Upskill (formerly APX Labs), a leader in enterprise software for augmented reality (AR) devices, recently announced the acquisition of Texas based Pristine, a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of AR collaboration and video streaming...
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.
May 11, 2017 • News • Augmented Reality • Future of FIeld Service • Peter Evans • PristineIO • Dr. Magid Abraham • Upskill
Upskill (formerly APX Labs), a leader in enterprise software for augmented reality (AR) devices, recently announced the acquisition of Texas based Pristine, a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of AR collaboration and video streaming software.
Pristine’s remote assistance and knowledge capture solutions will complement Upskill’s existing Skylight industrial AR platform to offer the most comprehensive product offering in the industry, making it easier for customers to meet their operational needs and IT requirements.
“Augmented reality is driving incredible productivity results across functional areas in industrial enterprises. Our customers are seeing an average of 32 percent performance improvement from their very first use of Skylight,” said Brian Ballard, co-founder and CEO, Upskill.
“There aren’t very many new technologies that can deliver this kind of ‘out of the box’ value creation, which is why adoption of AR technology is accelerating at an incredible pace. This underscores the importance for Upskill to leverage new opportunities that will help us scale and innovate faster than anyone else in the space. The acquisition of Pristine will allow us to do just that.”
With Pristine solutions in its repertoire, Upskill will be able to add breadth and domain expertise to its product offering and more choices for customers seeking to implement AR across manufacturing, logistics and field service applications.
Through the acquisition, Upskill will now offer Pristine’s portfolio of field-worker collaboration solutions including EyeSight. These applications are typically deployed on smart glasses, but are also available across Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad and Android devices. With Pristine solutions in its repertoire, Upskill will be able to add breadth and domain expertise to its product offering and more choices for customers seeking to implement AR across manufacturing, logistics and field service applications.
Along with the added technology capabilities and product solutions, Pristine also brings to Upskill a talented engineering and product team with deep industry experience in scaling deployment of enterprise wearables across an impressive client base, including Coca-Cola, Bayer, The Hershey Company, National Oilwell Varco, Sandvik and Bureau Veritas.
Pristine’s CEO, Peter Evans, will step into a newly appointed role as Executive Vice President. The acquisition will also establish Upskill’s third U.S. office in Austin, expanding recruiting to a growing epicenter for tech talent and providing increased regional support to customers located in the Southwestern US.
As customers expand the use of AR across their operations, a scalable AR platform with direct integrations to their IT and OT investments becomes more important - Peter Evans, CEO, Pristine.
“As customers expand the use of AR across their operations, a scalable AR platform with direct integrations to their IT and OT investments becomes more important. With Upskill’s Skylight platform, we can now address the entire operational lifecycle of an enterprise and do it in the cloud, on premise or in hybrid cloud environments.”
“With these combined capabilities, Upskill now powers an unparalleled suite of applications covering complex assembly, process management, service, inspection, material handling and logistics.” said Dr. Magid Abraham, Executive Chairman, Upskill.
“Further, we can offer even more flexibility to our customers in how they create and support a connected workforce across their operations. It also fortifies Upskill’s position as the leading choice for powering the industry 4.0 workforce with augmented reality.”
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May 11, 2017 • Features • Michael Blumberg • WBR • Bill Pollock • Blumberg Advisory • ClickSoftware • IFS • Sara Mueller • servicemax • servicepower • Software and Apps • Strategies for GrowthSM
Within the last twelve months we have seen a sudden rush of Merger and Acquisition activities within the field service sector with many major brands including ServiceMax, ClickSoftware and most recently ServicePower all being acquired. So why has...
Within the last twelve months we have seen a sudden rush of Merger and Acquisition activities within the field service sector with many major brands including ServiceMax, ClickSoftware and most recently ServicePower all being acquired. So why has the field service sector suddenly become such a hotbed for investment and what does it mean for the innovation in our industry?
Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News reports...
I’ve referred to field service as a sector at times as a ghost sector because despite field service impacting almost everyone, and it crossing across almost all verticals outside those who work within our horizontal sector the role of field service management and certainly the tools that those in this field use are relatively unknown.
Yet, it seems that over the last few years someone, somewhere has certainly started paying attention.
Of course, the growing trend within global manufacturing circles towards embracing servitization has put service front and centre whilst various projected estimates of the value of the Global FSM market ranging from $5BN to $25BN will of course be flagged up on the radars of money men, and it certainly seems that the field service sector has come under more of a spot light than it has in its recent past.
“This is occurring for several reasons,” explains Michael Blumberg, President of the Blumberg Advisory Group, when I asked him why it seemed Field Service Management providers had recently become hot targets for prospective investment.”
Field service businesses tend to be less susceptible to changes in the economy - Michael Blumberg
“Second, field service businesses often generate a recurring revenue stream (e.g., service contracts) which is also something that is very attractive to investors and also field service providers often hold a defensible market position because of their long-term relationship with customers and unique capabilities.”
“When a company acquires a field service provider they also acquire its customer base which provides a captive market for cross-selling and up-selling additional products and services.”
“Finally and most importantly, field service is usually a basic offering and building block in delivering a subscription based, product-service model (think Servitization) to customers.”
With so many key reasons why field service solution providers are an attractive proposition isn’t the recent run of acquisitions somewhat overdue?
Bill Pollock, President of Strategies for GrowthSM, certainly thinks so.
“It should have happened years ago!” He proclaims when I put this question to him.
“However, the acquiring organisations seemed to have other priorities in mind with respect to broadening and strengthening their existing offerings, and tailoring them to a more narrowing-defined market space.”
Remember, there were days, way back when – when a Field Service Management (FSM) solution provided only the functionality required to run a services operation – but not a services business - Bill Pollock
“It’s a bit different today. As more and more software providers expand their offerings to run the entire business, they now market themselves as offering a “new” type of platform for doing so.”
“In general, it will be those organisations that move into (or buy into) the field services arena – for all the right reasons – that are most likely to be successful. That is, if a field service functionality makes sense as a logical extension of their existing offerings, then they will be more likely to succeed.
However, those that attempt to “ram their way” into what is already a fast growing and vibrant market sector, some without even having a complete FSM offering, will find themselves “busted” in the eyes of their targeted market base.”
Meanwhile, Sara Mueller, Field Service Portfolio Director, Worldwide Business Research believes that the fact that service has increasingly become a key battleground for competing companies is another key reason why the FSM sector as a whole is gaining more and more attention.
“Since many products have become largely commoditised, service is the competitive differentiator for organisations.” She begins.
Technology is dramatically shifting the performance of service organisations, allowing them to grow exponentially - Sara Mueller
“While technicians are an integral part of field service, technology solutions are necessary to minimise human error, capture the knowledge of and account for the retiring baby boomer generation of head technicians, even to keep technicians safer on the job.”
Mueller’s point however does perhaps reveal a potential double-edged sword.
Innovation in technology and service delivery have become wonderfully entangled within the last decade - which is why many companies have been able to move towards outcome based contracts, and why service is beginning to outgrow the ‘aftermarket’ tag and become a key revenue stream now being discussed much more seriously amongst the C-Suite.
This is of course a fundamental reason why our FSM solution providers have become such attractive investment options. However, could the very innovation that put the sector on the map dry up when independent, entrepreneurial tech companies get swallowed up by larger organisations?
Pollock certainly doesn’t think that we need to worry about the level of technology available to field service organisations failing to meet requirements at any point in the near future however.
“The currently available technology, coupled with newer technology that always seems to be lurking “just around the corner”, is already sufficient to meet (and exceed) all of the FSO’s requirements for managing their field service operations – and then some! It’s already here!” He comments.
The global services market is not likely to experience a plateau in terms of recognition, adoption and/or deployment of these new technological advances anytime soon - Bill Pollock
“This accelerating growth is likely to bring more FSM provider suitors to the forefront rather than less. For example, three or four years ago, how many field service managers thought that Microsoft would acquire itself into the fray? Many industry analysts missed the signs that Oracle was about to acquire TOA Technologies. However, with several major players already having acquired, licensed and/or organically entered the field services market, the question arises: Who will be next?
On the demand side, where has Apple been? What about SAP? What about any of the large, global, systems integrators? On the supply side, what, if anything, will ultimately happen with ClickSoftware? What about the “tried and true” historical vendors, like Astea? And what about all of those Venture Capital and investment firms that seem to be gobbling up one FSM vendor after another?”
Indeed, Mueller’s view also supports the assertion that the current technology is certainly sufficient to meet the growing needs of service delivery.
“The field service management technology today can accomplish remarkable results and drive business transformation. But service organisations are at widely varying degrees of adoption and sophistication, and are looking for more diversity in solution offerings in order to find the right choice for their priorities and budgets.”
However, she also sees the innovation at the heart of our industry as a key driver for continued technological innovation as well adding, “Just as customer needs keep evolving, FSM solutions will need to do so as well.”
And this latter point is also echoed by Blumberg.
There will always be lean, nimble, start-up companies focused on FSM that drive innovation and fill any void created by M & A - Michael Blumberg
“I’ve been a consultant to the Field Service Industry for over 25 year and have experienced several M & A cycles, and this is exactly what has happened. It is also very unlikely that innovation will plateau even within larger software companies who have acquired FSM solutions. To quote management guru Peter Drucker, business has only two functions… innovation and marketing.
This a basic tenant of business. Without innovation, companies lose their relevancy and competitive edge.”
So whilst the consensus is that the current M&A cycle won’t lead to any halt in the ongoing development of technology to support field service, one message does seem to be coming out of each of the field service providers acquired and that is reference to the future of FSM solutions being part of wider platforms.
But how far will the FSM platform go? Will we ultimately see FSM become as integral to business systems as ERP and CRM?
Mueller for one believes that this is where the future lies.
“It can be as integral to business as ERP and CRM systems.” She comments
“Given that service is a competitive differentiator for these organisations, FSM platforms are essential to provide the level of service now being expected from customers. The experience a customer receives through field service is often how they will shape their opinion of the product and whether they will buy again. Field service is the front line of the organisation and FSM ensures the experience with field service is ideal.”
Pollock, however, disagrees.
For the time being, FSM will likely remain subservient, in most cases, to CRM and ERP - Bill Pollock
“The difference between an FSM solution and an FSM platform is that the former is essentially used to run the services operations, while the latter is used to run the entire business. As far as marketing and market positioning go, doesn’t “platform” sound more important than “solution”, anyway?”
“CRM-based solution providers have long touted their products as full “platforms” that may be used to run an entire business; ERP-based solution providers have essentially marketed their offerings in the same manner. By incorporating an FSM solution into their respective offerings, they can now all claim (and, probably, rightfully so) that their offerings represent a complete (or near-complete) platform upon which future services functionalities can be built – whether strictly in support of field service operations, or any other business activity.”
“However, it is not necessarily a “slam-dunk” that FSM will become as integral to business systems as ERP and CRM, as not all businesses have field service offerings – while all have (or should have) an ERP and/or ERP capability.
Further, as remote and predictive diagnostics, powered by the Internet of Things (IoT) and Augmented Reality (AR), make further footholds in the general services arena, running a field service operation may become more important, while become less cumbersome to run (and, as such, more likely to be outsourced, possibly, to a third party).” Pollock concludes.
“FSM software is already an integral part of business systems among those companies that operate Field Service as either a strategic line of business or a profit centre. And there’s the rub, many companies that service products do not have requirements for FSM functionality.” comments Blumberg.
I find it interesting that there are no fully integrated, end to end FSM platforms on the market today that include the complete array of functionality for managing a Field Service Organisation - Michael Blumberg
“If an FSO wants to implement such as solution, they often must deploy multiple enterprise systems and point solutions from different vendors. In addition, FSM functionality usually needs to interface with other enterprise system platforms such as CRM, ERP, and most recently IoT to obtain critical data to complete the service transactions,” he adds before summarising.
“On the other hand, I certainly see a need in the market for standalone, functional robust FSM platforms. In fact, I have been advising both private equity groups (PE) and software developers for the last 20 years to make investments that achieve this outcome. Unfortunately, given market dynamics, capital requirements, and technology considerations, it unlikely that PE or software developers will invest the necessary resources to create such a platform.”
“Therefore, it is likely that FSM functionality will continue to remain an add -on purchase to existing enterprise systems.”
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May 10, 2017 • Features • Management • Nick Frank • Digital Transformation • Si2 partners
If the key to adoption of new technologies in Field Services lies more in people than technology itself, then embedding the self-learning DNA gene must be the priority for all organisations wanting to be winners writes Nick Frank, Si2 Partners...
If the key to adoption of new technologies in Field Services lies more in people than technology itself, then embedding the self-learning DNA gene must be the priority for all organisations wanting to be winners writes Nick Frank, Si2 Partners...
Previously we have observed that those field service organisations that have been able to quickly adapt to the fast evolving digital environment display a common trait “the self-learning gene”.
This is the innate ability to continually move through the problem, solution, problem, solution learning loop that propels organisations forward, such that they are comfortable experimenting with new approaches, have an outside-in perspective, are able to solve problems systematically and generally embrace change as an exciting part of business life.
There are many change methodologies that can be used to achieve this goal, but if leaders are not careful, they can find themselves hiding behind the process.
Perhaps harder to grasp is that there is no defined roadmap to follow, but there are guidelines, which we can apply to our particular situation. If you want to achieve a high performing, adaptive organisation through developing your ’self-learning genes’, then these are seven principals you may consider:
Communicate, collaborate and communicate again:
This is the mind-set of leadership change. Get comfortable with being out there, in front of your team providing a clear direction, but with the clear understanding that it is your team members who will deliver a great solution.
As Dwight Eisenhower US president and Army General said: “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done, because they want to do it”
Ensure your team has a sense of purpose:
A sense of purpose is what drives us all forward in both a private and work environments. It comes from 3 perspectives:
- Know why we are here!
- Feel that the business we work for stands for the things we believe in
- That there is consistency between what a business says and what it does.
By constantly focussing on these three elements, sharing experiences, best practices and success stories people start to believe in an organisations purpose.
Focus on the language of solutions:
It is hard for many English speakers to appreciate, but language is the gateway to understanding culture. Without speaking French, it is challenging to truly understand what it means to be French. The same is true in companies, which means achieving a common solution focused language is a critical step in embedding a ‘way of thinking’ within the DNA of the organisation.
For example a phrase that was embedded in me while I was running a Field Service organisation was “Fix yourself, before you fix your customer”. It was used and applied to every person in the organisation and is still used today!
Be a role model in what you say and do:
It is important to remember that you cannot tell people how to think. They have to figure that out for themselves. The only tools you have is to influence your team by what you say and what you do! A great examples would be the key performance indicators you focus on to manage your business. These say a lot to your people about what are your priorities.
Relentless follow up and training:
Evolving a company intrinsic DNA is not a one shot event. It’s a journey, its relentless, be prepared for the long haul. In small teams it is possible to drive this as a manager, but within larger organisations, a more formalised programme is required to touch every individual.
Training and support programmes that emphasis and re-emphasis solution thinking should be embedded into your annual budget if you are really serious about change.
Be open to Outside-IN thinking:
It’s a sad fact, but people will often listen more to people outside their immediate organisation, whether that be another department, customer or consultant. Be aware of this and use it to your advantage to influence and embed the ‘Self-Learning gene’ in your people
Be prepared to manage people out of the organisation:
Sometime people for whatever reason are not prepared to change. In my experience more people than you might think can live with change (I am an optimist), but when it’s clear that its not working, be prepared to be ruthless and actively manage poor performers out of the organisation.
In a short article it is difficult to fully discuss all the aspects of the self learning culture and why it is important. So in co-operation with Field Service News, we propose to organise a virtual round table later in the year to discuss with peers how to embed the ‘Self-Learning gene’ into your organisational DNA.
If you would like to participate, please contact either Kris Oldland or Nick Frank.
Si2 ON-Demand is a unique advisory and support service that enables top performing leaders to solve problems and get things done, quickly, easily and cost effectively.
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May 09, 2017 • News • frost & sullivan • Future of FIeld Service • Yiru Zhong • Internet of Things • IoT
Commercialisation of narrowband IoT technology is widening growth opportunities, finds Frost & Sullivan’s Digital Transformation team...
Commercialisation of narrowband IoT technology is widening growth opportunities, finds Frost & Sullivan’s Digital Transformation team...
Growth in the Internet of Things (IoT) market, as evinced by increasing launches, investments and partnerships, will accelerate in 2017 with the commercialisation of narrowband IoT (NB-IoT).
This cellular communications technology uses licensed spectrum and offers a standardised low-power, wide-area network (LPWAN) that can capture previously untapped segments of the market. Further, machine learning and block chain technologies are being integrated with different industries, such as financial services and energy.
In Europe, IoT connections are set to exceed 9 billion by 2021.
“IoT applications integrate the consumer into the wider connected system to reflect a truly intelligent society,” said Digital Transformation Research Analyst Yiru Zhong.
“Significant funding in the last 18 months suggests that the IoT market is poised for another shift. The next evolution will be from using data to react to events, to using sentient tools and cognition or ‘predictive computing. IoT 2.0 will thus eventually enable self-healing events in a connected system.”
European Internet of Things Market Outlook, 2017, new research from Frost & Sullivan’s Connected Industries Growth Partnership Service, summarises the IoT landscape in 2016 in terms of adoption, applications and key market players, and forecasts development areas. The study examines enterprise attitudes to IoT adoption and offers eight market predictions for IoT in 2017 and beyond.
IoT 2.0 will thus eventually enable self-healing events in a connected system.”
Five emerging growth areas for IoT identified by the research are:
“Q3 2016 witnessed a surge of large industry participants coming together to establish partnerships for promotion of the IoT ecosystem,” noted Zhong.
With it's impact on the field service industry rapidly shifting from huge potential to huge reality such conversations around IoT 2.0 and it's alliance to sentient tools is a vital focus for the evolution of our industry.
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May 09, 2017 • Features • Inventory Management • Kieran Notter • Product Lifecycle • Internet of Things • IoT • servicemax • Servitization • Parts Pricing and Logistics
Kieran Notter, Director, Global Customer Transformation, ServiceMax from GE Digital, takes a fresh look at some perennial problems...
Kieran Notter, Director, Global Customer Transformation, ServiceMax from GE Digital, takes a fresh look at some perennial problems...
Field service management hit the headlines in 2016 as automation, the Internet of Things and servitization reshaped the way we service and maintain capital assets.
These trends have now trickled down to the supply chain, providing a fresh approach to age old headaches. In this article, we look at five areas of friction in the supply chain and how combining field service management with assets is solving them.
The Inventory Tug of War
CFOs will always push for lower inventory levels to free up cash flow and reduce the risk of obsolescence. Yet Service Directors want higher inventory to increase First-Time Fix rates, reduce internal costs, improve productivity and raise customer satisfaction.
The supply chain is between a rock and a hard place trying to balance between two opposing arguments. So what’s the solution? In a word, knowledge.
The supply chain is between a rock and a hard place trying to balance between two opposing arguments. So what’s the solution? In a word, knowledge.
Expensive, Unplanned Freight Costs
Knowing the frequency of parts that fail, and the correct intervals for preventative maintenance visits reduces freight costs with fewer ‘emergency’ shipments. However, the biggest saving here is actually in reducing the parcel count itself. If you know what parts you are going to need and when, you can consolidate shipments, sending them direct to the technician in advance.
At a basic level, just knowing where your assets are means you can position the inventory in more strategic locations to reduce costs and increase availability.
Product Lifecycle – The Delayed Curve
A supply chain is expected to cover the assets through their lifecycle. However, if you cannot see if the install base is growing or shrinking, you can’t align inventory accordingly.
That means it’s on a delayed curve which will either result in back orders for new product ranges as the planning tries to catch up or obsolete stock for products as they come to the end of their lifecycle, and usage slows down as planning has not reacted quickly enough.
Addressing this issue also means you get insight into the true profitability of a contract or product.
Likewise, knowing the top 20 required shipments rather than just focusing on the 200 makes a huge difference to how a supply chain can react and prioritise their efforts and resources. This also gives a much more focused supply to the field service organisation and the customers with the most need.
Back Orders After The Fault Is Fixed
When parts are ordered direct to the fault on the machine, a small change in process and practice can pay huge dividend – cancel back orders once the fault has been fixed. This may not work for all businesses but it will work for many.
In most cases, back orders are left for the supply chain to fulfil, even though the technician has fixed the issue with a borrowed unit from a colleague or fixing the part rather than the assembly ordered. If the original back order is left, the other technician who lent the part is now second in line to get it returned, which has a knock-on effect with a ‘not required’ demand outweighing a potential ‘urgent’ order.
Also, if the original back order is shipped to the customer and the customer’s machine is up and running, then parts are often lost. One company who introduced this practice (less customer fit parts) reduced their back orders by 52%.
IoT (Internet of Things) – The Holy Grail of Condition-Based Service
Many companies are now firmly into the IoT realm and benefitting from the data that is being provided.
From smart sensors telling them what parts need replacement before an issue arises to optimum intervals between preventative maintenance.
Using this voice of the product alongside customer demand means you can plan your inventory to not only be available before a fault arises, but also plan the consumables and after sales items to a level that has not been seen before.
This moves you into the servitization market with confidence and a predictable profit margin.
Without asset knowledge, you are essentially working as a ‘demand’ chain and within the limitations of technicians’ ad hoc tasks to manage any intelligent levels of inventory at your locations.
Without asset knowledge, you are essentially working as a ‘demand’ chain and within the limitations of technicians’ ad hoc tasks to manage any intelligent levels of inventory at your locations.
You will always be behind the curve.
Some companies with high volume and low SKU’s can manage with this model, but all businesses will benefit from more real time data and the ability to not just pre-empt future requirements, but act on them.
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May 03, 2017 • Features • Astea • Kevin McNally • Kony • Mark Homer • Paul Whitelam • ClickSoftware • Deb Geiger • Exel Computer Systems • Rue Dilhe • servicemax • Software and Apps • Steve Luong • Asolvi
Competition in the Field Service Management Solution sector is fiercer than ever and new technology is constantly emerging. So we asked a series of industry experts what we should expect of our FSM solution today and what should we look for in a...
Competition in the Field Service Management Solution sector is fiercer than ever and new technology is constantly emerging. So we asked a series of industry experts what we should expect of our FSM solution today and what should we look for in a provider?
Features as Standard?
With the amount of functionality in standard FSM applications constantly improving, new innovations quickly become standard features. With this in mind what is the baseline level of functionality we should expect from an FSM solution? I.e. Should a solution include a mobile piece, scheduling, parts management?
Rue Dilhe – Managing Director, Exel Computer Systems explains their solution as being predominantly aimed at “established SME’s within the service industry, these companies are, generally speaking, well aware of the benefits available from a full breadth system.”
“The baseline functionality the majority of our prospective clients look for encompass pretty much all of the technologies and functionality offered. If we are able to show them functionality they weren’t aware of, such as configurable user dashboards displaying pertinent KPIs and reports, then these soon make it onto their requirements list, ” he adds.
“We expect the following to make it onto the majority’s ‘must have’ list: fully integrated solution, a dynamic/assisted scheduler, real-time information, remote engineer application, management reporting, user pertinent reporting, document management, call/case centre management, service oriented CRM, job information and technical documents pushed to engineer device, customisation tools, workflow tools, financial management and the ability to invoice on-site. Not to mention, the preference to partner with a well-established solution provider.”
For Kony, the focus is perhaps more understandably on mobile, as Steve Luong, Sr. Director of Product Marketing, explains.
“Although there are many FSM solutions in the market that address different needs, back-office capabilities such as scheduling, parts & inventory management and team allocation are commoditised features now.”
Mobile is now a critical functionality in modern solutions, with native apps providing a better user experience and performance over others -Steve Luong, Kony
Tesseract’s Kevin McNally, comments “In our experience, customers are looking for a best of breed service solution.”
“This includes service contract and asset management, service call taking and scheduling, planned maintenance control, stock & logistics management, quoting, job costing/invoicing and Engineer mobile communication. We are also seeing the requirement to control internal workshop / repair centres as a growth area requiring a different solution to that of field processes.”
“One of the often-forgotten areas of a solution is reporting,” he continues.
“The ability to report on any piece of data is crucial and a reason many companies are looking for change. Our customer’s clients have also become more demanding, and the ability to communicate externally also needs thought, whether that is a web portal, client reporting or direct data integration.”
Deb Geiger, VP Global Marketing, Astea International points out that there is not a 1 size fits all requirement for field service.
“I think that it all depends on the individual needs of the organisation in regards to baseline level of functionality. For example, if a company manages a mix of internal and external subcontractors then the base of functionality also needs to include third party vendor management capabilities,” she comments.
“But at a general level, the most basic elements of FSM solution should have the ability to manage service contract and entitlement information; asset/equipment information; scheduling, parts management, mobile (online & offline), customer self-service, and performance management/reporting as well as ability to configure solution without coding.”
Any field service management solution worth its weight should handle work planning and scheduling - Mark Homer, ServiceMax
However, he goes on to add that “as field service management evolves to become more integrated in other aspects of the industrial economy and proves a necessary lynch pin of optimising the performance of industrial equipment, these basic functionalities will progress to include more advanced features.”
Again scheduling and mobility are tow key components that are expected by ClickSoftware’s Paul Whitelam, Group VP of Product Marketing “Baseline capabilities for FSM consist of scheduling and mobility (specifically communication with the field and task execution support). Beyond that there are certainly additional aspects such as planning, forecasting, customer engagement, analytics and so forth, but as Field Service Management software becomes increasingly sophisticated, thinking in terms of feature sets can be something of a red herring,” he explains.
“In particular, there are non-functional aspects such as open APIs and extensibility, as well as the deployment model that can have a huge impact.
For example, software delivered via multi-tenant SaaS can offer a significant advantage in terms of agility and speed of deployment. More so than a feature list, it’s the way in which technology is combined with processes and people that delivers business advantage.”
Buying for the future...
So, whilst there is of course a variety of different elements that different experts think of as standard requirements, there are indeed some universal core functionalities that should now be embedded within any FSM solution, with these primarily being some scheduling automation, a mobile tool for engineers in the field and dashboard or similar reporting tools for monitoring what is of course a mission critical part of the business.
But one thing that is certain in our industry is that technological innovation is never far away. Whether it be connected devices, quantum annealing, or augmented reality every where we look there are technologies being intrinsically linked with field service that could change the way we approach service delivery entirely.
So given the constant development of technologies within field service management solutions, what steps should field service companies take to ensure that the solution they opt for is future proof?
Exel’s Dilhe explains that from their experience “from the outset, prospective clients are usually pretty confident they want a common, ‘out-of-the-box’ solution, and this is true for maybe 90% of the implemented solution, the remaining 10% however, the client can usually see a benefit in configuring the solution to the way they work now, whilst having the ability to adapt to how they may work in the future. It is for this reason that within the Eagle Field Service solution Exel provide a customisation tool-kit.”
“Customisations can range from the introduction of simple validation on fields to new panels and scrolling data sets for data entry and data display. Clients are able to extend any table by adding any number of columns for storing additional information, these can be managed from within the software without the need to make any manual database changes.”
Of course customisation sits at the very heart of the Kony offering also however, it is the pedigree of the platform and the provider themselves that offer the best glimpse of how future proof a solution is in the eyes of Luong.
He comments: “To ensure solutions they opt for are future proof, field service companies should look at solutions that have a strong technology stack supported by an underlying platform and cloud. These characteristics will allow for rapid implementation but more importantly, enable simple and fast updates to adapt to a quickly changing marketplace.”
“Additionally, understanding the solution provider’s roadmap and view of the market will ensure alignment between the field service company and provider into the future."
For McNally the responsibility should be shared by the providers and their customers.
The “Internet of Things” may be viewed by some verticals as a distant reality but equipment such as coffee machines, compressors and many other products viewed as “unconnected” are today providing useful data - Kevin McNally, Tesseract
“As an example, the “Internet of Things” may be viewed by some verticals as a distant reality but equipment such as coffee machines, compressors and many other products viewed as “unconnected” are today providing useful data. This information is allowing providers to be both reactive and proactive in their service delivery. It is vital that companies understand the data and use this as a competitive edge.”
“It can seem unfathomable for small and medium size service providers to understand the complexities of new technologies but suppliers should be assisting their customers on their future requirements and helping them understand the benefits, as these may already be “out of the box” based on previous implementations within that vertical market.”
This sentiment is echoed somewhat by Geiger who explains that when selecting technology we can’t just think of today.
“What is right for companies at the moment, might not suit as their business grows and evolves. It’s important for businesses to not only to understand their immediate need but to get the full picture of their objectives so that companies can find a solution that will support them today but also in the future. Even if an organisation may have very limited requirements today, it is much easier to start with a platform solution that has rich capabilities and a high level of configurability instead of a solution that just meets the requirements for today.”
“By leveraging a solution that offers a high-level of configurability, it is very easy for companies to remove fields or turn features “off” with a feature-rich solution, to get the base feature set to support their needs today. But as their business model changes, they have the tools to quickly adapt the solution without having to pay for customisations or having to wait until the software vendor adds specific features to a roadmap if they even decide to add those features at all.”
“You never know what is around the corner, so you need a solution that gives you the flexibility to add functionality as and when you need it.”
For ServiceMax’s Homer however, the answer is simple - the future belongs to the Cloud.
“Because field service organisations rely on remote workers for the majority of the information needed to run their business, flexible and constantly updated cloud-based software is a must – and a pre-requisite for mobile synchronisation and offline capabilities,” he asserts.
“And when it comes to enabling field personnel, companies need to seek out vendors with proven mobile capabilities. They need to find providers who continually invest in the latest mobile architectures for deployment ease and full functionality across all mobile platforms.”
“Lastly, and most importantly, customers need a platform that grows with them. They need a system that easily supports configuration with workflow management that organises standard operating procedures not only in the office, but also in the field. And it should all work together to keep service delivery consistent from the office to the field.”
Cloud-first is again echoed by ClickSoftware’s Whitelam, who also sees the need for field service companies to keep their finger on the pulse n terms of how emerging technology could impact their vertical markets.
Ensure your FSM solution is highly configurable, and not limited to a particular data model - Paul Whitelam, ClickSoftware
Indeed Whitelam lists the following as the key to ensuring a future proof approach are:
- Move to cloud-first solutions which enable fast, seamless, and frequent updates to the latest feature sets and enhancements—something all but impossible with on-premises installations.
- Adopt systems with open APIs and extensibility so that new capabilities—be they IoT enabled devices or Augmented Reality goggles—can be easily adopted in a modular way.
- Ensure your FSM solution is highly configurable, and not limited to a particular data model. For example, IoT devices represent a new set of inputs or variables to be incorporated into your operations. Having a generalised approach to data management, coupled with the processing power of a cloud platform enables companies to translate this data into actionable—and automated—improvements.
Solution provider support?
It is interesting to note that many of the experts that we spoke to identified a shared responsibility between vendor and customer to understand the technology trends and establish a sensible roadmap of FSM technology to implement.
Of course in any industry where the product is as absolutely vital to business operations one would expect a consultative approach from solution providers, but this willingness from many such providers to engage with and in many ways educate the market.
This leads us to question what other factors, aside from feature set and cost, should field service companies take into consideration when selecting a solution provider?
At Exel would prefer to see the selection process as the client choosing a business partner, instead of supplies,” replies Dilhe.
It makes sense to ensure you choose a solution provider that can meet your company’s needs, both now and into the future -Rue Dilhe, Exel Computer Systems
“With a 32 year history of implementing our solutions and supporting our clients, we feel our services far exceed those provided by a reseller,” he concludes.
McNally is certainly on the same page here also .
"The implementation of a system should be viewed as a partnership,” he opens, before adding “and partnering with an experienced provider who has a track record of delivering both technology and functionality is of key importance.”
“A strong vision and roadmap is also vital, because implementing a system should be viewed as a long-term relationship. Speaking with reference customers can be a useful exercise. The software is only one part of the picture, implementation and support are also just as important as is the relationship between the two teams.”
Choosing a provider whose vision aligns with the field service company is key states Luong.
“Field service companies should understand how a provider plans to leverage new technologies and smart services such as IoT, sensors, beacons, image recognition capabilities, integration with cloud services or other public services such as maps, storage, identification,” he says.
“These technologies and services can totally transform existing business processes to make them more efficient, driving costs down while improving customer loyalty by providing a better overall experience.”
“As service continues to become a key differentiator, companies need a partner who understands service – a specialist who can help them get the very best from the software platform, and give them the tools to take service to the next level.” Geiger adds.
With something as mission critical as a company’s service business, it is worth the time and effort to ensure successful deployment and adoption - Deb Geiger, Astea
“Many solution providers therefore pride themselves on the speed on their on-boarding process – to get companies up and running on their solution in a matter of weeks. However, aiming for speed often comes at the expense of quality – things overlooked, staff not fully trained, and opportunities missed”
“A quick on-boarding process may potentially cause more problems than it solves. With something as mission critical as a company’s service business, it is worth the time and effort to ensure successful deployment and adoption.”
“Additionally it is important to look at service solutions holistically. There are many cool technologies and new capabilities are entering the market constantly. It is critical to look at all of these solutions in a holistic manner and the value that they will provide to the service business.”
“It is imperative that the solutions share data intelligently between applications, allowing operatives to make decisions and take action with full insight into the situation,” she concludes.
For Homer, another consideration is that “field service organisations need to consider time to market, as with any other investment in enterprise software.”
“Implementation time, employee adoption, and training all need to be looked at critically as they all impact the return on investment. Software vendors should have good options for buyers to evaluate these aspects of their products, as well as a very good understanding of the nuances of the service domain. Without service expertise, product development capabilities can stall and implementation projects can run over budget.”
Finally, Whitelam believes that besides features and costs, field services companies should strongly consider a number of other factors when selecting their FSM solutions including:
- Company viability and focus: Look for external proof points and proven implementations. To what extent is the company focused on FSM?
- Vision: What does the roadmap look like? Does this align to the way you think about your field service business going forward?
- Experience: Has the company worked with companies like you before?
- The Team: This is a long-term partnership, where a strong relationship can lead to great things. Is this the team you want to partner with?
- Support: What kind of ongoing support is available? 24/7? Global? Will this vendor be responsive and strive for your success?
Indeed it seems that whilst the features of field service management solutions are ever evolving, the selection of the right tool for your business should look far beyond a summary list of features on your wish list and ask what can the provider do to make this a partnership that works both as soon as possible after implementation and also in the future.
The right solution is there for you, just look with open eyes.
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May 03, 2017 • Fleet Technology • News • Taco van der Leij • TomTom Telematics
TomTom Telematics has launched the inaugural Driver of the Year Awards to help promote safer and more responsible driving standards among European business fleets.
TomTom Telematics has launched the inaugural Driver of the Year Awards to help promote safer and more responsible driving standards among European business fleets.
The competition will rank the performance of participants based on driving behaviour scores to find the safest, most efficient driver across 14 countries. Scores will be calculated from incidents of harsh braking and steering per km/mile by the TomTom WEBFLEET fleet management solution.
Ten finalists will then compete for the grand title of European Driver of the Year at the Circuit de Catalunya race track in Barcelona on October 21.
“This competition has been launched in a bid to make driver safety a higher priority with European businesses and to encourage more cost-efficient fleet motoring,” said Taco van der Leij, VP Marketing at TomTom Telematics.
This competition has been launched in a bid to make driver safety a higher priority with European businesses and to encourage more cost-efficient fleet motoring - Taco van der Leij, TomTom
Drivers can compete in one of the contest’s two categories – ‘Vans (Light Commercial Vehicles) and cars’ or ‘Trucks (Heavy Goods Vehicles)’. The top scoring driver in each category from each of five regions will progress to the final. These regions are Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands), France, Mediterranean (Italy, Portugal, and Spain), Central Europe and Nordics (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland) and UKI (United Kingdom and Ireland).
Companies can register to participate at http://telematics.tomtom.com/driveroftheyear, where the competition’s full terms and conditions and regional rankings are available.
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NRS HEALTHCARE TARGETS EFFICIENT SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS WITH PARAGON’S ROUTING AND SCHEDULING SOFTWARE
May 02, 2017 • NRS Healthcare • Paragon Software Systems • Raaza Temour • healthcare • Uncategorized
NRS Healthcare has selected Paragon’s routing and scheduling software as part of its commitment to continually improving the quality of service provided to social care users on behalf of the NHS and Local Authorities.
NRS Healthcare has selected Paragon’s routing and scheduling software as part of its commitment to continually improving the quality of service provided to social care users on behalf of the NHS and Local Authorities.
The company will use the planning solution to better manage a fleet of 300 vans responsible for the delivery and collection of mobility equipment, wheelchairs and daily living aids, which are allowing people in communities across the UK to live independently and with dignity.
As a leading provider to the social care sector, NRS Healthcare sources, procures, installs, services and recycles over 2,000 different products to help keep people active when mobility becomes difficult following an operation or due to a debilitating health condition. Following the results of a service user feedback survey, the company identified a preference for tighter delivery and collection windows, so it needed an advanced planning tool to replace the existing manual process.
NRS Healthcare initially implemented a pilot scheme in Cambridge and Norfolk using Paragon Integrated Fleets to plan a mixture of 40 home-based and depot-based technicians, with a view to rolling out the software across all 16 depots.
Over the course of the trial, the company demonstrated quantifiable service improvements which included the introduction of two-hour time slots
Moving forward, NRS Healthcare’s central planning team will use the routing and scheduling software to schedule daily operational delivery and collection requirements, including both one-and two-man services, across the nationwide depot network. Estimated delivery times for each product will also be incorporated into the planning process to increase schedule accuracy.
Raaza Temour, Director of Implementation & Training at NRS Healthcare commented: “The key driver for embarking on this project is our desire to continually improve the quality of service we offer. With the NHS and Local Authorities under huge pressure to provide social care within very tight budgets, we needed to find a way to further enhance the experience of the service user without increasing cost. We teamed up with Paragon because of their unrivalled experience across many industry sectors, which gave us complete confidence that they could help us deliver the service improvements.”
William Salter, Managing Director of Paragon Software Systems said: “The growing demand for NRS Healthcare’s services in a market under huge funding pressures means that operational efficiency is critical but this cannot be delivered at the expense of good customer service. The ability to provide time windows that customers can be confident will be met is just as important for NRS Healthcare as it is for a food or furniture retailer. We are proud to have been chosen by NRS Healthcare to help them deliver an efficient and reliable service to the health authorities that also meets the individual needs of the social care user.”
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May 02, 2017 • Features • resources • White Papers & eBooks • ClickSoftware • ebook • Field Service Engagement
Resource Type: eBook Published by: ClickSoftware Title: The Roadmap to Field Service Engagement
Resource Type: eBook
Published by: ClickSoftware
Title: The Roadmap to Field Service Engagement
Synopsis:
Field service customer expectations are higher than they have ever been. Companies are promising a great customer service experience, but only some are delivering it.
When a customer receives good service from one company, it sets the bar higher for everyone. The customer will expect – or at least hope – they receive the same level of service from you.
The last field service technician (from another company) called an hour before he got there. He was on time. He was clean. He was friendly and helpful. Now the customer calls you. Can you deliver at the level of the customer’s last experience?
To win in today’s field service landscape we must recognise that every interaction, however small, is an opportunity to create an impression. Are you ready to deliver greater value to customers all day, every day?
This detailed eBook published by ClickSoftware takes you through some key guidelines to help get you on a journey to establishment true field service engagement with your customers.
Overview:
So what exactly is field service engagement? According to ClickSoftware, publishers of this eBook field service engagement is both a mantra and a model and this model is designed to help field service organisations gain a competitive edge in an evolving service landscape.
Today’s technology stands to transform field service more rapidly than ever before and organisations that embrace new technologies stand to improve customer engagement exponentially. Many early adopters of advanced route mapping, augmented reality, the Internet of Things, and self-service are discovering the immediate gains these technologies unlock.
Unfortunately too many focus on the technology, and not the customer. If we want to prosper amidst advancements, we must prove fancy technology adds value to the end user. Today’s customers have unprecedented service options, and access to unfathomable amounts of data. As a result, the pace of change in platforms, solutions, and customer loyalty have never been faster.
The bottom line is too few field service management organisations are stopping to ask, “Exactly how will this new found customer behaviour impact my service?” It’s in direct reaction to these trends that this eBook outlines the Field Service Engagement framework to help field service organisations achieve new and lasting connections with their customers.
Across nearly 40 pages of detailed analysis and insight the eBook focusses on four key tenets that should be addressed to drive your field service delivery forward and push customer engagement levels higher.
These are:
- Disrupt what isn't working
- Unlock Service Interactions
- Operationalise human potential
- Optimise the experience
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Although it covers a lot of ground this eBook does a great job of breaking down the information into highly digestible chunks and focusses on the most salient points in a concise and extremely well thought out manner and should be essential reading for any field service professional who is tasked with either raising customer satisfaction KPIs, service profitability or both.
Field Service News is published by 1927 Media Ltd, an independent publisher whose sole focus is on the field service sector. As such our entire resources are focused on helping drive the field service sector forwards and aiming to best serve our industry through honest, incisive and innovative media coverage of the global field service sector.
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