ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘artificial-intelligence’ CATEGORY
Aug 22, 2019 • Features • Artificial intelligence • manuel grenacher • SAP
Many industries and domains are already using artificial intelligence (AI). When it comes to field service management, however, AI is still a new aspect in the field of service excellence. Imagine customers calling their service provider because an installation is malfunctioning; a machine has to be maintained, or an urgently needed spare part is needed. It is always essential that a service technician is on-site quickly – not any technician, but the one with the required know-how and tools.
To support this process, field service management solutions based on AI help to coordinate and organize customer requests. Additionally, the waiting time for customers until their problem is fixed can be reduced immensely.
Since traditional resource planning can no longer cope with the enormous volume of service orders that arise, AI is an ideal solution. Artificial intelligence uses customer information and data to empower service companies so that they are able to make strategic and informed decisions.
Thorough analyses powered by AI help to streamline project planning, staffing requirements, new products, inventory management, and customer service.
Automation reduces workloads
Due to an ever-growing number of work orders, the time pressure on service staff is increasing. Automated bot systems based on artificial intelligence, such as chatbots, represent a forward-looking solution in field service management.
Chatbots assist service technicians and customers alike by giving them 24/7 feedback based on the company’s FAQs or data sheets as well as manuals to solve minor machinery defects autonomously. Thus, first level enquiries can be answered immediately, and on-site visits can be reduced.
In addition to chatbots, artificial intelligence is key to the automation of workflows in service sectors. Field service management solutions based on AI can take over the role of dispatchers, for example: They analyze customer inquiries and assign jobs to the most suitable service technician based on their qualifications, location, and availability. Companies benefit from more efficient and faster operational planning of their service staff. Consequently, advantages for customers are improvements in the fields of time and expert service.
Multichannel support, a recipe for happy customers
Customers increasingly expect service companies to be available on all possible channels in order to receive the best support for their issue.
AI applications can be used to collect, analyze, evaluate, and forward requests received via e-mail, social media, webchat, telephone, or in personal conversations with employees, that can then choose between different answer options. If necessary, these answers can be personalized and individualized to the customer’s request.
An approach like this accelerates the exchange with customers and enables real-time as well as multichannel support.
AI algorithms enable personalized service
Field service management solutions can gather data and, as a result, companies can access vast quantities of information with every single customer contact. Furthermore, AI algorithms help to analyze the collected data and draw conclusions for future deployments of service technicians by extracting relevant pieces of information.
Additionally, they offer information about when a service order is due or which tools are required. Machine learning also helps to calculate how long the next service deployment will take. All results and findings are stored in the field service management software and other linked systems so service technicians can access customer information at any time and location to customize their service according to the client’s needs.
Artificial intelligence is one of the most important future technologies in the area of field service management to be used to increase service excellence and to please customers.
It enables and improves a smarter and more efficient workforce by delivering reliable customer support in real-time.
Manuel Grenacher is GM of SAP Service Cloud
Aug 02, 2019 • News • Artificial intelligence • Software and Apps • Augmentir • Finance
Augmentir has announced the closure of an oversubscribed funding round. The round was led by Pritzker Group Venture Capital, with participation from Lerer Hippeau, current investors, and HOLT Ventures, the strategic venture capital arm of HOLT CAT.
"The closing of this round with the participation of these leading venture capital firms further validates our unique AI-first approach to improving the productivity of frontline workforces," said Russ Fadel, Co-founder and CEO of Augmentir. "This funding will enable us to expand our global footprint, further increase the functionality of the platform, and make it even more accessible to companies across the small, mid-sized and large spectrum, and we look forward to reaching even more companies while defining the future of work."
Ty Findley, Vice President at Pritzker Group Venture Capital, added, "With our thematic focus on Industry4.0, we are excited to be working with a company that is accelerating the industrial sector evolution using AI and AR to support frontline workers. From founding efforts at Wonderware, Lighthammer, and ThingWorx, the Augmentir team has a proven track record and domain experience delivering software innovation to the manufacturing and industrial market, and we are eager to participate as Augmentir continues to shape the frontline workforce of the future."
"We are excited to be working with Augmentir and believe that the platform provides our Caterpillar dealership with the opportunity to standardize our workflow across multiple operations in order to deliver improved consistency to our customers," added Meg Paulus, Partner at HOLT Ventures. "Augmentir's AI engine will help us gain better real-time and global insights to our operations to drive increased efficiency and technician training and enablement throughout our territory which spans from the Red River to the Rio Grande."
This latest round of funding will allow Augmentir to further expand its reach in the industrial sector, including oil and gas, mining, field service, and manufacturing industries, and continue to provide solutions that will shape the future of the industrial workforce. The company is the first to deliver an "AI-first" enterprise platform for the industrial sector that combines augmented reality (AR) with artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). Augmentir's Augmented Operations™ platform allows industrial companies to support their frontline workforce with augmented procedures and step-by-step work instructions, remote assistance capabilities, and drive continuous improvement through AI-driven insights.
Jul 12, 2019 • Features • Artificial intelligence • Machine Learning • Hardware • The Field Service Podcast • Predii
In the latest Field Service Podcast, Tilak Kasturi discusses the importance of a proof of concept in AI and machine learning enterprise.
In the latest Field Service Podcast, Tilak Kasturi discusses the importance of a proof of concept in AI and machine learning enterprise.
Tilak Kasturi is the CEO and Founder of Predii, an AI software company whose platform enables predictive repair and maintenance for complex equipment.
We got Tilak on to the Field Service Podcast to discuss the origins of Predii, the importance of proof of concept and how his time in radiation oncology big-data is shaping his current project.
Jul 04, 2019 • Features • Artificial intelligence • Asset Maintenance • Homeserve
Will the asset eventually become more important than the engineer? It’s a question I put to most of the guests when I’m hosting The Field Service Podcast. As a journalist, I get a thrill of throwing a curve ball into interviews, and while it is often patted back with a straight bat by most; Paul Joesbury, Operations Director at utilities firm Homeserve is firmly on the side of technology. In fact, Paul is fought technology’s corner as part of a very juicy debate at Field Service Connect in May entitled, Today’s field service workforce will soon be redundant: The future lies in embracing technology to replace the need for human intervention when he went head-to-head with Anita Tadayon, Optimisation Director at British Gas, who argued for the engineer and technician.
Leading up to the event, I was fortunate enough to record a podcast with Paul where we discussed his views (It must be said at this point – and in the interest of journalistic impartiality – that Anita at British Gas was approached to also record a podcast, but her busy schedule meant it was not a possible) on the role of the human in future service. Straight away, I asked him if indeed, he felt there really would never be a case for human intervention in any area of service. “Certainly, from my perspective I can definitely concur,” he says confidently. “I do believe the asset will be more important than the engineer. I think assets are becoming smarter, I think we’re also seeing associated technologies, whether that be bots or something that’s aligned to the actual asset itself learning from each other.”
As a utilities company, Homeserve has the potential to lead the way in this type of service. “We’re doing a lot in water and boiler technology which I can definitely see it will tell us more about what the problems and faults are and will be less reliant on a human to come and do the diagnosis.” Paul explains.
He continues: “We’ve been having debates with our suppliers around use of drones to deliver parts, boiler diagnoses itself or what the problem is, then actually all we need is that part to be delivered and someone to fit it. It doesn’t need that highly skilled technician. Now obviously there may be certain appliances which do require a certain level of technical ability, however you could take it even further, when assets start fixing them themselves. Now that’s a really experimental concept,” he admits. “but there are things out there, nanobot technology for example, which is very, very clever.” When does he see this fundamental shift taking; where the human ceases to have a place in service? “I definitely think in five years’ time that there will still be humans in service but I think we’ll be doing different roles,” he predicts. “I think the important aspect over the next five years is to learn to trust the technology and equally for the technology to work.
But can the human ever truly be replaced? Surely face to face interaction is just as, if not more important? “Clearly there’s always the human empathy piece, that’s the bit that I haven’t yet seen any of this technology yet replicate to a high standard,” Paul admits. “I think there is still that human interaction. It’s different if you’re a lone worker fitting a part but certainly in our industry, the one I work in which is around going into customers’ homes, there is that empathy and there’s still a human approach to that, and I haven’t seen empathy replicated anywhere particularly well yet.
And perhaps this is where the rub lies and I’m in danger of opening up a bigger debate here beyond service; but nothing will ever truly replace the emotion of a human. That said, with self-driving cars around the corner nothing would really surprise me.
Jun 24, 2019 • News • Artificial intelligence • ATOS • Automation • digital services • Software and Apps • utilities
National Grid is a British multi-national electricity and gas utility company headquartered in the UK where it operates and owns the high voltage electricity transmission networks in England and Wales and is the electricity system operator for Great Britain.
In addition, it owns and operates the national gas transmission network in Great Britain. In the United States National Grid serves more than 20 million people through its electricity and gas networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Atos will deliver the latest Digital Managed Workplace Services technology and data analytics to digitally empower National Grid employees and improve end-to-end employee experience and service. This will be achieved through a support network, including a global enterprise service desk, device management and printing services, as well as a Proactive Experience Centre.
The centre will be a dedicated employee experience improvement resource with a focus on integrating automation and AI solutions. Atos will work with National Grid’s business to optimise its operational performance by implementing new and smart workplace services solutions in support of its strategic priorities.
Adriana Karaboutis, Group Chief Information and Digital Officer (CI&DO), National Grid, said: “We chose Atos primarily because they shared our vision for digital end-user excellence. Atos has an excellent reputation with other leading UK and US companies and I am excited about our partnership and the transformation ahead.”
“We very much look forward to working with National Grid to achieve a step-change in employee, and ultimately, end user experience through a true partnership with Atos,” said Adrian Gregory, Atos Global Senior Executive Vice President and CEO UK & Ireland. “The comprehensive plan of improvements underpinned by innovative technologies will have a positive impact right across the organisation, enabling National Grid to work smartly and more efficiently”
A strong presence and rich experience within the energy and utilities sector means Atos is well placed to implement tailored Digital Managed Workplace Services for National Grid.
Jun 11, 2019 • News • Artificial intelligence • future of field service • Software and Apps
Zinier’s Intelligent Service Automation and Control (ISAC) Uses Machine Learning to Help Field Service Organizations Optimize their Operations and Scale More Efficiently.
Zinier’s Intelligent Service Automation and Control (ISAC) Uses Machine Learning to Help Field Service Organizations Optimize their Operations and Scale More Efficiently.
Zinier has announced Intelligent Service Automation and Control (ISAC), an AI-driven platform enabling field service organizations to operate more efficiently. Through its machine learning and analytics capabilities, ISAC helps organizations optimize every aspect of their field service operations, resulting in the highest levels of automation-driven outcomes.
As the volume and complexity of field service requests continue to rise, field service organizations are looking for ways to drive efficiency and lay the groundwork for continued growth. At the same time, technology trends such as 5G in telecom and a sharp increase in the number of IoT-connected devices are creating a flood of new data streams, forcing organizations to move away from manual methods of collecting, analyzing, and acting on data.
Zinier’s ISAC platform uses machine learning to analyze data and provide real-time insights, driving productivity and enabling customers to inject automation into every step of the service delivery chain. By comparing a constant flow of field data against historical trends, ISAC is able to recommend the best course of action at any given time. And with a flexible, open architecture, customers can easily apply AI to specific use cases, whether it’s scanning a closeout package for anomalies or recommending a stock transfer by predicting parts required for a work order and an individual technician’s parts on-hand.
“After reviewing a number of solutions, we determined that Zinier was the only one that met all our requirements for flexibility and end-to-end automation,” said Luis Miguel Diaz Ortiz, Head of Telecom & Technology, Mexico at NCR Corporation. “ISAC's AI and automation capabilities will help us manage infrastructure and work more proactively. We consider it a terrific investment in providing better service.”
With ISAC as the foundation, field service organizations can easily build AI solutions for the use cases most important to them. All they need to do is determine the scope, criteria, and threshold for AI recommendations, and ISAC will take it from there.
“Most companies are looking for ways to drive automation and turn data into actionable insights, but execution remains a challenge,” said Arka Dhar, co-founder and CEO of Zinier. “With ISAC, we’re helping our customers fully embrace automation by giving them a highly configurable tool that can be applied to their specific needs, driving efficiency and providing recommendations based on real-time data and user feedback.”
Key features/benefits of ISAC include:
• Flexible, Configurable Platform: Unlike legacy solutions that can take months to update, ISAC was designed with flexibility and scalability in mind. Instead of being limited to a few use cases, customers can easily configure the features to apply AI to their operations by defining criteria and letting ISAC evaluate data accordingly.
• Real-Time AI Recommendations: ISAC is constantly running in the background, observing user actions and providing recommendations. In some cases, ISAC will immediately implement a recommendation once it has been accepted by the user. In other cases, it will suggest a course of action for a back-office coordinator or field technician.
• Seamless Integrations: Organizations can easily connect all of their critical systems using Zinier’s set of APIs and integrations, ensuring that all relevant information is factored into each recommendation and insight.
Jun 05, 2019 • News • Artificial intelligence • future of field service • Software and Apps
Edge is the highest-performing edge computing server on the market worldwide to manage data at the edge.
Edge is the highest-performing edge computing server on the market worldwide to manage data at the edge.
The BullSequana Edge has been designed to be used securely for the Internet of Things (IoT), in environments in which fast response times are critical - such as manufacturing 4.0, autonomous vehicles, healthcare and retail/airport security – where data needs to be processed and analyzed at the edge in real-time.
The embedded BullSequana Edge server securely manages and processes IoT data, close to the source where it is generated, so that it is treated immediately. It analyzes and runs Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in real-time for instant insight, so that actions and decisions can be made swiftly to optimize operations.
The BullSequana Edge enables businesses to overcome challenges such as limited bandwidth, intermittent network connectivity, securing data at the edge, and network costs. Key benefits are:
• Optimum security and privacy: both the data and the physical server are protected by an advanced chain of security measures • Immediate responsiveness: data analysis in real-time;
• Autonomy: reduced dependence on cloud and datacenter availability and connectivity, ensures that apps are not disrupted in case of limited or intermittent network connectivity. The BullSequana Edge can communicate via radio, GSM or Wi-Fi;
• Interactivity: both multi-source and multi-format data can be analyzed in real-time;
• Cost-effective: reduced datacenter infrastructure and networking costs.
“The exponential growth of IoT devices and how to best manage the consequent explosion of data is a challenge faced by many businesses today. To manage and harness this mass of data to our advantage, in a post-cloud era, we need to embrace edge computing. Atos brings together its expertise and experience as a leader in cloud orchestration, high-performance computing, cybersecurity and AI, to develop a unique edge computing product – the BullSequana Edge - which empowers businesses to take full advantage of the data deluge.” said Pierre Barnabé, Senior Executive Vice-President, Head of Big Data & CyberSecurity Division at Atos.
The BullSequana Edge already supports three main categories of use cases:
• AI: Atos Edge Computer Vision – this provides advanced extraction and analysis of ‘features’ (people, faces, emotions, behaviors) so that automatic actions are able to be carried out, based on this analysis. It enables a large set of intelligent cameras, for example in video surveillance, to collaborate holistically in real-time, enabling operations to be tracked without interruption;
• Big Data: Atos Edge Data Analytics – this enables organizations to improve their business models with predictive and prescriptive solutions. It hinges upon edge data lake capabilities to make data trustworthy and useable;
• Container: Atos Edge Data Container (EDC) – this all-in-one container solution is ready to run at the edge and serves as a decentralized IT system (from one individual rack up to a complete containerized data center). It can run autonomously in non-data center environments with no need for local on-site operation;
The BullSequana Edge is available today and can be purchased as a standalone infrastructure or together with a software platform, such as Atos Edge Computer Vision, Edge Data Analytics, or in a container system such as Atos Edge Data Container. The BullSequana Edge is Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT.
May 30, 2019 • News • Artificial intelligence • future of field service • Machine Learning • Software and Apps • utilities • inawisdom
By utilising the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tools from AI innovators, Inawisdom and Amazon Web Services (AWS), Drax Group has transformed its data insight and customer intelligence to personalise the services it provides to its customers, through its B2B energy supply businesses Opus Energy and Haven Power.
As a leading light in the renewable energy market, Drax Group is passionate about providing innovative and sustainable solutions for customers and has a mission to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future. As part of this initiative, Drax wants to identify any anomalies in energy usage, to help demonstrate to customers that it really understands how they’re using their electricity. Drax Group partnered with Inawisdom to deploy state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence across its data and has since been able to provide a much higher standard of customer service.
“Our relationship with Drax Group has been a success story from the start,” said Neil Miles,CEO and co-founder of Inawisdom. “The utility sector is one of our core industries where AI and ML is proving a powerful instrument. Together with AWS, we were able to use our rapid deployment model to quickly find the real value in the data Drax held and help it to achieve goals effectively and efficiently”.
“Our partnership with Inawisdom and AWS has enabled us to draw insight and intelligence from our data, which was previously too complex to see,” reported Bjoern Reinke, Smart Director from Drax Group. “We can now immediately identify unusual usage and respond accordingly, providing many benefits for our customers and in turn Drax Group’s B2B supply businesses. The speed this capability has been provided is a revelation”.
Apr 12, 2019 • Features • Artificial intelligence • Future of field servcice • Machine Learning • The Field Service Podcast
In the latest Field Service Podcast, Paul Joesbury, Commercial Operations Director at Homeserve, suggests the asset will eventually become more important than the engineer in service.
In the latest Field Service Podcast, Paul Joesbury, Commercial Operations Director at Homeserve, suggests the asset will eventually become more important than the engineer in service.
In this special episode, Field Service News' Deputy Editor Mark Glover, speaks to Paul Joesbury ahead of his debate at Field Service Connect next month where he will argue that the use of technology such as machine learning and AI will eventually negate the need for the human intervention.
You can find out more information about Field Service Connect which takes place on 15 and 16 May at Celtic Manor, South Wales here.
Field Service News is published by 1927 Media Ltd, an independent publisher whose sole focus is on the field service sector. As such our entire resources are focused on helping drive the field service sector forwards and aiming to best serve our industry through honest, incisive and innovative media coverage of the global field service sector.
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