AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Mark Glover

Over half of the US Government workforce feel comfortable with technology such as artificial intelligence but want to see accompanying training and guidance readily available.

The survey by Government Business Council, canvassed nearly 500 US Federal employees across more than 30 civil and defence agencies sought opinion on smart technologies such as Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence. 

Over half (51%) understood that artificial intelligence will evolve "slightly or considerably" in the next three years and will have an impact on their role in the future, however only 26% said their respected agencies had communicated the impact of AI to them either "adequately, well or very well."

The survey also revealed that workers felt confident in adapting to this change but were concerned that there was a lack of training around the technology, with 61% expressing worry at the absence of technical support.

“AI is one of the most engaging topics we are seeing unfold in the federal government right now,” said Daniel Thomas, Research Manager at GBC and the study's author. “These findings show that there is a significant appetite for continued education around the opportunities that intelligent technologies like AI present to the federal employee." 

You can read the full report here.

Concluding our series our experts, Bill Pollock, Strategies for Growth, Marc Tatarsky at FieldAware, and Richard Pratley from SimPRO, identify potential areas of concern for service companies to look out for in 2019.

In The Big Discussion we bring together three industry experts and put four key questions for them to answer to give us a balanced view of the major trends impacting the field service sector. This week, the panel end our series by picking out areas of concern for the sector that could surface in 2019. 

What is the biggest area of concern that field service companies should address in the next 12 months?

BILL POLLOCK, PRESIDENT, STRATEGIES FOR GROWTH
The biggest area of concern for field service companies in the next 12 months will be, if they’re already somewhat behind the technology curve (or with respect to the competitive landscape), what do they need to do today to ensure that they will not fall further behind? And, it’s not just a matter of technology either; many FSOs will need to alter their corporate philosophy and mentality as well.

Technology goes hand-in-hand with the personnel that use it, so attention must also be given to how the organisation goes about replacing, and/or supplementing, its existing field force with new hires or the use of outside, third-party “feet on the street” support.
The services world is evolving so quickly, that any missteps along the way can be devastating – so every step, every move counts.

There will also be no time for any intra-mural infighting – only for collaboration and inter-departmental cooperation. Equipment will keep on breaking, and end-of-lifecycles are getting increasingly shorter. As such, there will always be the need for services organisations to deliver their support! However, only those that have the technological and corporate wherewithal to continually improve the way in which they deliver their services will rise to the top of the competitive order – and stay there!


MARC TATARSKY, SVP MARKETING, FIELD AWARE
The phrase ‘doing more with less’ is common in field service and that can be in relation to numerous resources and assets.
The workforce is a key element in this equation and can preoccupy a great deal of management time. There are concerns over an aging workforce in field service, a high turnover of workers and a shrinking pool of talent as demand increases.

Technology plays a critical role in any succession and resource planning. This may be empowering the workforce with automation to streamline operations, bring in best practice and increase productivity without the need to increase numbers. Using technology differently or embracing emerging technologies to enable remote expert capabilities, so a more experienced worker assists others.

Also attracting new workers, especially millennials, for whom, the latest technology is a big part of everyday life. The technology has to be right for both worker and the organisation to get maximum benefit

RICHARD PRATLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR UK, SIMPRO
Technology is changing at a rapid pace. The technology we use today is very different from that we used five years ago so businesses will always have the challenge of how they can ensure the systems and technology they use are still current. Taking a long term view of the business requirement is vital.

Many businesses consider an off-the-shelf solution won’t fit the unique needs of the business. But think again! Overtly customised solutions can lead to restrictions with software updates and integrations with other systems in the future - not to mention a great deal of ongoing expense and time that should be spent on running the business.

Cloud-based software providers frequently release new updates (that are included in the licence fee) to help businesses stay ahead of tech trends. By ensuring the systems you use now are fit for-purpose, you’ll be able to keep up with future technological developments.

You can read the first instalment of The Big Discussion here, the second here and the third here. 

Catering Equipment Suppliers' Association (CESA) has accepted Asolvi as an associate member.

Asolvi, the service management software for Small and Medium Enterprises has announced its membership of the Catering Equipment Suppliers' Association (CESA). As an affiliate of the UK's largest catering equipment trade association, Asolvi will benefit from CESA's information and management resources.

Established 80 years ago, CESA itself is a member of The European Federation of Catering Equipment Manufacturers and has strategic links with UK Government and the British Standards Institution. 

Asolvi will join longstanding CESA members Welbilt and Meiko, both of whom are also clients of the service management software company.

Mike Rand, Asolvi's Client Service's Manager, said joining the association would bring the firm an array of advantages. "We're delighted to be accepted as an associate member of CESA," he explained. "The kitchens and catering sector is an important market for us and we're looking forward to utilising the knowledge that the group offers."

You can read an Asolvi case study on their work with Meiko here.

New software will bring together back-office team, mobile workforce and customers.

UK-based Field Service Management solution provider Kirona have launched Work Hub, their new work management system.

The solution manages the workflow between central functions and field-based operatives by pulling together disparate back-office data and systems to enable reliable, seamless data flow throughout the organisation, the company says.
The software was integrated into Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's Asset Management and Maintenance Service, and has been scaled across its Housing Management System, DRS and Job Manager applications.

Neil Martin, the Council's Business Manager said: “The system we have now is more reliable, and staff are more productive.” Ryan Davies, Senior Repairs Coordinator and Systems Officer at Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council added: “We are planning on widening the Work Hub to other services in Sandwell Council, so the relationship with Kirona will just grow and grow.” 

Study shows deskless workers will engage more with videos, private messaging and comment functionality when using firm's employee communication tool.

Research by Speakap, has revealed frontline workers - those not desk-based - engage more positively with their employees internal social intranet if it carries instant messaging and commenting functionality. The report also claims workers productivity is improved if such applications are used.

The ability to communicate directly with colleagues rather than on an open forum, the report says, encourages more open, confident and clear direction between teams and managers.

“If messages are too vague or are not filtered to target and reach the most relevant users, it can lead to clutter, confusion, less productivity and even poor results/performance," Patrick Van Der Mijl, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Speakap said. "By understanding their employees’ communications behaviours, organizations can effectively build and adjust their employee engagement and experience programs to better serve the needs of their workforce.” 

You can download the report here. 

 

Underpinned by regulation and historically reluctant to embrace new technology such as big-data, the utilities service sector finds itself at a crossroads. Will 2019 be the year of the customer with industry watchdogs taking a back seat? Field Service News' Deputy Editor Mark Glover finds out more....

I write this article in the second week of January. An odd time when faded Christmas trees lay abandoned in gardens, and flashes of tinsel peek through wheelie-bins. Festive memories seem a long time ago and the summer seems even further away as we return to work. We snooze the 6am alarm, reluctant to step into the cold morning.

Symbolising this grim time of year is the broken boiler. Plummeting temperatures mean faults are common and energy companies come under pressure to respond and to deliver first-time fixes. Customers, particularly on a cold January morning, want radiators hot and their showers hotter.

In Britain, central heating was introduced in the 70s. Then it was seen as something of a luxury. Today it is seen as a basic requirement, we miss it sorely when it’s not around so when the boiler flame goes out, we demand a quick response from our supplier. An expectation affirmed by the Uber and Amazon delivery service-times we operate in.

So has the utility sector adapted to the modern customer demand and if not,what does it need to do to keep up? Are they instead content to just keep their regulators at bay? And what about technology adoption? Do firms still feel uncomfortable dipping their toes in big-data lakes?

Historically, utilities have felt ring-fenced from competition. The majority of companies have a monopoly over the areas they supply. Investing in complicated and costly digital strategies has never been high on the agenda. Stephen J Callahan IBM’s VP of Global Strategy and Solutions for Energy and Utilities explained why outfits remain sceptical in an article for RDMag in 2015: “The analytics opportunity for utilities is clear,” he wrote, “but there continues to be a lack of real push and value delivery. Companies have been concerned about the high costs and complexity of data. “Technology shifts, regulatory changes and the emergence of empowered consumers all demand a new approach to customer engagement. With analytics, energy companies can make the shift to engage with customers in highly personalised ways that can increase customer satisfaction, lower the cost of service and promote new products and services,” he urged.

For UK energy companies, customers switching tariffs and regulation from the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM) are the main drivers influencing its customer strategy. Transparent costs and price comparison sites have
made swapping easier for consumers and in 2016, 4.8 million frustrated households did just that. Their main reason? Poor customer service.

That said, despite the numbers, and a strong PR campaign around the ease of which it can be done, the rate of switching is perhaps not where OFGEM want it to be. “I think switching is happening but probably at a lower level than the regulators would be aiming for,” explains Laurence Cramp from Leadent, a managing consulting and technology business specialising in field service. “Mainly because people are using the supplier in their area and they’ll stay with that supplier.

“It also comes from the fact that tariffs are all in and around the same range so consumers tend to be paying about the same price for their energy. The customer service may be better or worse at some or others but that’s not necessarily linked with what billing platform they’ve just integrated. I think people probably look at the power sector and think it’s much of a muchness.”

In the UK, British Gas, SSE, EDF Energy, npower, E.ON UK and Scottish Power form the “Big Six”, the suppliers who provide the majority of energy to the UK. Smaller and more streamlined energy companies, with a strong focus on service exist, yet consumers seem content to stick with the top names.

Of those, British Gas is the UK’s largest energy supplier and can lay claim as the world’s first public utility company. Set-up in 1812 as The Gas Light and Coke Company, the firm provided customers with coal-based energy. The sector, and technology, has moved on considerably – not least with the advent of electricity – and British Gas has done its best to keep-up, adopting technology to enhance its customer service processes. It recently rolled-out its ‘On My Way’, real-time engineer tracking facility, enabling customers to see the precise location of the engineer, producing an accurate arrival time for time-starved customers.

"In 2016, 4.8 households switched energy supplier. Their main reason? Poor customer service..."

Tim Andrew is the CEO of Localz, the company behind British Gas’ location tracking technology. He says 2019 will see utility watchdogs push companies hard when it comes to customer service. “Regulators continue to increase their focus on customer experience, using both penalties and incentives to drive same-year measurable improvements,” he predicts.
“This year will show that the companies who outperform the industry, continuously focusing on providing transparency and control to consumers, rather than running a project to meet the minimum regulatory requirements.”

Consumers are hamstrung to the area they reside: Southern Water, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water for example, with customers unable to switch tariffs. With consumers locked-in to contracts, how are suppliers kept on their toes to ensure they deliver on customer service?

Here, the Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT) keeps economic tabs on companies. Set-up in 1989 following the privatisation of England’s 10 water authorities, it carries out a review every five years with this year (2019) being the next period of scrutiny.

This cycle will see companies adopting a Customer Measure of Experience (C-MeX) incentive approach, intended to focus firms on delivering a high-standard of customer service. C-MeX supersedes Service Incentive Mechanism (SIM), a customer satisfaction survey carried out four times a year by the regulator, and will link financial incentives to the performance level of the best performing companies.

Cramp believes the new approach will spur-on companies, through the use of technology, to be more comprehensive in their customer focus. “C-MeX is there to encourage firms to be more holistic and rounded in what they do for their customers,” he says. “This is a good time for water firms because they’re now all gearing up for the next five years and undoubtedly customer service is a really big part of that with a lot of focus on investment in technology to help
with that.”

However, he suggests the water companies are some way behind their energy counterparts who, driven by their own regulator OFGEM, have already integrated such initiatives “I see the water companies playing catch-up with where the power utilities were five years ago. I think the energy regulator has been on that case a little bit ahead of the water companies than OFWAT,” he says.

The utilities sector is a broad market, however like field service, which straddles numerous verticals, there exists an opportunity to share best practice across its own verticals: water, electricity and gas. Is it possible for the energy sector to extend its five years of technology-focused customer learning to its water counterparts?

“In our daily lives we take a great experience from one industry, and get frustrated when that isn’t available in another,” says Localz’ Tim Andrew, who is adamant it can. “As a business, trying to meet, let alone exceed customer expectations by
taking input from just an internal or single industry perspective is futile. Cross-industry collaboration and product development is critical.”

As well as working together, the sector needs to invest sensibly in technology, particularly around customer service. There are murmurings that this is starting to happen, particularly in the water industry but how long this will take is even less clear. Studies suggest that worldwide firms are setting aside funds to do just that. In 2015, GTM research anticipated utility company spend on data analytics growing from the $700 million spent in 2012 to $3.8 billion by 2020, a huge leap but it need not be a leap into the unknown and at all times, the customer should be at the heart of any decision.

“Becoming a customer-centric, information driven organisation is no longer simply an option for most utility companies. It’s a business imperative,” Callahan said in his 2015 rallying call to the utilities sector. Four years’ on, will his words have had an impact?

Watch this space.

Firm's AR software will now work across smartphone and tablets, complimenting its smart glasses functionality. 

Upskill, the Augmented Reality software provider, has added mobile functionality to its AR platform, which includes smart glasses and Microsoft HoloLens.

Aimed at the industrial workforce, the software encourages collaboration through live videos and insight capture while workers carry out tasks. 

Brian Ballard, Upskill CEO and co-founder said: “With the latest enhancements to Skylight, it makes critical data, peer collaboration and the unique fidelity provided by augmented reality even more accessible. Skylight accelerates organizations along their digital transformation journey, regardless of where they are today.”

 

In the latest Field Service Podcast, Christian Kowalkowski, Professor of Industrial Marketing at Linköping University, discusses the challenges round transitioning to a servitization business model.

In this episode, Field Service News Deputy Editor Mark Glover, speaks to Christian Kowalkowski, author of Service Strategy in Action: A Practical Guide for Growing your B2B Service and Solution Business, about the challenges businesses can face when adapting to a servitization model having been used to the more traditional transactional framework.

You can connect with Christian on his LinkedIn profile here and email him at christian.kowalkowski@liu.se
Information about the book Service Strategy in Action: A Practical Guide for Growing your B2B Service and Solution Business, including how to purchase a copy, can be found here.  

New research suggests adherence to GDPR compliance will influence company's spending around cybersecurity.

Cyber security revenues in 2018 were $160.2 billion and will jump $11.2 billion during 2019, as the focus moves to GDPR compliance. Growth will slow to around $9.8 billion per annum, spiking once a in 2023/4 as AI based Cybersecurity escalates, reaching $223.7 billion, says the report from Rethink Technology Research.

The European Union’s GDPR (General Data Protection Registrar) has set the agenda for legislation over data privacy and protection worldwide and that is generating a spike in spending on security measures that ensure compliance. This will continue to ripple around the world between 2019 and 2021.

North America is expected to continue to spend the most on security (27%), but both Europe (22%) and China (20%) which are rapidly accelerating their spend, with the rest of Asia following closely behind on 16%. North America is expected to lead on almost every market with the exceptions of Industrial and Automotive, where China leads, by a small margin.

You can read the full report here.