Three of the largest insurance companies in the UK and Europe have deployed FLS’ appointment scheduling software to improve service and enable efficient field service scheduling and routing of field based resources.
AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Kris Oldland
About the Author:
Kris Oldland has been working in Business to Business Publishing for almost a decade. As a journalist he has covered a diverse range of industries from Fire Juggling through to Terrorism Insurance. Prior to this he was a Quality Services Manager with a globally recognised hospitality brand. An intimate understanding of what is important when it comes to Service and a passion for emerging technology means that in Field Service he has found an industry that excites him everyday.
Jun 21, 2017 • News • FLS • Loss Adjusters • fast lean smart • field service • insurance • scheduling • Software and Apps
Three of the largest insurance companies in the UK and Europe have deployed FLS’ appointment scheduling software to improve service and enable efficient field service scheduling and routing of field based resources.
FLS, Fast Lean Smart, a leading provider of workforce scheduling software and mobile workforce management solutions with UK offices in Reading and Warrington, announces that three major general insurance companies have recently deployed FLS VISITOUR for workforce optimisation, appointment booking, workforce scheduling and routing of their claims assessors, including motor engineers and property surveyors, in total more than 500 field based employees.
The challenge
Insurers each operate a criteria upon which they determine when an insurance claim needs to be assessed by a surveyor, either a review of photographs at their desk or a field visit.
Some perform these assessments using employed resources, others outsource this to third-party service providers, often there is a combination of these to best cover the country and cope with ‘surge’ events, for example a flood in Devon can result in an extraordinary number of claims to be managed in that area.
The Insurers objective is to detect fraud whilst also resolving genuine claims quickly and so build a reputation for good service. Insurers use key performance indicators to monitor each stage of the process from first contact to closure but in parallel to this is the continuous need to control and reduce costs so they can offer competitive insurance policy premiums.
The business need
For each of these FLS customers the requirement was to speed up the appointment booking process to visit and assess claims and to gain efficiencies for office and field based staff. VISITOUR achieves this by enabling a central claims liaison team to instantly offer a flexible choice of time slots which are also the most cost efficient to achieve with the available field based resources (and in some cases desk based resources using images) and whilst ensuring previous appointment commitments must be kept.
The approach and benefits realisation Each Insurer took advantage of the FLS offer for a Software-as-a-Service ‘try before you buy’ pilot. FLS VISITOUR was configured and used live for a region of the country to prove the suitability of the solution and return on investment, before the choice was made to continue from pilot to rollout.
One insurer determined as much as 50% reduction in average mileage and 2 hours a day driving time could be saved
Mobile App for real-time communication and reporting two of these insurers have also deployed FLS MOBILE which enables paper-free provision of case information, capture of assessment reports, and real-time appointment status updates.
This field information also makes it possible to track that progress is on-time, to automatically message customers with estimated arrival times, and to book new ‘same day’ appointments based on this progress – further advantages to offering market leading customer service. FLS UK Managing Director, Jeremy Squire, comments “We are very proud of the success and benefits achieved using VISITOUR by our customers. In partnership with these insurance market leaders, FLS will continue to develop the unique capabilities of VISITOUR to their advantage”.
For those attending Field Service Management Expo FLS are exhibiting on Stand Q770 visit them to find out more
Be social and share this feature
Jun 20, 2017 • video • Coresystems • crowdsourcing • Future of FIeld Service • Lukas Peter • SwissCom
Filmed at FieldServiceUSA in Palm Springs 2017 Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News talks exclusively to Lukas Peter of Swiss Telco giants SwissCom about their pioneering new service SwissCom friends which harnesses the power of...
Filmed at FieldServiceUSA in Palm Springs 2017 Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News talks exclusively to Lukas Peter of Swiss Telco giants SwissCom about their pioneering new service SwissCom friends which harnesses the power of CrowdSourcing working with technology from Coresystems and applies it to a field service application....
Be social and share this feature
Jun 20, 2017 • News • Software and Apps
eBECS are one of a number of Field Service Management system providers who are sponsoring at the Field Service Management Expo across the next three days.
eBECS are one of a number of Field Service Management system providers who are sponsoring at the Field Service Management Expo across the next three days.
It is one Europe’s key events event dedicated to the service management and field service industries, showcasing the latest technologies and practices from industry experts in London's ExCel centre.
As part of the Protection & Management Series, those registered to attend Field Service Management Expo will not only access to the Field Service Management Expo, but four other shows as well, including; Firex International, IFSEC International, Facilities Show, Safety & Health Expo. The Protection & Management series attracts 45,000 visitors, more than 1,600 exhibitors, and with your Field Service Management Expo badge you will have access to them all.
There will also be free education sessions within the popular Field Service Solutions Theatre returns, taking place at the heart of Field Service Management Expo 2017, hosting a series of interviews, presentations and panel debates, plus a chance to work with fellow professionals over a drink at the end of each day’s education. This theatre is the ideal place to update your core industry knowledge and view bite-sized updates and demonstrations of the very latest inventions and innovations in the Service Management Industry.
eBECS themselves are a specialist in total Microsoft Business Solutions drawing on the full Microsoft stack, including Microsoft Dynamics AX, NAV and CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft’s intelligent business cloud. However, eBECS have a particularly strong history in Field Service - having developed the unique eBECS Field Service Accelerator for Microsoft Dynamics and the eBECS Site Assessment Survey. Both these solutions are part of a complete set of eBECS IP for Dynamics 365 that extends and enhances the already powerful capabilities of Dynamics 365.
You can find out more about how these additional tools enhance the Microsoft Field Service solution by visiting the eBECS team at M615 in hall N6 across the next three days.
[hr]
Be social and share this feature
Jun 19, 2017 • News • mplsystems • Field Service Management Expo • scheduling • Software and Apps
mplsystems will be aiming to transform field service efficiency with new AESOP scheduling & optimisation module launching tomorrow at the Field Service Management Expo in London.
mplsystems will be aiming to transform field service efficiency with new AESOP scheduling & optimisation module launching tomorrow at the Field Service Management Expo in London.
With a bold statement that the new tool will ensure 'organisations can offer rapid response to in-day jobs, provide precise slot times and manage delays, changes and overruns, all without compromising on workforce efficiency' it is set to be a highly interesting launch that could be the highlight of the expo. So Field Service News took a look at what we can expect ahead of the event...
What is AESOP?
mplsystems will be launching what has been billed as the 'pioneering AESOP scheduling and optimisation module' at the Field Service Management Expo tomorrow.
The Advanced Engineer Scheduling Optimisation & Prediction (AESOP) application combines real-time feeds, predictive analytics and flexible rules to enable organisations to manage the complexity of today’s field service. Using the latest self-learning genetic algorithms, this grant funded development builds on mplsystems’ leading dynamic scheduling engine, by providing real-time optimisation.
The module, combines real-time data feeds concerning exceptions, such as; traffic flows; the weather and job overruns, with data from deployed equipment through IoT devices.
The module, combines real-time data feeds concerning exceptions, such as; traffic flows; the weather and job overruns, with data from deployed equipment through IoT devices.
Today’s customers have heightened expectations - they expect an immediate response to reactive requests, precise time slots, informed communications and won’t accept delays. How does an organisation adapt without compromising workforce efficiency? AESOP provides an ideal solution, accepting new reactive requests, monitoring delays and jobs in jeopardy and calculating the optimum plan and routes in real-time.
Intelligent Real-Time Scheduling
Companies typically rely on inefficient manual, or partly automatic internal processes and are therefore unable to react quickly to the constant changes and exceptions that keep the service desk busy each day. With continuous customer requests; delays; overruns; etc, being logged at the service desk throughout the working day, staff usually spend the majority of their time rescheduling field engineers’ diaries and playing the ‘middle-man’ to keep the customer informed.
Real-Time Scheduling
Proving itself intelligent and flexible, the software solution is also able to automatically respond to basic customer queries or emergency work orders, thus minimising the repetitive workload for the service desk staff. This could lead to the company reducing the number of staff required to manage exceptions at the service desk and allow them to relocate their resources to more value adding tasks.
What does this mean for the customer?
Being able to react to requests as and when they come in, rather than back logging them, means that customers are seen to on the same day, if there is an emergency and not long after, if they in a position to wait. With a reactive service team, customers feel looked after and valued, thus improving customer satisfaction.
Intelligent Routing
The AESOP scheduling and optimisation module also calculates the most efficient routes for engineers to take between their jobs. Presenting the field technicians with detailed information about the distance between jobs, travel time and the best route to take, can save up to 80% of time spent scheduling jobs at the service desk. Furthermore, this process can help technicians get to jobs almost twice as quick as before.
The solution also ensures that the customer is automatically sent a message when the engineer is on their way and/or if they run into any potential delays.
What does this mean for the customer?
Having a system to optimise field technicians’ diaries and send out automated messages with journey and job updates, means that customers are continually kept well informed and are able to better manage their day. Rather than having to wait around for vague half day time slots, they are now able to work around the hour within which their service visit is due. This is a vast improvement for customer experience within the service industry as the sector is notorious for delayed scheduling and ineffective systems.
Predictive Maintenance
Through the digital connectivity that comes with the IoT, devices will be able to self-diagnose problems and immediately alert the service organisation of the issue, often before the asset fails and the customer realises something is wrong. mplsystems’ AESOP module integrates these data feeds to ensure preventative visits can be scheduled in, and aligned with other visits in the local area to minimise travel times.
What does this mean for the customer?
Through the efficiency of preventative scheduling, customers’ machine downtime will reduce by over 30%. They will no longer experience any disruption, as their machine will be revitalised before it fails.
Overall
Keeping the customer connected throughout the service process and providing reactive service, the AESOP module will transform Customer Experience. Meanwhile internally, organisations are estimated to reduce their overall service, planning and administration costs by at least 50%.
Find out more by visiting mplsystems at the Field Service Management Expo | June 20 – 22 | Stand N650
Be social and share this feature
Jun 14, 2017 • Features • Astea • Future of FIeld Service • resources • White Paper • White Papers & eBooks • Customer Satisfaction and Expectations
Resource Type: White Paper Published by: Astea Title: Preparing for the Connected Customer
Resource Type: White Paper
Published by: Astea
Title: Preparing for the Connected Customer
Synopsis:
This is the era of the connected customer—consumers who are used to having the entire Internet at their fingertips, who can instantly interact with friends and associates via text or social media, and who can quickly summon a ride, make restaurant reservations, or order a gift with a few clicks and swipes on their phones.
Connected customers present both challenges and opportunities for field service organisations. Their expectations have increased based on their experiences interacting with other types of service providers such as Amazon.com, Uber, FedEx, and Zipcar.
These customers want more information, along with faster, better service, and more control over their experience.
This white paper asks if your organisation is ready to meet their increasing demands...
Overview:
Supported by research by Frost & Sullivan, this white paper covers three key areas:
Rising Expectations of the Connected Customer
Connected customers are intimately familiar with the capabilities of mobile computing technology in a way that they were not 10 years ago. They expect field service technicians to be able to access those same or even more advanced mobile capabilities.
Leveraging Customer Connectivity
Enterprises are rapidly embracing mobility. According to data from Frost & Sullivan, 47% of North American businesses have at least 11 different mobile worker apps deployed, and 88% plan on introducing at least one new employee-facing app within the year.
Meeting the Challenge of the Connected Customer
Engaging effectively with connected customers requires an investment in field service management (FSM) and mobile technology that can keep pace with the technology in which your customers already have access. There are a number of challenges involved in that process, including:
- Navigating a fragmented and confusing market
- Predicting customer needs
- Determining the best technologies to deploy
Want to know more? If you're a Field Service Professional then click here to apply for a complimentary industry subscription to Field Service News and get the white paper "Preparing for the Connected Customer" sent directly to your inbox now
Be social and share this feature
Jun 13, 2017 • Features • AGeing Workforce • Augmented Reality • crowd service • Magazine (digital editions) • ClickSoftware • Digital Issue • IFS • IoT • servicemax • servicepower • Servitization • solarvista • telogis • Asolvi
Kris Oldland deliver's his editorial leader in issue 17 of Field Service News where our theme was the ever changing nature of field service...
Kris Oldland deliver's his editorial leader in issue 17 of Field Service News where our theme was the ever changing nature of field service...
Field Service News subscribers are entitled to our bi-monthly magazine in both print and digital versions. Subscription is free for field service professionals click here to apply for a complimentary industry professional subscription now and get a digital copy of issue 17 sent straight to your inbox instantly
Now any regular readers of this column will know that I’m a big fan of change.
Not that I think change needs to be wholesale and sweeping. No I subscribe much more to the journey of continuous improvement method of change. I like the concept of constant refinement, of being in constant Beta.
As a result of such an outlook I do tend to focus on innovation quite closely, which is a happy coincidence that there seems to be constant innovation within the field service sector too.
So I often talk about changes in our industry. Changes in business processes such as the shift towards servitization or the concept of crowd service
Changes in technology such as the emergence of Augmented Reality and IOT as two highly credible emerging technologies that the field service industry must embrace.
Even, the changing skill-profile of the field engineer as an incoming generation replaces an ageing outgoing one.
But the change referred to in this edition of Field Service News is actually a completely different type of change and for once I found myself wondering if such seismic change within our industry is good for us.
“The message from almost all camps is that it is business as usual just with bigger expectations, and quicker developments. On the surface it all sounds great...”
In the last 18 months we have seen most of the big names in field service management solutions being acquired. Tesseract, IFS, ServiceMax, ClickSoftware, Telogis, and most recently ServicePower have all been bought up and that’s just a few from the top of my head.
There are many, many more.
The thing is that all of these companies had a common thread that allowed them to thrive in our industry. They were all independent companies who truly understood and cared about field service.
If I recall correctly the redesign of Solarvista a few years back took 3 MILLION lines of code, more than it takes to send a shuttle up to the space station, there are far easier sectors to enter, far easier places to make money as a software provider.
But it was the passion to help drive service forwards that was at the heart of many of these companies’ success.
Colin Brown former MD and founder at Tesseract for example came from an engineer background himself, so he got the challenges that companies were facing and was able to tailor that into a series of industry first solutions (i.e. first windows based solution, first browser based solution, first SaaS solution).
Similarly, Dave Yarnold, CEO at ServiceMax has spoken at great length about the importance of service - even going as far as to described ServiceMax once as a Field Service Enablement company who happen to use technology to do so.
And while Yarnold, remains on board in ServiceMax’s new guise as part of the GE Brand one just hopes that is infectious enthusiasm for great service delivery isn’t diluted by being in a bigger pond.
Indeed, the message from almost all camps is that it is business as usual just with bigger expectations, and quicker developments. On the surface it all sounds great and I must admit that it is fantastic to see the field service sector become such hot property globally - it’s just when so many great independent companies are bought within quick succession of each other it does make me a little nervous.
All Change maybe fine, just not at once, is all I’m asking.
Field Service News subscribers are entitled to our bi-monthly magazine in both print and digital versions. Subscription is free for field service professionals click here to apply for a complimentary industry professional subscription now and get a digital copy of issue 17 sent straight to your inbox instantly
Be social and share this feature
Jun 13, 2017 • News • Alex Tepper • Asset Performance Management • Avitas • Future of FIeld Service • Bill Ruh • GE Digital • Industrial Internet • servicemax
Today at Minds + Machines Europe, GE outlined the course they have mapped out for digital industrial growth, unveiling solutions aimed squarely at the world of industrial assets, environments and operations.
The event has aimed to outline a path towards greater productivity for customers who take up the advances in their Asset Performance Management (APM) and ServiceMax industrial applications, powered by Predix, GE’s platform for the Industrial Internet.
“Europe can lead the digital industrial era,” said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. “Investment in technology, such as automation, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence – along with new skills – can transform industry and drive productivity. GE has long been committed to Europe, and we are invested in its future.”
Delivering the Industrial Service Model of the Future
Transformation of the current industrial service model is a critical element of the digital industrial journey. Most companies today lack the ability to combine insights from data with actions in real time when managing and servicing assets. This contributes to unplanned downtime, which has significant impact on industrial productivity.
To reduce cost and eliminate downtime, it is critical for asset-intensive industries to shift from a reactive, break/fix service model to a predictive model. This change will help companies better understand potential equipment issues preemptively or act upon them quickly with the correct tools and parts.
To achieve this, GE Digital unveiled an integrated solution to deliver the industrial service model of the future that combines the power of ServiceMax, its cloud-based field service management (FSM) solution, with its intelligent Asset Performance Management portfolio. Available in late 2017, the combination of ServiceMax + APM will enable industrial companies to transform how they predict, manage and service the entire asset lifecycle.
The Industrial Internet is enabling companies to take advantage of possibilities that previously seemed out of reach -Bill Ruh, CEO, GE Digital
GE Digital’s APM and FSM solutions automatically collect and analyze service data – from predictive maintenance needs to failure information and recommended work actions – to help industrial companies move beyond traditional asset monitoring to advanced predictive maintenance and asset performance management.
This new approach also provides enhanced scheduling capabilities. Matching customers’ service workforces with their service needs, the offering helps industrial companies dispatch the right engineers to the right job at the right time – and ensure they are qualified, prepared and equipped to successfully complete their work. Receiving updates from workers in the field, the software provides a closed loop from issue identification to resolution, while 'learning' about the most efficient issue resolution methods over time to improve analytics with each alert.
As companies accelerate digital transformation through the combination of GE Digital’s APM and ServiceMax offerings, they can more proactively manage the entire asset lifecycle, increasing productivity and operational efficiencies that can open the door to future business growth.
Transforming service at the edge
Additionally, GE Ventures today launched Avitas Systems, a new data-driven company that will use predictive data analytics, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver advanced inspection services to the oil and gas, transportation and energy industries.
“The inspection services industry requires cutting-edge technologies to avoid unplanned asset downtime and deliver new, valuable insights,” said Alex Tepper, Managing Director of Avitas Systems. “We deploy state-of-the-art robotics and cloud-based technology to give customers the customised service and insights-based data they need to advance from reactive to predictive repair – no matter where their assets are located.”
GE estimates that service transformation represents a $40 billion market opportunity.
By reducing high-risk tasks through robotics, Avitas Systems can make inspection processes safer and more efficient through data automation, decreasing costs by up to 25%. By performing inspections based on anticipated risk, instead of regular time intervals, Avitas Systems can also help to increase asset longevity.
GE estimates that service transformation represents a $40 billion market opportunity. With ServiceMax + APM and Avitas Systems, GE is helping industrial companies manage, optimize and gain insight into their assets across each stage of the lifecycle – all driven by Predix. As the only platform that provides computing capabilities from the edge to the cloud, Predix gives GE customers visibility, control and analytic insights to every part of their industrial infrastructure and operations.
Transforming Energy Management and Customer Operations
GE also announced a suite of new industrial applications, solutions and partnerships to help companies take advantage of the Industrial Internet – moving beyond the factory walls to enable the digital industrial companies of the future. The solutions build on GE’s expansive suite of Predix-powered tools and applications purpose-built for the Industrial Internet.
- Data-Optimized Energy Trading & the ‘Digital Utility’: To help utilities navigate the changing energy market, GE Power unveiled the ’Digital Utility,’ a suite of Predix-based applications that connect real-time machine data with a utility’s profitability. The new Business Optimization software is first of its kind, bringing analytics to the business side of power and utilities companies to help energy traders act profitably in long-term, day-ahead and short-term wholesale markets. The Digital Utility includes updates to GE Power’s Operations Optimization software, incorporating closed-loop analytics to improve generation efficiency for entire fleets. Additionally, GE’s APM solutions for energy businesses now connect all assets across the entire Electricity Value Network (EVN) in an integrated application, providing customers with a single view of assets spanning power generation to the grid.
- Advanced Utility Operations: GE Digital alliance partner PwC showcased its Predix-powered commercial operations solution for utility companies. This solution enables executives to identify margin ‘leakage.’ The solution analyses plant performance data from GE’s Operations Optimisation application, commercial data from dispatch and market-facing system from GE's Business Optimisation application. The solution is expected to launch this summer.
- Reduced Carbon Dioxide Emissions: GE Distributed Power and Dalkia announced that through GE distributor Clarke Energy, the companies have equipped more than one-third of Dalkia’s 170+ Jenbacher gas engines with GE’s myPlant* APM solution, powered by Predix. In total, the fleet of engines could power more than 240,000 French households, resulting in lower carbon dioxide emissions – which equates to taking nearly 100,000 European cars off the road annually.
- Predix-Powered Clean Energy: GE Renewable Energy and Fina Enerji signed a 10-year full service agreement that covers 150 GE wind turbines in Turkey. The deal will implement GE’s Predix-based Digital Wind Farm hardware and software solutions, which use data analytics to increase wind farm operations. With these digital capabilities, GE Renewable Energy will help develop smarter wind power forecasts for the Turkish market.
- Predix-Enabled Additive Manufacturing: GE Additive will add Predix edge technology to its Concept Laser M2 cusing additive machines. This move allows customers to remotely monitor and collect data from their machines – helping them analyse trends and uncover insights to improve asset performance and operations.
- Data-Driven Drilling: Last year, GE's Marine Solutions and Maersk Drilling announced a partnership to collaborate on a data analytic-driven pilot project, aimed at increasing Maersk’s drilling vessel’s productivity by reducing maintenance costs by up to 20 percent and increasing drilling productivity. The deployment of SeaStream* Insight, GE’s APM solution for Marine powered by Predix, is already showing great potential, and Maersk and GE are looking to expand onto Maersk’s second rig, Interceptor, to broaden the outcomes achieved from the pilot project.
Together, these solutions and deployments advance GE’s vision for the Industrial Internet with a portfolio designed to accelerate customers’ transformation journeys and create new paths to growth for customers of every size and scale.
Minds + Machines Europe 2017 convenes the best and the brightest of the technology world —including GE customers, developers, partners, industry luminaries and technology thought leaders. This year’s event dove deeper into the technology driving digital industrial transformation.
Be social and share this feature
Jun 12, 2017 • video • Future of FIeld Service • Oil and Gas • Power Generation • drones • SkyX
SkyX, a Canadian company specialising in long-range unmanned aerial monitoring, have recently announce the successful delivery and installation of its first production xStation, a unit that remotely recharges SkyX drones during missions – a key...
SkyX, a Canadian company specialising in long-range unmanned aerial monitoring, have recently announce the successful delivery and installation of its first production xStation, a unit that remotely recharges SkyX drones during missions – a key milestone in the company’s evolution.
For field service organisations, particularly those operating in sectors such as oil and gas or power generation, considering using drones to monitor their assets and infrastructure in the field this could be a significant development that could potentially increase efficiency of such operations dramatically.
The xStation is a rugged, all-metal piece of engineering designed to allow the SkyOne drone to remotely recharge while monitoring long-range infrastructure, then continue its mission. By installing multiple xStations along a route, SkyOne can monitor assets like oil and gas pipelines or railroad tracks that stretch hundreds – even thousands – of kilometres.
SkyX is the only operational Unmanned Aerial Systems company to combine a fixed-wing VTOL aircraft with remote charging stations, giving it a distinct competitive advantage.
When algorithms tell SkyOne it’s getting close to recharge time, the aircraft autonomously seeks out the next xStation instead of having to return to home base
For clients, xStations are installed along the route. When algorithms tell SkyOne it’s getting close to recharge time, the aircraft autonomously seeks out the next xStation instead of having to return to home base. The clamshell-like station roof opens automatically; SkyOne then transitions to vertical mode and descends like a helicopter onto the xStation landing pad. The roof closes, providing safe harbour while SkyOne recharges and performs a complete systems check before continuing on its mission.
The complex proprietary engineering behind the xStation was developed completely in-house. SkyX proved the concept with a scaled-down xStation in August of 2016, and has since pushed ahead to ensure the production xStation is as efficient and robust as possible, built for demanding conditions in a wide range of climates.
For the production models, SkyX has partnered with leading-edge Canadian automated solutions firm CMP and the first xStations are scheduled to be installed for clients in July of 2017.
Be social and share this feature
Jun 12, 2017 • Features • Augmented Reality • Future of FIeld Service • Niklas Rengfors • XM reality • Big Debate • David Nedohin • Evyatar Meiron • FieldBit • ScopeAR
In this the final week of the first edition of our new series "The Big Discussion" we've now looked at three key questions on the important topic of Augmented Reality.
In this the final week of the first edition of our new series "The Big Discussion" we've now looked at three key questions on the important topic of Augmented Reality.
The idea behind this new series is that we take one topic, bring together three leading area experts and put four key questions to them across four weeks, to help us better understand its potential impact on the field service sector...
Our first topic has been Augmented Reality and our experts are Evyatar Meiron, CEO, Fieldbit, Niklas Rengfors, Head of Sales & Marketing, XM Reality and David Nedohin, President, ScopeAR...
So far we've asked our panel:
"Just how big an impact can and will Augmented Reality have on field service delivery?" ,
"What advantages does Augmented Reality offer over video calls such as FaceTime and Skype etc?" and
and now onto our final question in our Augmented Reality Big Discussion...
Question Four: How closely tied to the development of smart glasses is augmented reality – are the two co-dependent or are tools on smartphones/tablets sufficient?
Many visualise the ability to have a hands-free environment, where AR information shows up in front of them through smart glasses. However, very few enterprises have yet to adopt and deploy smart glasses, including devices such as Microsoft’s HoloLens, ODG’s R7 or RealWear, at scale. Although these glasses are advancing quickly. adoption of wearables in today’s market can be hindered by price, production and specific product limitations depending on the environment and user.
While hardware manufacturers continue to address these challenges, field workers are starting to reap the benefits of augmented reality using the hardware (smartphones/tablets) currently available to them, and most importantly, that they are comfortable with, while exploring glasses.
With so many AR tools available on today’s smartphones and tablets, enterprises are already realising success without having to make an additional investment in new hardware. With the addition of depth cameras and new computer vision techniques, handheld devices are becoming more and more practical.
Smart glasses are poised to take the world by storm. Leading smart glasses companies (including Microsoft) have already invested billions of dollars in design and development. Clearly, augmented reality is a key driver behind the development of smart glasses.
With respect to field services, it’s important to remember that we’re still at a very early stage. Most smart glasses on the market today cannot support all field service needs. The decision on whether to use smart glasses or a smartphone depends on the industry segment and the use case. For example, when working with ink-filled printing systems or in high-voltage environments, smart glasses are critical for enabling hands-free collaboration.
Another key advantage of smart glasses is that they enable both augmented reality and mixed reality. A hybrid of augmented and virtual reality, mixed reality enables users to overlay digital content onto a realtime physical space in 3D mode for highly realistic interactions.
Development of smart glasses are important but not crucial. For XMReality with core focus on customers within industrial field service, hands-free options, like glasses working in rough environment is something there is a demand for.
However our customers struggle a bite on how to use glasses, there are also so many different preferences on what you like, monocular, binocular so smartphones/tablets are sufficient in most cases and also something one in general carries.
For us it is important to get an understanding on the customers use cases, to recommend what would be their best choice to use.
The next instalment of The Big Discussion will be focussed on the topic of IoT and Servitization is coming soon...
Leave a Reply