Field Service News in Partnership with ServicePower. have produced an exclusive documentary that explores the role of the blended workforce model in field service operations, the challenges in making it work, the significant benefits it can produce...
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Mar 19, 2021 • Features • servicepower • Blended Workforce • Managing the Mobile Workforce
Field Service News in Partnership with ServicePower. have produced an exclusive documentary that explores the role of the blended workforce model in field service operations, the challenges in making it work, the significant benefits it can produce and whether the pandemic and the capacity crisis we face as we turn towards recovery will be a further driver for its wider adoption.
In this excerpt from that documentary, we discuss the often confusing language of the blended workforce model to help clarify the concept.
Want to know more?
Field Service News subscribers can access the documentary "The Blended Workforce and the New Normal" by clicking the button below:
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free and get instant access to the documentary and other selected resources available on our free forever, FSN Standard subscription tier.
If you hold either a FSN Premium or FSN Elite subscription you can find the full interviews recorded for the documentary in our Digital Symposium section of the website which is available at www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-symposium
Data usage note: By accessing the documentary 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, ServicePower who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.
Mar 17, 2021 • Features • Samir Gulati • servicepower • Blended Workforce • Managing the Mobile Workforce • Frank Gelbart
As part of a series of interviews for an exclusive Field Service News Documentary on the Blended Workforce in the Field Service sector, Kris Oldland, Editor in Chief spoke with Samir Gulati Chief Marketing and Product Officer and Frank Gelbart, CEO...
As part of a series of interviews for an exclusive Field Service News Documentary on the Blended Workforce in the Field Service sector, Kris Oldland, Editor in Chief spoke with Samir Gulati Chief Marketing and Product Officer and Frank Gelbart, CEO of ServicePower.
In this excerpt, we hear from both experts as they define the often confusing language of the blended workforce to give us a framework for a key conversation for the field service sector.
Want to know more?
Field Service News subscribers can access the documentary "The Blended Workforce and the New Normal" by clicking the button below:
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free and get instant access to the documentary and other selected resources available on our free forever, FSN Standard subscription tier.
If you hold either a FSN Premium or FSN Elite subscription you can find the full interview with Gulati and Gelbart in our Digital Symposium section of the website which is available at www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-symposium
Data usage note: By accessing the documentary 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, ServicePower who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.
Mar 15, 2021 • Features • Telecommunications • Blended Workforce • Managing the Mobile Workforce • Ericcson • Adam Gordon
As part of a series of interviews for an exclusive Field Service News Documentary on the Blended Workforce in the Field Service sector, produced in partnership with ServicePower Kris Oldland, Editor in Chief spoke with Adam Gordon, Head of Network...
As part of a series of interviews for an exclusive Field Service News Documentary on the Blended Workforce in the Field Service sector, produced in partnership with ServicePower Kris Oldland, Editor in Chief spoke with Adam Gordon, Head of Network Planning & Optimisation, Ericsson
In this excerpt from that interview, Gordon explains how Ericsson successfully leverage a network of third-party partners to increase the skills they have available across their field service operation
Want to know more?
Field Service News subscribers can access the documentary "The Blended Workforce and the New Normal" by clicking the button below:
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free and get instant access to the documentary and other selected resources available on our free forever, FSN Standard subscription tier.
If you hold either a FSN Premium or FSN Elite subscription you can find the full interview with Gordon in our Digital Symposium section of the website which is available at www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-symposium
Data usage note: By accessing the documentary 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, ServicePower who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.
Mar 12, 2021 • Features • Blended Workforce • electrolux • Steve Zannos • Managing the Mobile Workforce
As part of a series of interviews for an exclusive Field Service News Documentary on the Blended Workforce in the Field Service sector run in partnership with ServicePower, Kris Oldland, Editor in Chief spoke with Steve Zannos Sr. Director, Service...
As part of a series of interviews for an exclusive Field Service News Documentary on the Blended Workforce in the Field Service sector run in partnership with ServicePower, Kris Oldland, Editor in Chief spoke with Steve Zannos Sr. Director, Service Delivery, Electrolux.
In this excerpt, Zannos outlines the key benefits that Electrolux find by using a blended workforce.
Want to know more?
Field Service News subscribers can access the documentary "The Blended Workforce and the New Normal" by clicking the button below:
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free and get instant access to the documentary and other selected resources available on our free forever, FSN Standard subscription tier.
If you hold either a FSN Premium or FSN Elite subscription you can find the full interview with Zannos in our Digital Symposium section of the website which is available at www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-symposium
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, ServicePower who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.
Mar 08, 2021 • Features • Samir Gulati • servicepower • Blended Workforce • Managing the Mobile Workforce
As part of a series of interviews for an exclusive Field Service News Documentary on the Blended Workforce in the Field Service sector, Kris Oldland, Editor in Chief spoke with Samir Gulati Chief Marketing and Product Officer and Frank Gelbart, CEO...
As part of a series of interviews for an exclusive Field Service News Documentary on the Blended Workforce in the Field Service sector, Kris Oldland, Editor in Chief spoke with Samir Gulati Chief Marketing and Product Officer and Frank Gelbart, CEO of ServicePower.
In this first excerpt from the interview, Gulati outlines the various benefits of the blended workforce model.
Want to know more?
Field Service News subscribers can access the documentary "The Blended Workforce and the New Normal" by clicking the button below:
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free and get instant access to the documentary and other selected resources available on our free forever, FSN Standard subscription tier.
If you hold either a FSN Premium or FSN Elite subscription you can find the full interview with Gulati and Gelbart in our Digital Symposium section of the website which is available at www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-symposium
Data usage note: By accessing the documentary 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, ServicePower who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.
Mar 04, 2021 • Features • servicepower • Blended Workforce • Managing the Mobile Workforce
Field Service News in Partnership with ServicePower. have produced an exclusive documentary that explores the role of the blended workforce model in field service operations, the challenges in making it work, the significant benefits it can produce...
Field Service News in Partnership with ServicePower. have produced an exclusive documentary that explores the role of the blended workforce model in field service operations, the challenges in making it work, the significant benefits it can produce and whether the pandemic and the capacity crisis we face as we turn towards recovery will be a further driver for its wider adoption.
In this excerpt from that documentary, we outline what is the blended workforce.
Want to know more?
Field Service News subscribers can access the documentary "The Blended Workforce and the New Normal" by clicking the button below:
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free and get instant access to the documentary and other selected resources available on our free forever, FSN Standard subscription tier.
If you hold either a FSN Premium or FSN Elite subscription you can find the full interviews recorded for the documentary in our Digital Symposium section of the website which is available at www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-symposium
Data usage note: By accessing the documentary 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, ServicePower who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.
Mar 02, 2021 • Features • servicepower • Blended Workforce • Managing the Mobile Workforce • Documentaries
Field Service News in partnership announces a huge new in-depth project that will be exploring the role of the blended workforce in the field service sector and asks if the pandemic has driven an even greater need for the adoption of this flexible...
Field Service News in partnership announces a huge new in-depth project that will be exploring the role of the blended workforce in the field service sector and asks if the pandemic has driven an even greater need for the adoption of this flexible approach to workforce management...
2020 was one of the most challenging of years for all of us. We have had to deal with unprecedented challenges in both our working and personal lives as we adapted to a life of lockdowns and for too many of us personal tragedies.
Yet, at the same time, 2020 was also a year of ingenuity and innovation. We saw companies and individuals alike learn the importance of being adaptable, developing new approaches, and the importance of embracing agility into our thinking.
There has been much talk of the new normal; indeed, the world in which we exist in 2021 is vastly different from the world we left behind when the pandemic first hit in March 2020.
Yet for us in the field service sector, the new normal that is being discussed in many ways brings together several key concepts that we have talked about for a number of years.
In that way, the novel coronavirus COVID19, the most significant global disruptor since the end of the second world war in 1945, has had a democratising effect, bringing the importance of concepts, processes and technologies, that were only a year ago the domain of best-in-class field service organisations into the industry mainstream.
It would be too much of a stretch to say that the industry is now all on the same page, many companies are further down the path towards a more sophisticated approach to service delivery than their peers who are now desperately playing catch up, primarily driven by necessity other than anything else.
However, necessity is, as the old saying goes, the mother of innovation. For the vast majority of organisations in our industry, the innovation they need to embrace is, fortunately, a reasonably well-worn, and clearly sign-posted path that has been trodden by organisations that were ahead of the pack.
So, while all companies may not entirely be on the same page as yet, we are all at least reading from the same script.
One such area that is likely to become a much more common fixture within our sector as we move beyond the pandemic is the adoption of the blended workforce, which like many of the other ‘new’ approaches to service delivery set to form the new backbone of field service operations in the future, has well established benefits as well as clearly defined best-practices for adoption that have been proven for some time.
In a new exclusive Field Service News Essential Guide, we will be hearing from several experts in this area including companies who have successfully established a holistic approach to utilising the blended workforce and technology providers that have empowered them on their journey as we uncover the drivers behind adopting a blended workforce approach, the technology that can bring the many moving parts together and asking if the blended workforce-model can be applied to any industry vertical.
We will be publishing a series of excerpts from this guide as well as the accompanying documentary across the coming weeks however, if you wish to read the Essential Guide in full it is currently available on our forever-free FSN Standard subscription tier. If you are yyet to subscribe the button below will take you to a dedicated registration page which will give you instant access to this Essential Guide upon completion of registration.
Want to know more?
Field Service News subscribers can access the Essential Guide to the Blended Workforce instantly by clicking the button below:
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free and get instant access to the documentary and other selected resources available on our free forever, FSN Standard subscription tier.
If you hold either a FSN Premium or FSN Elite subscription you can find the full interviews of those service leaders featured in this guide in our Digital Symposium section of the website which is available @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-symposium
Data usage note: By accessing this Essential Guide 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, ServicePower who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this report.
Further Reading:
- Read more about managing the mobile workforce @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/managing-the-mobile-workforce
- Read more about the blended workforce @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=blended+workforce
- Read more about the impact of the pandemic on the field service sector @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/en-gb/covid-19
- Discover this months selection of available resources on our FSN Standard subscription tier @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/fsn-standard-resources
- Find out more about the solutions ServicePower offer @ www.servicepower.com/
May 06, 2020 • Features • Gig Economy • Video • field service • field service management • field service software • localz • Blended Workforce
In this final video in our series looking at the grown-up gig economy and field service, we discuss the importance of customer perception when utilising gig workers as field service technicians...
In this final video in our series looking at the grown-up gig economy and field service, we discuss the importance of customer perception when utilising gig workers as field service technicians...
Would You Like to Know More? There is a Field Service News white paper on this topic available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscriber. Click the button below to access it now!
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How to Protect the Brand Reputation of Your Field Service Operation, While Harnessing the Gig Economy
An important question remains when it comes to the gig economy. What about the perception of the gig worker in the eyes of the consumer – in an era when the service call plays a significant part of a company’s reputation and brand is it wise to hand that responsibility to someone who is not part of your corporate family?
There is a certain amount of trepidation amongst some companies around this approach for exactly this question. However, ultimately if the engineer is on an emergency break-fix call and gets the customer back up and running, realistically will they really care whether the engineer is a direct employee or a gig worker? Probably not.
Similarly, if the engineer is performing fairly routine preventative maintenance, then will it really matter if the engineer is gig worker or employed? Again in reality, the customer is unlikely to have too much of a concern. However, there is a potential negative impact to a brand if it becomes apparent that the company is sending out what could be viewed as cheaper, less qualified labour to maintain their customers assets.
There are a number of ways in which this could be overcome, however.
Employ in the Gig Economy Like You Would for your Own Team. Hire Excellence.
One suggestion could be leveraging the natural gravitas and authority that more experienced engineers are able to bring to the table.
Of course, we are not suggesting that an organisation employ based on an age criterion here (that would be unfair, illegal and limit your potential reach into the gig economy market).
However, it could be wise to set a slightly higher experience requirement level for your jobs than is actually needed. This would have the benefit ensuring that each of your gig workers is overqualified for the work they are going to undertake on your behalf.
This may approach may be a bit more expensive than the regular approach to harnessing the gig economy, but it is still cheaper than it would be to develop and retain your own workforce, and you would be likely to see high level first-time-fix rates which not is not only good for your own P&L negating any additional expense, but perhaps more importantly would allow to maintain a strong brand reputation for your service operation whilst leveraging the gig economy.
This is however, just one potential suggestion, but there is one thing which is a simple necessity required in order to make sure you are able to successfully leverage the gig economy, whilst retaining the trust and loyalty of your customers. That is to present a consistent and unified look across all your communications with your customers regardless of whether they are internal workers or gig economy.
Embrace the Technology That Empowers Your Organisation and Delight Your Customers
It is essential that from your customers’ perspective that they still have clear visibility and a route of communication that is seamless.
This is where technology such as Localz can play a major role in facilitating field service organisations to truly harness the power of the gig worker market.
In fact, moving towards an on-demand service model doesn’t have to be a huge operational or organisational change.
By using the power of location technology, such as that which the Localz solution has been designed to maximize, you can “offer” jobs to available engineers in the area with the right skill set, delivering a flexible schedule for employees and a seamless on demand experience for consumers, who are demanding more services which work around them.
Would You Like to Know More? There is a Field Service News white paper on this topic available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscriber. Click the button below to access it now!
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Apr 29, 2020 • Features • Gig Economy • Video • field service • field service management • field service software • localz • Blended Workforce
In the fourth part of this series looking at the grown-up gig economy in field service we explore the win-win benefits of the older gig worker being utilised within the field service sector...
In the fourth part of this series looking at the grown-up gig economy in field service we explore the win-win benefits of the older gig worker being utilised within the field service sector...
Would You Like to Know More? There is a Field Service News white paper on this topic available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscriber. Click the button below to access it now!
This premium content is 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 who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this content.
NEW! If you would prefer to access our full premium content library without having to submit data to our sponsors you can opt for a paid subscription for as little as £15/month find out more @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/subscription-tiers
What the More Experienced Field Service Engineer Brings to the Table...
So, let’s take a look at why the gig economy can be of benefit both for more seasoned engineers and for field service organisations themselves.
Flexibility
The frequent travel of a field service engineer can be an exciting life for a younger worker. Indeed, this variety is something that field service organisers are starting to leverage as they seek to employ from the millennial labour pool.
However, it is a work-life balance that is perhaps less attractive for the engineer who has settled and doesn’t want to spend time away from their family so often.
Equally the older engineer, who is perhaps entering into semi-retirement may not want to (or be capable of) climbing up pylons or squeezing down cubby holes everyday but whose technical skills can be leveraged in less demanding roles.
Additionally, as our society adapts to newer thinking towards work, the entrepreneurial approach is becoming increasingly common amongst older workers as they have the necessary diligence to continue to seek out the work needed to provide them with financial support, but relish the freedom of being able to set their own agenda.
Experience On Tap:
For the field service organisation, the ability to tap into a pool of experienced engineers, on demand, allows them to minimise the risk of unnecessary costs while still being able to meet any peaks in service requirements.
Whilst this is of course true of any gig-worker, regardless of age, field service companies are seeking out more seasoned engineers for a number of reasons.
Experienced with the Assets
The engineer that has been there, done it and got the t-shirt is likely to hit the first-time-fix rates.
Not only are they likely to have vast experience on multiple assets within the industry segment, but also their experience will shine when it comes to fault identification as well. This is crucial considering that no fault found is one of the over-riding biggest causes for costly second visits.
Good Under Pressure
When every second of downtime is costing your client money the front line of the service cycle can be a high-pressure environment.
In such pressure, mistakes can be made which can be costly for both you and your client. The experienced engineer is likely to be able to draw on a well of experience to help them get the job done as efficiently as possible.
Indeed, this is the reason that so many field service organizations actively seek out ex-military personnel.
Good with the Customers
Of course, if the customers problem is resolved nice and quickly then they are likely to be happy.
However, a confident and well-mannered engineer can then be the link in solidifying their relationship with your organisation and potentially paving the way for renewed or upgraded service contracts in the future.
The gig-economy engineer doesn’t need to be part of your sales process to achieve this, but they are the representative of your brand and the quality of their interaction with your customers will impact your sales teams conversations at some point in the future.
The experienced engineer is more likely to understand the wider business processes and be more comfortable engaging with customers whilst also naturally carrying a more authoritative tone.
Would You Like to Know More? There is a Field Service News white paper on this topic available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscriber. Click the button below to access it now!
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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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