AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Mark Glover

In the latest Field Service Podcast, Cheryl Anne Sanderson, Operations Director at G4S FM UK and Ireland, discusses the struggle in attracting the next generation of technicians and engineers and suggests influence must come from the top of a business to change perceptions of those looking in who are considering a career in service.

 

In this  special episode, Field Service News' Deputy Editor Mark Glover, speaks to the brilliant, forward thinking Cheryl-Anne Sanderson ahead of her keynote address at Field Service Connect next month; enticingly titled, Making Field Service Sexy. How to redefine industry perceptions to attract the next generation of bright minds and propel your field service into the digital era.

Cheryl is passionate about getting young people into the sector and this eye opening podcast goes deep into the issues behind the current workplace disparity and what can be done, if anything, to remedy it.
An essential listen!

You can find out more information about Field Service Connect which takes place on 15 and 16 May at Celtic Manor, South Wales here. 

Green Network Energy UK will deploy Salesforce's CRM platform in Summer.

Green Network Energy UK has announced a partnership with Salesforce that it hopes will enhance its digital transformation and customer care programmes.

The independent energy supplier, set-up in 2016, plan to expands it use of the CRM platform in the summer which will see a new customer self-service online portal for customers that communicates service updates, tariff renewal options and allows for meter readings to be submitted.

Green Network Energy UK's Founder and CEO Sabrina Corbo says the technology roll-out will benefit their customer base. "Our aim has always been to make our customers feel special," she said. "We are committing to an enhanced relationship with our customers and showing that we are here to make a big difference as a big organisation in the energy sector.

Commenting on the partnership, Salesforce's SVP EMEA Cloud Sales, Sanj Bhayro said the modern-day utility customer now expects immaculate service. "Much like other industries, customers' expectations in the energy sector are on the rise, with customers demanding a seamless brand experience, getting support when the need it and on the channel of their choice. We're delighted to be working with Green Network Energy to realise their vision of connected, personalised service," he concluded.   

Thomas Nordås tasked with driving firm's new digital strategy in Norway.

Tieto has appointed Thomas Nordås as Managing Partner, a role which will see the former McKinsey employee push the firm's new digital strategy in the Norweigan market.

The service and software firm's new strategy is built around design of service experiences and the smart-use of data and Nordas will be expected to implement this new direction for the company, ultimately driving growth in the Scandinavian country.

Commenting, Tieto's President and CEO welcomed Nordas to the company, while acknowledging the goal of the firm's new strategy for its customers. "Thomas’ strong experience in consulting and business transformation will further support Tieto’s ambitions and help us create competitive advantage to our customers in this rapidly evolving and digitalizing business environment, where innovation, digital experience and new data-driven business models are the main drivers for companies’ competitiveness," he said.

Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) who use vehicles are aware of digitisation benefits but many still rely on manual processes.

New research from TomTom Telematics shows fleet-based SMEs are turning to digitisation to improve productivity, communication and cost.

The study, which canvassed over a thousand companies across the EU and USA, revealed 81% of those decision makers surveyed said they could get more jobs done if they could digitise more of their workflow.

However, the majority of those questioned admitted taking a manual-paper heavy approach to every day tasks such as expense management, customer updates and quoting and invoicing.

Beverly Wise, TomTom Telematics' UK Sales Director said the survey highlighted two key areas. "First, SMEs are frustrated by the costliness, time ineffectiveness and potential for error explained when handling essential tasks manually," she explained. "And two, managers want digital solutions to take care of these jobs."

You can download the full here.

 

Chris Ruff is the President and CEO of location-based technology outfit Glympse and was a recent a guest on The Field Service podcast. Here Deputy Editor Mark Glover cherry-picks some highlights from the interview including automotive technology, machine learning and a misty-eyed look at the hardware that inspired him.


Let’s travel back to 1999, the year of the Palm VII, seen as the first truly wireless handheld device. Chris was (and still is) a fan. “It was why I got into wireless,” he says with nostalgia. “The idea that we run little applications on mobile devices was hugely inspiring to me. It was amazing because, until that moment, most of our experiences were from a dial-up modem in hour homes and we’d sit in front of our PCs, and that was how we got content and communicated with people.

“Now all of a sudden with this mobile device we were able to view content and share things with people. It really became the beginning of mobility and mobile applications. Starbucks had an app where you could find stores. It was really amazing, you could find coffee on your Palm VII.”

Is it collecting dust in Chris’ loft? “I might have it in a box somewhere,” he says laughing. “I tend to keep all my devices. I know I have seven generations of BlackBerries up there. They soon became my addiction."

“Mobile device improvements have been modest ones,” he says when I ask him about the evolution of mobility hardware. “They are mostly around cameras and screens but the underlying tech has been pretty stagnant for several years and generations now. It means it’s becoming a pretty mature market, just like the PC,” he suggested.

Chris has been with Glympse just over a year now, prior, he spent a significant chunk of time – 18 years – at connected car technology and automotive telematics provider Xevo where he joined in its infancy, overseeing various executive positions and becoming its President, CEO and Chairman. He remains on the board.

"Starbucks had an app where you could find stores. It was amazing, you could find coffee on your Palm VII...” 

The potential of automotive technology, therefore, forms a good part of our conversation, most notably when I ask where he sees the next big disruption in field service. “I believe that in the big Iot space that autonomous driving will create a huge change in field service,” he says. “It’s going to make everything more productive, it will improve communications with consumers and it’s going to make it safer. I think this will re-shape the industry more than any tech enhancement than we have today.

He also cites machine learning as a significant enabler in the sector, providing service in real-time and pre-empting faults but he thinks another pinch point could be the way a product is delivered, syncing with the arrival of the technician.

“We’re currently looking at way of tracking two or more things simultaneously, in a healthcare scenario, for example,” he explains. “Here a skilled nurse and the drugs they need to administer need to be at the patient’s house at the same time.

“You could see that in some of the advanced field services and even big machinery cases; where the part and tech show up at the same time, assisted by machine learning that alerts the service company when the asset is about to break.”

I ended the podcast by asking what motivates Chris in his work. His answer is wide-ranging that touches on potential of technology as well as making a difference in society. “I’m motivated by two things,” he says. One is being able to continually push the envelope of what’s available using technology. Two is making a difference in the world.

Can he cite an example? “During the hurricane season, while the search and rescue operations were taking place, teams were using Glympse to keep track of each other, ensuring they wouldn’t lose touch while they carried out the task.

“That to me is super inspiring. That I can work on technology that actually makes a difference in people’s lives.”

Tool measures vehicles' health and performance by tracking fuel consumption, distance travelled and diagnostics.
Verizon connect has launched Engine Connect, a tool aimed specifically at Light Commercial Vehicles.

The tool works by gathering data directly from the engine to help prevent mechanical problems. The data is combined with GPS location information and can identify driver behaviour linked to fuel costs. Software automatically keeps VIN records updated and can receive diagnostics trouble code alerts, the company says.

Engine Connect gives fleet managers a complete view of their vehicles' performance, enabling them to identify potential vehicles' issues before they become costly," said Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect. "With a better understanding of vehicle performance, we can help customers save time and money in the future and provide them with peace of mind knowing their vehicles are running optimally."

Release of COMPASS 2.0 comes after firm's own research reveals users' security concerns when integrating operating system.

Following their own research into Android tablet and handheld adoption for business use, which highlighted worries round security, Panasonic has released a suite of enterprise management tools that, the firms says, are business ready for applications, management and security.

COMPASS 2.0 is made up of five elements that operate on Panasonic's range of Android rugged devices including COMPASS Custom which can offer different level of Android customisation and COMPASS Security, allowing updates to take place locally or remotely via MDM, FOTA or Advanced FOTA.

Rob Blowers, is General Manager of Engineering and Project Management at Panasonic Product Solutions Europe. Citing the study, he explains the firm's thinking behind the new software. "Our latest research shows Android tablet and handheld adoption for business use continues to grow although direct feedback from some of our customers suggests there is still a concern specifically around security.

"However, with 60% of device buyers saying Android is still being integrated into their organisations, the number of devices is expected to continue to rise over the next three years."

In the latest Field Service Podcast, Nick Frank, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Si2 Partners of Field Nation, discusses the ethos behind The Service Community, a knowledge-sharing, independent service members' group and looks forward to the organisation's next gathering taking place at Renishaw's HQ in Gloucestershire, UK. 

 

In this episode, Field Service News Deputy Editor Mark Glover, speaks to one of the spearheads behind The Service Community, Nick Frank, who explains the origins of the group's and explains its future goals. Nick also shares some of the challenges that members are highlighting in the service sector and tells us what delegates can expect at the association's next gathering taking place at the beginning of April.

You can find out more information about The Service Community here and sign-up for the group's forthcoming event at Renishaw's HQ in Gloucestershire on 2 April here.

An app created by King's College London monitoring outdoor workers' exposure to air pollution has been launched.

As part of the British Safety Council's Time to Breathe campaign, King's College London has developed an app aimed at outdoor workers in London that can measure their exposure to air pollution.

Called Canairy, the app works by cross-referencing a worker's GPS location with the college's London Air Quality Network pollution map, calculating exposure on an hourly basis. Workers are alerted when exposure exceeds World Health Organisation limits on the concentration of nitrogen dioxide, particulates and ozone.

King's College research suggests 9,400 in London die prematurely due to poor air quality. Andrew Grieve, Senior Air Quality Analyst at the university, said non-desk workers such as field engineers are at risk from developing complications from air pollution. "As a group, outdoor workers are particularly vulnerable to long-term exposure to ambient air pollution. Within a workplace, the risk of people's exposure to polluted air can be controlled using well-established methods, but this is more difficult for outdoor workers, many of whom work near or on busy roads."

The Canairy app is available on Apple and Android platforms.