A New Approach to FSM Systems

Aug 20, 2019 • Features • Management • Ageing Workforce Crisis • workforce management • field service • Uberization • Uberization of field service • Uberization of Service • Industry 4.0 • localz • Customer Satisfaction and Expectations

Field Service in the early decades of the twenty-first century has become an increasingly tricky beast to tame. Customer expectations are hurtling forward at breakneck speed to what some companies view as almost impossible standards to reach. The customer of today is not only better informed than ever before, but via the widespread amplification of social media, more powerful also.

In this series, run in partnership with Localz, we look at precisely what these new challenges of modern field service are and how your organisation can adapt and thrive in this brave new world. Part one in the series explored the concept of Customer Expectations 4.0 and now we discuss a new approach to FSM systems...

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

A new approach to FSM systems

Given the radical changes to the service paradigm, the burning question is, are the existing systems of field service management (FSM) suitable when it comes to allowing field service organisations to adapt to a more customer-centric business viewpoint?

While the array of FSM tools available are vast, we are currently witnessing the emergence of a new breed of tools, tools that are designed specifically with the challenges of the IConomy (we discussed the concept of IConomy in the first part of this series) in mind.

So let’s now explore how such solutions differ from the older, more established legacy tools being used by field service management companies today and how they can empower field service companies to overcome the challenges outlined above.

Legacy V Uberization:

Field service management software is not a new technology.

Field service companies were receiving and delivering data to their engineers in the field long before the mobile revolution put the internet and instant connectivity into the pockets of each and every one of us.

Ours is absolutely an industry that has always been forward-facing in terms of technology. Ours is an industry which embraced advances such as mobile, Cloud and IoT with open arms. We are a sector full of forward-looking innovation, and that innovative urge has only increased as the importance of field service within the wider business strategy has grown.

However, the typical legacy solution has been built around business operations, rather than being customer-centric. The standard approach to FSM technology has been to drive greater efficiencies around the mantra of right time, right place, right engineer and right tools.

"The fact remains that the majority of FSM solutions available remain focused around the operations and the engineer..."

Dynamic Optimised scheduling of both engineers and parts management has moved from best-of-breed standalone tools to standard components of more comprehensive FSM platforms. Similarly, so too has asset management, mobile and even to a degree fleet management.

Collaboration tools and mobile devices which enable workforces to stay connected to the customer, their managers and customer support are becoming increasingly commonplace.

Even advanced real-time tracking and messaging is becoming more prevalent. This is largely because such solutions can help field service companies squeeze the white space out of a team’s day without threatening wait windows, first-time fix rates, and customer satisfaction. Yet the truth is these tools themselves are still a relatively new development.

However, the fact remains that the majority of FSM solutions available remain focused around the operations and the engineer. They have evolved to do their job effectively and admirably and will remain a core element of the FSM technology stack.

Such solutions are not inherently designed with the customer-centric, heavy requirements of the IConomy in mind. While the current technology is evolving, it is questionable whether it can do so dynamically enough to cope with the consumer demand for frictionless visibility around services.

Next-Gen FSM Tools

Given the above, it is crucial that the next iteration of FSM tools move beyond the current operations focused task set and do something that is still surprisingly radical for a sector that is inherently customer-centric. The next iteration of FSM tools must bring one more factor to the equation. This is the missing ingredient that Localz has been able to bring to the table, and it is a large part of why such companies are rapidly gaining a reputation for driving service standards forwards. This missing ingredient is, of course, the customer.

What we are seeing is the emergence of solutions that bring the customer into the service delivery loop. Tools that are delivering frequent communications via text, e-mail, or phone – essentially automating ‘CEx3.0’ while also adding in that fourth layer of real-time, visual-based mobile experiences as well.

To achieve this, it is essential that these new solutions are cloud-based.

This is for several vital reasons. Firstly, such solutions are inherently mobile, and the Cloud is now the well-established platform to facilitate such heavy computations being delivered seamlessly onto a mobile.

However, there is another, more fundamental reason that Cloud is critical here.

"It is this real-time feed that truly provides the ‘wow’ factor which is so vital against a backdrop of increasing customer expectations..."

Cloud offers the ability to provide true integration across the myriad of moving parts that field service encompasses – including the most unpredictable piece of the puzzle of all, the customer. It is imperative that such solutions must be cloud-based to meet customer demand and offer a communication solution integrating technicians, customers, and technology. In today’s world, why shouldn’t it be?

As we touched on earlier, smart, real-time location-based applications lie at the heart of such tools, and it is this real-time feed that truly provides the ‘wow’ factor which is so vital against a backdrop of increasing customer expectations.

It is real-time tracking, sat alongside an array of messaging options which can address the needs of customer demand and deliver the highly sought after ‘uber experience’.

It is within this ‘Uber-Esque’ style of communication that we see field service organisations being able to fully empower their teams in the field, allowing them to take control of service delivery and drive the customer experience from ground level.

Given the challenges we’ve explored in the earlier part of this paper, it would seem that such tools are destined to become a necessity in FSM for those companies who want to survive and thrive in the future.

In the final section of this series, we will take a look at how three companies, utilities giant British Gas, automotive repair leader Belron and energy company OVO Energy have utilised different aspects of the Localz tool to set themselves up to do just that.

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

About the Author: Kris Oldland

Kris Oldland has been working in Business to Business Publishing for almost a decade. As a journalist he has covered a diverse range of industries from Fire Juggling through to Terrorism Insurance. Prior to this he was a Quality Services Manager with a globally recognised hospitality brand. An intimate understanding of what is important when it comes to Service and a passion for emerging technology means that in Field Service he has found an industry that excites him everyday.