In today’s digital economy, every company is now a service company. The winners are companies that meet customer’s ever-growing expectations; the losers leave openings for competitors to exploit. In this fight, field services have become a crucial battleground. But how can you turn something that has traditionally been a pain-point for many companies into an area of strategic source of value and differentiation? Jon Magson, Commercial Director at ByBox, joined us to help answer this question.
What’s changing about the field service landscape?

JM: ByBox has been in this industry for over

20 years now and we’ve always focused fundamentally on solving the customer’s pain points when it comes to field services. What we’re seeing is an ever-growing demand to not only offer a functional field service solution, but to turn field services into a real source of differentiation from competitors.

What’s brought this change about?

JM: Customer expectations have grown. Think about the kind of experiences you have with the final mile in other industries. It was only around ten years ago when it was the norm that shopping ordered online would arrive within three to five working days. Now anything less than next-day delivery is too slow.

Customers have the same level of expectations when they call for an engineer, but it isn’t just about being quick to react. Every service moment is an opportunity to solve problems, implement new solutions and ultimately delight the customer. In a world where people are getting used to amazing customer experiences, field services can’t afford to fall behind.

What’s harming companies’ ability to give customers a great experience?

JM: Companies are investing significantly in field services to modernise and optimise the people involved through technologies like engineer scheduling software or job logging systems. In 2019 the global investment in this area was£2.18bn and that’s expected to rise to £4.58bn in 2025. Where companies are falling short is, they are still using legacy inventory management systems and processes. So only part of the problem is fixed. It’s no good having the engineer on-site at the right time if the right part isn’t there also.

In our research, we found that 51% of first-time fix failures were due to the required parts being unavailable. Companies need to get this right. Far from delighting a customer, failing to fix something first time leaves the customer frustrated. The key question is would you run a finance department without visibility of all the figures? Or a procurement department without any certainty the products you buy will turn up. The answer should be no, so why do we accept this in field inventory? Field inventory needs to be modernised in order to offer customers the great experiences they deserve.

What’s the next step in modernising field services?

JM: We believe it starts with the Field Service Edge. How close can we get the parts that engineers need to the engineers or the job that needs them? This is a critical question, the less time an engineer is travelling or searching sites to pick up parts the more time they have to offer customers the kind of experience they have come to expect. This needs to be achieved without the use of expensive same-day deliveries, and it also need to be done just-in-time. If we want to see a strategic shift from field services being functional to becoming a source of value and differentiation within a company, it’s hard to make that argument while costs are inflated by moving parts using an expensive same day journey.

Finally, we must eliminate blind spots in field inventory management. Too often parts aren’t available, or inventory costs are bloated because plans were changed without having the right information. We want to encourage companies to always operate in a known space when it comes to inventory.

How does ByBox approach this problem?

JM: ByBox enables companies to turn any space into a secure site for staging critical parts at the field service edge, optimising inventory placement and delivery speed while eliminating premium delivery costs. ByBox intelligently orchestrates all inventory movements, with dynamic allocation and reallocation to minimise trapped capital, working in harmony with the customers engineer scheduling system.

We call this Field Service Inventory Modernisation. With ByBox, companies can operate with confidence because critical parts inventory is always in a known state and fully traceable across the whole field service lifecycle, ensuring pinpoint accuracy, predictability, and control.

To find out more, please contact Marketing@ ByBox.com to arrange a demo

 

Kris Oldland returns to the host's seat for this episode of the Field Service podcast where the talk is focused on the headaches of last mile service delivery...

In a much awaited return to the Field Service Podcast hot seat Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News sits down with Rich Agostinelli, CEO of ByBox. 

The conversation picked up from a recent interview between the two as they continue to take a deep look at the headaches of last mile service delivery, how it is impacting field service organisations and how these can be overcome. The two then also take a lens to the increasing amount of conversation around the growing importance of sustainability and why when it comes to the field service sector in particular this is a very positive thing

The Field Service News editorial team offer analysis on the stories circling in the service sector...

 

As IFS finally completed its full acquisition of Astea, Mark Glover ponders the challenges ahead for Marne Martin, who is tasked with overseeing the transition...

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It’s not new news, but IFS finally completing its acquisition of Astea, following the announcement the pair had signed a definitive agreement in October, meant a fresh press release pinging into Field Service News’ inbox confirming a deal that many had been predicting for a while. 

As is the form for acquisition announcements the release took a postive angle, explaining what benefits the merger will bring to IFS and its customer base. “With the acquisition of Astea, IFS has strengthened and deepened its ability to help customers innovate in field service and service management,” affirmed Nicole French, VP and Analyst at Constellation Research in a quote taken from the release. Delivering innovation to its customer base falls sqaurely on the shoulders of IFS’ Marne Martin, who is set to assume leadership of Astea, taking the reins from Zack Bergreen, who founded the company in 1979. 

In an interview with Martin, just after the confirmation announcement in December, I asked how the dynamic between the pair will operate through the transitionary period. However, in response she reveals the pair could have been working together seven years ago. “I’ve known him since 2013, when I tried to convince him to merge with ServicePower,” she recalls.

“Customers reach out to him [Bergreen] and that’s a great conduit because he and I can compare notes around customers.Hopefully they’re hearing hearing the messages that we’re trying to speak to them about.”

Martin is no stranger to acquisitions, being at the helm of ServicePower when it merged with IFS in 2017, but three years on and this time absorbing a company that has a dedicated, loyal and expectant customer-base, the task ahead could be one of her biggest challenges to-date.

The full interview with Marne Martin will be published Thursday 5 February.

 

... and Field Service News’ Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland, also reflects on what the big stories in the news are for him...

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For me the most exciting story that leaps out of our news round-up this month is that Nokia are entering the race to solve the headaches of last mile delivery.

This story albeit just a tempting snippet and a glimpse of a potential solution will come as very welcome news to all field service providers as the challenges of inner-city congestion are just set to worsen as we enter the third decade of the twentieth century.

Not only does the introduction of a company with a history of pioneering innovation entering this arena to solve what I fear may be the biggest challenge of the coming years for field service companies bode well for overcoming this challenge. They are also looking to fix it with cute little delivery robots.

Finally, the year 2020 is living up to its billing of being ‘the future’. I might even get the personal jet pack I’ve been dreaming of since I was 11 at some point in the next few years as well!

In terms, of industry trends I think that the move by WebFleet to introduce a sustainability initiative is not only smart but also a likely sign of things to come. Indeed, I was discussing this exact topic with Rich Agostinelli’s the new CEO of ByBox recently (look out for that discussion in an upcoming edition of the Field Service Podcast) and I think we will see plenty of companies across the next year tapping into the ‘green dollar.’

As I mentioned to Rich, it may be that I am just a bit of a cynical old man, but I think the true driver behind much of the moves towards more sustainable operations will still inevitably be economic rather than some sudden shift in the corporate mindset to save the world.

However, given the current high focus on the well intentioned, but somewhat naive actions of the likes of Extinction Rebellion and their teen messiah Greta Thunberg, the societal pressure for businesses to at least be seen to be focussing on green issues are moving from huge to enormous. However, the fact is that solutions like ByBox’s overnight delivery services ultimately reduce costs and increase efficiency within a field service operation, whilst simultaneously reducing carbon emissions due to less idling.

So we get to improve our bottom line and save the planet from impending doom at the same time. Now that’s got to be classed as a win-win in anyone’s book?

The only question that remains is ‘will we be able to play snake on those cute little Nokia robots?

Field Service News spoke to Bybox's New CTO Arun Prabhu and asked him what the technological future holds for the service sector.

Richard Agostinelli, CEO of ByBox outlines why embracing the digital shift will provide multiple benefits for field service organisations...

The topic of last mile service delivery can be a complex nut to crack. However, one company who has been at the vanguard of doing so for more than 20 years is ByBox. The company provides overnight delivery of spares to a network of smart lockers, making the last mile both cost-efficient and effective. To find out more Kris Oldland spoke with Richard Agostinelli, their newly appointed CEO...

In today’s connected world everything from phones to fridges have become smart. In service logistics we are now seeing the smart locker coming to prominence. But how exactly do they work and what benefits do they bring to field service? Claudine Mosseri, General Manager, ByBox brings us up to speed...

We live in a time of smart everything, any one of us uses a number of smart devices daily. Chances are you own a smart phone or smart TV; maybe you have a smart watch, meter or even a smart home. Smart has become a ubiquitous word in the modern age, so it should come as no surprise that lockers have now received the ‘smart’ treatment. Having provided a field service distribution network based on locker tech for over 20 years, we consider ourselves experts on the matter. As technology has adapted, so have we and so have our lockers; now truly smart and app-based for a fully connected field service supply chain.

What makes something smart? Simply put, it’s the making of a device or object interactive with other connected devices or objects; enabling them to talk back to us and/or each other. Making otherwise inanimate things smart! For example, a house is just bricks and mortar but add an interactive camera, heating control from your phone, a home hub and so on, and then your house becomes ‘smart’. Now let’s consider what makes a big grey locker smart. Give it the right tech to interact with other systems via the cloud, enhanced Bluetooth rollingcode encryption, battery maintenance censors and mobile phone apps to obtain detailed transactions and it too becomes ‘smart’!

Here are a few areas that we believe give a Smart Locker its credentials…

Access control is key!

By their very nature all lockers need some sort of system to secure the goods inside. Often this will be a physical key or keypad. We too have used these methods to provide access to lockers. However, both key and keypads come with security and audit trail issues, as well as lacking closed-loop visibility of part movements. How many times have you or someone you know lost the keys to the house or car, even if it’s for a frantic half an hour while you search? Well, imagine managing a large volume of keys to an entire network or trusting your engineers – full-time or contracted – with their own set. And, what if they call in sick and access needs to be granted elsewhere?

Also, if an engineer is dismissed obtaining the key can prove difficult and slow down productivity. Furthermore, key entry lacks the true ability to run audit trails. In the same vain, pin codes for keypad entry systems carry very similar pain points. They are difficult to manage access control across your network, revoking access can be challenging and they lack audit trails as well as various security measures. Doing away with keys and pin codes, our cutting edge Smart Lockers favour secure Bluetooth access via an app; equipped with enhanced Bluetooth rolling-code encryption to ensure robust locker security.

"Smart Lockers offer the ability to scan items in and out using a mobile app that updates the operating platform in real-time..."

Our Thinventory^TM operating platform controls which engineers can access what doors; by using the app an engineer is given access to the right door. What’s more, when the part is delivered the engineer receives a message that it’s ready for collection, saving time and money. All this data is stored in the cloud, so customers know exactly what has been accessed and when.

Obtain end-to-end visibility

Never over order stock again due to a lack of visibility. Smart Lockers offer the ability to scan items in and out using a mobile app that updates the operating platform in real-time, giving you full access to what’s going on in your supply chain. In ByBox’s case the opening of the locker and the scanning of parts in and out is tied together, so it’s harder for mistakes to be made. With returns also made back into the locker, your engineer can select its condition – good, bad, repair, warranty – enabling you to speed up your returns process and better manage inventory. If stock isn’t returned, you can easily track where it is.

Smartly power up

A Smart Locker can’t be smart if it’s down and batteries play a fundamental part in keeping all this smart tech working! Using sensors to constantly monitor the performance of a battery and highlight any blips, means that the main ‘potential’ point of failure doesn’t become one as alerts are sent back to the operating system. So, while you may own a smart watch or smart TV, you can now own a smart field service locker network that gives you better functionality, process improvements and usable data.

Want to see our Smart Lockers in action? Email Marketing@ByBox.com and we’ll arrange a demo.

 

Retail in the UK is changing rapidly and it is placing ever greater importance on same-day-fix requirements of solution providers writes Claudine Mosseri, General Manager, Field Services, ByBox explains...

As card payments and online banking continue to rise, Britain’s high street banks are facing closure. Research suggests that two local branches have shut shop every day for the past three years. And, with RBS recently announcing the closure of 162 physical branches, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. For local towns and high streets, this poses a problem, as it becomes increasingly difficult for consumers and merchants to access and manage cash.

Traditionally, many small businesses would only deal exclusively in cash, a whopping three million* in the UK alone. Owing to rental prices on payment terminals, facilitating card payments can often be too expensive to maintain when operating on small margins. Yet not having access to a local bank, means these retailers are not only missing out on possible revenues streams but they now need to also travel to a different town during business hours to pay in takings. Leading to additional expenses, missed interest and other threats such as theft if cash is left on the premises.

As large retailers lead the charge, offering more payment options and increased technology within stores, it’s not just bank closures putting pressures on local, high street stores. Today’s consumer is used to a seamless, integrated shopping experience, whether in-store or online.

Working with a provider that offers same-day fixes and ensures device uptime can help stores adapt to an increasingly cashless societyIn July this year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported that with cash no-longer being the most popular payment method, card payments accounted for 54% of retail transactions and almost 75% of total sales in the UK. In addition, demonstrating our desire for fast convenience, contactless payments were up 121.9% in April 2018, compared to the same period the previous year.

Now a more connected and contactless nation, reliance on payment terminal uptime is paramount. It’s not enough to simply accept card payments onsite anymore, with research suggesting that non-functioning payment devices leave one-in-three customers unable to complete a purchase. Even with more payment options in place, retailers must ensure they are working in order to enhance the customer experience.

Bank closures and changing customer expectations will undoubtedly result in a shake-up of the payment industry and retail environments, but how can independent merchants be supported during the transition?

For starters, as facilitating card payments becomes the only convenient option, technology providers will need to ensure that devices, and the supporting software, is affordable, dependable and user-friendly. Two-thirds of consumers report experiencing failing card machines on at least one occasion. For small organisations, this could easily result in lost customers and business. And if card is the only option, it’s even more important that devices are functioning.

With any new installation, device maintenance must be considered to minimise faulty technology, negative shopper experiences and lost sales. For small businesses, the support of the payment industry in increasing uptime isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. ByBox’s Switch service aims to mitigate the knock-on effects of retail device downtime, on the consumer, merchants and the payments industry. The service, which uses a network of App and Bluetooth controlled lockers in strategic locations, ensures same-day fixes via pre-positioned parts.

Britain’s high streets are changing. Stores, whether large or small, are under increased pressure to modernise in-store offerings. Customer demand and closing banks are resulting in independent retailers needing to keep pace with large, big-name chains.

In order for any store to succeed in this competitive, connected environment, they must adopt new technology with confidence in the reliability of such devices. Working with a provider that offers same-day fixes and ensures device uptime can help stores adapt to an increasingly cashless society while offering an enhanced customer experience.

Resources Used

• https://brc.org.uk/news/2017/debit-cards-overtake-cash-to-become-number-one-payment-method-in-the-uk
• https://www.theukdomain.uk/smaller-businesses-offer-cashless-payments/
• https://squareup.com/gb/news/one-in-six-brits-is-now-a-card-only-shopper
• http://www.theukcardsassociation.org.uk/contactless_contactless_statistics/

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Claudine Mosseri, General Manager, ByBox reflects on research that they have recently conducted that shows that in the face of an engineering skills shortage, efficiency in the field service sector is more important than ever...

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