Don't Believe The Hype?
Jun 11, 2019 • Features • future of field service • Oneserve • IoT • Service Automation
Are we on the cusp of a revolution or are we experiencing evolution? We spoke to Paul Joesbury, Operations Manager at HomeServe and Chris Proctor, CEO at FSM Software provider Oneserve and got their thoughts on IoT, automation and the general attitude towards new technology adoption...
The impact of technology has been felt far beyond service. Homeserve’s Paul Joesbury worked in finance before joining the utility company “I look back and reflect on my time in finance,” he recalls, “many of the tasks were done manually, like ledger reconciliations, which are all automated now. Previously it would take a bank of humans that would take the best part of a week to reconcile something and now it’s pretty much done with the touch of a button.”
The Operation Manager continues, adamant that his current sector should benefit from the same progress “So why should service operations be different? The technology, I think, is pretty much already there. It’s how it can be applied in a cost-effective way which is going to be the challenge for organisations.”
Chris Proctor is another great believer in technology but he suggests firms should adopt technology for the right reasons. “A lot of companies are trialing new technology at the moment, but it comes down to when it is absolutely necessary, and at what point does the use-case become really tried and really tested.” However, the Oneserve CEO is concerned about the pace of adoption generally in the sector. “I might be lambasted for saying this but I don’t think there has been much innovation,” he says, aware of the statement’s brevity. “It’s disappointing that the last real innovation in field service management was moving to the cloud and even then, I don’t think everyone is fully there yet.”
It’s a bold claim, yet one that has substance. The industry has been accused before of lagging when it comes to embracing disruptive, digital technology. “I think one of the biggest problems the industry has is properly understanding the trajectory of new technology,” he explains. “There’s this concept of necessity being the mother of all inventions and I think there’s a really good point in that. A lot of industries and a lot of sectors are having to go through a lot of change. In the UK there’s so much uncertainty in so many pockets at the moment, trying to make big decisions on how you engage with new technologies is very difficult.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Joesbury who feels the role of technology will slowly phase out that of the engineer...but not quite yet. “I definitely think in five years’ time that there will still be humans around,” he ponders, “but I think we’ll be doing different roles, and I think the important aspect over the next five years is to learn to trust the technology and equally for the technology to work and we’ve got to embrace that. After that you’re on a journey searching for the next big leap of faith but where does it come from? I’m not sure if service operations is going to be the market leader in this space, but I definitely can see lots of value potential, I think we just have to open our hearts a little bit and embrace it.”
The society that technology operates in can also influence how it is executed. We are on the cusp of a younger generation who expect everything to work first time. The way in which people communicate is also changing, to a point where digital messaging is superseding vocal interaction.
If the trend is to continue then service will have to adapt to this way of communicating and reflect that in its technology usage. Where does Proctor see the service sector heading? Will there be a fundamental shift in approach as more young people enter the arena? Servitization and the gig economy, he predicts, will have an impact on the way services are delivered. Most likely through a subscription-based model, complimented by disruptive innovations and delivered by freelancers who, in order to maintain their personal brand, deliver consistent service excellence. “I can see a world where most of your services are consumed on a subscription-type basis. You contact your service provider who then uses technology similar to programmatic advertising whereby contracts are tended and bid for and secured within seconds, all underpinned by blockchain.” he says.
The role of blockchain in IoT and its evolution will surely be an important one. As more devices connect with one another than security becomes more of an issue, however Blockchain could provide the ring fence Iot needs. However, Proctor, a passionate advocate for blockchain, wants quicker adoption. “I think there are lots and lots of limitations of how we are going to bring [blockchain] in,” he says. “In exactly the same way that iOT and AI is a technology set that people don’t fully understand. There is a lot of hype around how it can help service but when you scratch under the surface, it’s just a hypothesis,” he pauses, “it has the ability to be truly, truly game changing.”
Blockchain, IoT and AI are all huge potential disruptors in the service sector. IoT could, over the next few years, become something that pushes the boundaries of what we now see as traditional service. As Paul Joesbury said, it’s about “trusting and embracing what is available”. Perhaps then will we witness a number of game changing moments.
Game on!
The impact of technology has been felt far beyond service. Homeserve’s Paul Joesbury worked in finance before joining the utility company “I look back and reflect on my time in finance,” he recalls, “many of the tasks were done manually, like ledger reconciliations, which are all automated now. Previously it would take a bank of humans that would take the best part of a week to reconcile something and now it’s pretty much done with the touch of a button.”
The Operation Manager continues, adamant that his current sector should benefit from the same progress “So why should service operations be different? The technology, I think, is pretty much already there. It’s how it can be applied in a cost-effective way which is going to be the challenge for organisations.”
Chris Proctor is another great believer in technology but he suggests firms should adopt technology for the right reasons. “A lot of companies are trialing new technology at the moment, but it comes down to when it is absolutely necessary, and at what point does the use-case become really tried and really tested.” However, the Oneserve CEO is concerned about the pace of adoption generally in the sector. “I might be lambasted for saying this but I don’t think there has been much innovation,” he says, aware of the statement’s brevity. “It’s disappointing that the last real innovation in field service management was moving to the cloud and even then, I don’t think everyone is fully there yet.”
It’s a bold claim, yet one that has substance. The industry has been accused before of lagging when it comes to embracing disruptive, digital technology. “I think one of the biggest problems the industry has is properly understanding the trajectory of new technology,” he explains. “There’s this concept of necessity being the mother of all inventions and I think there’s a really good point in that. A lot of industries and a lot of sectors are having to go through a lot of change. In the UK there’s so much uncertainty in so many pockets at the moment, trying to make big decisions on how you engage with new technologies is very difficult.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Joesbury who feels the role of technology will slowly phase out that of the engineer...but not quite yet. “I definitely think in five years’ time that there will still be humans around,” he ponders, “but I think we’ll be doing different roles, and I think the important aspect over the next five years is to learn to trust the technology and equally for the technology to work and we’ve got to embrace that. After that you’re on a journey searching for the next big leap of faith but where does it come from? I’m not sure if service operations is going to be the market leader in this space, but I definitely can see lots of value potential, I think we just have to open our hearts a little bit and embrace it.”
"The impact of technology has been felt far beyond service..."
The society that technology operates in can also influence how it is executed. We are on the cusp of a younger generation who expect everything to work first time. The way in which people communicate is also changing, to a point where digital messaging is superseding vocal interaction.
If the trend is to continue then service will have to adapt to this way of communicating and reflect that in its technology usage. Where does Proctor see the service sector heading? Will there be a fundamental shift in approach as more young people enter the arena? Servitization and the gig economy, he predicts, will have an impact on the way services are delivered. Most likely through a subscription-based model, complimented by disruptive innovations and delivered by freelancers who, in order to maintain their personal brand, deliver consistent service excellence. “I can see a world where most of your services are consumed on a subscription-type basis. You contact your service provider who then uses technology similar to programmatic advertising whereby contracts are tended and bid for and secured within seconds, all underpinned by blockchain.” he says.
The role of blockchain in IoT and its evolution will surely be an important one. As more devices connect with one another than security becomes more of an issue, however Blockchain could provide the ring fence Iot needs. However, Proctor, a passionate advocate for blockchain, wants quicker adoption. “I think there are lots and lots of limitations of how we are going to bring [blockchain] in,” he says. “In exactly the same way that iOT and AI is a technology set that people don’t fully understand. There is a lot of hype around how it can help service but when you scratch under the surface, it’s just a hypothesis,” he pauses, “it has the ability to be truly, truly game changing.”
Blockchain, IoT and AI are all huge potential disruptors in the service sector. IoT could, over the next few years, become something that pushes the boundaries of what we now see as traditional service. As Paul Joesbury said, it’s about “trusting and embracing what is available”. Perhaps then will we witness a number of game changing moments.
Game on!
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