The field service industry is changing rapidly, Nick Frank, Managing Partner, Frank Partners looks at how we can benefit most from the rapidly developing tools and strategies becoming available...
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 08, 2016 • Features • Management • Nick Frank • Servitization
The field service industry is changing rapidly, Nick Frank, Managing Partner, Frank Partners looks at how we can benefit most from the rapidly developing tools and strategies becoming available...
If 2015 was the year that IoT & Analytics became mainstream business terminology, then perhaps in 2016 leaders will focus more on how to use these capabilities to gain competitive advantage and growth.
Although some serious use cases are now emerging from industrial companies, most CEO’s and directors I meet are still asking the question:
‘How do we develop the opportunity?’
Perhaps one reason that most companies are struggling with this question is that despite what business leaders say about being ‘customer focused’, the sad fact is that often they only concentrate on ‘customer needs’.
By applying Service Thinking, companies can understand where the profit pools and opportunities lie within the ecosystem of stakeholders that make up the Industry Supply Chain.
Customer insight goes much deeper and explores how customers and potentially their customer make money.
By applying Service Thinking, companies can understand where the profit pools and opportunities lie within the ecosystem of stakeholders that make up the Industry Supply Chain.
With this insight, they can develop product, services and technologies that can drive growth.
So as you ponder how to move forward in what are unsettling times, you might consider these six strategies to maximise the value of your businesses knowhow:
1. Understand the Value Iceberg
If you look at the total cost of offering an industrial solution, you will find that the product element only directly makes up between 5% and 30%.
It is a bit like an iceberg.
Above the waterline it is possible to clearly identify the costs that are directly associated with the product itself. Below the waterline there will be hidden costs associated with the solution. Some can be allocated to the production process such as maintenance, people raw material, energy, assembly, down time, warranty etc.
Moving deeper into the iceberg there are costs that can be allocated as ‘production overhead’ such as purchasing, logistics, engineering, quality, implementation support, legal compliance and management overhead. Here are also found costs that are associated with the lifecycle of the solution such as field & technical service, parts, account management and financing. Then in the depths there are far more intangible costs of risk & uncertainty that significantly influence the decision making process of managers.
This Value Iceberg concept applies to nearly all product and technology based businesses, but its composition is very specific to the industry and customer context. Understanding it can help answer the question; ‘Where do my customers capture value and how can we use our know-how to help them grow revenue and profit?’ The most profitable companies in the world know what is below the waterline and target these areas of value for their products and services.
2. Where and what influence does a business have on the industry value chain
Understanding where value is created in the industry supply chain can help companies capture profitable growth. This can be illustrated through two examples:
Selling further up the value chain:
There are many companies who appear to be a supplier of a commodity product, but realise that if they sell further up the industry value chain to the OEM or even the end customer, that they can design themselves into the product such that even though they are on the end of the supply chain, they are specified as the supplier and avoid price erosion.
Frequently component suppliers will offer Application Engineering Services that engage with the OEM design engineers in order to be specified on the production drawing.
Consolidating elements of the supply chain into a service:
Frequently one sees suppliers of commodity products changing their position in the industry chain by offering services that consolidate and replace some key elements. A good example would be providing logistics services.
Some companies will provide their products on a just-in-time basis to line-side, taking cost off the balance sheet and simplifying their customers internal logistics processes. Others will not only support their own products, but supply spare parts or even maintenance services for their competitors. Both services affect the profit pools within the industry chain.
3. Access value through the product
Having understood the ‘Value Iceberg’ and the industry chain, companies can design their product to target specific elements of hidden value under the waterline. For example, niche fastener manufacturers who can generate an EBITDA over 30% by focusing on saving assembly costs with their ‘simple’ fastening solutions.
Or the tyre manufacturer who understands that 50% of the haulage industry costs is fuel, and that they can design products that can significantly impact their customers' profitability.
4. Access value through services and solutions
There is a growing awareness that adding services to products can help access even more of the value that lies below the water line. This has led to companies offering asset management type solutions that include remote, preventive and predictive maintenance as well as guaranteeing equipment availability in order to maximise raw material throughput. But this is just the tip of the iceberg so to speak.
Some industry leaders see so much hidden value under the waterline, they are creating new service based business models to tap into this growth opportunity
These new ‘Servitization’ or outcome based business models require a much deeper understanding of the available profit pools that can be accessed by companies, if they are to be successful. Many of these services rely on data and analytics. By understanding where a company can make a real difference to their customer’s profitability, prioritisation of new technologies such as the IoT, big data analytics and mobility, becomes far more targeted than it is today.
5. Product Design / Service value Trade off
As outcome based services become more popular, it forces alignment between the customers' and suppliers' objectives. If a tyre is sold by the kilometre, then the design and service must deliver the lowest overall cost of performance over the life of the product. Even in more traditional business models, there is a realisation that the installed base represents a significant revenue opportunity versus new build.
There are many businesses who for every new machine sold, might have anywhere between 10 and 100 pieces of equipment already in the field. The installed base represents a large revenue opportunity!
In both these cases the trade-off in the product design between product cost and service value could have significant financial consequences. For example, with the manufacture selling tyres by the kilometre, a saving in the tyre cost which creates higher service costs will impact the profitability.
Designing services into the product such as remote connectivity, could enable a growth in service revenues that is far larger than the increase in the product cost.
This more holistic approach to value over the products life is a change in mind-set for most product-orientated companies.
This has significant implication on culture, KPIs and organisational design if a company is to maximise it profit over the assets life.
6. Managing Risk & Uncertainty
As companies take on more responsibility in their customers’ business processes, so their perspective on business risk must adjust.
While they have the opportunity to earn more margin, they also have to become better at managing risk and safeguard the value they have won.
Indeed, many companies will often unnecessarily shy away from profitable opportunities because of this lack of understanding.
It is a complex trade-off, but it is important to first be clear about the difference between uncertainty and risk.
Uncertainty is when there is variability in the outcome of an event caused by the environment, human error or lack of knowledge.
Uncertainty is a fact of life and so we must develop solutions/ processes to dynamically manage these unknowns.
For large contracts this is a highly complex challenge, but there are three good pointers that can help all businesses:
[ordered_list style="decimal"]
- Identify areas of uncertainty
- Develop processes that actively manage uncertainty in the product service delivery
- Ensure transparency of data through the life cycle requirements to aid fast decision making
[/ordered_list]
Risk is a special uncertainty where negative consequences affect the overall performance.
This means ensuring your business can cover a worst case scenario, however unpleasant.
Managing uncertainty well, decreases but does not eliminate risk.
These six strategies can help all businesses create and safeguard value.
If incorporated into a company's thinking, they can help companies manage the value they already deliver more effectively.
More importantly it can help them to clearly identify the opportunities where they can grow their business through products service solutions.
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Mar 07, 2016 • Features • Dashboards • Future of FIeld Service • Knowledge Sharing • big data • trends for 2016
Welcome to the final part of this series on the key trends to have an impact on field service organisations in 2016
Welcome to the final part of this series on the key trends to have an impact on field service organisations in 2016
In previous features in this series we’ve touched on servitization in part one, IoT and AR in part two Smart Glasses and Rugged Computing in part three…, and optimised scheduling and connected vehicles in part four
Now as we bring this series to a close we look at to key tools field service managers should be implementing this year. Knowledge sharing platforms and easy reporting solutions…
Knowledge sharing projects will become high priority...
Another year gone and another year closer to an impending ageing workforce crisis for an awful lot of field service companies.
With the number of field service engineers in their mid forties and fifties there is a distinct danger that companies are facing a huge problem not just in the sheer numbers of field service engineers that will need replacing but also in the very real possibility that when these engineers leave, not only will their experience leave with them but also so will their knowledge.
With the number of field service engineers in their mid forties and fifties there is a distinct danger that companies are facing a huge problem not just in the sheer numbers of field service engineers that will need replacing but also in the very real possibility that when these engineers leave, not only will their experience leave with them but also so will their knowledge
The Baby Boomers for example are hoarders of knowledge, having worked long and hard to gain their experience they were it like a badge of honour and may not necessarily feel comfortable giving that experience away for free.
Millennials on the other hand are ‘Google Natives’, born into a world of social sharing and online collaboration, for them the first thing to do when faced with a challenge to which they don’t know the answer is not to research the topic in a book but to ask their social circle.
The challenge that many field service companies is getting their existing workforce to participate in knowledge sharing platforms, and ensuring that the platform they are building has a familiarity and strong UI that will engage the next generation of field service engineers as they come through.
Fortunately tools like AR can help overcome both challenges by recording remote engineers calls and strong them digitally.
However, regardless of how companies approach the implementation of developing a knowledge bank, it will be a high priority for the majority of field service organisations and those that don’t do so soon could be in a lot of hot water the longer they wait.
Easy reporting will become a key priority for field service companies
Finally we can’t have a top ten about business trends, without mentioning Big Data somewhere can we?
I often say that problem with Big Data for so many people is that it is very often a completely intangible concept.
However, the emergence of dashboards as a business tool in field service is essentially what Big Data is all about.
We can talk about the four V’s (veracity, volume, velocity and variety) or about things like Hadoop or MapR for ever but only a handful of folks really get it
All most of us want to know about Big Data is can it help me see ‘insert relevant business challenge of the day here’. And that’s exactly what many FSM software providers are now promising.
And in today’s world where service is a key differentiator, and where service excellence sits alongside productivity as the two leading KPIs for many field service companies, then the old adage of ‘you can’t manage what you can measure’ holds as much weight as ever.
So as with scheduling, those companies looking at a new FSM solution in 2016 should ensure that the tool they opt for has all the reporting capabilities they could possibly need as instant reporting and easy access to data becomes standard.
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Mar 04, 2016 • Features • interview • Optimisation • IFS • scheduling • Software and Apps
Optimised scheduling remains an absolutely crucial tool for many field service companies and one that could improve many other companies’ efficiency and productivity levels if they were to adopt such a system. On a recent Field Service News webinar...
Optimised scheduling remains an absolutely crucial tool for many field service companies and one that could improve many other companies’ efficiency and productivity levels if they were to adopt such a system. On a recent Field Service News webinar based on this topic, Kris Oldland interviewed scheduling expert Daryl Dudey from IFS to find out more…
KO: What is a typical timeframe from modelling a scheduling solution through to actual implementation?
DD: There are several things that affect that.
Firstly how driven a company is but also how large the organisation is. If we are dealing with smaller teams we can roll out a bit quicker, so we could even be talking weeks moving from pilot to live, if we are talking about a larger organisation with a couple of thousand people out in the field generally speaking we’d like to take a little longer with that to make sure we are considering all the factors.
Really we try to go for a timescale of six months from start of project through to live, that’s the goal if possible. Also the nature of the business the more the senior management is driving the project the more likely it is we are going to get to live quicker, that’d very important.
A lot of the time these implementations can be viewed as IT projects but they’re not they’re business projects and businesses need to understand there is a lot of change involved in this, employees are involved, customers are involved and everybody really needs to be concentrating on it and focussing on it to get the result everybody wants.
KO: In your experience is it a case that those companies that have the full management buy in get more from these types of implementation?
DD: Absolutely. The ones that have that buy-in, that have that drive, they’re the ones that see the significant improvements to their business. They’re the ones that see the big numbers in improvement in terms of cost of travel and increasing jobs per day. They’re the ones that see the most success.
[quote float="left"]A lot of the time these implementations can be viewed as IT projects but they’re not they’re business projects and businesses need to understand there is a lot of change involved
Also in a company that decides they’re not over ride the system manually they’re not diluting the benefits. By the management setting those sorts of rules down the project works just that much better. From experience I’ve also seen that those companies that drive an implementation better, those people out in the field and in the dispatch office end up liking the system more anyway. Because they get the benefits out of it that they were expecting.
KO: So as well as there being a need to be driven by the top level, is there also a strong case for involving the end users, the field engineers and dispatchers throughout the implementation process?
DD: Involving the technicians, their team leaders and the dispatchers is absolutely key. At the end of the day this could be seen as a bit of an invasive system, coming in and changing working practices and taking responsibilities away from people. So we need to manage it in the right way to keep those people on-board.
[quote float="right"]Involving the technicians, their team leaders and the dispatchers is absolutely key. At the end of the day this could be seen as a bit of an invasive system, coming in and changing working practices and taking responsibilities away from people.
However, in the end people end up doing what they are better at. So with dispatchers for example, instead of having to decide which job to do in which order, they have more time to do what they are better at which is contact customers and dealing with the technicians and making sure everything is running smoothly.
It’s the same with the technicians. They are able to do what they are best at, which is being on-site, fixing equipment, interacting with customers etc. Basically not deciding which route is the optimum etc. So in my opinion, everyone benefits.
KO: What is the typical R.o.I following an implementation?
DD: It can vary but scheduling as a project is very much a return on investment project.
Most companies can expect to see five to fifteen per cent increase in productivity in SLA hit rates so that will hit the bottom line. Every organisation of course has different priorities so they tend to tune things in a different way.
Fuel savings are a particularly direct way of measuring cost savings. PHS in the UK for example made fuel savings of around 7 or 8% a year, which for them equates to around £2 million. So they made some significant savings – quite a lot more than they paid for the solution I might add, so the solution paid for itself pretty quickly.
We are currently running a free field service health check, which is a great way of getting a picture of this, and a great way of putting the business case together. We can take customer data if they are unsure and we can run that through and we can give you some predictive numbers which is a great way of seeing what that R.o.I specifically in line with your business.
KO: All too often we hear that service doesn’t perhaps get the voice it should in the boardroom, what do you recommend a service director should do when building the case for investment in a scheduling solution?
DD: To be honest the numbers make a pretty good case for themselves. Increasing jobs per day, reducing fuel costs etc there are all pretty big numbers and there aren’t many projects you can implement that are going to get you big savings like that.
But there are some more intangible benefits as well such as customer satisfaction. A lot of organisation using manual systems can end up sending the wrong technician out, or maybe a technician is missing parts and that just causes frustration at the customer end really.
[quote float="left"]There are some more intangible benefits as well such as customer satisfaction. A lot of organisation using manual systems can end up sending the wrong technician out, or maybe a technician is missing parts and that just causes frustration at the customer end really.
So sending the right engineer, with the right skills and the right parts, in the agreed allotted time window is pretty important when it comes to customer satisfaction.
Also a possibility given the increased efficiency is maybe offering shorter time windows, which can be a big competitive benefit. If you customers are all offering AM or PM slots and you can offer one hour or two hour slots that’s another pretty compelling case for scheduling optimisation I think.
The reality is from my experience is that companies may have these SLAs in place but they may not necessarily be meeting them and it’s interesting that when we do the initial phase and we take some historical data we discover some often huge discrepancies between what a company thinks they are delivering and what they are actually doing.
The reason being is that when you are using a manual system or a semi-manual system then it’s pretty hard to consider all these variables.
You’ve got to consider where the technicians are, what jobs are nearby, what parts and skills are required on those jobs, when you need to get there etc. It’s just to much for a person to deal with in reality. So sometimes things slip.
Whereas in an organisation not only are they to hit the SLAs they’ve already guaranteed to their customers, they also have the opportunity to offer shorter SLAs. If your peers and competitors are using manual systems and offering a four hour delay you could offer a two SLA and they simply wouldn’t be able to achieve that.
Want to know more? Click here to download the full webinar now!
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Mar 03, 2016 • Features • Hardware • hands on • review • janam • rugged
Enabling our field engineers with the right tools for the job is critical to success for any field service organisation. To help you find the right device for your mobile workers, Field Service News is road-testing a number of the leading devices on...
Enabling our field engineers with the right tools for the job is critical to success for any field service organisation. To help you find the right device for your mobile workers, Field Service News is road-testing a number of the leading devices on the market. This time around we turn our attention to the XM5, a rugged handheld computer from Janam...
What the manufacturers say...
The XM5 mobile computer redefines productivity and is built to withstand the rigours of heavy duty use in the field.
It combines the latest technological advancements in mobile devices with a sleek and rugged design to provide the power and flexibility that enterprise and government customers demand.
Equipped with 4G-ready WWAN and 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi communications, the XM5 ensures mobile workers will be able to access voice and data anytime, anywhere. Additional features include the choice between a 1D/2D imager or 1D laser scanner, as well as integrated RFID and NFC reading capabilities, front and rear facing cameras, Bluetooth and smart battery power management.
The XM5 mobile computer survives repeated 5ft drops to concrete across a wide operating temperature range, is sealed to IP65 standards and is UL-certified to provide ultimate reliability in extreme and hazardous locations.
First impressions...
In a world where consumer smartphones and tablets are being used more and more frequently by field service companies, the form factor of a traditional handheld computer such as the Janam XM5 can’t help but look ever so slightly dated.
This is not so much a slight on the XM5 but more so on the Handheld form factor itself. However, it’s important to remember that being industrial devices, rugged handhelds are built for functionality not fashion. For example, whilst most smart phones offer barcode scanning ability, the functionality is cumbersome compared to a fit-for-purpose device such as the XM5.
Indeed, the XM5 itself is a sleek and lightweight example of the form factor, whilst remaining undeniably a rugged device capable of withstanding its fair share of bumps and knocks. The XM5 comes with a rear strap that makes holding the device comfortable and it’s 3.5 inch brilliant VGA TFT display was bright and easily read in daylight.
[quote float="left”]“You get the feeling that the XM5 is all about reliability and even when first getting to grips with the device, you get a sense that this is a device that won’t let you down...”
In the hand the device feels a lot lighter than it looks and, weighing in at 305g, it is about a third heavier than a high end consumer phablet such as Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4.
However, thanks to the aforementioned rear strap such a difference is negligible. The device itself has a profile on par for the form factor with its 2.5cm depth being similar to that of Zebra’s MC45 and Handheld’s Nautiz X4 but the challenge again for any handheld computer is comparison with smartphones such as the Caterpillar CAT S30 which with a depth of 1.3cm has a profile almost half that of the XM5.
The build quality on first impressions seems high and the hard rubber casing features grooves that provide a comfortable grip on the device. Button placement is also sensible with access to the scanning function available in three separate places again conveniently placed to make the device easy to handle. The XM5 comes in two options for the keyboard, either numerical or full Qwerty. The unit we had for review featured the Qwerty layout and, whilst by definition the keyboard is of course incredibly small and a challenge for those of us blessed with stubby fingers, again the build quality is good and the keyboard has just the right amount of responsiveness delivering a satisfying click when buttons are pressed.
Whilst it’s never going to deliver the ‘wow’ factor for an field service engineer that a consumer device or even some rugged smart phones or tablets might do, you get the feeling that the XM5 is all about reliability and even when first getting to grips with the device, you get a sense that this is a device that won’t let you down when you need it the most.
The one area where it does fall down though is the telescopic stylus that just feels that bit more fragile and flimsy compared to the XM5 itself.
Processing power
In terms of processing power, the XM5 has a 512mb RAM with a 1GB of ROM and uses an ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz processor which again puts it on a par with similar devices such as the Nautiz X4 and more powerful than Zebra’s MC45 which has just a 256mb RAM with a 600Hz processor.
Such processing power should be sufficient to run most basic field service productivity apps that handle activities such as job completion and parts and inventory management whilst some of the more vertical specific CPU intensive applications would potentially struggle. However, in fairness, utilising such apps is not what devices such as the XM5 are designed for and in terms of its form factor it delivers as much of a punch under the bonnet as many other similar devices.
Operating system
One of the big factors in the XM5’s favour is that it comes both in a Windows and Android flavour with both operating systems being able to run on the same hardware. In terms of Windows, the XM5 runs Microsoft Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5. This is starting to feel a tad cumbersome and dated compared to some more of the modern handheld OS, although Windows 8.1 is seen in many quarters as a not being a viable option for Handheld devices and Windows 10 development in this market is still in its infancy.
[quote float="right”]One of the big factors in the XM5’s favour is that it comes both in a Windows and Android flavour with both operating systems being able to run on the same hardware.
Also remember Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 as an operating system is proven and robust as well being built with enterprise security in mind. So, whilst not the slickest of interfaces, it again remains true to its cause.
On the Android version the device runs Jelly Bean 4.2. Again, this does feel that little bit dated compared to the more recent Android OS, with many devices (both rugged and consumer) running the latest OS of Lollipop 5.1
That said the leap from 4.2 to 5.1 in terms of user interface isn’t that dramatic and Android users should generally feel at home quite quickly. Given which given that Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the consumer market, this could potentially speed up user adoption rates.
With most field service management vendors now including apps for Android (as well as IoS) these days the Android Play Store application makes getting the right applications on a device an easy task.
The Ins & Outs
When we look at the device ports, while somewhat limited by the available space the XM5 again comes with the usual suspects in terms of I/O for a handheld computer.
With a 3.5mm headphone jack with a unique locking mechanism (which can be essential for making voice calls in an outdoor environment), a mini USB slot for syncing and charging, and user accessible microSD card slot with SD and SDHC support, the fundamental basics are all there.
The XM5 also comes with a choice of 1D/2D imager or 1D laser scanner, which are accessed by one of three buttons which should allow for the quick and efficient scanning of parts in and out of a field service engineer's van.
Connectivity:
In what is one of the key considerations for selecting a device suitable for a mobile workforce, namely delivering good connectivity options, then the XM5 certainly doesn’t let us down.
The device comes with strong mobile internet connectivity being both 3G and 4G capable as well as good Wi-Fi connections with 802.11a/b/g/n availability.
Alongside this the XM5 also comes with Bluetooth 2.1, Ublox GPS and assisted GPS and features embedded RFID and NFC - again both useful for parts monitoring within the field service space.
Security is also well covered with the XM5 meeting enterprise level EAP standards alongside WPA,WPA2 and WEP encryption.
Ruggedity:
This is where the XM5 really shines. It certainly a tough little cookie for sure.
[quote float="left”]Officially the device is protected from low pressure water jets from any direction, meaning it will survive outdoors in the rain as well as being washed down and for clean room environments it can withstand 85% concentration alcohol rub.
With an IP rating of IP65 the XM5 is deemed to be completely protected from total dust ingress making it perfect for a number of environments such as building sites, warehouses and Middle Eastern locations.
The IP65 rating also means it can take a decent bit of drenching. Officially the device is protected from low pressure water jets from any direction, meaning it will survive outdoors in the rain as well as being washed down and for clean room environments it can withstand 85% concentration alcohol rub.
The XM5 is also tested to survive 5ft drops onto concrete. Indeed, having put this to the test ourselves, the XM5 survived numerous drops without even picking up scratch and given the stability in hand offered by the rear strap, it would certainly survive the rigours of all but the most demanding field service environments.
Finally, with an operating temperature ranging from -20°C through to 60°C again the XM5 should be suited to almost all field service operating environments.
With this combination of ruggedised features, the XM5 sits comfortably within its sector as one of the most robust devices available.
Battery Life:
In terms of daily usage, the XM5 should be capable of lasting a full shift for most field service engineers as it ships with a 4000mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery, which the manufacturers claim will provide ‘extended battery life as a standard feature, not an optional one.’
In addition to this the XM5 boasts smart battery power management to eke out the very most from the battery.
Conclusion:
As mentioned in the introduction, in an age where smart phones have gained massive traction within certain corners of the field service industry, any handheld is going to struggle to win the hearts of field service engineers when it just comes down to sleek modern looks.
One thing is certain though and that is that the XM5 can certainly handle itself in the great outdoors...
However, fortunately for Janam and other handheld computer manufacturers, there is far more to selecting a device than just the ‘wow’ factor and shiny good looks.
But in fact, this is perhaps being a little unfair on the XM5 - it is a decent looking example of the form factor, with a relatively small footprint, decent sized screen and is comfortable and light in hand.
From a processing point of view, again the XM5 can sit proudly amongst its peers and whilst it will fall flat for those engineers who are dependent on CPU hungry applications, equally it should be capable of meeting the demands of most field service applications.
One thing is certain though and that is that the XM5 can certainly handle itself in the great outdoors and when we look at its impressive rugged specs, its strong array of connectivity tools and its more-than-decent battery life, then you can see that the device is going to be unlikely to fail in the field.
A few minor gripes would be the flimsy feel of the telescopic stylus which could potentially be easily lost or broken and the touch-screen wasn’t the most responsive, resulting in a few applications being opened multiple times.
Also the fact that the device can run both Android and Windows on the same hardware could be a major selling point for those companies looking to switch from one platform to the other (generally Windows to Android).
Very much a device clearly designed for industry, the XM5 lives up to the Janam claim that they make business tools not toys.
Overall the XM5 is a good, solid option for companies looking to select a handheld computer over a rugged tablet or smart phone and the ease of scanning functionality, alongside the embedded RFID and NFC, would make this a great device for any field service engineer whose role involves swapping and replacing a lot of parts.
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Mar 02, 2016 • Features • Management • Aly Pinder • Customer Satisfaction and Expectations
Whilst technology drives innovation within our industry, we must not forget the basic fundamentals of field service, namely putting the customer at the heart of everything we do writes Aberdeen Group’s Aly Pinder...
Whilst technology drives innovation within our industry, we must not forget the basic fundamentals of field service, namely putting the customer at the heart of everything we do writes Aberdeen Group’s Aly Pinder...
How should service define success?
Is it good enough to meet SLAs? Should service leaders primarily focus on cutting costs by reducing truck rolls? Do they need to prioritise field productivity; turn as many wrenches in a given day as possible?
These are all noble endeavours, but in 2016 the customer must come first. Internal efficiencies and meeting basic levels of service will keep the lights on, but it won’t grow the business. “Good enough” service is no longer good enough. This evolution demands that service leaders change the metrics they use to define success. As seen in Aberdeen Group’s State of Service research, the top metric which determines success is actually customer satisfaction.
The emergence of customer facing metrics such as customer satisfaction, customer retention, and first-time fix rates, has highlighted the fact that the customer is king
The emergence of customer facing metrics such as customer satisfaction, customer retention, and first-time fix rates, has highlighted the fact that the customer is king. Service, more so now than in the past, has to deal with empowered customers and competition. No longer can the field team solely be reactive or leave a customer site without resolving the issue. Customers are more knowledgeable and can amplify a bad service experience to a global network of peers.
Top performers understand that happy customers renew service contracts, buy more offerings, and refer new business. For this reason, service organisations have to juggle efficiency goals with customer focused metrics to hit at both at the same time. And with so much technology and analytics at the fingertips of the service executive, it is imperative that they don’t get paralysed looking at too much.
The Best-in-Class focus on the right metrics which drive differentiation and value to the end customer. The rest is great for a spreadsheet. But strategy and innovation needs to focus on the customer. Service leaders that want to excel in 2016 cannot afford to focus on KPI from a bygone era of service. Your customers want you to be successful because that means you can help them grow. But they don’t care if your bottom line is as trim as possible or that your technicians are taking the most optimised route. The customer wants the right technician with the right tools to solve their problem when they get on site to avoid extended (or any) downtime.
This changes the way service must view the metrics that matter both for them and for their customers. Happy customers result in a happy service business.
Don’t lose sight of what matters.
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Feb 29, 2016 • Features • connected vehicles • Future of FIeld Service • scheduling • trends for 2016 • User Interface
Welcome to the fourth part of this series exploring some of the big trends to expect in 2016 within the field service sector, written by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News.
Welcome to the fourth part of this series exploring some of the big trends to expect in 2016 within the field service sector, written by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News.
So far we’ve explored servitization in part one, IoT and AR in part two Smart Glasses and Rugged Computing in part three…
This time around we look at a stalwart of field service technology in optimised scheduling and why it is more important than ever, the growing importance of user interfaces and one of the most hotly anticipated topics in fleet management – the connected car and how it will change telematics forever…
Improved scheduling will become a huge part of the equation for those selecting FSM software this year...
For all of the excitement around technologies such as AR and Smart Glasses in being able to reduce the need for field service companies to send their engineers to the far flung corners of the globe, the truth remains that for the majority of field service companies, for the time being at least, the holy grail of operations remains the age old mantra of ‘getting the right engineer, to the right job, with the right parts on-time, every time.’
Such a competitive market place makes for an environment where innovation and product development is set to thrive.
With ServicePower having invested heavily in both R&D and the acquisition of intellectual property in this space and the recent roll-out of their new solution NexusTM, they are anticipated to take an aggressive approach to the market, whilst scheduling remains a core functionality of a number of significant players within the space including IFS, ClickSoftware and Astea.
Such a competitive market place makes for an environment where innovation and product development is set to thrive.
For field service companies seeking to either update their solutions or take the plunge and invest for the first time in a solution then having a variety of options is of course a major bonus and given the potential savings that dynamic scheduling engines can deliver, the refinement of such tools, making them more effective and easier to implement, is great news.
Connected vehicles and Telematics-as a-Service will challenge the traditional fleet technology sector
With the advent of the connected vehicle, the telematics industry was in danger of cannibalising itself as specialist providers began working with OEMs to provide in built systems.
On the one hand this was perhaps no bad thing and just the natural evolution of the sector.
Indeed there have been some exciting collaborations spearheaded by companies such as Telogis, who through a number of shrewd partnerships with the likes of Volvo and Ford have seen their technology placed at the heart of many next-generation commercial vehicles.
On the face of it such agreements are win-win-win.
With the advent of the connected vehicle, the telematics industry was in danger of cannibalising itself as specialist providers began working with OEMs to provide in built systems.
But the flip side of course is that such partnerships also limit the choices available to those companies that either want to explore their options further or have existing systems that they don’t want to move away from.
Another approach to building a telematics solution was unveiled by Dutch Telematics giant TomTom at their developers' conference in Amsterdam last year when they unveiled the .connect platform.
With three separate APIs encouraging as much integration as possible the development of the .connect platform was a masterstroke by a company that had already reinvented themselves once in the face of a declining routing and tracking market as it placed them as a telematics platform firmly at the centre of a suite of 3rd party apps that the field service company could select to define a telematics solution that was bespoke to their own specific needs.
Essentially by modelling their approach along the lines of Apple’s App Store, Google’s Play or Saleforce’s Appexchange, TomTom have paved the way for new thinking in the telematics space and have thrown down a gauntlet for the rest of the industry.
A seamless User Experience will become a prerequisite for field service companies and their clients alike
In September last year I spoke to Marne Martin, CEO of ServicePower shortly before the launch of their new FSM software Nexus FS.
They had clearly spent some significant time working on the User Interface (UI) in the face of the growing impact of consumerisation on business software. “The key is taking what we’ve done with some of the new technology, and then making sure we have integrated a great user experience throughout the other applications, modernising the UI, but not losing all the functionality that we have built over the last twenty years.” Martin commented and as we look ahead to what 2016 holds in store her words continue to ring true.
Consumerisation remains a vital trend, and one which FSM software providers will overlook at their peril.
But it’s not just about aesthetics, there is a very simple reason why field service companies should expect the apps they deploy for their field engineers to look as good and feel as intuitive as the apps they use in their personal lives.
To cut to the chase, the more instant familiarity an end user will feel with an app, the faster they will take to using it, which means the faster a company will fee the promised benefits of that apps deployment.
Indeed ServicePower are not alone in having put a significant amount of importance on the look and feel of their latest software.
One of the big bits of feedback from the IFS World Conference was that the company had spent a significant amount of time in ensuring their UI had a modern, elegant feel to it and that those efforts didn’t go unnoticed amongst the attendees.
It is not just within the apps used by field service engineers where UI is of growing importance.
However, it is not just within the apps used by field service engineers where UI is of growing importance.
Many field service companies are beginning to offer apps to their own customers also and whether these apps are communications channels, knowledge banks or even tools for monitoring assets within the field, increasingly digital interaction far outweighs human interaction for many companies and delivering a positive user experience through these mediums is as important to a companies relationships with their customers as face to face contact.
Look out for the final part of this series coming soon which will focus on why knowledge sharing and easy reporting are the two operations that all field service managers should be demanding in 2016.
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Feb 24, 2016 • Features • Fleet Technology • fleet technology • telematics
The telematics industry is going through rapid change as the technology underpinning it continues to evolve at pace. Sharon Clancy looks at the key considerations for companies to have in mind when selecting a telematics solution in 2016.....
The telematics industry is going through rapid change as the technology underpinning it continues to evolve at pace. Sharon Clancy looks at the key considerations for companies to have in mind when selecting a telematics solution in 2016.....
Telematics: key features
Telematics can deliver a host of efficiencies to any service operation but historically has been neglected by field service organisations who have focused on other aspects of operations such as ensuring the technician is in the right place at the right time and has the right skill sets for the job.
The part of the day that involves travelling between jobs – the driving - has often received scant, if any, attention. After all, you are employing technicians not drivers. However, increasingly field service companies are aware that economical and safe driving is an important part of the technicians’ skillset.
Business intelligence
A single piece of mobile data can deliver intelligence about several aspects of the operation.
[quote float="left"]The more intelligence you have about your operations, the better equipped you are to be both proactive and reactive in making any changes to the business and the happier your customers will be.
Take electronic signature capture, for example: it eliminates paperwork and automates invoicing, but it is also a compliance tool, feeding data back into scheduling engines; by confirming real-time location, it enables CRM staff to be proactive in alerting customers a technician may be delayed. Today’s challenge is all about cutting-and-slicing data to improve performance. After all, the more intelligence you have about your operations, the better equipped you are to be both proactive and reactive in making any changes to the business and the happier your customers will be.
It can help you identify trends and patterns across all elements of the operation and discover where the bottlenecks and inefficiencies are, delivering insights into productivity, business process efficiencies, costs and customer service levels. Data has to be translated into actionable information to help make informed business decisions, of course.
Internet-based mobility platforms link vehicles and drivers to back-office systems and cut-and-slice all the available data.
Also newer pay-per-user software-as-a-service models make the tools available to SMEs, enhancing their competitiveness.
Distilled properly, information through GPS, telematics, fleet management and other tools provide concrete, actionable details, giving managers and dispatchers real-time visibility into operational activities.
Managers can further refine schedules with real-time traffic information.
Route analysis
Route analysis is one of those areas where analysis of telematics data can drive future monitoring by highlighting what actually happens against what was planned showing a planned versus actual comparison.
[quote float="right"]Integration between schedule optimisation software and real-time location is essential: it will help drill down the cause of late arrivals, route variances, jobs taking longer than planned, incomplete schedules and so on.
To do this, integration between schedule optimisation software and real-time location is essential: it will help drill down the cause of late arrivals, route variances, jobs taking longer than planned, incomplete schedules and so on.
With first-time fix rates having a significant impact on operational efficiency, investigating as to why any part of the planned scheduled fail is worth it.
Telematics reports can highlight exceptions, mitigating actions, call notes or emails can be seamlessly linked back to any performance reporting.
Historical analysis of trips can identify congestion hotspots and avoidable delays at customer sites which rerouting or retiming an appointment might eliminate.
Analysis also confirms visits are being made most economically in terms of miles, fuel and timing.
It will also highlight any slack in the schedule that could be filled by slotting in a routine service visit
Driver monitoring
Driver performance monitoring is a key feature of many telematics systems, but until recently has not been a focus area for many field service companies.
However, that attitude is changing.
[quote float="left"]Field service organisations are looking to reduce their overall carbon footprint and the fuel used in company vehicles contributes a significant amount to the total.
Field service organisations are looking to reduce their overall carbon footprint and the fuel used in company vehicles contributes a significant amount to the total.
Another is awareness that technicians can have driving styles which are not just uneconomic but unsafe – there is a Duty of Care to ensure employee drive safely while on company business.
Telematics reports can identify harsh braking, excessive acceleration, even harsh cornering.
If you aren’t measuring how your drivers and vehicles are doing, you don’t know if they could be doing even better.
Even a small improvement can translate into thousands saved on your annual fuel bill.
Safer driver habits can translate into saving in those minor knocks and dents service vans in urban environments are particularly prone to.
Are your fleet vehicles in a safe condition? Telematics can confirm that. Give drivers an app to do a quick safety check before they set off for the day.
Data overload
Capturing data is no longer the technical challenge it once was.
A lot of telematics data relates to a specific part of the operation - on-time arrival information, signature capture, location, driving behaviour, to name but a few.
Try to do too much too soon, though, and the risk is you’ll get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information telematics can deliver about your operation. Experts advise taking small, gradual, manageable steps.
[quote float="left"]While deeper integration may be desirable to improve the business, there are two technology challenges if it is to become a reality: the legacy systems already in place and data security levels on servers.
As businesses examine where further efficiencies might be gained and how they can satisfy their customers’ demand for up-to-the-minute information, it’s being recognised that greater integration between databases may be required and made available in real-time so staff have a complete overview of the operation.
While deeper integration may be desirable to improve the business, there are two technology challenges if it is to become a reality: the legacy systems already in place and data security levels on servers.
A legacy system might be an outdated programming language or application software which is not longer supported, or old processes. Problems can arise due to compatibility issues with newer applications.
Telematics for incident management
Consequential costs from accidents are rising: determining fault is time-consuming and costly, so often accidents are dealt with on a no-fault basis especially if there is lack of reliable evidence.
So forward-facing CCTV cameras have become a useful item in the telematics toolbox.
[quote float="right"]The latest development is that video footage can now be uploaded in real-time - either via a link with the existing telematics black box on the vehicle or via a dedicated SIM card in the camera
They record video of what is happening on the road ahead in a continuous loop, saving the clip when triggered by G-force or manually.
They are proving invaluable in helping police and insurers determine fault - suppliers say cameras can reduce motor fleet claims by between 30 to 70 per cent simply by helping establish your own drivers are not at fault.
The video data captured by the cameras can be integrated into driver training programmes.
They already capture data on risky driving behaviour such as harsh braking, acceleration and there is anecdotal evidence that drivers will adopt a more gentle driving style once they know that any risky behaviour is likely to be caught one camera.
The latest development is that video footage can now be uploaded in real-time - either via a link with the existing telematics black box on the vehicle or via a dedicated SIM card in the camera.
The clip is also highly compressed to minimise the size of the data file being transferred.
Some systems send an alert that an event has been registered while others will send either still images or the video clip.
Security
Data security is moving up the agenda for many companies, so ask about security certification.
Confirm that the server is running the latest version of Windows, encrypts data to a known standard and check what layers of encryption are used.
Buyer beware
Telematics has a somewhat chequered history when it comes to reputable suppliers.
The supplier market is a lot more stable now but caution should still be your byword.
Check what the contract includes and that any warranty is valid for the length of the contract.
Check the creditworthiness of potential providers and be especially wary of suppliers who bundle the communications airtime package with the lease for the telematics equipment.
Consider pay-as-you-go options which don’t tie you in to a longterm commitment.
[quote float="left"]The golden rule when considering any purchase for mission critical systems, whether they be telematics, field service management or a mobility solution is to do your homework.
Ask about ongoing customer service and support - some telematics providers will have designed their own telematics system, including the unit to be installed in the vehicle, and will also own the intellectual property rights; others are pure resellers of air time or of black boxes and will offer very little if any support beyond the sale which could be critical.
Some resellers, however, do understand that mission-critical operations require high levels of support services and offer those.
However the golden rule when considering any purchase for mission critical systems, whether they be telematics, field service management or a mobility solution is to do your homework.
Ask a potential supplier to demonstrate a significant and satisfied customer base, and most reputable companies will publish a list of some of their existing clients.
You’ll find that many of your peers in the companies on these lists are often more than happy to help out with a genuine request for information - so give them a call and ask them about the solution, warts and all.
When searching for a solution that can potentially deliver huge benefits, but on the flip side could potentially damage your ability to deliver high quality service if it doesn’t deliver, there can be no stone unturned.
Finally, remember this technology is going to be with you for some time, ask your provider what their roadmap is. The last thing you want is to invest in a solution only to find out it is obsolete or unsupported.
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Feb 23, 2016 • Features • Parts Pricing and Logistics
Spare parts and inventory management is an ongoing challenge for field service companies, Sharon Clancy looks at some of the main solutions available to help ensure your engineers are never waiting for parts....
Spare parts and inventory management is an ongoing challenge for field service companies, Sharon Clancy looks at some of the main solutions available to help ensure your engineers are never waiting for parts....
Right part, right place, right time is as important as having the right engineer in the right place at the right time.
With many supply chains now global, ensuring the right parts are in the right place is also a case of managing supply chains.
It’s a fact recognised by the top service management solution providers, Advanced Field Servicel, IFS and ServiceMax are among those who incorporate parts inventory control and management as part of their service management software.
The modules allow you to replenish, automate processes such as pick, pack and ship and monitor stock levels. However, keeping track of the spare parts is one challenge.
Actually getting them to your engineers when they need it is another problem entirely. So let’s take a look at solutions for both., looking first at getting the parts to our engineers.
There are a number of different solutions to help field service companies tackle this.
Supply chain companies in parts logistics
Global supply chain management specialists have recognised that the requirements of service parts logistics sits neatly with their expertise.
They already have just-in-time delivery credentials for manufacturing, so are ideally placed to extend it into aftersales support.
DHL, for example has a division called Service Logistics that integrates spare parts delivery, on-site and return-to-base repairs, returns, exchanges and recycling. “The larger the field service team, the more complexity involved. Engineers can be spread geographically, fixing a wide range of equipment from a variety of suppliers”
It taps into DHL’s worldwide network that includes mission-critical same-day deliveries with lead times as short as one hour.
The larger the field service team, the more complexity involved. Engineers can be spread geographically, fixing a wide range of equipment from a variety of suppliers.
Parts suppliers might offer shared warehousing and remote stock locations. As noted earlier. field management software often includes parts inventory visibility and planning.
Another option is CEVA who provide call centers staffed with highly trained operators to take orders, organise deliveries and book maintenance calls, ensuring your customers receive the highest level of service. Delivery of scheduled and mission-critical spares to your customers, field engineers or stock rooms according to your service level agreements is available.
They are also able to provide returns and reverse logistics by managing the reverse flows of surplus or damaged products back into the network, where we undertake screening before repair, reuse or disposal, minimising cost and maximizing your revenue wherever possible.
They can manage the logistics of your swap and repair service, improving visibility to reduce cost and improve reliability. Another option available from Exchange Logistics is their service parts logistics offering - through a network of strategic stocking locations they can manage the delivery of ‘mission critical’ and scheduled parts to your field engineers.
Overnight deliveries
Overnight deliveries have become a key component in parts logistics for service people.
Automotive dealers have got parts logistics down to a fine art – to keep their customer satisfied the vehicle needs to be back on the road as soon as possible, not waiting for a part to arrive.
Automotive dealers have got parts logistics down to a fine art – to keep their customer satisfied the vehicle needs to be back on the road as soon as possible, not waiting for a part to arrive.
This has required investment in order and in the infrastructure necessary to get those parts sometimes a thousand miles, overnight – by boat, road or plane.
In the UK, logistics provider Bespoke Distribution Aviation (BDA) specialises is overnight delivery of spare parts and vital components for the automotive, media and agricultural sectors using its own distribution network and fleet of planes and trucks.
The company has eight gateway hubs for both air and road routes across Europe, including Germany, France, and Ireland. The firm flies freight into Coventry overnight in order to meet next-day delivery times.
BDA has invested in Civil Aviation Authority approved screening technology to process air cargo quickly. its own outbound freight to its Ireland hub, as well as scanning inbound and outbound freight to its hubs in Frankfurt and Maastric.
BDA says its greatest strengths lie in the time critical spare parts supply chain with late mainland European collections for Through The Night Pre 07:00 and 08:00 delivery in the UK, Early Morning Pre 09:00 and 10:00, Next Day and Same Day delivery solutions and returns logistics.
Collection can be up to 8.30 pm depending on distance from the nearest hub.
Returns can be collected at the point of delivery so engineers are left with stock that could be used elsewhere. BDA can handle all of your shipment types from packet, parcel and pallet through to long length and oversized items.
ByBox of course pioneered in night deliveries to secure and conveniently located lockers, in order to bring parts closer to engineers ready for 8am.
Inventory management
Creating a parts stocking strategy to respond to global service demand is challenging when you rely on inadequate tools or traditional manufacturing-centric supply chain methods. PTC points out that it's tough to get an accurate service parts forecast when you have a mix of fast- and slow-moving parts with sporadic demand, a large array of parts due to extended product support, and the added complexity of managing new part introductions and last time buy.
PTC Service Parts Management is designed to make sure that you have the right parts available at the right time and the right place, which helps you meet your customers’ service parts needs by balancing the unique complexities of the global service supply chain.
Delivery Connect from Blackbay records a full audit trail of actions that have been performed on a package during the package lifecycle within the network.
By comparing the current location of a package against the expected location which is either stored within the package data in Delivery Connect, or is derived from actions that have been carried out on the package (scan to route, delivery to depot etc), exceptions are clearly visible to the operational staff.
Delivery Connect includes a rich dashboarding and reporting tool that provides visibility to operational staff of exceptions with their area of the business.
By comparing the current location of a package against the expected location which is either stored within the package data in Delivery Connect, or is derived from actions that have been carried out on the package (scan to route, delivery to depot etc), exceptions are clearly visible to the operational staff.
For example, a package that has been delivered to one depot, but which has a delivery postcode belonging to a route which is associated with a different depot, would be visible through an exception report or dashboard.
The application also gives visibility to operational staff of collections and deliveries that have not been made but which are past their time window or the time window is in jeopardy enabling them to take corrective action with the driver – communication is possible via the in-built messaging system.
Operational staff can make corrections to incorrect package data (eg contact details, address details and these updates will automatically be applied to the driver/courier handheld manifest.
Returns management
Field engineers often need to return spare or broken parts – either to a warehouse, back for repair or, if under warranty, to the original manufacturer for inspection.
Blackstripe from ByBox is designed to make it easier for engineers to do this and for the part to be tracked through the network.
All the information required is contained within the electronic label, so there is no need for engineers to take on the job of ensuring the label is correctly addressed
The item is then routed it back to the originator, creating a faster return loop and ensuring it arrives at the correct final destination, with total traceability at all stages.
Engineers then just drop the return part off at their ByBox drop box, from where it will be collected and automatically sent on the correct route via Bybox’s Coventry hub.
All the information required is contained within the electronic label, so there is no need for engineers to take on the job of ensuring the label is correctly addressed.
The service engineer that goes to his customer and uses some of the spare parts in his van for example.:
If he uses the connection of a barcode scanner and their link.connect API, he can scan the spare parts and the warehouse can start preparing the box that he needs to have for the next day.
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Feb 23, 2016 • Features • Augmented Reality • Future of FIeld Service • Mobile Merged REality • Help Lightning
We look at what Help Lightning are terming Mobile Merged Reality, An innovative mobile solution goes beyond augmented reality (AR) to redefine the future of help...
We look at what Help Lightning are terming Mobile Merged Reality, An innovative mobile solution goes beyond augmented reality (AR) to redefine the future of help...
I need to be able to...
This commonly heard phrase fuels new ideas, creative thinking and innovation which often start many successful companies. A prominent Neurosurgeon, Dr. Bart Guthrie, used this phrase in frustration as he found his task list growing ever longer and more complex.
He needed superpowers to be able to consult on cases, prep support staff, collaborate with other physicians in surgery and meet with patients — in other buildings, in homes, in offices across town, across the state, even in other countries, all on the same day, often in the same hour.
Given the expense and reimbursement issues in health care, he needed an innovation that wouldn’t cost an arm or a leg or require brain surgery to operate. As a result, instant, virtual presence was born. In fact, it was the genesis for a new product category for superior service and knowledge exchange called mobile merged reality. With over 15,000 users in 50 countries, Help Lightning’s patented technologies and processes made it the global leader in merged reality. Augmented reality technology combines live video or a user’s environment with computer-generated digital information in real time.
Merged reality goes beyond AR.
33% of service work orders require a second trip. Merged reality and virtual presence is able to help eliminate 18% of second trips that are required due to a lack of experience, alleviate 19% of second trips caused by limited access to information, and avoid 28% of second trips caused by wrong diagnoses.
You can proactively, efficiently and effectively attack hard costs that plague the efficiency and effectiveness of operations and customer interactions. Customers can experience a 7 to 15 times hard cost savings for every dollar invested.
Expert personnel can see a 10 to 20% increases in efficiency. According to the Aberdeen Group 33% of service work orders require a second trip. Merged reality and virtual presence is able to help eliminate 18% of second trips that are required due to a lack of experience, alleviate 19% of second trips caused by limited access to information, and avoid 28% of second trips caused by wrong diagnoses.
Quickly solve problems for customers, assist newly on-boarded personnel, eliminate wasteful trips and differentiate the way your products are sold, implemented and serviced. Technical, healthcare, manufacturing, and service experts can show a resolution, not just describe it, even when thousands of miles away. Visually collaborate, assist with issues, and resolve problems as though you were working side-byside with a colleague or customer. Download the app for any iOS or Android mobile device and start helping and sharing ideas instantly. No additional special equipment is needed to start a merged reality session.
The uses are endless; from live knowledge exchange to never before imagined consumer experiences. Giving better, faster help and care for customers, friends and colleagues is universal.
If you selected Receive Help, position your iPhone, iPad or Android device over something you’re working on, like a circuit. When the person you need help from reaches behind his or her device, you’ll instantly see the other person’s hand (or anything that is necessary to help) appear merged with your normal image view. Dr. Guthrie uses Help Lightning’s merged reality solution on a regular basis.
However, applications of merged reality and virtual presence are not limited to healthcare settings. The uses are endless; from live knowledge exchange to never before imagined consumer experiences. Giving better, faster help and care for customers, friends and colleagues is universal. By using ordinary smart phones and tablets, users add non-verbal, visual cues and critical human gestures to video calls for superior communication, collaboration and cognition.
Welcome to the future. Instant help anywhere in the world.
We call it Help Lightning.
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