AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Claudine Bianchi

Ensuring your field service engineers are best positioned to deliver a first-time fix becomes a moot point unless you have an efficient service supply chain.

Claudine Mosseri, General Manager, Field Services, ByBox outlines the benefits of outsourcing this critical function...

Running an effective supply chain can seem like a necessary evil for many businesses.

With multiple touchpoints and high margins for error, supply chain management requires a comprehensive and considered approach.

Running an effective supply chain can seem like a necessary evil for many businesses.After all, being unable to successfully deliver goods to customers is detrimental to both service and reputation. For many companies, a solution to the supply chain conundrum is to outsource the operation – either in its entirety or in parts – leaving them to focus on the day-to-day running of their operation and growing their business.

Supply chain collaboration goes beyond transactional relationships in warehouse management and transportation to encompass value-added processes, such as demand planning, configuration and returns management. At ByBox, we have made significant investments into effective parts management and increasing stock visibility.

Our approach is to move the data, not the part.

What does this mean?

It enables us to take a holistic view of where all spare parts are, whether they are with an engineer, in a warehouse or stock holding facility, or in a secure location such as a locker bank. This view of the supply chain provides customers with new ways of getting an item from A to B.

Establishing a dramatic improvement in inventory visibility is at the heart of next-generation supply chain methods.Establishing a dramatic improvement in inventory visibility is at the heart of next-generation supply chain methods. Historically, pallets of parts have been moved blindly through distribution networks, only to be moved somewhere else the following day. Our approach exposes that data, helping customers make informed management decisions.

All movements can be traced in real-time online to see at precisely what stage of the supply chain a customers’ part is located. As a result, businesses spend less money on same-day transport and unnecessary stock holding.

Modern logistics is constantly moving forward, with businesses trying to stay on top of the latest trends and technologies while satisfying customers. Re-evaluating supply chain partners can help businesses to speed up service, improve customer experience and review costs.

There are additional reasons for reviewing visibility within a supply chain:

1. Increased Efficiency:

Working with a partner that understands the need for efficiency can help you increase it within the business. By exposing real-time data and full visibility of stock movements, your technicians always know what parts are available for collection.

Visibility in a supply chain not only reduces stock loss but also provides clarity over what jobs can be completed.

2. Saves Time and Money:

When you outsource to an external partner, you can save a great deal of time and money by cutting down on wasted stock. Finding suitable space to store your products, a means for transporting them, and qualified staff to carry out the dispatch process can quickly add up.

Outsourced providers can leverage economies of scale, and scope, to provide compelling value-added services.

3. Consultancy:

Exploring more effective ways to manage and improve the supply chain could take up a great deal of time.

The same goes for hiring a team of staff and providing them with necessary training. Working with a business that invests in spare part visibility can provide you with the information needed to reduce stockholding, while also increasing efficiencies and SLA performance.

4. Scalability and Flexibility:

Outsourcing some of your supply chain management needs can lead to more flexibility to scale up or down, accommodating your current, and future, business requirements. As your business needs change, you’ll need to be able to adapt accordingly.

Not having enough space, manpower, or transportation could prove detrimental to your business.

By working with an outsourced company, you have access to their knowledge and resources, which means expert help in developing a more extensive and appropriate infrastructure.

5. Adapt to Customer Demand:

Customers now demand 100% uptime of technology in the field and are intolerant of failure. To achieve this, businesses are required to get vital spare parts to field engineers as quickly as possible. At ByBox, we don’t believe this should come at a higher cost, which is why we don’t rely on same-day deliveries.

Our unique technology is paired with app activated locker collection, so engineers can access parts delivered overnight, whenever they need them.

Outsourcing your field service supply chain, focusing on stock management and visibility can mean you’re better equipped to cope with changing business requirementsIn conclusion, outsourcing your field service supply chain, focusing on stock management and visibility can mean you’re better equipped to cope with changing business requirements, shifts in customer demands and changing market conditions.

Using a supplier that offers full visibility and flexible solutions - such as locker delivery - can reduce cost on stock, transportation and overheads. It’s not just about reductions, the right partner can also increase efficiency and customer satisfaction, adding value to your business and reducing the bottom line.

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We’re all in the service business now states ClickSoftware’s CMO, Claudine Bianchi before explaining how and why meaningful interpretation of data will be the key to defining a new level of customer trust...

Do you remember the last truly exceptional meal you ate at a restaurant?

If it stands out in your memory, it probably wasn’t solely because of the perfectly seared steak or sublime glass of wine. Your server was not just polite, but engaged in creating a special dining experience just for you.

You might not remember the taste of every bite, but you remember exactly how you felt throughout the meal. You’re still telling everyone to try that restaurant when they travel to the same city. Now, can you make your own customers this happy?

We are all in the service business now. And before you shrug off that idea as a meaningless truism, remember that every business transaction with a customer begins a potentially lifelong relationship.

 

Just as a rude server can ruin a delicious meal and keep you from ever returning to a restaurant, every product you sell, or service you provide, creates a contract of perceived customer expectations.

Even if someone else is responsible for a service visit, guess who will be named by a customer in a frustrated social media post. Hint: it’s not the nameless service contractor.

Research has shown customer experience is directly tied to profitability, a primary concern for all businesses. And now, big data can help.

Can data solve your service problem?

The standard bearers for great customer experiences are increasingly disruptive companies and applications that ostensibly don’t have a service component at all. It’s unlikely customers ever have human to human (H2H) interaction with anyone at Netflix or Amazon, but these companies have turned customer data into incredible recommendation engines that keep these customers coming back and spending more.

From being able to supply more personalisation through what you learn about customers, to understanding how product usage changes throughout its lifecycle, unexpected insights can completely transform the future of your business—if you’re willing to follow the data.

To build the right foundation for data-driven customer service, identify existing sources and inputs and look for ways they can be augmented with additional sources; invest in a data scientist or outside resources to conduct a meaningful analysis; and set appropriate KPIs and reporting practices that enable a continuous review of data, trends, and what actions your business can take.

 

It’s time to move beyond what’s breaking and needs fixing or what’s about to break. Rich customer data can tell you a more interesting story about how customers feel about your business.

Defining a new level of customer trust 

Data is the key to truly knowing your customers.

That knowledge is power, and with great power, comes great responsibility. As more businesses rely on data to provide better customer experiences, they’re also taking on the burden of capturing, storing, and managing that data responsibly.

While most technology consumers understand their data is interacting with various services whenever they use a website or application, few know just how complex and sophisticated these tools and algorithms are. It’s been called the “trust web”—where each party shares data and permissions granted by the core user in a way that yields some benefit.

Beyond earning customer trust by delivering on the promise of reliable products and consistent service, you must also make them feel confident that the voluminous data collected is well protected, mostly anonymous, and safeguarded from misuse.

Customer experience and trust can be fodder or poison for a brand. Ask your marketing team to help you make sense of consumer behaviour and better communicate the benefits of your enhanced offerings and collected data.

Service quality will save the business 

We are living in an experience economy, with customers craving more utility and meaning from their purchases. Competing on price alone should be a last resort, but brand differentiation is an increasingly critical competitive advantage.

 

By focusing on service and experience as integral to a successful product and sale, businesses can still compete for a sophisticated and demanding customer base.

The customer experience advantage might begin with the point of sale, but it can earn a lifetime of loyalty. Let customer data light the way to an intimate understanding of their relationship with your products or services, and then deliver experiences your competition won’t be able to replicate.

 

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