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IFS Completes the Acquisition of Global Enterprise Service Management Provider Axios Systems

Jun 11, 2021 • News • Digital Transformation • field service management • IFS • GLOBAL • Axios Systems

IFS, the global cloud enterprise applications company, announces that it has concluded the acquisition of Axios Systems.

The transaction, which was initially announced in March 2021, combines two pioneers of the service management space: IFS, with its leadership in Field Service Management and Axios Systems, with its strength in IT Service Management (ITSM) and IT Operations Management (ITOM). The combined IFS Enterprise Service Management proposition is unique in how it enables companies to orchestrate their value chain and optimize their workflows so they can not only deliver amazing moments of service to their customers, but also so they can maximize revenue creation opportunities and increase profitability.

IFS STRENGHTENS LEADERSHIP in service management with THE ADDITION OF AXIOS SYSTEMS' POWERFUL ITMS AND ITOM CAPABILITIES

Since the acquisition was announced, IFS is proud to have attracted many of the best leaders from the sector to bolster the already growing team at Axios Systems. Now under the framework of a dedicated Business Unit within IFS, the team are focused on delivering new product innovation, increased investment in customer experience, and a more focused, industry-led, go-to-market.

Martin Schirmer, President of the Enterprise Service Management Business Unit, commented, “Over the past two months I have met with many employees, customers and partners who I would like to thank for their openness and enthusiasm for what lies ahead. It’s clear to me that we have acquired a company with many assets and strengths, in a market that is evolving and in need for further disruption. With the investment we are committing as well as our customer-centric approach, I am confident that our current customer base will benefit, which will in turn help attract new customers, and we will further extend IFS’s dominance in the overall service management space.”

To learn more about IFS’s service management solutions, please visit: ifs.com/service. For more information on the Axios Systems best-of-breed proposition Assyst, please visit: ifs.com/assyst.

Just How Big is Big Data for Field Service Operations

Jun 11, 2021 • Features • Digital Transformation • The View from Academia • Servitization and Advanced Services • EMEA • University of Liverpool • Chris Raddats

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News is joined on the Field Service News Digital Symposium by Dr Chris Raddats of the University of Liverpool a seasoned expert with experience from both the industry and academic sides of the aisle...

How to Get the Pulse of the Customer Before the NPS Score

Jun 09, 2021 • Features • service excellence • technology • Aquant • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • GLOBAL

In an age of Uberization, customer service expectations are higher than ever in our post- pandemic world. The answer to meeting those expectations lies within the rich data sets we have on each customer. However, the flow of information often reaches us too late for intervention. Is Artificial Intelligence the solution that will help us spot service trends before the customer relationship goes sour? Kris Oldland talks to Aquant’s Sidney Lara to find out more about this critical area of modern service excellence...

At the end of 2020, Field Service News Research undertook a major research study that globally spoke to over 240 field service organisations.

The study’s findings reinforced what many of us already knew; our industry was going through radical change. The pandemic was the catalyst, but we had already begun a journey of transformation long ago. Yet, while the technology and even the delivery mechanisms for service may be rapidly evolving, the fundamentals of service delivery remain constant.

In that study, we saw how 70% of field service organizations stated that service excellence remained a key differentiator in winning and retaining business. However, the definition of what service excellence looks like in a post-pandemic world (a world that has embraced digital transformation with both hands in a bid to better meet customer demands) has undoubtedly changed.

In today’s Uberized world, the expectation of effortlessness in service interactions has reached entirely new peaks. Our customers expect us to have joined the dots before we speak to them. They have become accustomed to the companies they choose to work with, having a detailed and intimate knowledge of their interactions. Yet, for many field service organizations, they are driving while looking in the rear-view mirror. That is to say that today too many of us (because of lack of tools, not lack of will) fail to leverage the deep customer data we have until there is a problem.

The systems in place are often adequate, but is it adequate enough when the bar has been raised so high by bleeding-edge data-driven service providers? Is the information your service department receives often simply too little and too late? When that low NPS score comes back, the damage has been done, and it can take twice as much effort to rebuild a broken customer relationship than to maintain a healthy one.

The key question then for field service organizations operating in these dynamic and fast-developing times is how can they get ahead of customer issues before they happen? The answer is by understanding all of your service data.

It is a task easier said than done, but one that can be achieved by leveraging Artificial Intelligence tools that are designed to surface the critical data that brings such insight and knowledge to the fore.

To find out more about this critical area within our sector, Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News, caught up with Sidney Lara, Service Principal, Aquant.

Kris: Customer relationships have always been important, why the urgent need now to reevaluate how well you know your customers?

Sidney: We are in the age where data is readily available almost anywhere and anytime. Customers can make smarter decisions when it comes to choosing a manufacturer or service company. So, while they may be a customer today, what are you doing today to ensure you have their loyalty tomorrow?

Additionally, as technology evolves both for manufacturers and service providers, you need to think about clearly defining your differentiating product or services. Take a step back and ask yourself if you were the customer, why would you choose a particular product or service? Do your goals align with your customer goals and how do you ensure you are meeting those expectations? If you can’t measure your customer loyalty, you may find yourself at risk of losing them. What if one day, your largest customer decided to go with another product or service? How would this impact your business?

Kris: Service leaders have quite a few tools to measure KPIs and/or customer stats, what are they missing?

Sidney: I would agree. At the same time be very careful when talking about using tools and KPIs. I have seen and talked to people throughout my career that embrace technology and KPIs for their business or operations. What can be missing is the criticalness of the measure. Meaning, why are you measuring a particular KPI? Is it the flavor of the month or year? Is it because everyone in the industry measures it? Whatever the case may be, tools can shed light on weaknesses within your organization. However, will those measures improve customer value or benefit? If it doesn’t, maybe you need to rethink and prioritize accordingly. We need to be careful not to confuse data points with insights, just because we have the data, doesn’t always mean we know how to use it in a way that best advances our goals.

Kris: It sounds like you are discussing BI tools. Why does standard BI fail service organizations?

Sidney: Thank you for asking, as this is a critical point - we need to differentiate data points and BI tools from meaningful analysis of that data. Organizations can fall into the trap of adopting BI tools and create wonderful insights to see their business strengths and weaknesses to the level they have never seen or experienced before. While the detailed visibility can be great, this can also lead to a trap of creating too many KPI’s or lead to the potential of “analysis paralysis”.

Those that know me well have heard me say “let’s not boil the ocean.” If we try to solve all issues, (with this wonderful BI Data) we will never effectively solve any of them or at least not in a timely manner.

Next you need to ask, does what I’m highlighting with my BI dashboard actually align to the company’s strategic goals? If it does, then it’s much easier for you to gain organizational buy-in. The next question is, how can we use this data to ensure visibility and timely support to solve those issues? Strategic measures need to become front page news within an organization whether results are good or bad.

Total transparency on key initiatives drives accountability and ideally creates a winning environment when everyone can see improvements month over month. Finally, and most critical, is taking timely action on those measures if you don’t meet your goals.

Teams should strive to review results as often as needed to monitor and celebrate successes. But equally important, swift action to apply timely countermeasures on missed targets is the secret sauce. Done in a very cadenced manner, you will drive effective improvements to your organization. Likewise, if countermeasures are not executed in a cadenced manner consistently, I’d be willing to bet lack of improvement will follow.

But back to the question, “Why do standard BI tools fail service?” Ultimately, BI tools provide a vast amount of information, but little direction on what information is most critical to my business goals. Additionally, they don’t answer the question, “How do I take actionable steps to address service issues?

Kris: How can service leaders make informed decisions today (based on data not hunches)?

Sidney: Service leaders must discipline themselves to step away from the inevitable daily service fires to evaluate if their services are providing customers with value.

Ask the following questions:

What are the ways that you are measuring customer value? How often are you taking the customer’s pulse of satisfaction? Are you leveraging technology to gain immediate access to this critical data?

While we often hear that service is the most important department in an organization in terms of driving customer satisfaction, service leaders need to have the data readily available to effectively navigate and analyze their services.

Even by monitoring certain KPI that on the surface appear good can still lead to customer dissatisfaction. Service leaders must have the ability to look deeply into metrics for true root cause understanding. This is where today’s AI can aid in swift decision making. Service leaders must embrace change and leverage technology to gain the best insights as quickly as possible to effectively steer the organization in the right direction. Those that do will be able to maximize customer satisfaction while improving operations that lead to growth.

Kris: What do those different outcomes look like?

Sidney: Great question - It is essential to understand all the relative data to your initiative or goal. By reacting to a metric, simply because it dipped or missed the mark can often lead to all kinds of assumptions and ineffective countermeasures. You’ll only get a true understanding of the root cause if you look at all the data (the big picture) that led to a final outcome. This leads to effective countermeasures and decision making. This is where you should leverage technology to customize the view you need for your specific needs.

Kris: What tools will ultimately help them turn the corner in their customer relationships?

Sidney: Turning the corner with customers can be easily achieved when you are the driver and/or initiator in communicating asset performance and service performance. Don’t wait for the customer to express dissatisfaction.

When you have the ability and tools to illustrate your service performance, you should want to communicate the results of your services. If your services are doing great, then this provides the platform to remind your customer of why you are a choice provider. Can you leverage these opportunities for upselling more services?

If your services are not going well, you should still take the opportunity to tell your customer what actions you are taking to improve the misses. Effective communication and transparency of your services with your customer will help nurture a relationship where customers will see you as a partner in their business and see you as a vested partner making them successful.

Kris: What’s the best way to get started today?

Sidney: I recommend getting started with AI tools or AI vendors that can understand both your business and your data on day one. Look at technology that can quickly analyze your data AND provide actionable recommendations, instead of a tool that simply visualizes data.

There are many BI technologies that have the ability to compress and summarize data so it can be difficult to decide which one is best for you.

At Aquant not only do we have the ability to compress and summarize your data, but we also differentiate ourselves by applying Natural Language Generation (NLG) and Natural Learning Processing (NLP) to enable dynamic real time feedback. We uniquely aggregate your data into a simple yet meaningful format.

As a result, Service leaders can take swift calls to action like never before. Our technology can be implemented in a matter of a few weeks enabling service leaders a jump start on your abilities to drive change.

The Need For More Robust Definitions Around Servitization

Jun 09, 2021 • Features • Digital Transformation • The View from Academia • Servitization and Advanced Services • EMEA • University of Liverpool • Chris Raddats

Has Servitization Reached Critical Mass?

Jun 04, 2021 • Features • Digital Transformation • The View from Academia • Servitization and Advanced Services • EMEA • University of Liverpool • Chris Raddats

World’s Leading Geo-Data Specialist Fugro Signs Contract with IFS for Global Financial and Project Management Solution

Jun 02, 2021 • News • industry leaders • IFS • Leadership and Strategy • GLOBAL

Geo-data specialist, Fugro, is fueling a transformation journey to unify its people, processes, and business data with a single enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solution from IFS.

With a 9,000-strong workforce in 61 countries, Fugro collects and analyzes information about the earth and the structures built upon it. The company helps its customers determine the optimal site for the safe, cost-effective, and sustainable design and construction of buildings and infrastructure by acquiring, analyzing and advising on geodata for clients in industries such as offshore and land-based energy, renewables, infrastructure, and nautical engineering.

IFS Software to empower Furgro employees worldwide with cloud-based capabilities across global finance and accounting, project management and procurement

The investment in IFS is part of a company-wide initiative that is aimed at bringing staff together in one collaborative way of working, on a centralized technological framework. Without a central system and access to one version of its business information, the company was challenged in leveraging efficient and collaborative ways of working, with common processes and effective business and financial reporting. To provide a single, digital home to its business units, the company opted for a flexible solution that could support its project-based business and ensure timely and accurate reporting in one fully integrated solution. The cloud-based IFS solution will support mission-critical processes including financial management, project and business management, project accounting, and purchasing. When fully deployed, the system will be used in some 40 countries worldwide.

“Companies like us, supporting our clients in managing their complex project lifecycles, are often forced to use separate software products to manage different stages of the project, creating multiple disconnects between data, people and time,” Fugro Chief Executive Officer Mark Heine said. “The IFS solution will standardize and harmonize our project-oriented processes in one highly intuitive ERP platform. Having all of our people accessing the same data and working in the same way will be faster and more enjoyable for our teams. We look forward to working with IFS to usher in the next phase of our company’s business transformation journey.”

Frank Beerlage, Managing Director, IFS Benelux, added, “Project-based service providers such as Fugro need business technology that can scale and flex as business and circumstances dictate. We have a very successful track record in developing tools for companies in some of the world’s most demanding environments, both offshore and onshore. Fugro is a well-respected brand in the project-based service space and we are excited to be working alongside them to establish new standards of efficiency and value.”

The solution will be implemented in collaboration with management and technology consultancy, and Platinum-level IFS partner, BearingPoint.

Learn more about how IFS supports project-based businesses at www.ifs.com/corp/solutions/enterprise-resource-planning/project-erp-software/.

UK Small Businesses Plan to Step-Up International and National Trade Post-Pandemic

May 26, 2021 • News • Small Medium Businesses • SMB • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA • xero

More than half (57%) of SME owners plan to expand trade to new territories outside the EU and at home after the pandemic with the help of online tools, according to global small business platform, Xero.

The boom in e-commerce and new EU trading conditions are driving many SMEs to break into fresh territories and customer segments. According to Xero’s Future of Small Business report, more than a third (36%) say it’s too expensive to sell to European countries, due to Brexit trading regulations and import-export charges.

This hasn’t dampened small business ambitions. It’s pushed 44% to explore new markets for the first time, with one third (33 per cent) increasing their customer base geographically during the pandemic due to a bigger focus on borderless e-commerce sales.

A THIRD OF SMALL BUSINESSES INCREASED THEIR CUSTOMER BASE GEOGRAPHICALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC DUE TO A FOCUS ON BORDERLESS E-COMMERCE SALES, AS COMPANIES QUICKLY ADAPTED AND EMBRACED NEW TECHNOLOGIES

The rise in remote working and rapid adoption of new technology has made it much easier to sell beyond physical location. 2 in 5 (41 per cent) say that online tools have been key for targeting new customers both at home and abroad. And 34% of SME owners are now more willing to hire staff that are completely remote as a result of Covid.

“The way small businesses operate on a global scale is transforming and it’s positive to see the impact of Covid and Brexit hasn’t dampened their ambitions. Technology and automated software in particular – like e-commerce platforms – have undoubtedly opened up trade opportunities for small businesses, allowing them to trade both across the UK and further afield,” said Donna Torres, director of small business at Xero.

Max Henderson, Co-Founder of Hotpod Yoga, also commented: “Dealing simultaneously with a global health pandemic and Brexit, has certainly been challenging. Luckily for us, the reaction in the UK since lockdown restrictions eased has been extraordinary and we’re seeing our classes hit 100% capacity across the whole country.

“This kind of rebound has meant we're back on the front foot and looking to launch around 40 new locations across the UK and Europe within 12 months - but with that comes a lot of work to understand the rules of operating in different markets and of course a large amount of paperwork for things like customs and rules of origin. We’re yet to see the immediate effects of Brexit on trading, with cross-continental trade having been put on hold due to various lockdown restrictions in each market, but given our success in the UK, we’re optimistic about the opportunity.”

Thea Paraskevaides, Founder of Beaumont Music, explained her situation: “Due to Brexit we've had to register for VAT in six countries which we were already distributing to. The amount of paperwork this has come with is overwhelming but using digital software like Xero has made the process far more streamlined.”

Xero has a dedicated Brexit Hub - here - with advice and resources to help businesses stay up to date.

Research methodology

The survey was conducted in January and February 2021 by Censuswide with 500 SME owners and 2,000 consumers.

Aircargo Transport Tracks Vehicle Theft Using Vimcar’s GPS-Tracking Software

May 25, 2021 • News • fleet • Managing the Mobile Workforce • EMEA

Vimcar, the fleet management software for small- and medium-sized businesses, has been working with international transport service provider Aircargo Transport to optimise its fleets’ route and track its vehicles – enabling the identification and tracking of a stolen vehicle in real time, resulting in minimal cost implications.Aircargo Transport is an international transport service provider, responsible for the efficient movement of air cargo and special ‘high value shipments’ via a 13-strong fleet of specially designed trucks.

Aircargo Transport initially installed Vimcar’s Fleet Geo to help optimise their fleet’s routes. With a strong focus on improving customer experience, the SaaS plug-and-play solution allowed Aircargo Transport to provide critical, real-time information on the whereabouts of their vehicles and location. Using this information, the team are then able to provide their customers with arrival times, down to the minute – even notifying the organisation when a vehicle had been stolen.

VIMCAR'S FLEET GEO ALLOWS AIRCARGO TRANSPORT TO OPTIMISE ITS FLEET' ROUTES AND TRACK ITS VEHICLES IN REAL TIME.

Sven Kirchner, Managing Director, Aircargo Transport says: “A notification came through to my mobile saying a truck was on the move. After speaking to the driver of the truck, we quickly realised it had been stolen. After a quick call to the police, they were able to track and secure the vehicle using Vimcar’s live tracking functionality before too much damage was done.”

“The truck had only travelled a small distance, but we would never have been able to find it had we not had the Fleet Geo software installed.” Kirchner says.

Ronald Clancy, UK Country Manager, Vimcar comments: “This is another great example of how businesses can benefit from Vimcar’s easy-to-use solution. As we found in autumn of last year, vehicle misuse threatens to add further economic strain to SMEs in the UK, with vehicle theft costing UK businesses more than £16,000 per year. For those looking into a telematic system, a GPS fleet management system that includes features such as live tracking, geofencing and data exportation would be the best way to curve vehicle theft and misuse.”

Kircher continues: “Our aim is to provide our customers with critical, real-time information about the location of their goods, 24-hours a day. Punctuality is the top priority for us, no plane will wait for our trucks’ cargo. Vimcar’s solution has supported us hugely in optimising our fleets routes and making sure we are arriving on time, every time.”

Founded in Berlin in 2013, Vimcar is the leading provider of fleet telematics solutions to SMEs in its home country of Germany and introduced its Fleet Geo product to the UK market last summer. Vimcar’s SaaS telematics solutions cover all aspects of fleet management, including cost and document management, outlier analysis, CO2 reporting, real-time vehicle tracking, theft warning and route planning. With an emphasis on easy-use, affordability, and strong customer support, its products are perfect for fleets of 1-200 vehicles, particularly for smaller businesses with no dedicated full-time fleet manager. Vimcar aims to redefine fleet management for European SMEs by digitalising the company car of the future.

F-Secure Launches Modular Platform Designed for Servitization of Cyber Security

May 24, 2021 • News • Cyber Security • Servitization • F-secure • EMEA

Cyber security provider F-Secure launched F-Secure Elements: a new cloud-based platform that streamlines how organizations provision cyber security services.

Available from F-Secure’s service partners with fixed-term license subscriptions, or usage-based billing for greater flexibility, F-Secure Elements empowers organizations to pick cyber security services on terms that accommodate their needs.

Many organizations operate in complex environments dominated by a range of dynamic risks and opportunities. Keeping these complexities in mind, as well as the rising costs of security and the lack of experienced security professionals, it’s no surprise that an overwhelming number of organizations want to simplify how they source cyber security capabilities.

F-SECURE ELEMENTS IS THE FIRST CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM CREATED TO EMPOWER ORGANIZATIONS WITH FAST, FLEXIBLE, AND EASY ACCESS TO CYBER SECURITY SERVICES.

F-Secure Executive Vice President of Business Security Juha Kivikoski says these demands are driving a shift toward providing cyber security as services rather than products.

“Even with updates, products are static and can’t adapt fast enough to keep up with threats, or businesses, as they evolve. Services help businesses stay agile and are more cost-effective when delivered right, which is why the future of our industry is in delivering everything as a service,” he explained. “Having a platform designed for the servitization of cyber security can help organizations get better protection, which is why simplicity and flexibility are F-Secure Elements’ core design principles.”

F-Secure Elements is a modular platform that combines endpoint protection, endpoint detection and response, vulnerability management, and collaboration protection for cloud services (such as Microsoft Office 365).

F-Secure Elements’ key capabilities and benefits include:

Comprehensive situational awareness and meaningful visibility across assets, configurations, vulnerabilities, threats, and events.
Streamlined and autonomous operations to ensure efficient workflows and faster responses to real threats.
Real-time, connected data flow between elements to enable faster detection of threats.
Intelligent, extended detection and response capabilities for data-informed decisions.
On-demand option to elevate difficult cases to F-Secure experts.

Usage-based pricing simplifies path to growth

A recent Forrester report emphasized the increasing importance for flexibility and usage-based pricing*: "During the pandemic, many clients became frustrated when vendors wouldn't lower license usage below baselines, even though the organization's usage had dropped off because of staff furloughs. Examine contracts and ask for flexibility to alter the licensing baseline under certain conditions and for the ability to carry forward unused license entitlements into the next year without additional charge."

With the transparency on usage provided via F-Secure Elements’ detailed invoicing for usage-based billing, organizations can make informed decisions on how to control security investments to prevent paying for idle licenses, or services they don’t need.

“Usage-based pricing helps organizations develop and adjust their security capabilities to focus on outcomes, and move from ownership to usership,” said Kivikoski.

F-Secure Elements was launched at SPECIES, F-Secure’s annual global partner conference. Video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axLDbj1_Nb4.

More information on F-Secure Elements is available here: https://www.f-secure.com/elements.

*Source: Forrester: How To Save Money In Security Software Negotiations: Techniques For Preparing For And Conducting Security Software Negotiations To Increase Value. Paul McKay, Sean Ryan, and Mark Bartrick, October 13, 2020.

AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Field Service News

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IFS Completes the Acquisition of Global Enterprise Service Management Provider Axios Systems

IFS STRENGHTENS LEADERSHIP in service management with THE ADDITION OF AXIOS SYSTEMS' POWERFUL ITMS AND ITOM CAPABILITIES

Further Reading:

Just How Big is Big Data for Field Service Operations

Want to know more?

Further Reading:

How to Get the Pulse of the Customer Before the NPS Score

Further Reading:

The Need For More Robust Definitions Around Servitization

Want to know more?

Further Reading:

Has Servitization Reached Critical Mass?

Want to know more?

Further Reading:

World’s Leading Geo-Data Specialist Fugro Signs Contract with IFS for Global Financial and Project Management Solution

IFS Software to empower Furgro employees worldwide with cloud-based capabilities across global finance and accounting, project management and procurement

Further Reading:

UK Small Businesses Plan to Step-Up International and National Trade Post-Pandemic

A THIRD OF SMALL BUSINESSES INCREASED THEIR CUSTOMER BASE GEOGRAPHICALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC DUE TO A FOCUS ON BORDERLESS E-COMMERCE SALES, AS COMPANIES QUICKLY ADAPTED AND EMBRACED NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Further Reading:

Aircargo Transport Tracks Vehicle Theft Using Vimcar’s GPS-Tracking Software

VIMCAR'S FLEET GEO ALLOWS AIRCARGO TRANSPORT TO OPTIMISE ITS FLEET' ROUTES AND TRACK ITS VEHICLES IN REAL TIME.

Further Reading:

F-Secure Launches Modular Platform Designed for Servitization of Cyber Security

F-SECURE ELEMENTS IS THE FIRST CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM CREATED TO EMPOWER ORGANIZATIONS WITH FAST, FLEXIBLE, AND EASY ACCESS TO CYBER SECURITY SERVICES.

Usage-based pricing simplifies path to growth

Further Reading:

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