Resource Type: White Paper
Published by:  Field Service News (sponsored by Solarvista)
Title BYOD and Field Service
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Synopsis

What are the key benefits and major challenges of implementing a Bring Your Own Device strategy for field service organisations

Overview

If we cast our minds back just a few years, the talk amongst the enterprise was very much centred upon the new emerging trend of Bring Your own Device (BYOD).

With the phrase being first coined by Intel in 2009 before quickly rising to prominence across the next few years, largely driven by organisations such as Unisys and Citrix who saw the early potential benefits of the trend.

However, the explosion of companies officially adopting BYOD policies never quite materialised in Europe as it was predicted it would and in certain circles there are even whispers that the trend may even be slowing down somewhat in what is perceived to be the BYOD heartland of the USA.

In this white paper we will review once more the case for and against BYOD reflecting on the further learnings we have seen in the last few years in terms of both challenges and successes of applications that have been documented, as well as exploring whether in the realm of field service, an inherently mobile-led environment, is BYOD is an option with merits.

 

Topics in the white paper include:

The attractions of BYOD

The rise in popularity of BYOD can be attributed to a combination of driving factors including the consumerisation of technology, the evolution of the Cloud Computing as a reliable platform in the enterprise and also a gradual shift in attitudes to the work/life balance (itself the result of the impact of technology in our working lives alongside the growing influence of Generation Y employees within the workforce.)

Significant benefits that can be drawn from a successful implementation of BYOD within the workplace which include:

• Personal choice
• Better work/life balance
• Improved efficiency
• No cost for equipment
• Decreased support and training costs

The challenges of BYOD

Whilst the benefits of BYOD initially leap out and are in the most part fairly obvious, in reality the actual implementation of a BYOD policy within the enterprise is wrought with complex challenges such as:

• Security
• Increased support and training costs
• Establishing BYOD policies around device usage

Overcoming these challenges and introduction of CYOD

Of course whilst the threat of cyber security increases, so to do the relevant solutions to overcome these risks. Let us be clear, despite the above issues BYOD is certainly not impossible to implement. It does however, require a lot more additional consideration than perhaps was deemed necessary in the early part of this decade when the hype around BYOD was at its highest.

 

One potential suggested solution to meet the challenges of BYOD is to move towards a Choose Your Own Device but is this really the magic bullet to get the best of both worlds?

BYOD, fit for purpose and the field service environment

Of course there is then the big question for field service companies – are the consumer devices selected by the employees necessarily fit for purpose?

In mission-critical environments such as field service, reliable real-time communications are key for optimum performance, and for proactive management of service-level agreements and compliance with key performance indicators.

Mobile field service workers need real-time access to their business applications and data, whether it is receiving the next job, navigation to an address, accessing a product or customer database and so on.

The perennial question of consumer vs. rugged is perhaps of even greater relevance when field service companies are considering BYOD policies.

 

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Welcome to the latest edition of the Field Service Podcast.

This month Field Service News Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland and Tim Faulkner of ClickSoftware discuss the findings of the latest Field Service News research which assessed the use of the Cloud in field service management systems.

 

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Click here to download the research report discussed in this podcast

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In Part One of this report Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News looked at the latest developments in live video streaming. In Part Two, he explores three potential areas the technology has potential to make a difference.

User Case One: Driver training

It is well documented that improving the general standards of driving amongst your team of field engineers can lead to almost instant gains in terms of impacting upon your bottom line.  Better drivers use less fuel, incur less day-to-day damage and wear and tear on a vehicle and as alluded to above can even lower insurance premiums.

Indeed the telematics market is full of driver training/driver behaviour monitoring tools designed to help field service organisations track who in their mobile workforce is performing well behind the wheel and who is regularly sitting towards the bottom of the pack when it comes to driving standards.

However,  the cost of having a qualified coach sit in on a ride along can be prohibitively high. This is where one potential application of live streaming can come into play.  With an in-vehicle camera providing the ability to allow a qualified coach to remotely view a driver’s performance in real-time, there's no need for a trainer to sit in with the engineer. Coaching can be given to multiple drivers across a potentially infinite geography in a much shorter amount of time, without the costs of getting your coaching resource to each individual trainee.

Use Case Two: Lone worker protection

By the very nature of their roles field workers are very often working in a sole capacity and this carries it’s own set of regulations and responsibilities for their employer.

The biggest challenge for the lone field service worker is that on a regular basis the job they may be called out to do can place them working alone in an unsafe environment,  putting them in a potentially vulnerable position. Such risks are not just the more obvious settings of hazardous workplaces such as utilities plants or around heavy machinery but can also include those who may be working unsociable hours in an office or even domestic residences when working on an emergency call-out.

Lone worker systems can be linked to 24 hour monitoring systems, where field service agents who find themselves in a dangerous position can simply press an alert button on their device to flag for assistance.  Once again this presents an interesting use case for live streaming video. The technology now exists for a wearable camera capable of delivering live video streamed across either a 3G or 4G network.

 

Of course when we talk about wearables there is a lot of buzz and hyperbole at the moment and a large part of this excitement is around the potential to combine existing technologies into the wearable format.

We can start to explore a number of different opportunities around lone worker safety with wearables and one of such example could be to combine health monitoring (e.g. heart rate monitor) and a wearable video camera with live streaming capabilities to activate in emergencies – providing not just an alert but also vital insight into any incident again in real time.

Use Case Three: Parts Management

Another area for consideration regarding for the implementation of live streaming videos in a field service environment is as part of a parts monitoring system.

Parts inventory management out in the field remains one of the most challenging areas of good field service management. However, from a financial point of view the sheer lack of visibility into spare parts inventory, something that can often be the largest negative balance on a profit and loss sheet for a service operation, is a huge challenge.

Once again the use of live streaming can become part of the solution. Through the combination of a number of different technologies a camera could be utilised alongside the use of QR codes (or possibly even a simpler numbering system) that allows engineers to hold each part they remove from the van to the camera so it is logged instantly as it leaves the van.

Such technology already exists, of course. However, with the advent of the latest streaming technology this video data is available in real-time allowing for two-way communication when particularly expensive parts are being removed for example.

Not re-inventing the wheel

Whilst it is perhaps not a technological breakthrough on a par with some of the other technologies emerging currently such as 3D printing, IoT or Connected Vehicles,the advent of live streaming does present an enhancement to many tools we already have in place in a field service operation.

However, it is the ability to ‘log-in’ remotely to cameras in real-time that is the real innovation here and whilst in many instances this step forward in technology simply enhances and improves the solution, in others such as the potential use case of enabling two way communication for logging expensive parts out of a vehicle in real-time, then new solutions and applications for the technology can be found.

I’ve been quoted in the past as saying that good technology should be simple to understand and should just make our lives easier.  As a technology, live video streaming really is a something that meets this description.  It can be applied to a wide variety of problems from the outset and with an open-minded approach could also play a part in resolving other potential challenges whilst ultimately improving numerous workflows.

 

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 Editor-in-chief Kris Oldland hightlights three technologies that could help field service organisations enhance protection for employees working alone, reduce potential risk and fulfill duty-of-care responsibilites.

The field service worker is often required to work alone and for the field service organisation this presents a large number of challenges of its own. Legislation across countries varies in this respect but at the very least it is the employer's moral obligation to ensure that any of their employees including those in the field have suitable processes in place to help ensure their safety.

Fortunately, technology is proving an ever-reliable tool to help automate many of these processes and as the continuing trend of wearable technology continues to evolve so will the potential new tools for lone worker protection.

New developments are happening all the time in this exciting space but in this article lets take a look at three concepts I’ve come across recently that could genuinely offer additional lone worker protection.

1. Smart Glasses

   Whilst perhaps the most high profile brand of Smart Glasses, Google’s Glass project met an abrupt end to its well publicised beta program the fact remains that the Smart Glasses market whilst still embryonic remains vibrant.

   However, whilst there is a consumer niche for the devices in areas such as extreme sports, many manufacturers and developers of smart glasses, including Google are turning their attention to the world of business as a target market and field services is an obvious core sector.

   For the lone field worker the ability to receive notifications and instructions whilst keeping both hands free could be a vital health and safety feature, particularly for example for engineers working in high risk environments such as an electricity pylon or scaffolding etc.

   Other benefits of Smart Glasses in field service are evident such as the opportunity for more skilled engineers to guide less qualified colleagues through a repair with a true ‘see-what-I-see’ viewpoint. However, it is the safety aspect that could perhaps be the biggest selling point for Smart Glasses when it comes to adoption by field service companies.

2. Bio Sensor clothing

   It might be the newest area of development for wearable technology,  but Bio Sensor clothing is perhaps one of the most exciting when it comes to the protection of field service workers.

   Bio Sensor clothing is perhaps one of the most exciting when it comes to the protection of field service workers.

   The health and fitness sector is already awash with wearable clothing designed to monitor biometric data ranging from wearable vests, socks and even false teeth. However, once again the applications for these wearables have a perfect place amongst field service engineers.

    

   For example a vest that detects heart rate could be invaluable for the lone worker when they are behind the wheel.

   One can’t help but think that the tragedy just under a year ago year when Harry Clarke fainted at the wheel ploughing his bin lorry into pedestrians in Glasgow city centre, killing six people. Had Clarke been wearing a bio-monitoring vest, perhaps even connected to an Bluetooth enabled engine cut-off mechanism, then perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided.

   Due to the nature of their roles, field engineers are often alone behind the wheel and this is just one potential use of bio sensor clothing that could help not only protect them but also those they share the roads with.

3. Wearable cameras

   The potential for wearable cameras for helping secure lone workers is absolutely huge.  London's Metropolitan Police force is utilising these devices  - they are light enough to not impair the wearer in any way but are also capable of not only capturing and recording video but also of transmitting that data live via either a 3G or 4G signal.

   What this means is that simply by triggering a panic button on their person should an engineer find them selves in trouble for whatever reason the team back in HQ can instantly log-in and see the situation in real-time. Also as the cameras are capable of utilising GPS,  triggers could be put in place for the camera to send an alert and start streaming should an engineer leave an accepted area.

   Such visibility into lone workers can prevent them becoming isolated in the event of any threat to their security and as such can also go a long way to helping ensure our lone workers are as safe as they possibly can be.

These are just three potential applications of wearable technology that can help protect our lone workers, but there are many more. As employers it is our duty to ensure that we embrace the emerging field of wearable technology in order to further enhance the safety of our lone workers in the field.

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Is live streaming video the answer to a number of key field service challenges?  Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News takes a look at the latest technology in live streaming video and what makes this emerging technology a must for consideration by field service companies in the very near future...

Video footage has long been incorporated into various field service tools from driver training through to knowledge sharing and, of course, s a tool for protecting parts both in a warehouse environment as well as in vehicle.

However, the technology has recently taken a giant leap forward with the advent of continuous live streaming.
But what exactly is the difference between the live streaming video technology emerging today and the current technology that is already in place?

One company that are currently at the cutting edge of this industry is TFS who are already working with a number of high profile organisations including the many law enforcement agencies force and blue chip organisations in the telecoms sector to help them harness the latest in live streaming video technology.

‘Live video capture is out there it is being used elsewhere in the world, so it’s tested technology but in the UK it doesn’t seem to be in any shape or form being used to the extent it could be,” explains PJ Connelly, Managing Director, TFS.

Existing technology

Of course the biggest question is around just how far a leap forwards this technology is compared to the existing solutions on the market.

Let’s be clear here, TFS aren’t re-inventing the wheel, and neither are they claiming to have done so. To use a motoring metaphor, it’s more a case of introducing alloy wheels. Yes, the steel wheels out there being used at the moment are adequate and can get a job done, but alloy wheels just add that extra level of performance.

Generally your current video camera set-up involves cameras that are recording either to an on-board hard drive or a remote location.

Indeed some systems claim to be able to offer live streaming but this can be all too often misleading as Connelly explains:  “It’s compressing the data to a point so you can constantly stream it because of the small amount of bandwidth it’s taking up. That’s the true breakthrough.”

 

“There is some live streaming technology that claims to be live streaming, and is in essence live streaming, but you have to be 'x' amount of feet away from a hub. If you move too far in the wrong direction you’ll lose signal and it essentially becomes useless.”

“The fact that our solution is using 3G and 4G technology means you will be able to use it wherever there is that connection and those connections are only getting better and better.” He adds.

“Those products that are out there are mainly collision recording  products so in the event of a collision immediately the camera will kick in and take pictures.”

“But live streaming gives you the opportunity to dial in and have conversations with the driver because it has audio input on it as well,” comments Paul Hagan, a consultant to TFS who has experience within the service logistics industry having worked with organisations such as ByBox amongst others.

“It’s also the ability to stream for long periods at a time. There are some products that might give you 20 seconds of a stream, which is just nowhere near enough.”

“It’s compressing the data to a point so you can constantly stream it because of the small amount of bandwidth it’s taking up. That’s the true breakthrough.” concludes Connelly.

Live streaming today

So what exactly do we mean by live streaming? Well, in a nutshell it means being able to access the footage of the camera as it is filming from a remote location in real time.

 

The technology has recently become quite popular within smart homes -  Google-owned Nest, for example recently launched a camera with such capabilities, which sits neatly in the smart home security sector.

However, as Connelly states,  the technology TFS are delivering goes one step further by being fully mobile - unlike the NEST cam or other similar devices which are dependent on a Wifi signal, TFS cameras are able to also operate on 3G and 4G networks (as well as having GPS built in which opens up a number of further possibilities.)

This inclusion adds a complete degree of mobility to the technology and this added mobility means that the potential applications of video recording can become far wider reaching than the traditional security and collision-event use cases we see implementations being used for today.

Look out for Part 2 of this feature when we'll be taking a closer look at how Live Streaming can be applied in different field service scenarios and the potential benefits

 

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Next up in our Hands On series reviewing some of the  key contenders in the rugged device sector is Xplore Technologies’ X Slate B10 rugged tablet.

It’s been a very busy year for Xplore Technologies. With neighbours and fellow rugged tablet manufacturers Motion suffering from the closure of a parts supplier,  Xplore made the bold move of launching a takeover. It was a definite case of the little fish eating the bigger fish and a move that caught many in the industry by surprise.

However, whilst certainly a bit of a shock from an outsider’s viewpoint the coming together of the two companies certainly makes sense on a product level. Xplore has established a reputation as being the company to go to for ultra-rugged devices with their XC6 range, which are fully submersible, drop tested to the highest existing standards and are pretty much the most rugged tablets out there. Needless to say Xplore was a name well recognised in defence circles.

Motion’s devices on the other hand sat more towards the larger fully rugged sector, so whilst devices such as the Motion F5M could still take a pounding, they are more geared towards the average field based worker, who needs a tablet that can cope with being shunted about from vehicle to work-site but still provided both the computing power and range of peripheries needed to get an engineer through the day whether it be on the road or back at HQ.

So whilst there was some crossover in technologies the two companies actually complement each other very, very well and are now a major player in the rugged tablet space (in fact only Panasonic now have a bigger market share).

So with the potential for cross development spanning both sets of R&D talent it was with excited anticipation when I received the demo unit to put it through its paces. Just how much influence would both the design team at Motion and their counterparts in Xplore have in the look, feel and performance of this new device - the first device to come out of the Xplore stable since the merger? Would it be a Motion looking tablet or Xplore, or perhaps like most babies a mixture of both parents?
Let’s get hands on and find out...

What the manufacturer says...

Designed to meet the needs of the mobile professional who requires a supremely rugged Windows-based PC that can weather any environment, the XSlate B10 addresses both processing and connectivity concerns directly.
The powerful and fast XSlate B10 accelerates through workflows in the field, in real time, resulting in a more efficient and productive workforce that reduces errors and costs, while improving customer experience

First impressions...

Well she’s certainly got her mother’s eyes.  Whilst this is the first tablet to come to market since Xplore's  acquisition of Motion there is no denying that the XSlate B10 is very much from the same stable as the Bobcat, which we reviewed last year - check out our report here.

In fact the comparisons to the Bobcat could run so deep that this device must surely be viewed as part of the same product line in all but name.

 

And for me this is no bad thing. I felt the Bobcat was a well-made, aesthetically-pleasing device especially when held up against the F5M which always feels a little clunky to me because of the moulded integrated handle. Yes, I know it’s a functional inclusion, and many will appreciate the ease with which the F5M is carried around but if I’m honest I’m glad that Xplore have stuck with the detachable hand-strap, in the same manner as they opted for in the Bobcat.
The handle also acts as a neat holder for either of the two styli that the device comes with.

When it comes to the feel of the tablet again one need look no further than the Bobcat for an easy comparison. Both devices appear to share exactly the same chassis, including a magnesium alloy mid-frame to add further strength.

When reviewing the Bobcat, I pointed out that the design had a feel of something akin to a ‘more -robust-than-average’ consumer tablet to it. Given the shared body, this remains true of the XSlate as well. The XSlate we received had a lot more optional extras than the Bobcat we reviewed and these certainly add to the bulk of the device even if they do add functionality. However, this is the price you pay for customisation and any of Xplore’s competitors would face the same challenge in terms of keeping additional accessories sleek and unobtrusive.

If we look at base models, I’d have to say that the device is by no means the most cumbersome rugged tablet in the world even if it doesn’t quite match up to the sleek lines of the Getac T800.

 

Like the Bobcat, the X-Slate B10 feels sturdy and with a base weight of 1.09 kg it’s in a similar weight bracket as Panasonic’s FZ-G1 and significantly lighter than the Getac F110 - both of which would be comparable devices to the XSlate.

Finally, when it comes to button layout control power, volume and a screen orientation lock all remain on the right hand side whilst a Windows button remains front facing in the centre.

One nice addition on the XSlate missing from the Bobcat is a fingerprint sensor, adding an additional layer of security where required.

Processing power
There really is very little difference between the two siblings under the hood. With its Intel Core i5-5350U processor capable of 2.9Ghz of boosted processing speed (there is also an option for – Intel Core i7 vPro) coupled with 8GB memory, the XSlate sits right at the top of the tree amongst rugged tablets. Only its stablemate, the Motion F5M, is built to a higher specification and even then, that would only be for the very top customisation level.

The XSlate also comes out ahead of the competition when it comes to the graphics card as well – one area that the Bobcat was lacking in compared to the competition. In fact the X-Slate’s Intel Integrated HD 6000 Graphics Card is one of the best performing cards on the market currently and with this alongside its superior CPU then the XSlate should be able to handle pretty much any program that is thrown at it.

Operating system
Officially the XSlate B10 comes with the option of Windows 7 or 8.1 although as soon as we booted it up and logged into the device it automatically offered us a free upgrade to Windows 10.

Particularly interesting, however, is the announcement of the XSlate D10 - basically the B10 but in Android flavour. Whilst most users will be suited with Windows, there is certainly a large enough appetite for Android based mobile devices. With Connected Vehicles looming on the horizon it could well be that the Android version of this tablet becomes a more appealing option despite it being more closely specced to the Bobcat than the impressive B10.

 

The Ins & Outs
The shared chassis means the XSlate B10 has an identical I/O set up to the Bobcat - a major plus point in our opinion.  The standard models in both tablets are identical apart from the XSlate’s having an optional HDMI-in socket.

Like the Bobcat, the B10 comes with two separate USB3.0 ports  - a feat unmatched by all of their competitors. It can sometimes be something of a challenge to fit in ports left, right, and centre and most rugged tablet manufacturers tend to shy away from this challenge so it is great to see Xplore include two USB ports again.

The B10 also has a MicroSD slot, providing the option of expanding the 128GB internal memory (upgradable to 256GB) and also a potentially useful means of transferring files developed in the field onto a desktop at any point.

 

Should your engineers need to give presentations of the work being undertaken at any point then the micro HDMI out will allow them to easily share directly from the B10.

Other ports on the B10 include a RS232 serial Ready Port, headphones/speakers mini-jack stereo port plus DC power input.

Connectivity:
Connectivity is of course vital for the field engineer and this is yet another area in which the X Slate excels, again sharing a number of its systems with the Bobcat. These include the latest standard in mobile internet including an 802.11ac wireless LAN (wifi) receiver, providing both 2.5GHz and 5GHz bandwidths and enhanced speeds. A 4G LTE mobile broadband receiver is optional giving fast connectivity outside of WiFi coverage provided that is mobile network connectivity.

The integrated GPS has improved accuracy and Bluetooth 4.0 allows the device to be paired with other tools being used by your team.

Finally, the XSlate has options for including Near Field Communications (NFC) reading capability and Barcode scanning both of which can be useful tools when updating parts inventory.

Ruggedness:
As one would expect from a manufacturer of ultra rugged tablets, the X Slate is absolutely ready for even the most clumsiest of field engineers. With a MIL-STD 810G certification the tablet is both water and dust resistant and can operate in a range of temperatures ranging from -20°C through to 60°C which should cover all but the absolute extreme of field service environments.

The XSlate is capable of surviving a 5 foot fall and thanks to its lightweight rugged magnesium mid-frame the LCD and electronics are also particularly well protected should the device be accidentally dropped on more than one occasion.
Battery Life:
Finally the battery life of the X Slate is certainly capable of lasting an engineer throughout their day. The full battery life is listed as up to 8 hours however with the inclusion of shot swappable batteries could potentially last for up to 20 hours with moderate usage.

Conclusion:

Having given the Bobcat a relatively good review it is impossible to not give the X Slate anything but a glowing recommendation.

The device is good looking, the buttons intuitively placed and the processing power is right at the top-end of the spectrum. It’s also highly certified in terms of ruggedness and has great connectivity specifications. Overall this is a fantastic tablet for somone working in a reasonably hostile environment but needs a powerful device with lots of CPU power.

Ultimately what the XSlate does is take the strong form factor of the Bobcat and delivers a truly high-end tablet to further increase the competition with Panasonic.

 

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Field Service Europe returned to Amsterdam this autumn. Field Service News was keen to find out what delegates liked about the event and what their key take-aways were. Active technology, IoT progress, mobile device management, task-based scheduling and a shift to customer-focused services were among the hot topics and there was growing recognition that European service organisations face different challenges compared with their their US counterparts.

Here are some of the conversations we had….

Marne Martin, CEO, ServicePower

FSN: Why did you decide to come to Field Service Europe?
The greater Europe and EMEA region is an important one for ServicePower, so definitely being able to meet with customers that cover all these territories is a fantastic opportunity.

I think also it was wonderful to see many of the presentations and companies at various stages of their maturation in field service. We the more mature end with Airbus and what they were doing with IoT but also that there are still companies that don’t understand the difference between scheduling, manual or drag and drop, versus the real power of optimisation.

FSN: Do you find that the European challenges are slightly different to those faced by US based organisations?
I think it’s different. In the US you have larger field forces so the complexity of the size has driven them into optimisation in advance of some of the European companies. However, the European companies have the same pain points in service and now they are also having to effectively do more with less - the new regulations that count travel time to and from a job as working time actually increases demand for productivity-enhancing technology.

There is a difference between more passive service management technology like a GPS or some other regular solutions that are just monitoring and giving analytics versus a more active solution that actually can drive cycle times, jobs per day, making sure your working within SLAs, the priority of jobs etc.

 

I think it is really important that we talk about active technology, technology that you can continue earning a return on investment on. Again the drivers for technology purchases are a little bit different between regions but the pain points in field service are pretty much the same.

Alec Pinto, Associate Director Field Service Central, QIAGEN

FSN: Why did you decide to come to Field Service Europe?
Firstly it was the opportunity to meet with our peers and learn new ideas and see what other companies are doing so we can benchmark against what they are doing and find out what the next steps are for us to grow our service offering.

I normally come away with 20 or 25 ideas for what we can put into place for the next three years, so from a mid-term goal perspective it’s always useful. I’m also with Peak service: we are always looking for new partners so these opportunities are the second big reason we are here. In summary, it’s networking and business opportunities.

FSN: Have there been any significant key take aways for you this year?
What GE healthcare is doing is amazingly good. They’ve got some really good ideas: the concept of categorising the tasks that you do not the engineers ties in well with what we are looking to do - identifying tasks by complexity and grouping them, creating training plans, regional plans and dispatch plans based around that. The idea is something we’ve been playing with, but how to make it concrete is something that just clicked with us this time.

That’s one big thing. What is also interesting is that the internet of things is not really taking off like people think it is. That’s a big realisation. Obviously there is the pressure that we need to get into the Internet of Things but when you see where the market is going it’s not something that will become real in the next three years.

 

Paul Rogers, Support Engineer Instrumentation Products, Pall Corporation

FS News: Why did you attend FS Europe?
Within our corporation we have a dedicated support team that is now a separate entity in itself. My boss and colleagues in the USA have already attended the Palm Springs session. They thought it would be a good idea for me to come to this conference with a fresh pair of eyes. I guess what we’ll do when I get back is have a round table discussion.

I will then need to see which direction we are already moving in and probably reach out to some of these technology partners and see what is available in terms of compatible systems, look at some of the things that look quite exciting, some of the technology offerings, the use of smartphones and our engineers having something simplistic to improve their workflow.

At the moment,  I guess our support is complex - it needs to move into newer technologies. This is a great place to start and a way forward for our company. We’re doing a very good job at what we do at the moment but we have to work very hard to do that. What we are doing now is moving things up.

In terms of eureka moments what a lot of it will come down to is if things could be implemented in a machine’s design with embedded sensors reporting back so we are able to tailor an instrument’s servicing based on its usage.
Things like that we can maybe start feeding back to the design teams – things that they may or may not be aware and that they may or may not have even thought about. Exciting times are ahead and that was one Eureka moment I guess.

The other ones were just seeing the level of complexity that some of these providers can offer. If you want to go to that level it’s there.

Oleg Huber, Director of Sales, Coresystems

FSN: Why did you decide to come to Field Service Europe?
it was a natural decision for us to be here again this year - we were here a year ago , two years ago, so we know the community already. We know we meet the right people here, we’ve done business here.

FSN: Has there been a difference in the conversations you are having this year compared to previous years?
The delegates are better informed. When people were talking about Internet of Things or M2M communication or service automation two or three years ago mostly we were looking to tell them this is what it is all about; now it is more of a future based discussion.

At the moment they are really in the process of evaluating. A bit down-to-the earth again because after evaluating a year ago they realise, OK, we are not really there yet, so we need to first fix a couple of things internally before we can go to the Internet of Things or such fancy strategic things. But people are much better educated, I think.

FSN: Do you find on the whole companies are looking to upgrade legacy systems or are there still many companies with no FSM system at all?
A system is always in place whether it is paper-based or automated: they have a system they work somehow. Many companies are working either in spreadsheets or even paper and they come to us and they ask for best practice ; what are your unique selling points; why should we talk to you instead. The demand is there and they really want to see how we can help them move forward.

Jonathan Massoud, Divisional Director & Market Analyst, for WBR, organisers of FS Europe

FSN: What have been the big trends at this year’s Field Service Europe Conference?
In terms of the European market, last year conversations were very much about how to offer services and what to offer for services, how to get it down, present it, package it, market it.

At the end of 2015 a lot of the topics have been about refining that value proposition: putting yourself in your customers’ shoes, taking a step back and working towards a ‘what’s good for the customer is good for the company’ type of approach. Shifting towards that sort of mindset and having the technicians follow suit and recognise that is definitely a step along the path for European manufacturers.

An ongoing issue is a move from what can you market to how do we go from free to fee offerings of services and getting customers to pay for them. .

Other themes his year were around the path towards preventative services. Last year, companies were not talking about the technologies embedded into certain products. This year there have been advances in putting IoT into the thought process and companies looking at connected devices.

FS News: You've just hosted Field Service East in the US . Would you say that the delegates here, who are mainly European, have more pain points?
[quote float="right"]The different regions within Europe is the main differentiator between the US and the European manufacturers.

It’s a big deal for global manufacturers but not so much for those just based in the USA. Training around this is also a big issue for European manufacturers.

 

It’s not just that they have customers that vary with preferences, characteristics, what they expect and their customer demands but their own field workforces are also pretty diverse. European manufacturers struggle to get their own technicians to flex their soft skills to their regional customers as well.

You can even see it with the attendees here versus the attendees in the States - their personas are completely different. Our European constituents are very aware of personal boundaries, for example I’m French you’re German, we’re going to conduct business like this, I expect this it’s my nature. We don’t get that in the US.

In the European market a lot of these guys do business based around their relationships. That makes the community that we are trying to build here even more important. That’s how these guys build their relationships, it’s how they build their levels of trust.

FSN: Has there been any one technology showcased at this year’s conference that leapt out as one to keep our eyes on this year?
Device management has been big. Mobile device management has been one of the things that has been presented here.

Whilst Internet of things has been more of a loftier conversation, practicality and the technologies that were presented on mobile device management, having apps built for customers, creating a service app for your organisation that has been a big differentiator for some of the companies that we have seen presenting here and a big take away.

 

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Resource Type: White Paper
Published by:  Advanced Field Service
Title A guide to delivering service excellence
Download: Click here to Download the white paper here

By downloading you agree to the T&Cs listed available here

Synopsis

To satisfy direct customers or retain the business of contract customers, field service companies must provide professional service time after time.

Overview

This guide outlines how you can deliver winning service at a profit by strategically deploying today’s field service technology including the following sections...

Provide a professional response

Whether you operate in the business-to-business or consumer/domestic markets, you’ll need to consistently meet basic criteria, such as responding within the set timeframe or appointment window.

A field service solution helps you to deploy your engineers with maximum efficiency and equip them with everything they need to know to do a proficient job, from the customer’s contact details to inspection sheets. Technology gives you the option to send the customer the engineer’s estimated time of arrival by SMS or email.

Live capture of onsite data

The information engineers enter remotely through their PDAs feeds back to your call control centre and back-office reporting and billing systems. Customers can be sent up-to-date compliance certification within minutes after the job is completed.

From the information captured onsite, you can shorten the time to invoice, where applicable. Sending an invoice promptly while the job is still fresh in the customer’s mind avoids queries and delays further down the line. While not strictly speaking a customer service issue, having fast efficient billing processes reinforces your image as a professional service provider and helps to speed up payments and improve cash flow.

 

Collect customer feedback

Rating product suppliers and service providers has become a way of life. Customers are accustomed to completing online surveys and logging their opinions on review sites.

Without bombarding customers with survey requests, you can collect their feedback using standard forms on the engineer’s PDA or schedule a survey to be emailed to them after the job is complete.

Improve customer satisfaction through self-service

In a highly competitive market, customers will always expect you to add more value to your basic service.

It sounds a contradictory statement but enabling your contract customers to access information about their service history online improves their perception of the service they receive, without adding to the workload of your service administrators. Customers can download their certifications, view weekly and monthly statistics, the progress of any jobs, invoices…a whole wealth of information.

Rather than having to navigate spreadsheets and other documents, a graphical dashboard can give them an at-a-glance view. This information can be made available to customers on their tablet devices and branded with your corporate identity.

Conclusions

Your delivery of service excellence is reinforced by how you handle information: sending information out to your field-based teams, capturing information from your engineers and flowing it into your back-office systems, sharing information with customers…

Modern field service technology makes all this possible in a way that would be unthinkable using manual systems or older technology. Mobile devices and web technology add another layer of agility by making location no object in being able to collect and publish this information

 

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 Click here to Download the white paper here

 

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As we enter the final few working days days of 2015 it's a good time to reflect on what we did well this year and of course what we can do better next year...

However whilst the world is certainly a better place financially than it was a few years ago we still live in an age of austerity. More and more companies have quite rightly moved their service departments to their own P&L as the shift from cost centre to profit centre becomes more common for a service division.

However, whether your field service operation is a necessary cost or a profitable division of your business, the ability to achieve more next year than you did this year with the same level of resource is one that can push your organisation to a better market share, greater profits and of courser internally will do your career as a field service management professional no harm at all either!

Fortunately many of the arguments for adopting certain technologies within field service industries are based on a robust return on investment (R.o.I) basis that will ultimately pay for itself and deliver ongoing savings in efficiency - often within a 12 month timeframe.

Driver behaviour apps offer reduced maintenance costs of your fleet vehicles for example, rugged devices are regularly bought because whilst they may be more expensive in the short term over the course of their lifetime the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is in fact much lower than that of alternative consumer devices.

 

Then of course there is optimised scheduling where not only will you see reduced fuel costs but also achieve higher job completion across a day so potentially not only reducing costs but simulataneously improving customer service also.

However, as with many things in life which sound a bit too good to be true, such claims of operational improvements and cost savings can sometimes be met with cynicism. Indeed, optimised scheduling may not deliver huge benefits for all companies, those with a relatively simple work process or a small team for example may not see the same benefits as those with larger workforces or a more complex set of jobs being allocated.

The simple truth is there is no simple answer as to the type of company that will get the best gains from optimised scheduling.

However, what is well documented is that most companies will see some performance gains and many of those who implement optimised scheduling will see highly significant gains such as PHS who saved £2M in a year in fuel savings alone. 

So in order to help our readers identify whether optimised scheduling would benefit their organisation, Field Service News has teamed up with specialist service management provider IFS to offer a free, no obligation Field Service Healthcheck that will identify exactly what efficiencies your business could make through adopting an optimised scheduler.

Simply click the link below to access the registration page.

Once there complete the brief form and instructions will be sent to you on how to undertake your free field service health-check and a scheduling expert from IFS will analyse your current workload and identify exactly how and where you could make improvements within three days of receiving your completed form.

So why sit in the dark about how much optimised scheduling could benefit your company. Find out for free right now...

 

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Click here to access the free field service healthcheck now... 

 

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