AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Kris Oldland

Bill Pollock, President of Strategies for Growth explains why the future of the field service sector is going to be fully dependent on the emerging technologies that are driving ever greater connectivity...

Connected Field Service empowers Field Service Organizations (FSOs) with the ability to monitor equipment remotely, and transmit data into the business’ database in real-time.

The greatest manifestations of this increasingly pervasive technology may be best described in the following terms:

• Traditional Field Service Management (FSM) tools have long since taken their place in the everyday service operations of a large majority of FSOs
• Field technicians have been effectively repositioned as industry experts, equipped with data that helps improve productivity while delivering higher levels of customer service, and attaining enhanced levels of customer satisfaction
• Keeping up with the latest technology is an ongoing challenge for most FSOs – but one that is necessary to maintain their competitive position in an evolving competitive landscape
• Establishing a formal KPI program – with the flexibility to add new types of KPIs to address new ways of measuring connected field service performance – is becoming increasingly important.
• The more progressive companies have already begun to migrate toward newer, alternative business models, such as servitization or selling “power by the hour”.

As such, and by harnessing the power of the IoT combined with pervasive functionalities of a Cloud-based CRM platform, more and more FSOs have begun to shift away from the traditional “breakfix” repair model to a newer, “never-fail” service model. The combination of these new technologies with the adoption of alternative business models, are allowing companies to more effectively manage the entire business operations of the enterprise, rather than just its service operations – again, made possible through the advent and proliferation of connected field service.

Fast forward to today, we believe that the future of IoT-powered FSM solutions, particularly those built on a CRM platform, is quite bright.

Why? Because the value proposition is clear – and universal – across all segments and participants involved in the provider-customer services transaction:

• For services management – it provides a set of configurable tools, working in real time, that are necessary to make the critical decisions needed to run a successful services organization;
• For field service professionals – it provides immediate access to valuable data and information, and eliminates much of the cumbersome and repetitive paperwork required in the past;
• For the organization’s services customers – it provides the ability to initiate service requests and monitor call status directly via the Web (i.e., via a customer portal);
• For the parts/inventory organization – it sets the stage for controlled inventory and parts replenishment that helps keep costs down; and
• For the back office – it facilitates the streamlined flow of information between and among dispatch, finance, purchasing, parts/ inventory and all other relevant stakeholders within the organization.

The staggering amount of data that can be generated through a connected field service environment also brings to the table several new data-related capabilities for FSOs, including the ability to:

1. Collect whatever data that is needed to improve a process, or improve a product, based on its measured, monitored and tracked usage
2. Switch to a lower-cost predictive model vs. the more traditional – and more expensive – preventive maintenance model
3. Determine which services to offer to customers that the organization cannot offer today (e.g., a next-level guarantee against downtime, which can be turned into a premium service, etc.)
4. Sell, cross-sell and up-sell new services, packaged as competitive differentiators
5. Create a more effective KPI program that can measure, monitor and track both the still relevant traditional KPIs, as well as the “new” KPIs that are being created using connected field service

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Samir Gulati, Chief Marketing Officer with ServicePower joins the exclusive ranks of Field Service News associate columnists and in his first article explains why in a world of increasing customer demands field service delivery needs to be the platform from which you wow your customers...

Customers expect more from today’s service providers. In a service environment where consumers are connected to the internet and each other 24 hours a day, they expect the same connectivity and instant response from companies they do business with. Consider the popular pizza tracker technology.

We’ve seen the technology cheekily called a baby monitor for pizza. Who among us hasn’t watched the tracker move in the right direction, just to stall right before the pizza is due to be delivered, leaving us disappointed, anxious and hungry?

Though pizza has little in common with complex field service operations, the tracker concept is very applicable.

Though pizza has little in common with complex field service operations, the tracker concept is very applicable.Consumers today expect to have full access to your services. Field service technology with supports the entire service lifecycle, from entitlement to completion is so important in today’s environment given those expectations. Consumers expect to be able to schedule a service or maintenance event whenever, and on whatever device is convenient to them, just like ordering a pizza. Enabling your customers to digitally engage with you operational teams, faster and in a smarter way, is a critical first step to building brand loyalty and increasing future revenues.

Providing visibility, just like that pizza tracker, is also now expected by consumers. Digitally booking a service event, to your employed or contracted workforce, is the first step in a faster, smarter service experience for your consumers.

Providing visibility to the appointment, the tech’s schedule and his or her location on the day or service not only improves customer satisfaction by delivering complete transparency related to the service event, it reduces costs for your organization by eliminating phone calls that historically would have occurred related to the appointment. The latest field service management technology can also enable customers to do more. It provides the ability to review new services and product offers based on asset ownership and service history, while also enabling techs and consumers to communicate directly.

Better than the traditional call ahead while en route, or a dial on a screen showing location only, consumers can upload pictures and other information related to their service event such that techs are better prepared to arrive and complete the service event while onsite.

Pizza tracker technology delivers updates based on preprogrammed timing and a series of predefined events, with very little engagement from the actual delivery drivers. That’s not good enough in field service. Field service is complex. Better visibility for the consumer is great. It’s the first step in providing faster, smarter service. However, it’s only the last mile of great service delivery.

Smart field service technology better supports complex field service delivery models.The miles in between matter just as much.  Smart field service technology better supports complex field service delivery models. It enables technicians to be scheduled with the skills and required parts to complete a consumer’s service order on time. It provides the tech with product information, repair information, and access to expert resources, even AI-based digital assistants which can define how to fix a certain product using available information, versus having the tech swipe through pages of documentation on a device to find a solution.

Field service technology delivers a great customer experience because it enables your field techs to connect to your customers throughout the entire service lifecycle, delivering service in a smarter way.

For the operational teams, the pizza tracker seems to do little else than automate the order, eliminating phones calls to the store. In field service, complex operations require robust, often AI-based technology, to deliver great service beginning with entitlement. Field service technology is the foundation on which service delivery technology is built, enabling each to manage complex processes and engage employed or contracted technicians and consumers in a smarter way, to deliver faster, more complete service using a single field service solution.

AI schedule optimization drives productivity, no doubt. Unlike the pizza tracker which can take a single input, an order, and deliver a single output, the delivery status, AI can be used in field service to harness a multitude of inputs related to consumer requirements, tech skills, and other hard and soft constraints, while also incorporating the latest in mapping and location technologies, to deliver a schedule which reduces operational costs, but which also improves service delivery, ensuring techs arrive on time, with the parts and knowledge needed to complete the service event.

Integrated contractor management solutions can ensure a similarly seamless service experience using contracted labour. Mobile technology can support full onsite processes, ensuring smarter, faster on-site service delivery.

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Blockchain, the technology developed to enable the crypto-currency Bitcoin has become the latest big buzz phrase technology across industries worldwide, but is it just hyperbole or can it be an important factor in the future of field service?

Business across the world are turning their attention to BlockChain right now and in the majority of cases, the main focus of this attention is centred around Bitcoin, the first globally recognized digital (crypto) currency that has hit the headlines largely for huge spikes and dips in its value across the last 12 months.

However, whilst Crypto-Currency is the most widely understood application of Blockchain technology, there may be a number of other applications which could be far more important to how the field service sector operates.

Blockchain 101

So for the uninitiated lets first get our heads around exactly what BlockChain is...

To begin a blockchain is a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using encrypted codes. Essentially, each block will typically contain a cryptographic hash of the previous block, alongside a time stamp and the transaction data.

Perhaps the most critical point to comprehend about blockchain is that by design, a blockchain is inherently resistant to modification of the dataPerhaps the most critical point to comprehend about blockchain is that by design, a blockchain is inherently resistant to modification of the data. The technical language is that it is “an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way”.

When used as a distributed ledger, a blockchain is generally managed by a peer-to-peer network which adheres to the same protocols for validating new blocks collectively. What this means is that in practice, once the data is within in any given block it can not be altered retroactively without the alteration of all subsequent blocks. The particularly clever part here is that as each peer within the chain is working as part of the collective, such a change requires the collusion of a majority from the network - this makes pulling a fast one anywhere along the line pretty much near impossible.

Thus blockchains are inherently secure by design.

For the more technically minded amongst us, one could suggest quite rightly that the establishment of blockchain has meant that decentralized consensus has become realized, with blockchain ‘exemplifying a distributed computing system with high Byzantine fault tolerance’

For those of us who are perhaps more interested in the outcomes, however, essentially what we need to know is that due to the way they have been designed they are highly suitable for the recording of information that needs watertight security - such as medical records and of course financial transactions - which is where it all began.

Whilst Blockchain is rapidly gaining attention, it is the crypto-currency that it was created for use with, Bitcoins, even more widely recognized within the mainstream.

Blockchain was invented by wonderfully mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto back in 2008 as Bitcoin’s public transaction ledger.

Indeed it was the invention of the blockchain that allowed bitcoin to become the first digital currency to solve what is known as the ‘double spending problem’, without the need of a trusted authority or central server - essentially making crypto-currency viable.

So it’s just a new way of taking payment?

Well no, as we alluded to at the top there could be a lot more to how Blockchain plays a role in field service which we’ll go into shortly - but whilst we are at it there is certainly a case for adding crypto-currencies to the list of how your organisation receives payment for the services delivered - especially if you are serving the consumer directly.

Certainly whilst crypto-currency is by no means a mainstream payment method as yet, an increasing number of businesses are starting to accept it and with a lower barrier to entry than accepting plastic, any business in any industry has the ability to adopt crypto-currencies.

In Japan alone, an estimated 260,000 businesses were reported to offer the cryptocurrency as a payment channel in 2017.In Japan alone, an estimated 260,000 businesses were reported to offer the cryptocurrency as a payment channel in 2017.

But what are the benefits of accepting cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin for a business?

There are plenty of positives in doing so but some key reasons cited in an article on business.com include:

• Eliminate chargeback fraud: A Bitcoin transaction is immutable. Once a client has paid for a product or service, the money is in your account. Unlike credit card payments, charges cannot be reversed.
• Immediate availability: There is no third party-dependent waiting period the way there is with bank-owned payments.Once payment is successful, the transaction amount is in your wallet and accessible immediately.You can convert Bitcoin into your local currency fiat at the end of each transaction, at the end of each working day or according to a custom set schedule.
• Lower transaction costs: Credit card payments usually end up costing you a 2 to 4 percent fee.With Bitcoin, this amount is a low flat fee, not a percentage of the transaction.
• Attract new customers: As Bitcoin rises in popularity, more users seek out participating businesses. This can mean exposure to a clientele you didn’t have before.
• Garner publicity: Bitcoin makes the news in a way fiat currency can’t. Local, national and even international news outlets are reporting on businesses taking Bitcoin payments, giving you an opportunity for free publicity.

Fixing the holes in the Internet of Things

However, as mentioned above, within the field service sector Blockchain has a huge amount more potential than just facilitating an additional means of receiving payment.

Firstly, there is its potential application within the Internet of Things - which is set to become the fundamental backbone of service delivery in the future - although widespread mass adoption is still arguably held back due to security concerns, a very real example of which being realized back in October 2016 when an unprecedented distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack involving an estimated 100,000 compromised devices in the Mirai malware botnet nearly brought the Internet to its knees in 2016 provided a clear indicator of the precarious state of IoT security.

The root of such weaknesses lies essentially within the security architecture of the IoT itself.

IoT architecture relies upon a distributed client-server model which uses a central authority to manage both the IoT devices as well as the data generated across an IoT network.

For IoT data to be trusted, all trust requests are aggregated into a single location which creates a sole point of security intelligence that can compromise IoT security. This is how Mirai-style botnet attacks can succeed.

Basically, during such an attack, IoT devices are unable to adapt their behaviour because they are not considered “smart” enough to make security decisions without the help of the central authority.

In an interview with computerweekly.com Joseph Pindar, Director for Strategy in the CTO office at Gemalto, and co-founder of the Trusted IoT Alliance, a non-profit group that advocates the use of blockchain to secure IoT ecosystem outlined why he believes Blockchain could hold the answer to true IoT security.

Pindar explained how blockchain removes the single point of decision-making that leads to failure, by enabling device networks to protect themselves in other ways, such as allowing devices to form group consensus about what is normal within a given network, and to quarantine any nodes that behave unusually.

Blockchain can play a crucial role in building trust in IoT dataIn addition to this blockchain can play a crucial role in building trust in IoT data by enabling what Pindar called the five digital security primitives: availability, auditability, accountability, integrity and confidentiality.

In blockchain, data is automatically stored in many locations and is always accessible to users.

For auditability and accountability, a private, permission-based blockchain is used – where all users are authorized to access the network – and because all data stored on the blockchain is signed, each device is accountable for its actions.

With regards to integrity, blockchain is as we’ve outlined above a public ledger of data entries.

With every entry, deletion or correction of data being confirmed across the network across a fully verifiable complete chain of events.

Further to this, there is also another perhaps less obvious but equally important benefit of utilizing Blockchain within IoT systems which Pinder raises.

There is a fairly widespread mindset amongst IT executive management regarding securing the industrial Internet which is that once a sensor, device or controller has been deployed and is working, it cannot be touched.

“Even if there is a known security vulnerability, it is not worth fixing it, because there is a chance that the security patch would cause problems elsewhere in the system that no one knows how to fix,” explained Pindar when speaking to Computer Weekly’s Aaron Tan “But as cloud computing has demonstrated, there are continual failures of devices and systems when operating at very large scale.”

“Simply put, it is not possible to manage large-scale systems that are fragile and not resilient to failure – as is the case with many current industrial IoT and OT systems.”

And the solution to this which Pindar recommends is to allow continuous deployment of software updates, alongside blockchain technology after devices have been deployed, with little or no downtime through an over-the-air update system - something he believes delivers both cost and operational efficiency when delivering over-the-air updates and patching to IoT devices and sensors.

With the IoT becoming more and more prevalent amongst field service organizations, the suggestions Pindar makes regarding the application of Blockchain in such systems should indeed be an important consideration for field service organisations as they establish their IoT processes.

The final piece of the 3D printing puzzle?

However, there could be yet another important place for blockchain within the field service sector, it could just be the missing piece of the puzzle in resolving one of the biggest challenges within our sector, namely managing the spare parts supply chain.

3D printing has for a long time been touted as a potential solution to getting parts needed to engineers as soon as possible, but one potential hurdle has always been how organisations control the licensing of the spare parts to ensure that firstly if the customer has 3D printing capability on-site - which has been one suggested use case, how can the provider ensure they don’t simply print off as many parts as needed once they have initially received the schematics file.

Similarly, by sending the parts data across in a digital file, the potential for such a file to make its way into the hands of unscrupulous third parties happy to make unauthorized parts for sale elsewhere is also a cause for concern for many organizations. Frankly, the risk to their IP and the significant loss of revenue this could lead has meant that many OEMs still view 3D printing with a distinct lack of trust.

However, could Blockchain perhaps hold the solution to such fears?

This certainly seems to be the thinking behind one Italian startup called 3D-TOKEN, which aims to integrate Blockchain and 3D printing technologies, in order to create a “unique, decentralized, global Just-In-Time Factory 4.0 for this century’s digital revolution.”

If successful it could certainly set a precedent for how Blockchain and 3D printing could work in harmonyAside from cramming as many manufacturing buzz phrases into their mission statement as possible, it seems it is certainly a concept that could have a potentially huge impact on service organizations within OEMs.

The goal for 3DToken is to connect thousands of 3D printers in a network hub based in Blockchain. In short, the plan is to create a Blockchain-managed network hub of desktop 3D printers.

The project will be used to bring just-in-time small-to-medium scale digital manufacturing to a new level.

Coin Telegraph described the startup as being capable of “accelerating the 3D printing market to its full potential” by changing up industry norms on product cost and time to market.

Whilst this project is still very much in its infancy, they have made impressive progress to date and although the focus on desktop 3D printers would suggest a consumer-centric approach initially as opposed to something suited for industry, if successful it could certainly set a precedent for how Blockchain and 3D printing could work in harmony, and the concept should at the very least give many OEMs food for thought as to how they could harness the potential of 3D printing. Especially as a means of bypassing much of the often highly complex service supply chain.

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As we see consumer-grade devices becoming increasingly more ruggedised with many high-end devices now being IP68 certified is there any need for field service companies to continue to invest in more expensive equivalents offered by specialist rugged manufacturers?

As high-end consumer units become better rated (for example high-end Samsung phones have been IP68 for some time now) the question arises will rugged eventually die out as a category of mobile devices?

Tom Kost, Director of Product Marketing at Xplore Technologies is someone that firmly believes this won’t be the case.

As high-end consumer units become better rated the question arises will rugged eventually die out as a category of mobile devices?“Absolutely not,” he states. “There are dozens of companies offering what they call “rugged” devices and hope that those 6 letters will win the sale. Yet, a mobile device that claims to offer rugged protection via the addition of a Gorilla Glass screen or external rubber casing will never come close to offering the protection, power and performance of a device that’s engineered to be rugged to the core.”

“Simply making an otherwise fragile consumer device waterproof or dustproof (IP68-rated) does not make it a viable option for heavy field use, as “consumer rugged” brands want you to believe. Water and dust are not the only hazards threatening device reliability, data security or even worker safety, all of which matter to field service organizations. Deeming a tablet, laptop or handheld PC that will be used in professional environments as “rugged” using a single spec is not just risky, but irresponsible,” he asserts.

Jackson White, Business Development Director at Getac takes a slightly more measured approach to the relationship between consumer and rugged devices.

“Consumer and rugged device manufacturers are learning from each other and the categories certainly are converging,” he argues.

Consumer devices are becoming thinner, lighter and faster and industry is now demanding a more consumer-like experience with the aim of achieving better communication and productivity in the field.“Consumer devices are becoming thinner, lighter and faster and industry is now demanding a more consumer-like experience with the aim of achieving better communication and productivity in the field.”

However, he to feels that when it comes to professional use in the field rugged manufacturers still provide the better solutions.

“While everyday consumers would undoubtedly benefit from their devices being waterproof, off the shelf consumer devices would not survive the rigours of an eight hour plus shift for a three year period for field service professionals,” he comments.

“We’re seeing rapid innovation from rugged manufacturers where they’re focused on reducing size, weight (through the use of composite materials, for example) and power consumption, all while retaining rugged characteristics.”

“Rugged devices used by field workers not only have to withstand drops, shocks, vibrations, spillages and in some instances, chemicals, but they also need to provide data security and the power and battery life needed to ensure a reliable experience, allowing organizations who have digitized their processes to benefit from gains in efficiency and productivity.”

“Devices designed for mobile workers use batteries which are more powerful and can last eight to 10 hours. Connectivity is better with optimized antennas, so field service personnel can access and input data quicker, and more efficiently.

Touchscreen technology has dramatically improved, for example, Getac’s proprietary Lumibond® technology allows screens to be easily read in both very bright and dull environments, and used with finger, gloves and protective clothing, or stylus, even in the rain.”

Rugged accounts for 28% of enterprise device access, according to ‘CCS Insights IT Decision Maker Mobile Technology Survey, 2016’, and this number rises to 50% in industries such as construction, transportation and utilities.

These thoughts are also echoed by Robert Hurt, General Manager, EMEA with Janam.

Rugged on its own, is not enough in a real-world field service environment. True ruggedness is not just about IP ratings or rigorous testing “Rugged on its own, is not enough in a real-world field service environment. True ruggedness is not just about IP ratings or rigorous testing to ensure it can withstand frequent drops, tumbles and shocks across a wide temperature range. Rugged mobile computers offer features that enable the device to optimally perform well beyond the life expectancy of a consumer-grade device,” he adds.

“Features like reinforced displays to prevent breakages, large capacity and/or removable batteries and robust radios to provide secure and reliable connectivity and seamless roaming, have a positive impact on productivity and the bottom line.”

“If an organization requires data capture, a consumer device will not provide true barcode scanning technology. While a smartphone camera can scan a barcode, it doesn’t provide the same performance you receive from a scan engine, and certainly will disappoint when it comes to reading damaged or poorly printed barcodes.”

“Rugged smartphones have a short lifecycle and are not designed to last several years in a business environment. Purpose-built rugged mobile computers offer longer-term investment protection, backed-up by multi-year service plans to get you back up and running quickly if a unit does get damaged. At the end of the day, a rugged smartphone cannot replace a rugged mobile computer that was specially designed to run line-of-business applications in the enterprise.”

The point around device life expectancy is, of course, a valid one, especially when we consider the mission-critical importance of field service operations. However, with the price of consumer units, especially from regions like China, becoming so much lower than a rugged device – could a case be made for adopting an approach whereby organizations simply stock up on additional cheaper units as back up rather than fewer more reliable, but more expensive rugged units?

“First off, a “rugged” tablet that is far less expensive that its competition is most likely far less rugged,” comments Kost.

“Consider the resources it will require to replace knock-off “consumer rugged” devices when they fail (and they will) along with the downtime losses that will occur while that worker is offline. This isn’t just about the sticker price of the replacement device, either. You have to factor the cost of labour required to re-order, re-configure, re-secure and redeploy the new device, all while your field worker is “down” and customers aren’t serviced.”

“Multiply that by 100 or 10,000 employees and you’ll see how hard it is to justify the few hundred dollars you may save per device up front on a “cheaper” device. Then factor the costs related to deploying the right workflow software, compatible accessories, and ultimately the security and maintenance of the entire mobility/IT solution for 3-5 years.”

It’s risky to do an upfront cost comparison for consumer and rugged mobile devices; rather businesses need to take a long-term view of total cost of ownership for a deviceWhite also concurs with this premise.

“It’s risky to do an upfront cost comparison for consumer and rugged mobile devices; rather businesses need to take a long-term view of total cost of ownership for a device,” he says.

“Despite generally being cheaper at the offset, consumer devices will quickly fail in environments outside of the office, which not only leads to higher replacement and service costs, but also to inefficiencies, disruptions in productivity, penalties from missed service level agreements but most importantly end-user frustration and loss of confidence in systems and process. While consumer devices tend to have a usable life of around 18 to 24 months, in testing field environments, this could be as short as a few weeks.”

“Rugged devices are built to last. For example, Getac devices are built from the ground up and components are assured for up to five years. In the unlikely event of damage, it offers a ‘bumper-to-bumper’ accidental damage warranty free of charge.”

“VDC recently reported that consumer devices are 3x more likely to fail within the first year,” adds Hurt.

“We’ve worked with many customers that initially deployed consumer-grade devices. After 6-12 months they came to us because the devices couldn’t survive – and the downtime and repair costs of the consumer device quickly ate up the initial savings associated with deploying a smartphone. Not only did these customers experience crippling downtime, but they couldn’t get the same level of service and support that comes with purchasing and deploying a rugged mobile computer.”

“Cheaper devices don’t offer all the features and functionality enterprises require, nor do consumer manufacturers offer the same range of optional accessories workers need to support various applications,” he adds.

You may pay a bit more in the short term for a purpose-built device, but you save in the long term when you take into consideration the costs associated with device downtime and frequent replacement costs“You may pay a bit more in the short term for a purpose-built device, but you save in the long term when you take into consideration the costs associated with device downtime and frequent replacement costs when the consumer device simply can’t survive the rigours of the enterprise.”

With this in mind, it would appear that whilst having hardware that is fit-for-purpose is an important factor in why field service organizations continue to turn to rugged manufacturers, the true value in working with an enterprise level hardware provider is as much about their understanding of your workflows and needs as it is about their hardware.

“Many technology resellers and OEMs are simply going to deliver a package to your door and walk away, leaving you to figure out the “solution”. That’s why you must partner with a true enterprise-level mobile solution provider that understands the specialized needs of your industry and business and knows how to overcome common pain points,” Kost comments.

“They can expertly identify which mobile components are compatible with your current IT environment. And, they are best-equipped to integrate the entire mobility solution in a way that bridges legacy and future systems without disrupting workers and workflows. For example, at Xplore, we think beyond the platform to ensure every component of our rugged mobility solutions – from the core of the rugged computer to the mounting hardware, connectivity, security, software and accessories – is compatible with customers’ other tech systems and complementary to workers’ existing business processes and the physical work environment.”

It is this ability to understand workflows that White believes is the key differentiator between consumer and specialist providers also.

“Rugged manufactures can add value by having a deep understanding of specific industry workflows practices and process. It’s also important for them to work closely with customers to understand individual requirements so devices can be customized accordingly,” he comments.

Hurt is also on the same page here as well. “Companies like Janam work closely with a broad range of customers, resellers and ISVs and understand the requirements to support workflows across industries. We specially design our devices to survive all day, everyday use in tough environments. We work closely with our customers to deliver a device that meets the specific needs of their organization, as we understand that the consumer “one size fits all” model doesn’t work for companies running demanding line-of-business applications.”

However, making the decision to opt for rugged devices over consumer is only the first step in identifying the devices right for your field engineers. The rugged sector, though niche, remains highly competitive. So what should a company look for in a rugged hardware provider?

“You need to choose a solution provider that not only has the technology, but the resources, agility and know-how to quickly solve your complex business problems,” explains Kost.

You need to choose a solution provider that not only has the technology, but the resources, agility and know-how to quickly solve your complex business problems“You should never feel as though the hardware provider is trying to shoehorn in a device, and be wary of those that push ‘one-size-fits-all’ mobile computers or mobility bundles. Also, confirm platform expandability. Ensure the device can support OS, storage and memory upgrades. This provides operational flexibility and extends the life of the current software, security, and back-office systems, lowering the cost of IT training/support.”

“Businesses should consider a number of factors when choosing a hardware provider to work with,” comments White.

“Sector knowledge and experience with the ecosystem associated with the device are key as is the ability to customize and tailor devices. Warranties and after sales care are also extremely important,” he explains.

“It’s also important to find a hardware provider that is interested in a long-term partnership – not a quick sale,” Hurt adds. “We find customers want to work with someone that picks up the phone and is there to help resolve issues in real-time. Downtime equals frustration and loss of revenue – so look for a supplier who will be on hand, with local service, for the quickest turnaround.”

“Lastly, look for a hardware provider that works exclusively with best-of-breed partners that share a commitment to integrity, flexibility and responsiveness, especially when so many providers have lost sight of these vital attributes,” he concludes.

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Key Retirement Group (KR Group) have implemented FLS VISITOUR optimised appointment booking and scheduling software from Fast Lean Smart for their field-based advisors.

Results achieved have included attending appointments sooner, reducing mileage and travel, and increased capacity to attend more appointments per Advisor.

Darren Halliwell, Chief Technology Officer at KR Group explains “Our process for arranging customer visits was laborious and often made poor utilisation of Advisors time. Our key focus is to attend appointments in a timely manner that supports our customer needs via a two-stage face-to-face process; a first meeting and then follow-ups. For this to be achieved with the same Advisor often caused ineffective use of resources and delays to other potential customer visits.”

Selection of FLS and No-Commitment Trial

Darren continues “We chose to work with FLS as we had confidence in their offering and approach to proving the benefits with relatively low investment of both time and resource. They were initially recommended by a Microsoft Dynamics partner due to their expertise working with CRM and we were impressed with the feedback from reference customers they provided.”

The results were compelling and KR quickly decided to take advantage of the FLS offer of a SaaS “try before you buy” live system trial.Working together, KR Group and FLS completed an initial scheduling test using FLS VISITOUR and historical data to compare with their current process. The results were compelling and KR quickly decided to take advantage of the FLS offer of a SaaS “try before you buy” live system trial.

The agile implementation approach meant the trial could be live within 2 weeks. The trial immediately showed positive results and was extended from the North-West region to include London which had different travel challenges.

“Though the trial was not a fully integrated system, we quickly began to realise the advantages that FLS VISITOUR offered for cost and efficiency savings and, most importantly, in terms of customer convenience and satisfaction. The benefits achieved, including quicker response times, higher appointment availability and reduced travel costs, led to the whole business wanting to positively embrace FLS VISITOUR for our face-to-face Equity Release Advisors and with real potential for other areas of the business”.

FLS VISITOUR and Microsoft Dynamics Integration

Through the successful trial, KR Group had the reassurance of knowing their ROI and end results were as expected and the decision was made to deploy as soon as possible.

FLS worked with KR Group’s Microsoft Dynamics partner and within a few weeks the integration between FLS VISITOUR and Microsoft Dynamics was live and the solution rapidly rolled out to all users. The Call Centre was consequently able to operate purely with Dynamics to manage appointments while allowing team managers to use FLS VISITOUR’s advanced scheduling and route optimisation features.

Field-based follow-up appointment booking with FLS MOBILE

As a second phase of the rollout, FLS VISITOUR’s mobile app was put in place for field-based advisors meaning they could offer the follow-on appointment at the conclusion of the first, confident in the knowledge that their time would still be used efficiently with the least possible travel and cost, while meeting the needs of the customer they are with at the time.

The Results!

Darren concludes “The integration and implementation project was an excellent success and has delivered our objectives.

We have a more efficient team delivering lower cost appointments with increased flexibility for customer convenience and satisfactionWe have a more efficient team delivering lower cost appointments with increased flexibility for customer convenience and satisfaction. The VISITOUR technology does exactly what was proposed to us and we have built an excellent working relationship with FLS. I would not hesitate to choose the same solution if starting again.”

Chris Welsh, UK Sales Director for FLS comments “It has been very pleasing to work with Key Retirement and hear such positive feedback from management, call centre and field users alike. Optimised appointment booking and real-time scheduling is not just for engineers and this is a great case in point.”

 

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Ahead of the forthcoming inaugural Spare Parts Summit being held in Warwick, UK on April 12th, Field Service News Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland talks to Thomas Igou, Content Director, Copperberg about the impact the growing trend of servitization will have upon the spare parts sector...

In his role as Content Director with conference producer Copperberg, Thomas Igou has been at the heart of conversations in both the Field Service and Spare Parts sectors for many years now. So who better to assess how the continued trend of servitization is impacting on both sectors?

With Copperberg launching a new UK focused version of their highly respected European Spare Parts Forum I was keen to get his view of what the key issues facing those working in the Spare Parts sector were and if the introduction of outcome-based contracts would require a rethink of how manufacturers align there field service and spare parts operations.

“There are three main themes on the macro level looking at how digital transformation is impacting organisations and more importantly the service business,” explains Igou.

Most manufacturers today are going through some form of servitization process moving from a purely transactional business to a more servitized model“Most manufacturers today are going through some form of servitization process moving from a purely transactional business to a more servitized model. That creates both great opportunities but also some sizeable challenges from a spare parts perspective and then to add to those challenges there are a number of other disruptive factors in the market at the moment as well.”

“eCommerce, AI, 3D printing and so on are all necessitating transformation in the spare parts sector, which has tended to be the cash cow within a service businesses because of the purely transactional nature of the business - the customer needs the spare part, he orders it, pays for it, gets it delivered.”

“Whereas on the flip side, when you look at field service it’s actually the opposite - field service directors are looking at how to move from being a cost centre to being a profit centre, and servitization plays a role in facilitating that shift. “

“However, the impact that is being seen in spare parts operations as companies move towards an outcome-based model, is that companies actually, start to cannibalise some of their spare parts revenue - because instead of being purely transactional, spare parts orders and deliveries start being included in SLAs, so actually, you will make less money from the sale of spare parts.”

“Essentially, it is something of a contradictory development because companies have to take away from one side to add value to the other.”

As Igou mentions for the spare parts executive there are additional external challenges to be contended with as well as the internal questions being raised by outcome-based contracts. Not least of these is eCommerce.

“eCommerce is another very significant topic of conversation at the moment, especially regarding competition from China where quality is getting better and better but as Chinese organisations have access to much cheaper raw materials they are able to be far more price competitive compared to European or North American organisations,” Igou explains.

“And that is before we even get to challenges centred around pirated parts - there are even growing fears around how companies like Amazon or Google could enter the sector and take a large share of the market revenue quite easily as they have done in other industries and sectors.”

Indeed, the Spare Parts sector is perhaps facing some of its most testing times ahead, but there remain plenty of opportunities also - many of which lie in tightening up efficiencies in two of the sectors mainstay topics - pricing and logistics.

The main aim with the spare parts sector is tackling how to deliver the right part, at the right time and at the right price“The main aim with the spare parts sector is tackling how to deliver the right part, at the right time and at the right price,” Igou explains.

“Most companies are now trying to move away from the cost plus model (i.e. how much does it cost to produce the part and then adding the profit on top) towards a more value-based approach, or if a company is entering a new market, they may prefer a market-based pricing strategy. Here, of course, eCommerce is again having an impact because prices are becoming more transparent - anyone can go on eBay or the internet and see on your website how much it costs to buy a part from China compared to say Egypt and then compared to the US or Europe.”

“If you have price differences it can be awfully bad for businesses so companies are facing a need to standardise prices across the board.” “In terms of logistics, the big discussion remains centred around whether companies should have a centralised warehouse management solution (where you have one big warehouse holding all of the stock and service all of Europe) or whether they opt for a decentralised strategy, operating multiple smaller warehouses which are closer to their customers, but which cannot stock as much inventory per warehouse.”

“In addition to that, there is a new consideration emerging,” Igou adds.

”We had a great session at this year’s European Spare Parts Forum from Schneider Electric about segmenting logistics depending on customer segments. Schneider found that customers in each of the differing sectors they service have different behaviours and expectations. For example, in one industry it may be that their customers need a very rapid solution and the key issue for that industry may be availability, so their logistics channel needs to be very good and very flexible and agile.”

“Whereas, another customer segment might be more demanding of uptime or more price sensitive etc, so segmenting your service supply chain based on your customer segment and the specific needs of that sector is another consideration that is beginning to enter the conversation.”

Of course, as Igou mentions, as companies move towards outcome-based solutions there is a danger of spare parts revenue being cannibalised as part of the wider service offering.

So where does he see the future of Spare Parts Management - will it ultimately become swallowed up as a subdivision of field service operations perhaps?

“It’s a great question and one I’ve been giving quite a bit of thought to,” replies Igou when I put this to him.

Whilst yes, servitization will mean some cannibalisation of the spare parts revenue, I don’t see that it’s going to destroy the spare parts business“With some of the larger organisations that were involved at our Aftermarket Conference at the end of October last year, we saw that even with companies such as SKF and GE Healthcare, i.e. major multi-national companies who have been working towards outcome-based services for some time now, still only about a third of their customers are on outcome based contracts and these are the organisations that are really at the forefront of this shift.”

“So whilst yes, servitization will mean some cannibalisation of the spare parts revenue, I don’t see that it’s going to destroy the spare parts business. There are always going to be some customers who won’t want these long term contracts and who will be happy to continue on a more transactional type of arrangement.”

“So I think the Spare Parts business will always have that transactional element and it will always be a profit centre. There will however, perhaps be a need for establishing some different internal relationships and some different processes may need to be considered moving forwards.”

The inaugural UK Spare Parts Summit will run on the 11th of April and will mirror the highly interactive peer-to-peer format of Copperberg’s UK focused field service event The Field Service Summit.

For more information on this event visit and last minute for registration opportunities visit: www.sparepartssummit.co.uk

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Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News talks exclusively to Dan Sewell, COO of Espresso Service about the improvements to their service delivery that they have seen come to the fore since the implementation of a dedicated field service management solution, in this instance Tesseract Service Centre, an Asolvi product.

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Field Service News' Big Discussion has a simple premise - we take one key topic, bring together three leading experts on that topic and then put three core questions to them to help us better understand its potential impact on the field service sector...

This issue our topic is the what to expect in 2018 and our experts are Michael Blumberg, Blumberg Advisory, Bill Pollock, Strategies for GrowthSM and Jan Van Veen, moreMomentum

The first question we tackled was What is the biggest challenge facing field service companies in the next 12 months?

Our second big question in the series was What is the biggest opportunity facing field service companies in the next 12 months?

And now onto the final question in this instalment of the Big Discussion...

What one technology do you think will have the biggest impact in the next 12 months?

Bill Pollock: Clearly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will have the biggest impact on field service in the next 12 months. In fact, while some field service companies are still debating whether or not to implement Augmented Reality (AR), the more progressive – and aggressive – services organisations are already embarking on their respective AI and ML implementation programs.

The application of AI for positively impacting key services-related areas such as customer experience and workforce productivity, while also allowing companies to move from a preventive maintenance to a predictive maintenance service model will be stunning! In addition, many organisations are already beginning to realise the benefits of using AI and ML for improving their overall service parts management activities, as well as for supporting data-driven decisions by allowing them to process, understand and share information that they didn’t even know they could cultivate as recently as just a year or two ago.

One caveat, though: services managers will need to closely align with their companies’ CTO and CIO before embarking on an AI/ML program, as their respective knowledge of the technical aspects of these “new” technologies will certainly help throughout both the decision-making and implementation processes.

AI and ML are not a fad – they are here to stay, and now is the time for field service companies to embark on that journey.

Jan Van Veen: I try to think of one technology that will impact on all companies. This depends on the industry and where the field service is on the continuum from reactive maintenance to advanced services. Also, the impact of new technologies will always be over a longer period of time.

I do observe that most field service organisations have little view on the impact of Augmented Intelligence and Deep Learning systems which can process and learn from unstructured information in writing and speech. These systems are now having practical applications in various sectors, including technical services.

We have already seen Doctor Watson of IBM massively beating the smartest people in the game ‘Jeopardy’ (search for it on YouTube). Dr Watson is already providing quite accessible web services to use the functionality and have their first field service solutions.

This technology will not only completely reshape our knowledge systems and the scarce skill sets we need for remote diagnostics, it will also be a crucial vehicle for developing advanced data-driven value propositions.

I hope to see more and more manufacturers engaging with a few trusted clients and the right data-driven partners to explore the opportunities from this technology.

Michael Blumberg: I think blockchain technology will have the biggest impact on the Field Service Industry in the next 12 months. A brief definition of the blockchain is that it is a decentralized and distributed digital ledger used to permanently record transactions across data, text, video, or audio files. It is extremely secure and scalable.

The blockchain includes within it the concept of a “smart contract”, a series of if-then statements related to a transaction.

This makes it the ideal technology for building an IoT platform. The blockchain can be used to record sensor data and then trigger service events (i.e., field service dispatch, parts shipment, corrective actions, etc.) based on smart contracts. These transactions can also be monetized in real-time; like a virtual cash register. Any disputes can be resolved by verifying the blockchain transaction itself.

This is just one of many use cases for block chain technology in the Field Service Industry. Other use cases include asset tracking, spare parts authentication, knowledge content sharing, and SLA management. 2018 will be the year where these use cases are implemented in field service and produce measurable results which eventually lead to large-scale adoption within the field service industry.

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Ericsson is launching the IoT Accelerator Marketplace to help address the need for collaboration within the digital ecosystem community and benefit developers and service providers alike.

For service providers, it is a catalogue to find IoT apps from the global ecosystem to offer enterprise customers and provides a shorter time to market for new offerings to their enterprise customers.

For application developers and application partners, it is a window to an IoT ecosystem to connect with service providers through one single platform, exposing global cellular connectivity APIs. It also includes monetization and settlement capabilities to facilitate monetization and billing across the ecosystem.

The launch of IoT Accelerator Marketplace will unlock the potential for different players in the value chain to deliver value. It is another stepping stone to make 5G a reality by enabling massive adoption of massive IoTCarrie MacGillivray, Group Vice President, Internet of Things & Mobility at Market Intelligence firm IDC, says: “Communications service providers are racing to scale and differentiate in the fast-moving IoT market. It’s necessary for these service providers to have a robust developer ecosystem that helps them compete. For developers working across multiple service provider networks and platforms, the challenges of fragmentation are addressed by utilizing APIs that apply globally and are consistent across all mobile networks.”

Jeff Travers, Head of IoT, Ericsson, says: “The launch of IoT Accelerator Marketplace will unlock the potential for different players in the value chain to deliver value. It is another stepping stone to make 5G a reality by enabling massive adoption of massive IoT. This supports service providers as they seek to expose network connectivity IoT APIs and monetize these assets.”

Application developers can benefit from a new go-to-market exposing their offering globally through Ericsson. This will enable app developers to scale their business and at the same time develop applications based on cellular connectivity APIs with added value for enterprises, such as fast and automated device and subscription onboarding, higher security, ubiquitous cellular coverage around the world improved for indoor utilization, and superior handling of battery life.

Service providers and application developers can request access to the IoT Accelerator Marketplace here: IoT Accelerator Marketplace 

IoT Accelerator Marketplace is being demonstrated by Ericsson at MWC 2018. Ericsson’s IoT Accelerator is a cloud-based horizontal offering comprising of platform services and professional services, for service providers. It provides continuous incremental functionality offered as a Service to enable agile creation and deployment of solutions for the Internet of Things.

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