AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Field Service News

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More features about ByBox including the investment by Fransisco partners discussed in the podcast can be found @ http://fieldservicenews.com/?s=ByBox

 

Syncron™, 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, has recently announced a $67 million minority investment from global growth equity firm Summit Partners. The partnership with Summit Partners will support Syncron’s continued development of its category-leading enterprise SaaS solutions and further expansion of its global operations.

Servitisation – where organisations transition from selling one-off products to selling the output or value that 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.

Syncron offers a fully integrated SaaS platform to optimise the performance of the after-sales service supply chain and enable global manufacturers to evolve to subscription-based uptime service models, which is critical on the journey to servitisation. The Syncron Service Cloud applies machine learning to multi-echelon logistics and IoT data designed to deliver predictive insights and drive enhanced customer experiences, greater efficiency and brand loyalty.

[quote float="left"]Syncron powers the after-sales service organisations of many of the world’s leading manufacturers, including Electrolux, Hitachi, JCB, Mazda, Siemens and Toyota[/quote] Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Syncron powers the after-sales service organisations of many of the world’s leading manufacturers, including Electrolux, Hitachi, JCB, Mazda, Siemens and Toyota. Syncron has more than 330 employees across 10 global offices and is a recipient of the Great Place to Work^® award.

“We are delighted to partner with Summit Partners to support Syncron’s next chapter of expansion and our path to IPO readiness,” said Anders Grudén, CEO of Syncron. “Summit’s deep experience collaborating with high-growth, enterprise SaaS companies will add valuable support to our vision of leading the transition from reactive, break-fix after-sales service to intelligently maximising product uptime and customer loyalty.”

“We believe Syncron is uniquely positioned to support global OEMs on their journey towards servizisation,” said Antony Clavel, a Principal at Summit Partners who will join the Syncron Board of Directors. “Across automotive, industrial machinery, high-tech, aerospace and many other industries, sophisticated manufacturers are working with Syncron to drive after-sales service excellence.”

“Syncron is an impressive technology company serving some of the world’s most respected manufacturing brands,” added Han Sikkens, a Managing Director with Summit Partners who will also join the company’s Board of Directors. “The Syncron team has delivered strong, profitable growth on a global scale and we look forward to supporting the company’s continued market leadership.”

Summit Partners manages over $14 billion in capital and has invested over $2 billion in European-headquartered growth companies. Syncron represents Summit Partners’ first investment in Sweden.

 

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simPRO has made another splash in the United Kingdom’s job management technology sector by strengthening the relationship between contractor and customer through an ‘on-the-job’ quoting and sales module.

With simPRO’s Quote and Sales module, engineers will gain the ability to conduct previously office-exclusive tasks on the job site, with an emphasis on field sales capabilities.

The module provides detailed information on goods, services and materials which customers can select from an aesthetically pleasing layout. Engineers can then provide accurate real-time estimates for customers to act upon in their own time or on the spot.

The module will also sell customers membership options which can influence the price of every option offered within a quotation.

simPRO’s Quote and Sales module is the first of many services available through the company’s new simPRO Mobile line, which was developed to allow job management tasks to be conducted from previously inconvenient locations.

simPRO Chief Technology Officer Jonathan Eastgate said the module’s function would help businesses across the UK extend service offerings and bring new efficiencies to mobile sales and administration.

“With our new Quote and Sales module, engineers can present multiple options for their customers before quoting and can even upsell on products and services. They can also then show images of catalogue items, play videos and display supporting materials such as manuals to customers which makes the whole quoting process very interactive.”

Mr Eastgate said the ability for engineers to make efficient on-the-job sales and to cut through red tape without the need of a desk is not just a win for businesses that use simPRO.

“Our clients’ customers also benefit from the drastic reduction in logistical stress. Imagine a world where you can immediately receive an on-site sales consultation, select what you need from a range of options, receive and sign for a quote and then see the work begin straight away.

“Often what gets in the way of this is the need to add that administrative step – to stop what’s happening on the job site and take an administrative step to place orders, generate quotes or make additions or alterations to a job,” he said.

“What matters most is the work done by those who use simPRO and the benefits that are felt by all parties involved. We want businesses throughout the UK to succeed and their customers to receive the best service.”

Successfully integrating with external systems like Quickbooks, Xero, Gmail and Outlook, simPRO will also provide Quote and Sales module users real-time office-to-field connectivity with technical support available 24 hours a day, six days a week across the world.

The Quote and Sales module will be available to the UK’s current field licence-holding simPRO Enterprise customers at no extra cost, giving simPRO’s mobile users the ability to take to the road immediately for free.

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Kevin McNally, Sales Director for Asolvi gives us a sneak preview of a forthcoming white paper that outlines how to build a case for investment in Field Service Management systems by outlining how Return On Investment is such a fundamental part of the equation...

 

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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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Whilst, of course, each and every business has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, there are now certainly enough case studies available on this topic for us to be able to predict fairly confidently, that the implementation of a field service solution if done correctly, will likely  deliver considerable Return on Investment (ROI) within a relatively short time-frame.

In fact, perhaps the biggest challenge is exactly how to calculate the ROI that you are achieving as the benefits come in many different guises and various different aspects of the business!

For example, when implementing a Field Service Management (FSM) solution you can expect to see ROI come from various areas of business expense, including:

• Increasing the utilisation of your existing resources, both in the office and the field allowing you to achieve more without adding additional resources by taking advantage of tools that deliver improved scheduling and workforce planning.
• Warranty control, how often is your service just given away for free because it is uncertain to your engineer if the customer is under warranty – it happens more than you would imagine even in the biggest of businesses, especially if you don’t have a warranty management embedded in your FSM system.
• Reducing the costs of unnecessary second visits. By having greater visibility into the service call as well as parts availability field service companies can ensure the right engineers are being sent with the right tools to do the job first time around. Given that the truck roll is generally the biggest cost line on a field service P&L improving First-Time-Fix will likely deliver significant ROI all by itself.
• Greater transparency and detail within your parts management etc, It is not just with improving first time fix that parts management within an FSM can deliver ROI. Field Service operations are unique in that stock is by necessity in constant transit. Companies can have millions of pounds tied unnecessarily up in van or garage stock which can disappear into a reporting black-hole unless a fit-for-purpose solution is in place.
• Significant costs that might have seemed a necessary evil such as paper and ink can be eliminated through digitising admin in the field with mobile technology.

 

The Impact of the Cloud

Perhaps the most important development of recent years in terms of gaining ROI from an FSM solution is the shift to Cloud becoming the most prevalent means of deployment for such systems.

Indeed, the benefits of Cloud computing are numerous but in terms of the ROI equation, there are perhaps three big aspects to consider.

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the widespread adoption of Cloud has led to most FSM solutions now being offered on Software as a Service model, where the FSM solution provider charges a monthly fee on a per-user basis. One of the big impacts of this trend has been that smaller and medium-sized companies that previously would have found such systems cost prohibitive on a CAPEX basis, could now access the tools that enabled there larger competitors to deliver more efficient service.

However, as the cost of a FSM solution is spread out on a monthly basis, it also becomes far easier for the ROI of that investment to become visible on a P&L sheet that isn’t carrying the heavy initial burden of the outlay of a CAPEX investment.

 

"When a solution is deployed by Cloud there is far less drain on internal resources for the service provider as the FSM vendor now bears a much heavier share of the workload in terms of actual IT support etc..."

 

Secondly, when a solution is deployed by Cloud there is far less drain on internal resources for the service provider as the FSM vendor now bears a much heavier share of the workload in terms of actual IT support etc.

Additionally, unlike an on premise solution which could be vulnerable to unseen issues such as flood, fire or even malicious attack, a Cloud-based solution will allow a service organisation to continue operating even should the unthinkable happen – meaning no lost revenue that may be generated from field service related streams.

Finally, Cloud based FSM solutions are in general, significantly quicker to implement compared to more traditional on premise equivalents, meaning that the field service operation can feel the benefits sooner, and thus start seeing that ROI quicker as well.

It is important to remember however, that ROI is just one of many aspects that can be used to build a case for investment in a FSM solution and we shall be exploring this and others in a forthcoming white paper with fieldservicenews.com

 

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WorkWave a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for the field service and last-mile delivery industries, today announced that it has been awarded a Brandon Hall Group Bronze Award for Excellence in the Best Advance in Talent Management Technology Implementation category for its rollout of Caliper and Caliper Analytics.

WorkWave partnered with Caliper to implement Caliper Analytics to guide its talent management decisions.

As a result of WorkWave’s rapid growth at all levels of the company, its leadership became aware of a clear need to facilitate objective conversations around development processes and ways to support its managers to have more constructive conversations with their direct reports. The Caliper Analytics platform enables WorkWave to leverage detailed personality data to develop new and existing employees, help managers have more effective conversations and fill roles in a rapidly expanding organization.

“As WorkWave continues to place an emphasis on becoming the leader in field service management technology, it is critical that we hire and develop passionate and talented employees who possess the right skill sets for the right positions,” said Marne Martin, CEO of WorkWave. “Through the use of Caliper Analytics, our talent team has been able to take a data-driven approach to WorkWave’s recruitment and development, allowing us to ensure that each person we hire is a great fit.”

“We are thrilled that our partnership with WorkWave has been recognized by the Brandon Hall Group, as we continue to provide them with a scalable, data-driven solution to support the company’s growth and market strategy through its valuable employees,” said Jacque Casoni, Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Region at Caliper.

The award entries were evaluated by a panel of independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives based upon the following criteria: fit the need, design of the program, functionality, innovation and overall measurable benefits.

“Excellence Award winners personify innovation that drives business results. Our winners embrace the future and embrace change and the challenges that go with it,” said Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer of Brandon Hall Group and head of the awards program. “It is amazing in reviewing these entries how organizations – both large and small – work across functions to make human capital management a valuable asset that enables business success.”

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TomTom Telematics has launched a new version of its fleet management Software-as-a-Service solution WEBFLEET 3.3 which allows fleet operators to review combined vehicle data from different sources in one easy-to-use interface.

The WEBLEET Plugin functionality allows a third party to generate notifications within WEBFLEET to draw the user’s attention to an event or a specific vehicle. This will highlight, for example, when a cold chain trailer temperature is out of range or a vehicle has maintenance issues which need to be addressed.

Using the company's award-winning WEBFLEET.connect open API functionality, the software enables flexible and easy back office integrations to bring all information into one system.

For customers with bespoke software needs, this means faster and easier fleet control, integrating such services as safety cameras, temperature monitoring, alcohol testing, routing optimisation or ERP information within their WEBFLEET management system.

The technology is already being used by mutual customers of TomTom Telematics and VisionTrack to view vehicle camera footage directly from WEBFLEET.

"Our customers who also use TomTom Telematics can now pull up incident footage instantly and review via the WEBFLEET interface, without having to open up the VisionTrack software independently," said Richard Lane, Commercial Director at VisionTrack.  "Having access to both visual proof and telematics data gives the clearest picture possible and helps to mitigate insurance costs. We’re excited to bring this new partnership to our mutual customers."

Beverley Wise, Director UK & Ireland for TomTom Telematics, added: “This new capability gives our customers an easier user experience, with faster and more convenient access to the management information they need to make smarter decisions.

"Having real-time third-party information in one interface makes WEBFLEET the hub for optimal fleet control."

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Tieto announced recently that it is one the first Nordic companies to join the European AI Alliance, a newly-formed forum for artificial intelligence (AI) stakeholders to come together to push European competitiveness on AI research and development and its impacts on industry and society.

The AI Alliance, established by the European Commission, brings together a diverse set of leading AI actors, including companies, consumer organizations, trade unions and other representatives of civil society bodies across Europe to share best practices. The AI Alliance aims to directly contribute to the European debate on AI and impact the Commission’s AI policy-making.

To achieve that, the AI Alliance works in close collaboration with the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI HLEG), a group the Commission has also established, with 52 members from academia, business and civil society such as Bayer, BMW, Bosch, Fraunhofer Institute, Google, IBM, Nokia, Siemens, Telenor and University of Oxford. The AI HLEG advises the Commission on AI’s opportunities and challenges, and supports it in the implementation of the European strategy on AI. The AI HLEGwill also prepare AI ethics guidelines covering issues such as fairness, safety and transparency as well as the impact on our fundamental rights, including privacy, dignity and consumer protection.

The AI Alliance will complement and support the work of the AI HLEG in particular in preparing AI ethics guidelines and ensuring Europe’s competitiveness in AI. Tieto and other members of the AI Alliance can provide direct feedback on specific questions and draft documents prepared by the AI HLEG.

“As one of the first Nordic companies involved in the AI Alliance, this is a great opportunity for Tieto to facilitate the development of artificial intelligence in Europe. We are excited to join forces with other AI Alliance members to foster AI innovation while also ensuring the highest ethical and sustainability standards in the development of AI. We will work alongside other leading members to build strategies that accelerate AI research and industrial applications,” says Dr. Christian Guttmann, Vice President, Head of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at Tieto.

“As a Nordic leader in AI, we have already established a Tieto wide AI ethics certificate and are already recruiting new talent in this area, including AI ethics and transparency engineers and AI Trainers to teach our AI systems,” Guttmann continues.

AI and advanced data analytics are an integral part of Tieto’s vision for future growth and success, and Tieto has recently developed several innovative AI and data-driven projects, including the trial with the City of Espoo. Tieto will have six representatives in the AI Alliance, each with deep scientific and industrial experience in AI, including AI’s sub-categories such as machine learning, deep learning, multi-agent systems, knowledge representation, machine perception and AI ethics.

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In this, the latest edition of the Field Service Podcast, Kris Oldland, Field Service News, Editor-in-Chief, is joined by Kevin Starr of ABB oil and Gas as they talk about the huge impact of automation within field service delivery.

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