Who are the most influential people in the global field service sector that you need to pay attention to in 2017?
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.
Mar 06, 2017 • aberdeen • Aly Pinder • FSN20 • Future of FIeld Service • Kevin Jones • MArne MArtin • Michael Blumber • Nexus • Nick Frank • on-Demand Economy • Panasonic • Quantum Annealing • BBA Consulting • Blumberg Advisory Group • Dave Yarnold • Jim Baston • selling service • servicemax • servicepower • Si2 partners • The Service Council • Touchbook20 • TOughbook • Parts Pricing and Logistics
Who are the most influential people in the global field service sector that you need to pay attention to in 2017?
The Field Service News #FSN20 is our list of the individuals we believe will be key influencers in our industry across the next twelve months. Those included in the list have been selected by our own panel of industry insiders, who were given the simple criteria of identifying people who will have a significant impact on field service thinking.
However, more than just an annual list of 20 individuals the #FSN20 has grown since it’s launch to become a true celebration of excellence and innovation within our industry.
There are some familiar names and some new faces on this years list and as always we don’t expect everyone to agree with our selection – at it’s heart the #FSN20 was conceived as a tool to get everyone in our industry thinking about who it is that they have come across in the global field service sector that has made them think, who has made them question the accepted paradigms, who has inspired them to do just one little thing more in their own day to day role.
The #FSN20 is not just about the list our panel has put together. It is about fostering discussion that celebrates the unsung heroes of the field service sector. So look out for the online version of this list as well to take part in the debate.
But for now, ladies and gentleman and without further a do, in no particular order, we are pleased to introduce the #FSN20 of 2017…
Click here to see page one of the 2017 #FSN20
Nick Frank, Founder and Managing Partner Si2 Partners
Having worked as an international consultant for over 6 years, Nick founded Si2 Partners last year bringing a new approach to consultancy by offering services on demand.
Nick’s focus is on service strategy development, servitization business models, ecosystems, innovation management, service operations and service business development. He works with companies in a diverse range of industries including engineering, high volume manufacturing, equipment manufacturers and technology. A regular columnist in the trade press and a excellent speaker often to be found at industry conferences, Nick also plays a pivotal role in organising the conference sessions for the UK not-for-profit group The Service Community.
Michael Blumberg, President of Blumberg Advisory Group, Inc
Michael Blumberg is the President of Blumberg Advisory Group and is a recognised expert in Field Service and Reverse Logistics in High-Technology industry.
Michael’s thought leadership, service system planning and strategy formulation are cited as having helped many organisations increase profits and he is a prolific author publishing a number of well received projects including white papers and educational video projects.
Aly Pinder, Director of Member Research & Communities, The Service Council
In previous editions we had a rule that we would only include one person per organisation within the #FSN20. However, ever since Aly moved from the Aberdeen Group to The Service Council, we knew we would have to repeal the rule, as both Aly and Sumair are industry heavy weights in terms of analysis of our industry.
In his new role he will be looking to further enhance the already well established research projects undertaken by The Service Community and his addition to their team makes The Service Council one of the most important groups in the entire global field service sector.
Tom Heiser, CEO, ClickSoftware
It may perhaps be unfair to comment that when Heiser took the reigns of the field service management software stalwarts ClickSoftware the company was perhaps at it’s weakest point in some years, indeed they remain a leading provider of field service management solutions at the forefront of the industry.
Yet, based on the sheer level of dominance that they once held and in light of the ever increasing quality of the competition in the field service management space, Heiser had little time to find his feet in the world of field service if he was to ensure the ClickSoftware brand remained as synonymous with delivering service excellence as it had to date - particularly in the natural uncertainty that an acquisition by a private equity firm can potentially cause.
However, having seemingly spent little more than a few hours in his own office for the first six months as he flew around the world meeting analysts, influencers and customers alike Heiser certainly appears to have not only established a firm grasp of the industry at large but also where the future for field service management technology lies and under his guidance the outlook for the iconic ClickSoftware brand appears to be on a very positive footing once more...
Marne Martin, CEO, ServicePower
With their next generation platform Nexus now firmly established within the market place ServicePower have re established themselves as a key company within the FSM solutions sector under the vision of Martin.
However, it is her focus on R&D that really continues to drive Service Power to the forefront of their sector. With a number of patents including a one focussed on quantum annealing that will see them developing cutting edge technology for the foreseeable future. Martin is also a very highly respected speaker on the international field service circuit
Jim Baston, President of BBA Consulting Group Inc
Baston of BBA Consulting is the proponent of Proactive Service, and is a master when it comes to understanding the delicate relationship between service and sales and how companies can maximize that relationship to enhance profits. Author, Speaker and Consultant Baston is an intelligent and experienced leader within his field whilst being a true gentleman and pleasure to talk to, to boot.
Kevin Jones Managing Director Computer Product Solutions, Panasonic Europe
Panasonic remain the undisputed leaders in the rugged space with the ToughPad and Toughbook brands synonymous with rugged computing. The Panasonic ToughBook20 is the worlds first fully rugged detachable and could just be the most perfect device for field service to date being both a tablet and a laptop.
Jones has spent a decade with Panasonic and has total responsibility for the entire ToughBook / ToughPad Products and Solutions in Europe, including Sales, Marketing, Engineering and Operations whilst also sitting concurrently on the board of Panasonic Manufacturing.
Dave Yarnold, CEO, ServiceMax
Within less than a decade Yarnold has taken ServiceMax from start-up to being purchased by GE late last year for close to a Billion Dollars.
However, the meteoric rise of ServiceMax wasn’t solely about the technology. Yarnold has a true passion for the service and that passion has filtered down and shone through at all levels of the organisation, which was perhaps the secret source that put them at the top of the sector - having been recognised as the leading FSM solution provider in the most recent magic quadrant report.
Now as part of GE Digital, Yarnold has even bigger visions of how ServiceMax can play a role in building an operating system for the entire industrial sector of which service will be a key component.
Big ambitions?
Yes. But Yarnold is a man that could possibly just do it.
Click here to see page three of the 2017 #FSN20
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Mar 06, 2017 • Features • Aston Centre for Servitization Research and Practi • copperberg • Cranfield University • FSN20 • Future of FIeld Service • Jonathan Massoud • Mark Brewer • Mark Holleran • WBR • Xplore Technologies • Bill Pollock • Dr John Erkoyuncu • field service • field service europe • Field Service Forum • Field Service Medical • Field Service Summit • Field Service USA • IFS • Strategies for GrowthSM • sumair dutta • The Service Council • Thosas Igou • tim baines
Who are the most influential people in the global field service sector that you need to pay attention to in 2017?
Who are the most influential people in the global field service sector that you need to pay attention to in 2017?
The Field Service News #FSN20 is our list of the individuals we believe will be key influencers in our industry across the next twelve months. Those included in the list have been selected by our own panel of industry insiders, who were given the simple criteria of identifying people who will have a significant impact on field service thinking.
However, more than just an annual list of 20 individuals the #FSN20 has grown since it’s launch to become a true celebration of excellence and innovation within our industry.
There are some familiar names and some new faces on this years list and as always we don’t expect everyone to agree with our selection - at it’s heart the #FSN20 was conceived as a tool to get everyone in our industry thinking about who it is that they have come across in the global field service sector that has made them think, who has made them question the accepted paradigms, who has inspired them to do just one little thing more in their own day to day role.
The #FSN20 is not just about the list our panel has put together. It is about fostering discussion that celebrates the unsung heroes of the field service sector. So look out for the online version of this list as well to take part in the debate.
But for now, ladies and gentleman and without further a do, in no particular order, we are pleased to introduce the #FSN20 of 2017...
Mark Brewer, Global Industry Director - Service Management
Brewer is a new entry to the #FSN20 having recently moved to IFS from PTC.
The message from the IFS hierarchy was loud and clear when they held their last World Conference in Gothenburg towards the end of last year. Field Service was a key priority moving forward and their new owners EQT had every intention of pushing the Swedish company to keep doing what has made them a well respected brand within manufacturing and field service management circles - but do it bigger, better and to get to there faster.
Having taken the reigns of the service management division globally Brewer is set to figure prominently in the industry across the next twelve months.
Professor Tim Baines, Group Director of the Aston Centre for Servitization Research and Practice
Baines retains his place on this years list and is perhaps he one person that has appeared multiple times on the list whose entry becomes even more deserved each year.
Baines has been at the centre of the servitization movement for as long as anyone and although many of his peers such as Neely and Lightfoot should share equal status for being the Godfathers of Servitization, it is fair to say that Baines’ work as a leading proponent of the servitization movement is as unparalleled as it is inexhaustible. The Aston Spring Servitization Conference which is the show-piece of the Aston Centre for Research and Practice continues to grow in terms of both audience and importance each year and it’s location in Lucerne, Switzerland this year is a testament to it’s growing status on the international industrial map. Whilst Baines’ would humbly point to the great team he has working with him at Aston, his role in the global shift towards servitization simply cannot be overlooked.
Bill Pollock, President and Principal Consultant, Strategies for GrowthSM
Another that has been ever present on the #FSN20 since it’s inception and someone who is likely to remain on the list until the day comes where he retires, which given Pollock’s passion for the industry and seemingly eternal youth may won’t be any time soon!
Pollock is not only still a key commentator and analyst within our sector whose papers and features are not only widely read but also hugely respected, but he has been a mentor for a number of key figures within the global field service industry, including a number of other #FSN20 members, and also Field Service News’ own highly respected Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland.
However, Pollock’s inclusion on the #FSN20 isn’t just based on his past merits, his organisation Strategies for GrowthSM continues to provide some of the most detailed research and insightful analysis for the field service sector that is essential reading for any field service executives that wish to stay in touch with what is driving our industry forward.
Thomas Igou, Editorial Director, Copperberg
Igou has been integral to Copperberg’s continued success and growth in the European field service conference circuit, In fact with five industry focussed events now running across the continent that should be of interest to senior field service and aftermarket executives, Copperberg are firmly established central pillar within the European field service community, and Igou sits proudly at the heart of that. In his role as Editorial Director, Igou is responsible for making sure the key topics in the industry are raised and the leading thinkers within our space are given a voice.
A key influencer within our industry.
Mark Holleran, COO, Xplore Technologies
Under Holleran’s leadership Xplore Technologies acquired Motion Computing and became the 2nd largest manufacturer of rugged tablets in the world.
Holleran is a man who not only truly understands the different sectors his clients operate in but also who truly appreciates the importance of understanding his customers’ work-flows and therefore their technological needs.
A perfect case in point being the inclusion of a HDMI in on their XSLATE D10 rugged tablet, which makes it a perfect device for Telco and Pay TV engineers needing to test signals - which is exactly why it is there.
We don’t expect anything other than rugged tablets to be coming out of Xplore, but we do expect them to keep delivering best-in-class products in this form factor. As Holleran says “that’s what we do and we are the worlds best at it.
Dr John Erkoyuncu, Through-life Engineering Services Institute, Cranfield University
Erkoyuncu takes over from Professor Howard Lightfoot as a representative of Cranfield University in the #FSN20 this year, however it isn’t just a straight like for like swap. Whilst the two worked together at the Through Life Services Institute, Erkoyuncu’s place on this year list is based primarily around the work he is doing in both industrial maintenance simulation and also augmented reality, and as such we believe he will be a key commentator and influencer on our sector in the years to come.
Jonathan Massoud, Divisional Director & Market Analyst Field Service, WBR
Massoud’s role as Divisional Director at WBR puts him in control of a number of the industry’s key events including Field Service USA which is the jewel in the crown as the key point in the USA field service calender.
In addition to Field Service USA, WBR also run a number of important industry focussed events including Field Service Medical and Field Service Europe and in his role as Divisional Director Massoud is directly involved with each of the events and responsible for delivering industry leading content to keep field service professionals up to date with the key trends with in the industry. Massoud is also responsible for overseeing WBR’s research and a respected analyst within the sector
Sumair Dutta, Customer Satisfaction Officer, The Service Council
Chief Customer Officer for The Service Council™ Dutta is responsible for new member acquisition, member engagement, community expansion, as well as the development and expansion of TSC’s Smarter Services oriented research agenda and portfolio.
He is also heavily involved in The Service Council’s ability to provide service executives the ability to benchmark their operations and also provide guided insight to improve service organisation performance through dedicated research programs. Dutta also plays a key role in building out TSC’s community platform focused on becoming the single source of information and networking for service executives globally and is a prolific author on the matter of field service.
Click here to see page two of the 2017 #FSN20
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Mar 03, 2017 • Andy Neely • FSN20 • Future of FIeld Service • Jan Van Veen • Local Government • Momentum Framework • Noventum • Oneserve • Chris Proctor • Hilebrand • housing association • Institute for Manufacturing • Rustema • Servitization
Who are the most influential people in the global field service sector that you need to pay attention to in 2017?
Who are the most influential people in the global field service sector that you need to pay attention to in 2017?
The Field Service News #FSN20 is our list of the individuals we believe will be key influencers in our industry across the next twelve months. Those included in the list have been selected by our own panel of industry insiders, who were given the simple criteria of identifying people who will have a significant impact on field service thinking.
However, more than just an annual list of 20 individuals the #FSN20 has grown since it’s launch to become a true celebration of excellence and innovation within our industry.
There are some familiar names and some new faces on this years list and as always we don’t expect everyone to agree with our selection – at it’s heart the #FSN20 was conceived as a tool to get everyone in our industry thinking about who it is that they have come across in the global field service sector that has made them think, who has made them question the accepted paradigms, who has inspired them to do just one little thing more in their own day to day role.
The #FSN20 is not just about the list our panel has put together. It is about fostering discussion that celebrates the unsung heroes of the field service sector. So look out for the online version of this list as well to take part in the debate.
But for now, ladies and gentleman and without further a do, in no particular order, we are pleased to introduce the #FSN20 of 2017…
Click here to see page one of the 2017 #FSN20
Click here to see page two of the 2017 #FSN20
Chris Proctor, CEO, Oneserve
With their relatively niche operating background primarily serving the UK local government and housing sector Oneserve may not be a company that are as well known as some of their competitors within the FSM solution space, however, there is no denying that in Proctor they have a CEO who isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers.
He has called for the Field Service Management software industry to stop “holding innovation hostage” and under his leadership the organisation have won some significant contracts away from their ‘home turf’ of the housing sector including Pay TV leaders Sky and construction giants Kier.
Having been promoted to CEO from Marketing and Sales Director in just 8 months with the company Proctor is a young, dynamic leader who is not afraid of controversy if it means raising awareness of issues within the industry.
Professor Andy Neely, Head of the Institute for Manufacturing, Cambridge University
Professor Andy Neely is Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Enterprise and Business Relations at the University of Cambridge and also Head of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) and Head of the Manufacturing and Management Division of Cambridge University Engineering Department.
In his role as a Founding Director of the Cambridge Service Alliance he is widely recognised for his work on the servitization of manufacturing, as well as his work on performance measurement and management and as such is often seen chairing sessions in the field service sector.
Hilbrand Rustema, Managing Director, Noventum Service Management
As service management consultancy spanning three continents. With over 200 successful projects and a proven track record of improving growth and profitability Noventum are a tour de force and are firmly established as the leading consultancy within the field service industry.
Hilbrand Rustema has been a driving force in that development and continues to lead the business having been at the heart of evolving service thinking for many, many years.
Jan Van Veen, Managing Director, Van Veen Business Innovation
One of the founding partners of Noventum, Van Veen is now working under his own brand and is currently developing a framework for companies to be able to develop continuous momentum based on a series of detailed benchmarking and researching projects.
A broad and ambitious project, but Van Veen has the background and insight to be able to deliver what should be highly powerful business tool.
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Mar 02, 2017 • Features • Management • Cranfield University • Maximize Europe • No Fault Found • John Erkoyuncu
The challenge of No Fault Found (NFF) diagnosis is possibly the most frustrating situation for both your field service engineers and customers alike. However, left unchecked NFF has the potential to have an even greater negative impact on a field...
The challenge of No Fault Found (NFF) diagnosis is possibly the most frustrating situation for both your field service engineers and customers alike. However, left unchecked NFF has the potential to have an even greater negative impact on a field service organisation. To find out more we spoke to Dr John Erkoyuncu from Cranfield University having earlier seen him give a fascinating presentation on the topic at last year’s Maximize Europe event...
No Fault Found (NFF) can be perhaps the most frustrating end result in any field service visit.
At last year’s Maximize event hosted by ServiceMax in Amsterdam towards the end of the year, Dr John Erkoyuncu of Cranfield University gave a fantastic speech on this topic which had the majority of the audience nodding-along in both empathy as they heard him discuss the issue and in agreement as he looked at the potential size of impact NFF can have on our industry.
Field Service News were able to catch up with Erkoyuncu during the conference to find out more about his thoughts on the topic.
What is No Fault Found?
For those unfamiliar to the terminology NFF or sometimes referred to as No Trouble Found (NTF) is the phenomenon whereby an engineer is unable to diagnose why a fault that has been reported is occurring.
As Erkoyuncu explains “No Fault Found is the case where you have a fault that is reported, you go and try to do some diagnosis and you just can’t find a root cause for what the fault is.”
“As a result of this you end up in a situation where it is unclear what you should do next. You could go back and do some more diagnostic testing and try to drill down to what the cause is - but at this point you don’t know if you should be replacing the item of repairing it.”
Often this decision will be locked between the pressures of being time critical and keeping your customers happy on one side, against possibly unnecessary costs - which when stacked up could serously eat into overall profits, on the other.
In fact, NFF is one of the biggest challenges field service companies face in terms of being able to find suitable resolutions whilst being assured these decisions are made based on a standpoint of best practice and well-educated assumptions.
This issue can of course lead to understandable tensions between manufacturer, service providers and their shared customers.
You are in a situation where you as the manufacturer or service provider can’t in fact explain to the customer what is driving their issue. This is in some ways embarrassing and of course the customer doesn’t want to be paying for a service that has not resolved his problem
“So you have problems in terms of who is paying for the service and whose responsibility it is to fix it. It really is a grey area as it is uncertain as to what’s happened or not and whether that falls within the scope of a warranty.”
“It becomes a matter of trust. From the maintainers, to the solution provider to the customer everyone is facing a challenge.”
The changing ownership of NFF This of course can lead to issues in relationships, with faith being eroded amongst the various parties. This in itself has numerous costs but is it possible to identify a tangible cost of NFF?
“We did a survey with the UK No Fault Found working group and what we were trying to understand was what is the cost of no fault found and who bears this cost,” Erkoyuncu explains.
“What we found was that a large chunk of the overall cost, something like 50 to 60% is taken on by the customer. Whilst this is an average figure it just shows that typically the customer has to take on the ownership of No Fault Found.”
“The amount that the OEM and the supply chain takes on varies between 10 and 30% depending on contracts, which is then shared between the supply chain and the OEM.”
“It just shows that typically it is the customer taking on the costs and as we begin to look at outcome based contracts this simply cannot continue. More and more the OEM and the supply chain will have to start taking on the cost of No Fault Found and this is why awareness of this issue is surely going to grow.”
The actual cost of No Fault Found
Whilst there are of course some easily identifiable calculable costs that Erkoyuncu and his colleagues were able to utilise in their study, there are also numerous softer, intangible effects that service providers and OEMs must be aware of also - which can have significant negative impact on a business.
“The intangible aspects are things like reputation” explains Erkoyuncu “Companies could well lose contracts as a result of not dealing with NFF in an acceptable manner, you may lose the trust that you have built over so many years - how can you quantify that? I’m not sure and I’m not sure if anyone could even begin to quantify that.”
When you are estimating things like cost or even R.O.I for being proactive with no fault found we need to find some numbers against the intangible impact as well.
“For example some people in the audience at today’s session [at Maximize Europe] commented that they felt the customer was really important so they just went ahead and replaced the item.”
“That is the kind of thing you are going to experience just because of that intangible factor.
You don’t know what the fault is, but you do know you don’t want to damage the relationship with the customer.”
How to avoid No Fault Found
It is evident then that NFF could have a significant growing impact for many companies, particularly as outcome based contracts become more in vogue. But is there anything that companies can be doing to help them overcome a problem that is by it’s very essence shrouded in mystery and enigma?
“I think there are multiple things related to this,”Erkoyuncu opens.
Are we designing systems that are fault tolerant to begin with? Is there redundancy built in?
“So one area to address is can we design systems that don’t create problems related to NFF?”
“Another area is around behaviour and people,” Erkoyuncu continues.
“Are they being trained properly? Have they got the right incentive structure? For example let’s look at a case where by a field service engineer is paid on the basis of how many times he fixes an item. If they can’t fix it and they can’t define what the problem is - they don’t get paid. So are they then likely to report on NFF properly.”
“There is a big data issue as well and there is also a major issue around whether the data that is available is comprehensive and robust enough - so, there is an additional challenge here too.”
“Therefore, understanding the trends and identifying what the root problems are is quite hard, as the information is not stored properly.”
“Reporting is absolutely a major challenge, as is diagnostic testing. Is it being undertaken properly?
Is the right tool kit being used. Those things are very important as well as you want to be able to very quickly diagnose the conditions,” he adds.
Key steps to overcoming the challenges of No Fault Found
This is obviously a highly prevalent challenge across the industry and one that as mentioned previously is only set to become magnified as business models of OEMs shift towards servitization.
However, here are some key steps that Erkoyuncu recommends that can help field service providers minimise the potential impact of NFF on their own businesses.
“I think the solution to this is a mixture of technology as well as behavioural and process oriented aspects as well,” Erkoyuncu begins.
“I don’t think there is a single solution. We need to look at things like diagnostic testing for intermittent faults. Companies like Rolls Royce and BAE have started using things like environmental chambers. What this does is allow you to simulate the various environmental conditions to allow you to see quickly what the problem is for specific components”
Companies need to consider how their actual technicians providing the maintenance are behaving and then alongside this assess whether their that organisational culture is actually fostering the types of behaviour that they are looking to avoid
One other very practical piece of advice is to clearly identify your organisations position on NFF within SLA and Warranty contracts.
“This is absolutely and important step,” says Erkoyuncu.
“When you consider the example of FlyBe - they presented some results about the number of NFF they experienced over a set period and they highlighted that about 20% of their service calls were related to NFF.”
“Just looking at this one example you could wipe out all your profits if you ignore the NFF challenge so it should be clearly defined within contracts.”
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Feb 28, 2017 • video • drones • field service • Glympse • UPS • Parts Pricing and Logistics
Logistics provider UPS recently showcased a working prototype of a drone solution that launches from the top of a delivery truck. The test which was conducted in collaboration with drone-maker Workhorse echoes a proposed means of using drones within...
Logistics provider UPS recently showcased a working prototype of a drone solution that launches from the top of a delivery truck. The test which was conducted in collaboration with drone-maker Workhorse echoes a proposed means of using drones within a delivery mechanism suggested by Ralph Rio, A Research Director with the ARC group which Field Service News reported on back in December 2013 whereby drones are used to augmented existing delivery drivers capabilities whilst they are in the field rather than deliver packages straight from the depot.
UPS believe that sending drones to make deliveries from package cars could bolster efficiency in their network by reducing miles driven across their delivery route and whilst the test was for residential delivery, a similar approach could potentially be adapted for delivery of parts to field service technicians - particularly if combined with other technology such as the location based services offered by organisations such as Glympse.
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Feb 24, 2017 • Features • Connected Field Service • Future of FIeld Service • Microsoft Field Service • Carsten Groth • cloud • field service • IoT • Sentiment Analysis
Kris Oldland, talks to the ever effervescent Carsten Groth, Technology Solutions Professional with Microsoft Field Service, to discuss what field service will look like in the not so distant future...
Kris Oldland, talks to the ever effervescent Carsten Groth, Technology Solutions Professional with Microsoft Field Service, to discuss what field service will look like in the not so distant future...
There are some people who have a such a clear passion for what they do it is palpably infectious, you can literally see the effect they have on those around them.
I find such people are usually a joy to talk to and so when I caught up with Carsten Groth, a Technology Solution Professional working with Microsoft, for the first time in a year or so (at the industry conference Field Service Europe) it was a true joy to see that there was an almost childlike excitement in his eyes.
He had just given a presentation discussing how and what Microsoft are terming connected field service and it is clear that it is a topic that seems to truly capture Groth’s natural passion for technology and harness it into something resembling true exhilaration.
It’s what makes him such a great ambassador for his company and such an engaging speaker. However, with Microsoft’s own field service focussed offering rapidly evolving and spreading it’s technological wings he seems to have cranked the passion all the way up to 11.
“There are complicated processes that need to be rethought, it’s like working in a big think tank around where is field service heading in 2020?” Is his first response when I ask him what developments are being focussed on in Microsoft’s Field Service team.
However, Groth is quite right to be excited by the new IoT enabled world we will all soon be occupying.
We often talk about revolutions in business but truly have we truly seen a revolution in field service on a par with what the near future promises to deliver.
If we are honest our industry that hasn’t massively changed even with the rise of mobile computing. Yet, what we are now seeing is true evolution, field service 2.0.
Now we have augmented and virtual reality in the mix as well as cloud services and of course IoT and these are all enablers to all these field services as well.
“The way we see it and the way Microsoft has started to think of field service, is in terms of what are the new field service enablers,” he begins.
“To begin there are the classical elements, things like the dispatching and scheduling elements and then there are also some influential parts coming from the mobile side of that, turning the mobile experience into more task oriented, check list oriented and more efficient UI oriented functionalities.”
“But now we have augmented and virtual reality in the mix as well as cloud services and of course IoT and these are all enablers to all these field services as well.”
And it is these enablers that are changing every part of both service providers and their customers thinking around field service. Although the introduction of new technologies, which lead to new processes, will also bring with them new challenges as well.
“When you think about an on-site service for a washing machine, in the past it may have taken 60 minutes and as a customer I would be billed for 60 minutes worth of work,” Groth explains.
“But now I see that the field service engineer has far more capabilities enabled by technology so am I still willing to be charged for 60 minutes when he is now doing the same job within 15 in minutes. Obviously I am not”
“If I then see a field service engineer struggling with that same task which I have just looked up online, a task I now know should take less than 15 minutes. Am I going to think it is fair for his company to be charging me an hours work when he should only be spending a quarter of an hour working?”
“By having all these influential cards we see that the customer has more influence and more impact than they have ever had in the past,” Groth adds.
It is a very valid point and it is absolutely vital that field service organisations understand that whilst technology will undoubtedly revolutionise our industry for the better in the coming years, it will also create new challenges that we must be prepared to face.
So how does this not so distant future look to Groth and his colleagues at Microsoft?
“We are driving forward from the term connected field service because we are talking about connected things that have an influence on field service. We are talking about IoT but not only that - also for example, sentiments coming from omni-channels.”
“For example, in my generation if I got stuck in an elevator then the first thing I would do would be to push the assistance button. But the generation following mine may be more inclined to pull out their phone and tell the world they are stuck in an elevator made by x,y or z. They’ll probably do this even before they think of pressing the emergency button to get rescued!”
Of course this type of thinking wouldn’t be at all possible without Cloud computing and the all encompassing, pervasive connectivity that it can deliver
Of course this type of thinking wouldn’t be at all possible without Cloud computing and the all encompassing, pervasive connectivity that it can deliver. Is this why we suddenly see Microsoft, Salesforce, Oracle, stepping heavily into the field service sector, once more? Is the future a world of integrated platforms with FSM systems being an integral part of a much wider operational ecosystem?
“I do think we’ll see a movement where we will see the niche players who are offering very specialised FSM software, who are focussed on specific productivity sets, having to step out of their niche,” Groth replies.
“I think they will need to move towards a broader set of thinking as they will only be able to enable the use case scenario if they take into account more things. It’s a bit like building a house.”
“If you’re designing a house as an architect you need to be way more efficient than just designing the shell of the house. You need to have all these different parameters around how are we building the house.”
“I think this is where we see the movement inside field service. It’s not only about thinking ‘I want to enable my field service engineer to do things more efficiently and more productively’. We now must think ‘I want to enable all the kind of things for on-site service as well as customer satisfaction.’”
The shift to servitization is one driver for technology but I think there are a lot of other influential parts enabled by technology. It is also based in part on a generational thing.
Does Groth see the current focus on servitization as being driven by the technology available or is the opposite true - and it is in fact a desire to servitize our businesses that is leading us to seek out technology solutions more aggressively?
“The shift to servitization is one driver for technology but I think there are a lot of other influential parts enabled by technology. It is also based in part on a generational thing. The younger generation playing around with all sorts of technologies and asking why they can’t use these in their day to day business?”
“For instance, we’ve had customers requesting to use WhatsApp for their chat mechanism for field service. We asked why do you specifically want to use WhatsApp? We do offer a solution that offers the same capabilities but it was a generational step up with this product line. They knew how to use it and were familiar with it, they didn’t need training and could just get on with it.”
Regardless of the drivers which as Groth points out are in fact numerous, the fact is that technology is playing an ever increasing role in field service management, and now more than ever before it is beginning to shape how we work and importantly also how we interact with our customers.
“As I said, there is this enablement where we get more knowledge on the side of the customer,’ he reflects.
“We need to think how does connected field service, how do vendors like Microsoft, help our customers empower their own customers.”
“This is actually what Microsoft does with our entire partner ecosystem. It’s the way we are thinking. How do we empower users, not businesses to do more and be more productive.”
“We are thinking how do we step out of the box of FSM only and we need to think about IoT from the consumer side and business side. Changing the way companies think about doing business with field service operational software.”
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Feb 23, 2017 • News • MArne MArtin • Mergers and Acquisitions • Diversis • Ron Nayot • servicepower • Software and Apps
ServicePower, a market leader in mobile workforce management software, announced recently that the acquisition by Diversis Capital and subsequent delisting from the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange has been completed. Diversis will provide...
ServicePower, a market leader in mobile workforce management software, announced recently that the acquisition by Diversis Capital and subsequent delisting from the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange has been completed. Diversis will provide ServicePower with financial investment and business expertise to help it achieve long term growth and promote the ongoing successes of its partners, employees and customers, building upon the Company’s successful 2016 performance which featured double-digit revenue growth and EBITDA profitability.
Through the deployment of its transformational technology used by some of the largest companies in manufacturing, insurance, security, utilities and telecom, ServicePower helps any field based business with high-value assets or high job volume to grow revenues, add additional lines of service, and improve customer satisfaction resulting in rapid return on investment. ServicePower is the leader in working with customers to optimise the use of employed and extended workforces, allowing its customers to embrace the latest technology and business process innovations, including enabling “Uber-like” capabilities.
We believe market demand will continue to increase for the Company’s mobile workforce solutions - Ron Nayot, Diversis
“We really want to push the boundaries of what is possible so that our clients can deliver personalized services in the field that are remarkable, that make them stand out from the crowd in the eye of their customers,” said Marne Martin, CEO of ServicePower. “As a private company with the backing of a well-respected investment firm like Diversis, we can move faster and push harder than ever on the roll out of our industry-best artificial intelligence engine for scheduling, leadership in extended workforce management, and focused development for the core markets we serve. We are in a much better position to deliver on our considerable ambitions with both the financial and business guidance Diversis provides. We anticipate great success and continued growth.”
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Feb 22, 2017 • Hardware • News • Mark Holleran • Michael Kelly • Xplore • CLS • rugged tablet • Sattelite Communications • Thorium X
The world's longest-establish rugged tablet PC maker, Xplore Technologies, has partnered with CLS America to launch the Thorium X, a first-in-class satellite communications tablet system based on the Xplore XSLATE D10 Android rugged tablet PC,...
The world's longest-establish rugged tablet PC maker, Xplore Technologies, has partnered with CLS America to launch the Thorium X, a first-in-class satellite communications tablet system based on the Xplore XSLATE D10 Android rugged tablet PC, meaning "off-the-grid" workers in the UK and Europe can maintain operations almost regardless.
Xplore has received an initial order from OEM customer CLS for 1,000 XSLATE D10 units and will fulfill follow-on orders as needed. It is now available in the UK and Europe.
Thorium X comes with the Thorium Application for immediate use of satellite email, weather, mapping and more. Thorium X also comes with a ThoriumWeb account, so users can log on and see their locations, the data moving through the system, electronic forms results, connected sensor values and a number of other features.
Thorium X is priced at $2,299.00 (satellite and Wifi) and $2,499.00 with cellular. There is a range of satellite service packages available, starting at $20 per month plus usage charges.
We know that communications challenges in places or during times when no cellular or WiFi is available costs global industries and governments millions of dollars.Thorium X now allows people to stay connected via satellite 100% of the time
The Intel-powered Thorium X features an integrated Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) modem and flexible satellite antenna that significantly expands the reliability, speed, and cost-effectiveness of mobile communications. As a result, users will be able to maintain continuity in their professional activities from any remote location around the globe – and most likely at a lower cost than most cellular data plans.
Michael Kelly of CLS America said: “We know that communications challenges in places or during times when no cellular or WiFi is available costs global industries and governments millions of dollars.Thorium X now allows people to stay connected via satellite 100% of the time, and at a fraction of the cost of satellite phones.”
In fact, Thorium X users will have the unprecedented ability to access email, view statistical reports of missions, engage in M2M communication and monitoring, and send electronic forms – among other critical tasks – via satellite in real time. A bright, 10.1” outdoor viewable screen and Glove Touch capabilities make it easy to conduct secure, TPM 1.2-protected transactions day or not, even in inclement weather. Thorium X software solutions are also available as a tablet app and desktop platform to securely facilitate mapping functions, deliver weather reports, and perform data compilation and transmissions in real-time via the rugged satellite tablet.
Michael Kelly added: “The launch of Thorium X means that users no longer have to rely solely on WiFi or cellular network connections. This is a huge win for people and teams who work in remote areas, or during times that other communications have been compromised, especially those supporting global operations related to emergency management, military, environmental monitoring, government, fisheries, and other field-centric industries."
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Feb 20, 2017 • Features • Management • Abbott Laboratories • Amos Schneller • Jeff Yates • Karl Geffken • Luminex • med-tec • Medical • Medivators • Medtronic • Richard Wolf Medical Instrument • WBR • bioMérieux • Boston Scientific • Carl Zeiss • Catherine Read • Dan Barnett • Field Service Medical • healthcare • Steve Nava • Tom Buckley
Starting out as a specific day to the Field Service USA program in 2011, the medical device attendees were so hungry for a more focused agenda that Field Service Medical ran as a separate event come 2012 and is now the premiere event for service...
Starting out as a specific day to the Field Service USA program in 2011, the medical device attendees were so hungry for a more focused agenda that Field Service Medical ran as a separate event come 2012 and is now the premiere event for service executives in the med-tec space. Jonathan Massoud, Divisional Director WBR talks us through the latest industry trends and gives us a look at what to expect at this year's event...
Thinking of going but still not got your tickets? Field Service News readers are entitled to a 25% discount to this event. Visit: fs-ne.ws/6Gfp308FA2N and use the code FSM17FSNEWS
Every OEM that we surveyed in the lead up to the creation of 2017’s agenda mentioned regulatory guidelines and compliance as a concern. Right now, compliance becomes more critical as the FDA’s current focus is on third party providers and their relationship with OEMs.
Strict guidelines are a necessity. In a life or death setting, there is no time for faulty equipment.
There is a reason why OEMs are concerned, however.
These very regulations can impede innovation.
For example, apps built within a CRM that are not “quality certified” get shut down. Due to the sheer number of spare parts, regulatory bodies are forced to cherry pick what, when, and where they’re going to enforce.
Unless you are a big hospital or facility, JCAHO cannot enforce everything 100% of the time, creating an inconsistency in who is being carefully watched over.
Still, medical device equipment, spare parts, and how the technician fixes the machine have to comply with a multitude of rules. And as long as there is consistency and a quick turnaround process for approval, the OEM can appreciate this.
[quote]Despite how much compliance crackdowns may hinder ingenuity, money is continually poured into R&D for new products since the industry is fueled by the moralistic end-goal of improving quality of life.
Despite how much compliance crackdowns may hinder ingenuity, money is continually poured into R&D for new products since the industry is fueled by the moralistic end-goal of improving quality of life.
According to MDDI in a telling article entitled American Medtech Market to Grow 6.4% Annually Through 2017, “By 2016 the medical device market is projected to reach $134 billion.”
As this industry grows in revenue, there is a bigger focus on after-market service quality to create a brand differentiator, as they are selling to an increasingly shrinking customer.
Service needs a PR makeover. Customers are demanding more than just having a tech come over to fix a machine when it breaks. In fact, they want to see diagnostics tools being used so that the machine doesn’t break in the first place – or at the very least have a tech fix the problem remotely.
While it was once considered just a cost, service has a new role in revenue production, with some companies already having their service and sales departments integrated.
Due to this focus on cross-functional integration, OEM executives have finally come to realise that after-market service is a critical component to the customer’s experience.
This leads us to Field Service Medical 2017:
Day 1: Be Proactive Rather than Reactive:
- Create a business case for IoT to implement the right technologies for your organisation
- Be prepared for the shift and strategise how each department will be responsible for the technology before it is implemented
- Understand how end-users evaluate your product to drive operational decisions for delivery
Key sessions:
- ‘Can You Hear Me Now?’ Get Customer Metrics Through Your Call Centers – Tom Buckley, Director, Global Technical Service, Boston Scientific
- Workshop: Take a (Strategic) Leap Towards Connected Devices – Dan Barnett, Director, Customer Service, Abbott Laboratories
Day 2: Reinvigorate Your Culture
- Utilise service as a brand differentiator rather than a cost-reduction and implement this into your training and philosophy
- Navigate a complex regulatory environment by knowing what is in the pipeline and gaining clarity on gray areas surrounding third parties
- Identify the relevant metrics for measuring service success to actually tell a customer experience story with your data
Key sessions:
- Panel: What’s Unique about Your Service Solutions? – Amos Schneller, VP, Global Service and Technical Support, Medivators; Steve Nava, Director, Field Service Americas, Luminex; Ed Klosterman, Director, U.S. Field Service Operations, bioMérieux
- We’re Engaged: Training a Field Service Team Despite Long Distance – Steve Nava,Director, Field Service Americas, Luminex[/unordered_list]
Day 3: Achieve Cross-Functional Integration
- Overcome the bias about siloed roles and implement service into your R&D, marketing, and sales team right from the start
- Integrate service and sales to create a dual-sided profit center, selling service as a product
- Collaborate better with your marketing and IT team to get the service message across more effectively
Key sessions:
- Service is a Product – How to Sell it That Way! – Jeff Yates, National Service and Repair Manager, U.S., Richard Wolf Medical Instrument
- Panel: Shift from Customer Service to Customer – Karl Geffken, Senior Director, Marketing - Global Services, Medtronic; Catherine Read, Director, Customer Engagement, Carl Zeiss
Thinking of going but still not got your tickets? Field Service News readers are entitled to a 25% discount to this event. Visit: fs-ne.ws/6Gfp308FA2N and use the code FSM17FSNEWS
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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