AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Field Service News

Asolvi, a European leader in field service management solutions, has purchased Purpose Software Ltd, Asolvi's third acquisition in as many years.

Purpose Software is the UK's top supplier of service management software for managed print services (MPS) providers. Together Asolvi and Purpose Software will have more than 900 customers across 30+ countries.

“Following the acquisitions of Tesseract and WS Software in 2016 and 2017 respectively, we are proud to welcome Purpose Software into our growing family,” says Pål M. Rødseth, CEO of Asolvi. “Purpose Software has the leading position in the document management space in the UK while Asolvi occupies a similar position in the Nordics and Continental Europe. We both offer software that generates enormous efficiency and productivity gains for providers of managed print and document services. Having known Michael Burke, CEO of Purpose Software, for years, we all agreed that the two organisations would be much stronger together. We saw an opportunity to pool our resources and knowledge of this industry, empowering the creation of new and improved solutions for MPS providers in the future." 

Purpose Software CEO Michael Burke says, "We are delighted to join Asolvi. We have got to know Asolvi as a competent and dedicated company in the service management space and I am confident that bringing the companies together will benefit our customers going forward. Being part of a larger software group will add strength to the product development that is needed to be a service management solution provider for the future, and I look forward to working closely with the Asolvi team to achieve this." 

The consecutive acquisitions of Tesseract, WS Software and Purpose Software are in line with Asolvi's strategy to become the leading provider of field service management systems for SMEs in Europe. The company has now added Purpose Software's 2Serv and CBS solutions to its broadening product suite, which already includes the world-renowned Evatic, Tesseract and WinServ solutions.Asolvi is a private company owned by the founders, management and Viking Venture.

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The Field Service Podcast returns for series three with a brand new host Mark Glover who speaks to Oneserve's CEO Chris Proctor. 

in this edition of the podcast fieldservicenews.com Deputy Editor, Mark Glover talks to the ever insightful and engaging Chris Proctor, CEO with Oneserve where they discuss why robots won't be taking over field service operations (just yet) and how OK should no longer be good enough for field service companies that want to excel.

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Growth and revenue opportunities emerge from the advent of new business models, mergers & acquisition activity, finds Frost & Sullivan...Rebounding from a two-year slump, the non-destructive test (NDT) inspection services market is undergoing an overall transformation. The convergence of various technologies such as Big Data, predictive analytics, digital twin, cloud computing, and smart factories is enhancing growth opportunities in the market, giving rise to several new business models. Vendors are making concerted efforts to convert Big Data to smart data and shift the market from the traditional time-people business model to more proactive performance-based business models.

"Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based NDT capabilities are altering market structures and driving the transformation of traditional business models,” said Prem Shanmugam, Senior Consultant for Measurement & Instrumentation at Frost & Sullivan. "Automation companies are increasingly repositioning themselves as service providers, while sensorization and predictive analytics have enabled vendors to develop innovative business models."

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Global Non-destructive Testing Inspection Services Market, Forecast to 2022, identifies key growth opportunities while detailing the challenges and threats. The forecast period is from 2018 to 2022, with 2017 being the base year. It covers the technology segments of ultrasonic, radiography, electromagnetic, visual inspection, and penetrant test.

 

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For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/30g 

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"This evolving market ecosystem will encourage numerous mergers and acquisitions as NDT inspection service companies look to broaden their capabilities in areas such as online monitoring, robotics, and predictive analytics," noted Shanmugam. "The convergence of dimensional metrology with NDT applications will help create a competitive advantage for NDT vendors by allowing them to expand beyond their core capabilities. For instance, technology synergies will enable vendors to use 3D portable laser scanners to scan pipeline corrosion."

Another significant benefit of applying technologies such as connectivity, cloud, and advanced analytics is that it mitigates the challenge of a shrinking pool of experienced and qualified NDT technicians. There are additional revenue opportunities to be gained by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, such as:

• AI-powered industrial robots in inspection and material handling.
• Intelligent algorithms for processing huge amounts of data in real time.
• Drones to inspect components and repair damaged components in the wind energy sector. The results will be automatically analyzed using fuzzy logic and neural networks.
• Mechanical follow-up tools to ensure adherence to the structure of the actual part or new advanced technologies such as CT 3D X-rays.
• The combined synergies of NDT inspection services with online monitoring solutions similar to condition monitoring and other ICT and advanced analytics.

Global Non-destructive Testing Inspection Services Market, Forecast to 2022 is part of Frost & Sullivan’s global Test & Measurement Growth Partnership Service program.

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Rugged smartphones for any situation in life that can cope with both - tough environments at work and active leisure lifestyle - are successfully conquering the market more and more. RugGear®, leading manufacturer of rugged mobile devices, is expanding its range of outdoor smartphones with the RG650. The new model is a robust smartphone of the mid-level class with a design suitable for everyday use and a reasonable price of 199 EUR.

 

RG650 - hard outside smart inside

The RG650 is the ideal device for anyone looking for a robust and reliable smartphone with an excellent price/performance ratio that can withstand the toughest environmental conditions. Users who like to travel in extreme environments and don't want to strain their sensitive and expensive smartphones will find the RG650 to be a device in a design suitable for everyday use that will be reliable in the rough moments of life.

The outdoor smartphone with Android 8.1 (Oreo) has a 5.5 inch 18:9 HD+ “Edge-to-edge” display. In addition, the RG650 meets not only the IP68 standard but also the military standard MIL-STD 810G and is therefore protected against all kinds of liquids, dust, oil mist, vibrations, shocks and even drops from up to 1.5 meters on concrete. The display has a high luminosity (>500 Nits) and can be used outdoors in strong sunlight. Equipped with a powerful speaker (approx. 95dB@10cm), the RG650 is ideal for use on noisy construction sites, for outdoor sports or at festivals.

 

PTT accreditation & User defined button

RG650 features industrial PTT accreditation and is compatible with mainstream PTT solutions in the market such as Motorola’s Kodiak - a leader in enterprise communications. Define the yellow side button to do anything you want for example: launching the camera, a favorite app or Push-to-talk, all with one press.

 

Rugged smartphone for everyone

Rugged phones are evolving from niche products to all-in-one devices for everyday use. According to IDC market research, more than 95 million smartphones are damaged by crashes every year. This is immediately followed by moisture damage. The bottom line: Damage to smartphones is worth almost $30 billion.

With the RG650 RugGear is developing a mobile device with a large battery capacity that can cope with all environmental conditions. Despite its compact and slim design with dimensions of 151,5 x 74 x 12,5 mm (L x W x H), the RG650 meets the industry’s toughest military standard MIL-STD 810G. It also works reliably in a temperature range from -20°C to +60° C. The use of a special polycarbonate mixture for the housing and specially arranged crash zones to dissipate the impact energy help to protect the sensitive electronics from impacts and vibrations. The RG650 can also show off its durability: the 4,200mAh battery ensures it can reliably carry users through a full day’s use. Various sensors such as ambient light sensor, accelerometer,, proximity sensor and  compass round off the equipment package.

 

Scope of delivery and availability

The RugGear RG650 comes with a USB 2.0 cable, charger and QuickStart Guide. The RG650 is available from December 2018 for an RRP of 199 EUR from leading specialist dealers and on Amazon.

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Find out more @ www.ruggear.com

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Varlink, the specialist Mobile Computing, Auto ID and EPOS Distributor, announces the date of their 14^th annual Meet the Manufacturer (MTM) event, set to take place on Wednesday 13^th February 2019 at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.

This industry event which since its inception has become a key date in the diary, brings together leading manufacturers including Janam Technologies, Zebra Technologies, Honeywell and DataVan, with UK IT Resellers, Solution Providers and System Integrators.

Sponsored by Janam Technologies, MTM will see global AIDC and EPOS hardware manufacturers exhibit alongside complementary product and service providers as part of Varlink’s Alliance Programme.

Delegates can be assured of an exceptional return on their time, with new product demonstrations, future technology roadmaps and key IT Channel stakeholders all under one roof, enabling businesses to keep ahead of the curve.

Varlink CEO, Mike Pullon, said, "We are looking forward to holding yet another successful MTM, where we bring together many of our customers and Mobile Computing, Auto ID & EPoS suppliers. MTM provides our customers with the ideal platform to see the latest products from our long established and recently added suppliers as well as the opportunity to talk to our Alliance Partners about their complementary products and services.

As the rate of technical innovation and product development continues to quicken, MTM is the ideal forum for our customers to try out and discuss the products that will be increasingly demanded by end users over the coming months."

MTM’s convenient drop-in format recognises the difficulty to get away from the office, and with pre-arranging meetings with vendors and the Varlink team encouraged, delegates really can get the most out of their visit, regardless of the time they can commit.

Robert Hurt, General Manager EMEA at Janam Technologies, said, “We are thrilled to sponsor this year’s MTM event. With a continued commitment to providing mobile solutions with the right features at the right price, we are excited to showcase the most innovative products in our history.”

MTM2018 takes place between 9.30am and 3.00pm on Wednesday 13^th February at the Kind Power Stadium in Leicester. For more information, exhibitor line up and to register your place please visit www.varlink.co.uk/mtm2019/ or call Varlink on 01904 717180.

Simon Fahie, Managing Director - Global Technologies, at ByBox reflects on a busy final quarter for the year, what the big challenges for 2019 will be and how we can overcome them...

Judging by the packed conference halls I’ve seen across the world this quarter, I think it’s fair to say that Winter 2018 is ‘events season’ for the global field service industry.

I was among the thousands of professionals who travelled to attend flagship conferences – all connected by a ‘need to know’ the latest developments within our sector.

But, as I heard tales of pioneering innovations and technologies at, for example, exhibitions in the USA, and a user group event in the UK, I was struck that the processes behind our work are just as important as the technology which supports it.

Hearing about the increasing pressures and challenges affecting the field service supply chain, and the different ways organisations are seeking to address them, triggered a train of thought in my mind around the power of lean thinking.

The principles of Lean are clear. It’s a systematic way of checking every process to find and extinguish waste. By eradicating unnecessary spend, time and resources, organisations can focus on adding value to customers.

And this one methodology is so effective, it can be used equally well within a wide range of businesses, from office cleaning, to automotive manufacturing, or the delivery of complex highway schemes. All three of these tasks have been analysed, broken down into steps, designed and redesigned to be as Lean as possible.

For decades, service companies have seen the value in similarly systematically removing unnecessary delays, materials, labour and costs from their processes. And yet, as the events began to wrap up, it became obvious to me that Lean thinking could have played a part in the case studies I had presented, and the networking conversations I had enjoyed.

I heard over and over again that the pain points are there. For example, getting the right service part to the right place at the right time is so important that, ironically, some businesses seem wary of making strategic changes. We heard stories about excessive inventory or significant costs related to same-day distribution being left unchallenged because ‘it works’. We know from analysis carried out recently for one organisation that 65% of items sent to site using same-day transport were returned by the engineer as good stock.

It doesn’t take much effort to start finding waste in that process, but what are the seven types of waste in Lean, and how might field service industries start finding some waste to eliminate?

Based on my experience at 2018 field service events, here are some examples, and how our customers are going about eliminating them:

 

Transport: Unnecessary movement of people or parts between processes

We saw one company save 640,000 miles of driving by delivering parts to app lockers at service sites, instead of using dispersed forward stocking locations. (FSLs)

 

Inventory: Excess raw material or finished parts 

Another firm had more than £1 million-worth of duplicated stock sitting in repair engineers’ vans.

The company cut spend significantly, by storing items specifically required by each location in secure on-site lockers

 

Waiting: People or parts waiting for the next step of a process

45 minutes per day, per engineer – that was the average waiting time saved by one organisation when it replaced PUDO collections with public locker collections.

 

Motions: Unnecessary movement of people or parts within a process

In our experience, the most advanced firms enable engineers to order parts for direct delivery, using a mobile app. This eliminates the unnecessary and inefficient movement of thousands of parts to and from warehouses, and can even enable firms to remove entire FSLs from their supply chains.

 

Rework: Correction or repetition of a process 

Forward-thinking firms also use mobile apps to assign condition codes for parts which need to be returned. This allows items to be directly routed to repairers, rather than return to the warehouse for evaluation. We’ve seen this contribute to a 40% reduction in total inventory for some firms, as well as a reduction in processing resources.

 

Overproduction: producing sooner or in greater quantities than customer demand

We saw one corporation reduce duplicate inventory by consolidating a UK stock-holding into a European warehouse. Delivery lead times and customer service levels were maintained by exploiting scheduled flights, and pre-8am distribution to lockers.

 

Over processing: Processing beyond standard required

Implementing a dedicated delivery point at a secure site reduced same-day transportation costs by 80% for one customer. In this use case same-day delivery was only used to ensure early next day availability.

 

It’s important to remember that the benefits of Lean thinking go above and beyond reducing waste, and into adding value to customers. For example, eliminating unnecessary movements often reduces overall lead-times -which in turn reduces risks to SLA compliance. And reducing transportation waste further supports carbon reduction targets.

I don’t pretend to be an expert in Lean thinking, however, as we seek to meet ever tighter service level requirements while simultaneously reducing costs these examples serve as reminders that there is plenty of waste to find if we go looking for it.

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Simon Fahie is Managing Director, Global Technologies for ByBox

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Experts from Accenture, Daimler Trucks North America, Spartan Motors, Carlisle & Company, Bocconi University and Syncron share strategies to succeed in the years ahead...

To help manufacturers navigate one of the most transformative times in history, Syncron^TM, a provider of cloud-based after-sales service solutions focused on empowering the world’s leading manufacturers to maximise product uptime and deliver exceptional customer experiences, today published “2019 After-sales Service Predictions: Powering the Journey to Servitization Through Maximized Product Uptime.” Service experts from Accenture, Daimler Trucks North America, Spartan Motors, Carlisle & Company, Bocconi University and Syncron shared insights on the time, resources and technology manufacturers will need to win in 2019 and beyond. 

Servitisation – where organisations transition from selling one-off products to selling the outcome or value those products deliver – is leading manufacturers to evolve their after-sales service operations from reactive, break-fix models focused on repair execution, to a new paradigm focused on dynamic repair prevention and maximising product uptime. In this new white paper, Syncron unveils how manufacturers can succeed in this shift to servitisation. 

“In this new era of servitisation, the responsibility for ensuring maximised product uptime is shifting from the end-user to the manufacturer,” said Gary Brooks, CMO at Syncron. “This new business model will require manufacturers to find ways to increase cost efficiencies throughout the entire value chain, ultimately driving them to completely transform business logic, company cultures and product development strategies. Today’s global manufacturers are at a pivotal point in their storied histories, and those that adapt to the changing climate will be the ones to come out on top.”

The key predictions included in the white paper include: 

1. The time for manufacturers to begin shifting to servitisation is now
2. Manufacturers must intelligently allocate the resources behind an evolving industry
3. Adopting the right technology is crucial to making servitisation a reality

In addition, the white paper includes a foreword by Syncron CEO, Anders Grudén, plus further details about the future of after-sales service and immediate next steps for manufacturers to take as they begin 2019.

“We interviewed multiple industry experts – the best-of-the-best around the globe, to compile this expert advice,” continued Brooks. “This white paper will serve as an ultimate guide for manufacturers to establish business plans for not only 2019, but also several years down the road.”

Key contributors to “2019 After-sales Service Predictions: Powering the Journey to Servitization Through Maximized Product Uptime” include: Kurt Ranka, Principle Director, Accenture; Carlo Alberto Carnevale Maffè, Professor of Strategy, Bocconi University; Nate Chenenko, Manager, Carlisle & Company; Jay Johnson, General Manager, Daimler Trucks North America; Jon Dickinson, Director of Aftermarket Sales, Spartan Motors; Anders Grudén, Chief Executive Officer, Syncron and Gary Brooks, Chief Marketing Officer, Syncron.

Click here to read “2019 After-sales Service Predictions: Powering the Journey to Servitization Through Maximized Product Uptime” in its entirety. To learn more about Syncron and its suite of after-sales service solutions, visit syncron.com.

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Asolvi has brought about a digital transformation at Cryptex Security, a London-based specialist in home and business security systems. This has not just enabled the company to go paperless, reduce admin staff and acquire a competing business. It’s also let co-founder and finance director Ian Zeff fulfil a lifelong dream to live and work abroad...

Cryptex specialises in harnessing the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) to make people and buildings safer. Its intruder alarms, access control and CCTV systems are embedded with sensors and software that enable them to interact with each other via the internet and are capable of being controlled by computer or smartphone. This provides occupiers with more extensive and comprehensive security as well as greater ease and flexibility in how they use it.

Maintenance in this industry is more important than in any other because of the disastrous implications of a security system going down. IoT technology is vulnerable to cyber threats as well as physical threats, which is why the maintenance of smart security systems has to be intensive and meticulous. It also means that providers need a foolproof maintenance management system to ensure not just that nothing falls through the cracks, but that there are no cracks. 

Cryptex operates rigorous preventative and corrective maintenance programmes on all security assets, both on-site and, leveraging its IoT capabilities, remotely. Since April 2016, all of these programmes have been managed through Tesseract — Asolvi’s pan-industry solution, suitable for field service businesses of all types — which Cryptex chose over several market-specific options.

 

Going paperless

One of the reasons Cryptex chose Asolvi was because it wanted to automate its service processes, including workforce management and invoicing, and go paperless. “The efficiency gains we’ve made since implementing Tesseract are radical,” says Ian Zeff. “We’re now completely paperless. Our printing and postage costs are zero. And being in the security industry, we used to have to do huge amounts of shredding. Now we do none. The fact that there’s no wastage has made Cryptex much greener.”

 

"Our printing and postage costs are zero. And being in the security industry, we used to have to do huge amounts of shredding. Now we do none."

 

The elimination of paperwork also enabled Cryptex to swap an administrative staff member for a new engineer. “Thanks to Tesseract, we no longer needed a junior administrator doing filing, printing, posting etc. This meant we could employ another field engineer in their place. And engineers are our bread and butter. The work they do is our business. So having an extra engineer on our books is enabling us to do more work and bring in additional revenue.”

 

The power to scale up

Tesseract has given Cryptex the power to grow, something that its old, manual, paper-driven service management system would have made too difficult. It’s partly because the efficiency gains that come with Tesseract cut out a lot of administrative red tape when taking on new customers, contracts and workers. It’s also because of how easy it is to input new data and users into the Tesseract system.

“In May 2018, we purchased a local competitor, Henry Gates Security Services,” says Ian. “Tesseract gave us the power to make this acquisition, because of how easy it was to input data and users and get visibility of the new company straight away. We were able to take on nearly 700 new contracts instantly. The integration process was a breeze.”

 

A more enjoyable work life

Since implementing Tesseract, the most exciting change for Ian personally is that he’s moved abroad and performs all his management responsibilities remotely.

“My favourite thing about working with Asolvi is that they’ve helped me emigrate!” he says. “It was always a dream of mine to move to Israel. Now I can be in the office without physically being in the office. The fact that our data is in the cloud, our processes are automated and everyone’s connected via a central point has made that possible.”

 

"Now each person is at his or her desk driving the business forwards with a few clicks of the mouse..."

 

The rest of the people at Cryptex are also experiencing radically improved working conditions. Ian explains, “Our staff no longer have to get up and walk to a cabinet, check a file, find that something’s missing and have to look for it, wait for things to print, deal with printer jams, stick things in the post, lick envelopes. Now each person is at his or her desk driving the business forwards with a few clicks of the mouse. And our engineers are happier too. They loathed paperwork and having to lug around files. Now they have everything they need on their phones and it means we’re not chasing them for forms and timesheets.”

Ian continues, “The way Tesseract has changed our service operation is nothing short of the digital transformation that everyone in the industry is talking about. The automation, the mobility and the seamless lines of communication between us all — it’s exactly what digital transformation is all about.”

 

Automated scheduling for customers

A new development at Cryptex is about to make its people’s lives even easier. The company will soon adopt the Tesseract customer service portal, which gives customers direct access to the Tesseract system. They will be able to log incidents, monitor progress and escalation, and run reports. They will also be able to use Tesseract’s automated scheduling functionality to book appointments directly through the portal. This is a new feature and something that many field service management software providers don’t offer.

Ian explains, “Now that we’ve got the bug for automation and making everything run faster and slicker, we wanted to foster a culture of customers booking their own service visits. At the moment we have to tell customers when maintenance is due and book the visits ourselves. With the new functionality, when maintenances become due, customers will receive an automated email telling them to book their appointment through the portal or call the office, in that order. This will save even more time for our office staff and give customers more control over their service needs.”

 

Forward-thinking development

Asolvi is committed to strengthening and adding to its solutions in an effort to make field service operations, particularly those of SMEs, faster and smarter. Ian says, “What I like about working with Asolvi is that they’re looking to drive their business forwards and continually refine what they offer. This can only be a good thing for customers.”

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Oftentimes field service directors and managers can see the importance of investment within a dedicated Field Service Management (FSM) ahead of their colleagues in the boardroom. In this series of articles Kevin McNally, Sales Director, Asolvi outlines how to build a case for investment to drive your field service operations forwards.

In the first instalment in this series, we looked at how FSM systems can deliver easy Return on Investment. Now we look at how investment in FSM solutions can help you achieve better staff retention.

 

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Is building a case for investment in FSM a key topic for you?! There is a full white paper on this topic available to fieldservicenews.com subscribers. Click the button below to get fully up to speed!

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Not too long ago we lived in a world where things were expensive and labour was cheap. That dichotomy in most regions of the world has now pretty much been flipped upside down.

As it is, the most valuable asset in a field service organisation is widely perceived to be the field service engineers themselves.

Add into this the ageing workforce crisis that many organisations are facing, leading to dramatic increases in costs to replace those experienced engineers leaving the workplace across the next five to ten years, and the importance of good talent retention should definitely not be overlooked.

Neither should the positive impact that the implementation of an FSM solution that empowers your field service engineers.

Let’s now take a look of just a few of the ways that implementing a new FSM solution can help you keep your field workforce happy and staff turnover in this mission-critical operation low…

 

Offer A Better Work/Life Balance:

One of the key fundamentals of most FSM solutions is some form of scheduling solution. Often when we look at the benefits of scheduling we tend to focus on the business benefits. As mentioned above ROI is a clear selling point for investing in such a solution for example.

Yet, from the engineers’ perspective, a well-planned job schedule within their working day can be a huge positive. By utilising an FSM system you can factor in things like the engineer’s home so their work schedule across the day can bring them closer to home as they approach the final few jobs of the day.

When a field service engineer finishes their last job at 5 pm on a Friday the difference between being close to home or being stuck two hours away in rush hour traffic can have a huge impact on their work/life balance.

 

Keep Them Doing What They Signed Up For Not Endless Mountains Of Paperwork:

While there are invariably exceptions to every rule, in the main, there are some key attributes that field service managers share. They enjoy problem-solving the ability to work autonomously and solving technical or mechanical problems.

What they tend not to enjoy is the endless filing of reports and administrative tasks – which can be necessary for a business granted, but would certainly rank near the bottom of a list of tasks the majority of field service engineers relish most about their work.

Fixing stuff and solving problems is what field service engineers are paid to do and largely it is also what they excel at. Admin is not.

As the late, great Peter Drucker outlined, we are far better off focussing on what we are good at so we can become excellent in that field than trying to improve areas where we are weak – as no matter how much we focus on our weaknesses, we will only ever become average in these areas at best.

This is a major area of improvement to the engineers’ day to day enjoyment of his work that an FSM solution can bring. By automating many of the essential yet mundane admin tasks such as sending completion reports, tracking parts inventory in and out of their van stock, or even sending invoices – the engineer is able to focus on what they do and enjoy best.

 

Make The Engineers The First-Time-Fix Hero:

Our field service engineers are the frontline of our businesses and very often the most frequent face-to-face interaction that your customers’ may have with your organisation.

As such when things go wrong, it is your engineers who are in the firing line.

The flipside of this, of course, is that when things go right, they may as well walk out of your customer’s premises with a cape around there neck and their pants on outside there trousers – the standard uniform for every superhero who has just saved the day.

It is fairly self-evident which of these is the preferred scenario for the engineer, and a good FSM solution can help him achieve that more often in a number of ways.

For a start, an FSM solution can be harnessed to provide the engineer with all the relevant history and information available for the job he is about to undertake, including things like previous maintenance carried out, potential likely failures on the asset and even if this is a regular fault or if this is the first time service has been required on the asset.

 

 

"In addition to things like asset history, many FSM solutions can be integrated with knowledge banks, so should the issue fall outside of the engineer’s current experience, he can access detailed information on how best to tackle the problem..."

 

 

All of these pieces of information can not only allow the engineer to diagnose the issue swiftly but also to gain an understanding of how best to approach the customer – for example, if this is a regular fault that has already been repaired on numerous other occasions, then the customer may require a more delicate and empathetic approach compared to a customer who has had a more favourable previous experience with your organisation – who may be a prime target for potential upselling.

In addition to things like asset history, many FSM solutions can be integrated with knowledge banks, so should the issue fall outside of the engineer’s current experience, he can access detailed information on how best to tackle the problem.

Similarly, engineer-to-engineer communications are something we are beginning to see become included more often in FSM solutions, which can also give an engineer access to the knowledge of one of their peers who may have encountered the problem, they face before.

In fact, engineer-engineer communication can be vital in providing a support network for engineers so they don’t feel isolated and disenfranchised from the business.

Finally, you should remember that investment in tools for your engineers is an investment in your engineers – and when someone understands you are investing in them and that you do so because they are respected and valued within your organization, you will more often than not engendered much greater employee loyalty. In fact, every time you roll out a new aspect of an FSM solution you can reinforce this point simply by establishing change management champions from within your field workforce.

And if your engineers’ feel valued, you can guarantee your staff turnover will be below the average.

 

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Want to know more?! There is a full white paper on this topic available to fieldservicenews.com subscribers. Click the button below to get fully up to speed!

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