AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Kris Oldland

Field Service News in partnership with RealWear, and OverIT have worked together to produce a detailed 22 page Essential Guide to Remote Service. In this features in a series of excerpts from that guide we now turn to look at some of the important considerations that should be made when selecting software for a remote service solution... 

As with hardware, there are many different software solutions available that can help field service organisations accomplish effective remote-service capabilities. With a number of options to choose here are some of the key considerations to find the solution that fits your needs best...

 

Bandwidth Reliance:

When we talk about remote service delivery, perhaps one of the most important aspects to factor into your thinking regarding the software solution you select is not necessarily the remote expert’s location, but instead the remoteness of the on-site engineer’s location. The ‘remote-expert’ will almost certainly be working from an urban location, with a strong wifi connection and ample bandwidth for them to perform their role. They will be in an environment that is controllable and set up for the task.

We cannot assume the same for the engineer working in the field.

Of course, depending on the vertical sector, this may be a lesser or greater problem. For example, a field tech working in the print/copy sector, whose work is going to be entirely conducted in an office-based environment, will have fewer troubles with connectivity than an engineer in the mining and aggregates sector whose primary workplace will be very remote and one where they could likely face issues around poor connectivity.

Even in an urban environment, connectivity dead spots can exist, so it is important to consider how a remote service solution handles low bandwidth situations. Some solutions, such as SPACE1 have specifically designed low-bandwidth modes for this exact reason. It is essential to understand the capabilities of the solution when operating within such modes and how this may affect the solution’s use.

For example, the SPACE1 solution reduces frame rates in a video call without affecting the quality of images, which allows for minimal disruption to the workflow even in low bandwidth scenarios. Understanding how any remote service solution is capable of handling worst-case scenario environments with regards to bandwidth is one of the most critical considerations when exploring whether a solution is suitable for your specific use case.

 

Ease of integration into existing systems and workflows

When we are trying to improve the workflow and improve efficiency in processes by introducing remote service technology, it is prudent to understand how the introduction of this technology will sit within the field service engineers current day-to-day and job-to-job workflow.

Some solutions have native integration with dedicated field service management solutions (FSM). For example, SPACE1 is the remote service and augmented reality capability developed by OverIT, and the integration of it is native with OverIT’s FSM solution, and near seamless with other FSM solutions.

Of course, the reality is that most field service companies will already have a current FSM in place and be looking for a solution that can integrate into that.

In today’s modern world of APIs, such compatibility is likely not to prove an issue, although the integration levels may vary.

In an ideal world, the engineer’s optimum flow is for him not to have to leave an FSM app and enter a second remote-service app but instead for the two to work seamlessly as part of a holistic workflow that allows the engineer to move effortlessly from work order to remote guidance and back to job completion.

 

Is the solution future proofed?

Understanding how any given remote service tool will work within your engineers’ existing workflow and how it can integrate into your existing FSM systems is an important consideration when identifying the right remote service solution for your organisation.

While the very concept of remote service and AR in one sense feels like something from the future, the truth is that we are currently living throughout an exceptional period of innovation and technological advancement.

Understanding how such an evolving technological period will shape the future of how we work is therefore absolutely critical when selecting any new software that will form the backbone of the mission-critical role that is field service operations.

This is particularly true of remote service solutions, which, as we have explored in the opening segment of this paper are set to be a fundamental pillar of service delivery as we move forwards into a post-pandemic world.

 

"When it comes to AI, we are already seeing relatively sophisticated examples of this technology being embedded within AR systems..."

 

AR is undoubtedly going to be one of the technologies that reshape the very way we think about field service. However, of equal importance will be the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) The future of the field service engineer’s workflow may not only involve an AR interface that allows him to get real-time feedback from a remote expert, but, as we begin to expand further what is possible with IoT, the engineer will likely be able to see an overlay of the core metrics coming from an asset in real-time in the same AR display. This could have a significant impact on improving onsite triage of problems, for example.

When it comes to AI, we are already seeing relatively sophisticated examples of this technology being embedded within AR systems.

SPACE1, for example, already has native AI built within it that adds a wealth of depth to the functionality of the tool from parts identification through to tagging of relevant elements within an image or video feed.

This latter feature can help the field service engineer with triage when on-site and surface relevant support materials within a knowledge base to help them resolve the issue and appropriately categorise any recordings where remote guidance is activated to add to the knowledge base continuously.

 

Will the solution work across multiple regions?

Again, referencing one of the most key benefits of remote service solutions we outlined in this guide’s opening segment, i.e. geographical expansion, another area to factor in when deciding which solution is a fit for your business is to assess whether it is capable of being deployed in multiple languages.

For an engineer working on-site receiving directions on how to resolve the issue at hand, the very fact that an AR solution is in place can dramatically improve the communication process.

However, if the engineer is required to control a head-mounted device via voice commands, having the ability to do so in a native language will undoubtedly make adoption rates smoother and result in fewer user errors.

Therefore, while it may not be a deal-breaker, having a solution that can work in multiple languages is undoubtedly a big tick in the box for any solution provider who can offer such functionality if your organisation has an international footprint.

 

What is the vendor’s track record?

Finally, it is important to look at any solutions providers’ track record working with other companies on similar projects to that which you are planning.

This is important in two ways and it is important to remember that introducing a remote service solution isn’t merely digitalising new processes. It is introducing an entirely new way of working.

Suppose a solution provider has experience working with other field service organisations on similar projects. In that case, they will first be able to help provide you with the key learnings from their own experiences in implementing other projects with similar clients.

This can be invaluable as the transition to incorporating a remote service element within your service delivery portfolio will involve much strategic thinking as you redefine many processes that have been fundamental to your field service operations before this implementation.

Having an experienced head in the conversation who has been through this process before and who can tell you what has worked and what are the pitfalls to avoid, could be the difference between a smooth and effective transition that sees a quick return on investment or one that takes many wrong turns and delays the improvements in productivity and efficiency that adopting a remote service solution promises.

Secondly, because there is so much strategic thinking required to adopt remote-service delivery within your existing workflow, many of the refinements needed to achieve optimal results will come from adopting a co-creation approach. In such a close working relationship, again a partner who has experience working in such a manner and a track record of achieving success in similar projects with other clients is an essential ingredient in the mix to look for when selecting the solution right for you.

 

---

In the next article in this series we will look at three more benefits of remote service; empowering the blended workforce, embracing the tools for outcome-based services and differentiating your service against that of your competition...

---

Further Reading:

This interview was undertaken as part of our development of our recently published Essential Guide to Remote Service. This guide offers insight into the important considerations field service companies need to be aware of when selecting remote service solutions suitable for their needs.

The guide looks at both the hardware and software considerations as well as containing a case study from Rail Cargo Group that looks at how they implemented such a solution which has revolutionised their industry.

This essential guide is currently available on our free-forever FSN Standard subscription tier for a limited time as well as being available to our FSN Premium subscribers and our FSN Elite members. If you are on any of these subscription/membership tiers you can access this guide by clicking the button below.

If you are not yet a subscriber, the button will take you to a dedicated registration page for FSN Standard that will give you instant access to this guide as well as access to the other Premium Resources currently available on this tier. 

 

 

---

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content, OverIT and Realwear who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.  

As part of a series of interviews for an exclusive Field Service News Documentary on the Blended Workforce in the Field Service sector, developed in partnership with ServicePower, Kris Oldland, Editor in Chief spoke with Chris Jessop, Customer Service Director, Ideal Boilers

In this first excerpt from the interview, Jessop explains what the key drivers are for Ideal Boilers who have been able gain major benefits from their strategic use of the blended workforce model to supplement their field service operation.

---

Want to know more?

Field Service News subscribers can access the documentary "The Blended Workforce and the New Normal"  by clicking the button below:

If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free and get instant access to the documentary and other selected resources available on our free forever, FSN Standard subscription tier.

---

If you hold either a FSN Premium or FSN Elite subscription you can find the full interview with Jessop in our Digital Symposium section of the website which is available at www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-symposium

 

---

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content, ServicePower who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.  

As we continue our series of excerpts from a new and exclusive Field Service News Essential Guide published in partnership with ServicePower we look at what are the common over-riding drivers for the adoption of the blended workforce model shared by companies that have successfully adopted such an approach

For those companies such as Ericsson, Ideal Boilers, and Electrolux who have been utilizing a blended workforce model successfully, for many years, there are many significant benefits. Another company with a vast amount of experience in this area is our partner on this guide is ServicePower. In this excerpt from this Essential Guide, we will look at the benefits these companies see in the blended workforce model. 

Having now defined the blended workforce model let us take some time to explore in greater detail some of the core drivers for adopting it. In the opening chapter we discussed some of the headline benefits of the model but which of these are the most critical drivers in the eyes of industry leaders who have direct first-hand experience working with such models?

“The blended workforce provides benefits that include increasing geographic coverage, allowing for seasonal surges, unplanned events, such as storms and catastrophes, and the augmentation of skill-sets,” explains Frank Gelbart, Chief Executive Officer, ServicePower.

“Additionally, it’s all about agility. The blended workforce model offers increased agility that really enables service organizations to take on both more service jobs and also different types of service jobs. Therefore, it allows them to increase their top line service revenue.”

For Steve Zannos, Senior Director Service Delivery, Electrolux, this agility is particularly useful in managing the seasonal variations in demand that occur within their customers requirements.

“One of the key benefits of the blended network is it allows us to not have to hire and manage through all the peaks and valleys of seasonal demand,” he explains.

“We work with our partners and build that flexibility with them together. If we only had a manufacturer workforce, we would have to figure out how we manage through those peaks. There are a couple of ways we could do that.

“Firstly we could bring on a temporary workforce. The summer is the big season for us as many types of appliances we build such as refrigeration or air conditioning can require maintenance in the summer as they are being used at their peak. However, if we were to use temps, it would mean an investment to bring them in, then there would be a lot of training that to work on and this all has to be completed in a short period before then at the end of that peak season having to let them go. There would be no real consistency and next season we’d be starting all over again.

“Plan B would be to stick with a flat network that’s designed for the valleys and then when the peaks come, we would just run the teams ragged with overtime and have everyone working 60 to 80 hours a week. The problem here is that you burn people out. They just don’t want to do it anymore, and then you lose some great talent.

“The third plan is to plan for peak season and to carry that workforce across the whole year. The problem is of course, this is not very effective from a cost perspective. During the downtimes, we would now have the opposite problem where we couldn’t allow people to work a full 40-hour week. We may even have to cut back on time so the field techs are only working 20 or 25 hours - a week. This will mean that they are not going to see income that they’re expecting.”

“Of course, none of these options is optimal, so we leverage the blended network instead and it is by far the best solution for our business.”

 

"Let’s take an example of the Outer Hebrides islands. It makes no sense for us to have an engineer on each one of the main islands, so we create partnerships with suppliers who do have people permanently stationed there for first level interventions."

- Adam Gordon, Head of Network Planning and Operations, Ericsson

 

Such seasonal pressures are of course, a challenge that many field service directors in at least to some degree, and adding that flexibility to manage the peaks and troughs of variable demand is one of the critical strengths of the blended workforce model.

Another key benefit of the blended workforce model is to provide wider geographical coverage.

As Adam Gordon, Head of Network Planning and Operations, Ericsson explains, “Ericsson cannot have a footprint in every single area of the UK. Let’s take an example of the Outer Hebrides islands. It makes no sense for us to have an engineer on each one of the main islands, so we create partnerships with suppliers who do have people permanently stationed there for first level interventions. Then if a second-level requirement arises, we’ll send an Ericsson employee, to take over the job.

However, once again, seasonality is another benefit of the blended workforce model for Ericsson.

“We see big swings between winter and summer. In the summer, it’s the south where it’s warm so we have a lot of heat issues. In the winter, we have the cold and the snow in Scotland and the north of England, so that’s definitely a factor,” Gordon explains.

A third benefit that Gordon outlines is the introduction of skill-sets that don’t exist within their internal workforce.

“The introduction of additional skill sets is one area of the blended workforce, which has been utilized by Ericsson quite a lot in the past. For example, we are not generator experts so we’ve always found suppliers who are generator experts to fill in that knowledge gap in our workforce. These types of companies would be core partners that we would look for within the blended workforce.

“However, over the past two years, we’ve also looked at our field workforce and how we try and utilize that workforce. I’d rather use the term utilization than optimizing costs because if you optimize your workforce correctly, you then optimize your cost to be specific as well.

“That’s where it then comes down to identifying what are the key skills that we want to investment in at Ericsson? Our focus is on the higher-skilled, higher proficiency types of activities specific to Ericsson equipment. Yet, every site needs to have maintenance, including checking the site and cleaning fans. So the question we asked ourselves is do we really want a highly qualified field engineer with twenty years worth of experience, to be doing something that is ultimately a routine task? Those are the types of activities you have to ask yourself ‘should I look for a blended workforce to utilize the right skill level?’

This then comes to into the optimization of the costs, making sure the right skill-set is attributed to the right level of activity.

“It’s common sense, you need to ask ‘have I got the right person doing that job?’ and ‘is there a better way to deliver that service?’ You cannot have every skill internally, so utilize what’s in the marketplace.”

For Jessop, and Ideal Boilers, again, seasonality comes to the fore when we discuss the key benefits of the blended workforce model.

“Within the heating industry, seasonality is very significant. For us, it is a year of two halves, the autumn and winter period are very heavily focused on repair demand . During the spring and summer when we tend to focus more on the servicing demands, which are a more centred around a planned workforce.

“Customer expectation and customer requirements are very different across the two. There is a ramp up and ramp down between the two, and a hybrid workforce model can assist with that approach.“

However, for Chris Jessop, Customer Service Director, Ideal Boilers, the most significant benefit of using a blended workforce 

model ultimately lies in extending their capacity to meet the most crucial of all aspects of field service, ensuring customer satisfaction.

“The biggest benefit and the biggest driver is the customer experience, ensuring that we can offer tailored approaches that may not be as easily achievable with just your own workforce,” he explains.

 

"It’s becoming more and more difficult to attract youngsters into field service roles. Companies are finding it more challenging to staff some of these roles, which is why they’re leaning on a contingent workforce."

- Samir Gulati, Chief Marketing and Product Officer, ServicePower

 

One additional factor that needs to be considered is an issue we in the field service sector have faced for some time, the threat of an ageing workforce and the lack of enough recruits to replace them.

As Samir Gulati, Chief Marketing and Product Officer, ServicePower, comments, “It’s becoming more and more difficult to attract youngsters into field service roles. Companies are finding it more challenging to staff some of these roles, which is why they’re leaning on a contingent workforce. That contingent workforce could be less experienced on the brands of that particular customer, so what some companies have begun to introduce is to pair those third-party workers with a more experienced technician who may not be on the call with them, but is available, for a chat or a video session, to make sure that they can indeed deliver on that first time fix,” he adds.

Gulati and his colleagues at ServicePower are, of course, seeing the bleeding edge of both technology and thinking around the blended workforce model, having worked with and empowered many companies that have utilized this approach for many years. However, for those companies at the beginning of the journey, he outlines the fundamental benefits of the blended workforce with the kind of clarity that only comes from deep-level, hands-on experience of a subject.

“The fundamental model of a blended workforce is really based on coverage and the volume of business that a service provider can expect in a particular geography,” he explains.

“What we’ve found is that most companies prefer to manage the service business via an employed workforce so they can grow their service revenues.

"This works typically where the business volume justifies the cost of hiring your technicians in any given geography. For example, in the US, tier one and tier two cities, our customers will have their own techs. However, the moment you start to get into tier-three cities and towns, when you get into vast areas of land, like in Kansas, North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado, this is when the OEMs have to find third party contractors because the volume of work is just not there.

“Your closest tech could be 100 miles away and you’re not going to have your technician travel 200 miles every day to service one customer because it’s just not cost effective. That’s where the third party or the contingent network comes in. It’s a very similar situation in Europe, where in the larger urban centres you find a lot of companies have their own techs.

“However, the moment you start to get out of those urban centres, it’s all third-party service providers because the OEM simply cannot justify the cost of hiring direct employees who may be only running two or three jobs. On average, our OEM’s techs run eight to ten jobs back-to-back on a daily basis. If you don’t have that level of volume, you’re probably going to rely on an a third party service provider to manage that regional geography.”

What is clear having spoken to a number of experts in utilising the blended workforce model for this guide and the accompanying documentary is that a variable demand on the field workforce is a compelling factor in the need to adopt a blended workforce. Whether that variable aspect comes from geographical, skill-based or seasonal elements the solution is the same - the effective adoption and use of a blended workforce model.

 

---

 

Want to know more?

Field Service News subscribers can access the Essential Guide to the Blended Workforce instantly by clicking the button below:

If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free and get instant access to the documentary and other selected resources available on our free forever, FSN Standard subscription tier.

 

 

 

 

---

If you hold either a FSN Premium or FSN Elite subscription you can find the full interviews of those service leaders featured in this guide in our Digital Symposium section of the website which is available @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-symposium

 

 

---

Data usage note: By accessing this Essential Guide you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content, ServicePower who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.  

---

 

Further Reading:

• Read more about managing the mobile workforce @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/managing-the-mobile-workforce
• Read more about the blended workforce @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=blended+workforce
• Read more about the impact of the pandemic on the field service sector @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/en-gb/covid-19
• Discover this months selection of available resources on our FSN Standard subscription tier @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/fsn-standard-resources
• Find out more about the solutions ServicePower offer @ www.servicepower.com/

As part of our ongoing series of interviews in the Field Service News Digital Symposium Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News spoke with Dr. Chris Parkinson,, CTO and Founder, RealWear, about the important considerations field service companies must make when selecting head-worn devices that can give their engineers essential information about the assets they are working on while allowing them to work hands free.

In this excerpt, the two discuss why the familiar conversations around rugged hardware are equally relevant to the emerging conversations about wearables that are suited for field service operations.

 

---

Want to know more?

FSN Premium subscribers and FSN Elite members can access the full length interview plus many, many more in the Field Service New Digital Symposium.  If you have an FSN Premium account you can access the video on the button below. If you are currently on our FSN Standard subscription tier you can upgrade your subscription by clicking the link below. 

If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free to gain access to a monthly selection of premium content or select either FSN Premium or FSN Elite for even more resources. Click the button above to visit our subscription page to find out more. 

---

Further Reading:

This interview was undertaken as part of our development of our recently published Essential Guide to Remote Service. This guide offers insight into the important considerations field service companies need to be aware of when selecting remote service solutions suitable for their needs.

The guide looks at both the hardware and software considerations as well as containing a case study from Rail Cargo Group that looks at how they implemented such a solution which has revolutionised their industry.

This essential guide is currently available on our free-forever FSN Standard subscription tier for a limited time as well as being available to our FSN Premium subscribers and our FSN Elite members. If you are on any of these subscription/membership tiers you can access this guide by clicking the button below.

If you are not yet a subscriber, the button will take you to a dedicated registration page for FSN Standard that will give you instant access to this guide as well as access to the other Premium Resources currently available on this tier. 

 

 

---

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content, OverIT and Realwear who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.  

Field Service News in partnership with RealWear, and OverIT have worked together to produce a detailed 22 page Essential Guide to Remote Service. In this features in a series of excerpts from that guide we continue to explore some of the key considerations that should be made when selecting hardware for a remote service solution... 

In the last feature in this series we looked at three key considerations around selecting hardware; form vs. function, binocular vs. monocular and hands-free vs. gesture or touch control. Now we shall look at three more... 

 

Will the headset work with your existing PPE?

There are many different field service environments. Equally, there are many different types of PPE that a field service technician or engineer may need to wear, even within just one organisation. There could be multiple different types of hard hats used in different departments or different regions.

While it may not be the first question that comes to mind, when identifying a solution for your engineers, it should be raised when looking at any potential solution you may be aiming to implement.

Many solutions within the category are easily adapted to fit within a variety of hard hats and helmets. RealWear’s HMT-1 device, for example, is currently configurable with 30 different types of protective head-wear and often manufacturers will be able to produce a solution if one is not already available.

However, having identified the right headset to meet your needs and being on the verge of implementation only to find that it is not compatible with your existing PPE could be a frustrating set back in any roll-out.

Also, since the pandemic, another factor around PPE is whether wearing a mask will impact the functionality of a device that relies on voice commands.

Again, this is something that RealWear have run extensive tests on their devices to ensure that performance isn’t impacted when users are wearing a face mask. However, as we continue to face a world where the pandemic’s lasting effects remain in place, it should be an essential question to put to any manufacturer when looking at devices for remote-service solutions.

 

Ruggedness:

Once again, we return to the opening question of whether a device is fit-for-purpose.

As with industrial-grade tablets, the total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) is an important factor to consider, and the ruggedness of a device will have a significant impact on this.

Just as we should look at the specification of a rugged tablet or laptop when selecting a device for use in the field, we should do so with a head-mounted device.

The first thing to be aware of is what the IP rating of a device is. IP ratings are an indicator of how well a device can withstand dust and water getting into it. There are two numbers to look for in an IP rating; the first indicates how resilient it is to dust. It should be expected that a device suitable for use in the field would have an IP rating of 6 against dust ingress (how much dust can penetrate a device). This indicates a device is totally dust tight so it is fully protected.

When we look at the second number, this is an indicator of how resilient a device is to water ingress. While these numbers go up to 9, the final two categories are generally overkill for most field service applications – and if you’re working in an environment that requires one of those higher ratings you probably know all about IP ratings anyway! An IP rating of 7 indicates a device is capable of being fully submerged in water for a period of up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1 metre.

Again, unless you have a particularly clumsy and forgetful engineer who would not only drop the headset into a pool of water but also then forget about it for half an hour, this is probably not a deal-breaker.

 

"While use cases are different for every field service environment, if a device has an IP rating of IP66, you know it will be pretty much dust and waterproof in all but the most demanding environments..."

 

However, when we get down to the next rating, we are now entering the realm of what the minimum standard for a rugged device should be. At this rating (6) a device is protected from direct high-pressure jets of water, at any angle, so sufficient enough protection for most field service environments. Below this, however, we begin to see water ingress begin to occur.

While use cases are different for every field service environment, if a device has an IP rating of IP66, you know it will be pretty much dust and waterproof in all but the most demanding environments.

Of course, no matter how careful an engineer is, any device suitable in the field should also be able to survive the bumps, knocks and occasional drops that any other tool within their kitbag should take.

Therefore, another area of enquiry when looking at the rugged specifications of a device is whether it has passed a drop test. Generally, drop tests will tell you two things, the height at which the device was dropped and the material at which it was dropped onto. The height is generally around 2 meters or 6 foot depending on where the test was conducted.

With a head-mounted device, any drop test below 6 foot may not be a sufficient indicator of the device’s rugged capabilities as the chances are that the device could be knocked off an engineer’s head by accident, and many engineers in your workforce could be over 6 foot.

However, the latter part of the drop test information is particularly important. 

It is industry standard to drop test onto concrete; however, occasionally, you will see drop tests undertaken on softer materials such as plywood or even cardboard.

While this doesn’t mean in and of itself that a device isn’t capable of surviving a drop in a real-life scenario it is a valid question to ask the manufacturer why the test wasn’t undertaken onto concrete.

 

Tether or no tether

There are two approaches in head-mounted devices regarding where both the CPU and the battery are stored, which is one of the final decisions that companies need to consider. The first is for the device to have everything cased within the frame worn on the head. The second is for the device to be tethered to a secondary component that stores both the battery and the processor.

This second option’s key advantage is that it removes almost all of the weight from the headset. If an engineer is using a headset all day, then this could certainly be advantageous.

However, this approach’s disadvantage is that the tethered system adds in the further complication of an additional wire that ‘tethers’ the two.

When we consider that the environments field service workers operate in and the key focus on health and safety, being one the primary considerations we must make when selecting tools for our engineers, then additional cabling is problematic.

 

"The interesting thing to note here is that the cabling will invariably become lighter and potentially a more practical solution in the future for field service applications..."

 

If a cable is too loose, it could snag on something while the engineer is working, if the cable is too tight, it will restrict the engineer’s free movement.

In either instance, it is easily conceivable how the tether could become detached, which would result in the engineer having to stop what they are doing, take off their gloves, reconnect the device and start where they left off – not optimal.

The option of a tethered device has potential certainly, and it does resolve the issue of additional weight within a device. Still, currently, most tethered devices rely on quite thick cabling, which is a major factor in the problems we’ve outlined.

The interesting thing to note here is that the cabling will invariably become lighter and potentially a more practical solution in the future for field service applications.

However, when looking at devices that are currently available such as RealWear’s HMT-1 which currently weighs in at 380 grams, the weight of the device is probably less of a factor than the addition of more cumbersome cabling currently from both a productivity and health and safety perspective.

---

In the next article in this series we will look at three more benefits of remote service; empowering the blended workforce, embracing the tools for outcome-based services and differentiating your service against that of your competition...

---

Further Reading:

This interview was undertaken as part of our development of our recently published Essential Guide to Remote Service. This guide offers insight into the important considerations field service companies need to be aware of when selecting remote service solutions suitable for their needs.

The guide looks at both the hardware and software considerations as well as containing a case study from Rail Cargo Group that looks at how they implemented such a solution which has revolutionised their industry.

This essential guide is currently available on our free-forever FSN Standard subscription tier for a limited time as well as being available to our FSN Premium subscribers and our FSN Elite members. If you are on any of these subscription/membership tiers you can access this guide by clicking the button below.

If you are not yet a subscriber, the button will take you to a dedicated registration page for FSN Standard that will give you instant access to this guide as well as access to the other Premium Resources currently available on this tier. 

 

 

---

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content, OverIT and Realwear who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.