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THE Next-Generation Best-of-Breed...

Best-of-breed solutions are returning to the fore to resolve new challenges that have arisen as the result of disruptive emerging technology and the ripple effect that disruption has had on service across many industry verticals.

This development has led to a new wave of innovative companies rising to prominence within the field service sector. These include ‘Last Mile’ solution provider Localz who has already garnered an impressive roster of clients including DPD, Belron and UK utilities giant British Gas. The latter even having showcased their use of Localz technology as a major USP in their most recent high profile advertising campaign.

Localz is a perfect example of an organisation that has been able to identify an essential gap in the current field service management ecosystem exposed by developments outside of the sector. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel and fix parts that weren’t necessarily broken in the first place, they’ve instead focused on providing a well thought out, easily implemented and effective solution for an important but somewhat overlooked part of the service cycle.

“We’re not here to change the world for field service companies; we are not going to make you change everything you already have. We’re here to help you quickly get big cost savings and massively improve your customer experience by simply plugging in our location-based, day-of-service software,” comments Tim Andrew, CEO Localz.

Of course, the twenty-first century has so far been the century of data. We have seen field service companies make a concerted effort across the board to knock down the silos between divisions to allow data to flow seamlessly across an organisation. This can enable them to attain the once-fabled, but now commonplace 360-degree view of the customer.

"It’s also important for technology providers to realise they need to switch the model on how the technology works. Smarter providers have stopped putting themselves in the centre..."

This trend has played well into the hands of the major platforms which could facilitate such solutions by offering multiple functionalities within their suite of solutions. SAP, IFS, Microsoft and others have all championed the benefits of the platform approach for this reason.

As is the cyclical nature of such things, it is often outside of the restrictions of enterprise providers, that we see innovation flourish and thrive. It is a well-established pattern of evolution and consolidation that those of us in the field service sector with more than a few flecks of grey in our hair will recognise.

However, the difference between today and previous years is the prevalence of APIs and the increasing ease of integration, which allows a solution like Localz to plug-in on top of a broader system and deliver the impressive level of last-mile communications and visibility that British Gas has harnessed so effectively. “Connectivity is the big thing,” explains Andrew as we discuss how technology development has evolved in the last decade.

“It’s also important for technology providers to realise they need to switch the model on how the technology works. Smarter providers have stopped putting themselves in the centre. Customers don’t want to hear about a solution that is the centre of their operation; they have already invested significantly in many solutions and established efficient processes that broadly work well. Now they want to improve; they want to see how we add value to what they’ve already invested in.”

Happy Engineers = Happy Customers

While the tools that we are talking about in this white paper are essential to bridging the gap between customer expectations and actual service delivery, the impact they can have on your field service engineers’ and your ability to retain those engineers should also not be understated.

As a rule, engineers fit into a reasonably neat box when it comes to where they can find enjoyment in their work. Engineers are problem solvers and people pleasers. They like to be doing the job they are employed to do, which is solving customer problems quickly and effectively.

They do not want to be stuck in traffic endlessly, and neither do they like unnecessary endless paperwork. They certainly do not like to arrive at a job already on the back foot with a customer who has been kept waiting and uninformed of the delay.

This is one of the critical benefits that modern FSM tools such as Localz can bring to the table which can often get overlooked in such discussions. However, by automating a lot of the crucial, yet ultimately mundane tasks such as sending updates to customers as to when to expect them, tracking parts inventory in and out of their van, or even sending invoices – the engineer can focus on what they do and enjoy best.

"With every tool we implement to improve the way we communicate with our customer, we further empower our engineers to deliver the type of service that wows a customer. This really is a win-win-win scenario..."

Our field service engineers are the frontline of our businesses and very often the most frequent face-to-face interaction that your customers may have with your organisation. When the worst happens, and our customer service across the board has let us down it is the field service engineer that is in the direct firing line.

Therefore, with every tool we implement to improve the way we communicate with our customer, we further empower our engineers to deliver the type of service that wows a customer. This really is a win-win-win scenario.

The customer benefits from an excellent level of service, the engineer benefits from a far more enjoyable working environment and the company benefits from both loyal customers and loyal employees.

Therefore, while it might not be the first consideration when discussing the benefits of such a solution, do not overlook the additional internal benefits of implementing such tools and the wider, long-term benefits they bring. Investment in tools for your engineers is an investment in your engineers.

Moreover, when someone understands you are investing in them and that you do so because they are respected and valued within your organisation, you will more often than not engender much higher employee loyalty. If your engineers feel valued, you can guarantee your staff turnover will be below the average - something vital as we move into an era where the incoming Millenial workforce is both more transient and more costly in terms of development and retention than that which is retiring.

Want to know more? The full white paper relating to this series is available as premium content to fieldservicenews.com subscribers...

sponsored by: 

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content, Localz, who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this content.