they may be missing the boat on AR as it is already merging with VR – all while many of their competitors are beginning to implement AI and Machine Learning platforms in support of their services operations. The time to move is now – before it’s too late in terms of having your competitors ending up being better equipped to support (and market to) their targeted customer base.With the rise of IoT-connected devices and smart homes, many new challenges lie ahead for the field service industry. The rise of IoT-connected devices and smart homes provides a major value proposition to customers, as well as to the FSM solution providers. However, what also comes along with the benefits are a number of potentially serious consequences.

For example, once virtually everything is connected, smart systems will likely become more susceptible to power outages, hacking and various types of breaches in security. The analogy is: before watches, people used sundials to tell time. Then watches could help them tell time – until they either wound down, or the batteries went dead. Today, if the global satellite network goes down (e.g., as a result of space debris, solar flares, etc.), many things we all take for granted will stop working, including a partial/temporary halt to our ability to tell time, make change, or communicate to one another via our mobile devices.

As an example, as I have been writing this article for Field Service News, I have used a pink post-it note to cover the camera on my iMac. At the same time, Alexa is probably listening to anything I say without me even thinking about it. Further, somewhere across the globe, there is probably someone standing outside the front window of a home and yelling at Alexa, Googol or Siri to “remind me what my password is for the front door security code.” What the "expert” hackers can do to outsmart smart homes or businesses will only get more invasive – and potentially dangerous – over time (i.e., the invasions of privacy tend to happen first, with the “patch” or “fix” coming later). As such, the need to provide continual connectivity PLUS protect the privacy of the customer/user will be paramount as more and more smart implementations go into play.

Making projections for 2020 in the services industry is relatively easy. Basically, everything you have gotten used to is going to change. Here's my summary:

• The “good guys” will make everything better; and the “bad guys” will try to make everything worse
• Every time you make a mistake, the whole world will find out about it virtually instantly
• Service fixes will be completed faster – but you won’t always be aware that there was a fix
• Service pricing may or may not be more expensive – but it will certainly be different
• New start-ups will enter the market; but some old standbys will be forced to depart
• Most of the KPIs/metrics you’ve used for decades will be replaced
• The most successful services organisations will follow the lead of technology – not the competition
• You think that today’s Merged Reality applications are too futuristic or too soon? Wait ‘til tomorrow, when everything is merged (i.e., connected)

 

---

Read more from Bill at Pollockonservice.com