According to a new research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of telematics service subscribers using embedded systems will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.9 percent from 49.0 million subscribers at the end...
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Sep 10, 2018 • Fleet Technology • News • connected vehicles • research • Berg Insight • Internet of Things • IoT • telematics • Automated Vehicles • Connected Car Services
According to a new research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of telematics service subscribers using embedded systems will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.9 percent from 49.0 million subscribers at the end of 2017 to 258.1 million subscribers at the end of 2023.
Moreover, Berg Insight forecasts that shipments of embedded car OEM telematics systems worldwide will grow from 26.8 million units in 2017 to reach 67.2 million units in 2023, which represents an attach rate of 71.7 percent.
Connected car services have evolved from being a differentiating factor to a common feature with a high attach rate among the premium car brands and are rapidly becoming increasingly common in mid-range vehicles. GM’s OnStar was launched 20 years ago and is today the market leader worldwide with well above 14.0 million users in total, out of which 12.3 million were in North America by year-end 2017.
BMW includes telematics hardware as a standard feature on all its cars sold in 45 markets worldwide and has the second largest user base of an estimated 8.0 million equipped vehicles. PSA Group is currently in third place with 2.9 million connected vehicles in Europe. The carmaker launched an emergency and assistance call service already in 2003. Additional automotive OEMs with over 2 million telematics subscribers also include Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota/Lexus and FCA Group.
“There are several connected car services that experience growing demand from stakeholders including consumers, car manufacturers, governments and various third parties as awareness of the value of telematics spreads”, said Martin Svegander, IoT analyst at Berg Insight.
The leading carmakers are gradually exploring new use cases and business models for telematics such as premium concierge services, usage-based insurance and personal car sharing. “Recently, we have also seen GM, Jaguar Land Rover and Hyundai launch in-vehicle commerce platforms that create opportunities for retailers and merchants to connect with consumers”, added Mr. Svegander.
For field service organisations it will be interesting to see how this trend continues to shape the way we view fleet management and w2e are certainly beginning to see some maturation of a technology that will have a significant impact on our sector.
Want to know more? Download report brochure: The Global Automotive OEM Telematics Market
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Aug 15, 2018 • News • Autonomous Vehicles • connected vehicles • fleet technology • Future of FIeld Service • field service • field service management • fleet management • self-driving cars • Service Management • Edzard Overbeek • Here Technologies • Renovo
An open ecosystem of best-in-class technologies working seamlessly together will be at the heart of the automated transportation systems of the future.
An open ecosystem of best-in-class technologies working seamlessly together will be at the heart of the automated transportation systems of the future.
That is the shared vision of Renovo (Renovo.auto), a mobility software technology company, and HERE Technologies (here.com), a global leader in mapping and location services. Today, the two companies announced that they have entered into a partnership to deploy open interfaces for highly and fully automated vehicles. They believe an open-standards approach will fuel greater interoperability and data exchange across the transportation ecosystem, boosting safety, efficiency and comfort for passengers.
In the first phase of their collaboration, Renovo and HERE are working on a new technology interface to maximize the utility of sensor data generated by fleets of automated vehicles in the ‘self-healing’ of highly precise maps. The companies intend to make the interface available for fleets of highly automated vehicles powered by Renovo’s AWare operating system, enabling them to provide data that can be used to update a service such as HD Live Map, the mapping service for automated vehicles from HERE. This service uses different types of sensor data to identify change in the real world and provide a highly-precise, continuously-updating map across the road network. An automated vehicle equipped with HERE HD Live Map knows exactly where it is and has a better understanding of what lies ahead and what it should do in different scenarios.
"As we build the data infrastructure required for autonomous cars, collaboration between key technology providers and across industries is mandatory..."
As we build the data infrastructure required for autonomous cars, collaboration between key technology providers and across industries is mandatory,” said Edzard Overbeek, CEO of HERE Technologies. “With AWare, Renovo has a powerful operating system for automated vehicles. Our partnership and integration into the AWare ecosystem will help expand access to data that’s vital to building automated mobility systems that people can trust.”
“HERE Technologies is a leading creator of mapping and location services with a bold Autonomous World Vision, and we are delighted to enter into this partnership with them,” said Chris Heiser CEO and Co-Founder of Renovo. “We enable our customers to develop and deploy fleets of highly automated vehicles, and these deployments are made possible by an open ecosystem of best-in-class technologies.”
HERE is a privately held company backed by several investors: Audi, BMW, Bosch, Continental, Daimler, Intel and Pioneer. With this partnership, Renovo is joining one of the largest technology ecosystems in the automotive space.
AWare is already powering highly automated vehicle fleets on public and private roads today including that of Voyage.auto. HERE is the newest addition to the rapidly growing AWare ecosystem which includes Samsung, Verizon, Velodyne LiDAR, Parsons, INRIX, Argus Cyber Security, Affectiva, Phantom Auto, Metamoto, Understand.ai, NIRA Dynamics and Bestmile.
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Feb 22, 2017 • Features • connected vehicles • IoMT • location services • David Troll • field service • Glympse • Internet of Moving Things • Parts Pricing and Logistics
David Troll, SVP, Sales & Customer Operations, Glympse puts forward one potential innovative solution of the perennial field service challenge of getting parts and engineers aligned at the same time...
David Troll, SVP, Sales & Customer Operations, Glympse puts forward one potential innovative solution of the perennial field service challenge of getting parts and engineers aligned at the same time...
“You can’t deliver a part to a service van.”
This is something we hear often in the field service industry. The reality is, you can.
A recent Aberdeen Group report found the top reason for a failed service visit is parts unavailability1. This is a critical factor in achieving first-time fix (FTF), which is a top driver of customer satisfaction. Without the right parts at the right time, field service businesses face not only increased costs (truck re-rolls) but also lower NPS/CSAT. Yet many factors affecting parts availability are beyond the control of field operations, making the FTF elusive. Assuming the dispatched technician has the skills and expertise to solve the problem, there are still numerous issues that can arise. The initial diagnosis may have been incorrect, only to be discovered on site; the historical record doesn’t match the actual parts used in previous repairs; or fixing the first problem reveals additional issues, requiring new parts.
Some cutting edge technologies like 3D printing (in the field service van) and drone delivery are being explored as possible solutions. They hold promise in the future, but neither is a realistic option today.
Nor will they ever fully address complex, heavy or sensitive parts.
However, current technologies like location services and the Internet of Moving Things (IoMT), including connected vehicles, provide a readily available solution to enable better spare parts delivery, in pursuit of happier, stickier customer engagements.
With three simple steps, you can turn any field service van into a mobile, on-demand parts depot.
Step 1: Source the Right Part
A technician’s options for sourcing a needed part are limited. He can drive to a nearby warehouse, find a co-worker with a spare, or buy it at a local supply store. All of this is time-consuming and inefficient, which can frustrate the customer and worse, jeopardize SLAs – resulting in penalties.
Without a readily available part, the technician may have to wait around (inefficient) or defer to a follow up appointment (bad service experience). SPL providers have the networks and logistics expertise to handle some of this with just-in-time courier delivery, but they still need to connect with the technician.
By logging all inventory (assets, parts, consumables) and making it discoverable based on its location or affiliation with a vehicle, you can gain visibility into all parts options. By integrating your parts management system with your fleet management or field service system, you can achieve maximum efficiency.
Step 2: Apply Location Services to Vans, Parts and People
Regardless of where you source the spare part - a warehouse, a co-worker’s van or an SPL courier - coordinating streamlined delivery to the job site is crucial.
Leverage a robust location platform to show stakeholders an accurate ETA and location for a spare part handoff. Choose a partner with the flexibility to build sophisticated live map views that enable a real-time holistic vision of people, vehicles and relevant parts in a connected ecosystem.
Finally, determine which scenario(s) you’ll empower your teams to execute:
- A field manager or teammate secures a part from a warehouse and delivers it to the technician
- A technician on the road with the missing equipment drops it off to his nearby teammate
- A colleague or 3rd party courier is dispatched
- The technician locates the part at a warehouse, depot or supply store and travels there himself for a quick pickup
At Glympse, we help customers around the world like Charter (formerly Time Warner Cable), Comcast and others provide the ETA of their field service technicians and deliveries via live map and proactive alerts. We are working with others to provide that same location services platform to inform technicians about exactly when their co-worker or courier will arrive with a spare part and help the delivery person find the technician quickly.
Step 3: Enable the Connected Vehicle for Unattended Delivery
Speed and efficiency are critical for a FTF.
Technicians can’t afford to stop working to wait for a delivery or go into a warehouse/store to pick something up. Instead, make the trunk of your technicians’ vehicles the warehouse or delivery depot.
With location technology and today’s smart-car capabilities, it’s simple. Integrate your connected vehicle with location services to automatically unlock a trunk (using a secure, one-time code and a geofence trigger) once the delivery or pickup person is in proximity of the vehicle.
The part is delivered and ready for the technician when he needs it - right in his own van.
Alternatively, a technician could leverage his connected vehicle to alert a warehouse manager of his ETA and verify his identity for a fast, curbside pickup with zero waiting.
This is just the beginning.
Emerging technologies and location-enabled ecosystems are set to change the way we operate, making field service execution more efficient and effective, driving unmatched customer satisfaction.
For now, we’re well on our way to making sure availability of parts is never a barrier to satisfying customers.
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Feb 14, 2017 • Features • Fleet Technology • connected fleet • connected vehicles • John Gorbutt • MIcrolise • field service • fleet management • Greenroad • sergio barata • Stephen Watson • telematics • telogis
The rise of the connected fleet has been discussed as an emerging technology with huge potential to change field service operations for some time now. However, we are now reaching the point where the discussion must move from theoretical to...
The rise of the connected fleet has been discussed as an emerging technology with huge potential to change field service operations for some time now. However, we are now reaching the point where the discussion must move from theoretical to practical - so just what will the impact of the connected fleet be for field service organisations?
As more and more fleets become connected with on-board equipment straight from the OEM, is there still a need for companies operating a mobile workforce to work with traditional telematics providers?
Field Service News spoke to sector experts to understand how the fleet management industry is evolving and what the impact this rapid period of technological change will mean for field service organisations.
So just what exactly does the rise of connected vehicles mean for the fleet management sector?
“Ultimately, the rise of connected vehicles means both telematics suppliers and customers will benefit from a higher quality of vehicle information and reduced operational overheads,” explains Sergio Barata, General Manager, Telogis EMEA.
“It should be viewed as an opportunity for telematics providers to refocus their solutions so they leverage the new possibilities these technologies will bring. For different providers this may mean different things, but at Telogis our focus has been to develop a single connected platform that expands the value of our proposition beyond the vehicle and focuses on improving the operational processes within the enterprise, such as integrated route planning and mobility tools,” he adds.
However, John Gorbutt, Regional Sales Leader, Greenroad highlights that alongside the new opportunities that these latest technologies present, new challenges are also emerging.
“The incredibly accelerated growth of the connected fleet vehicle presents challenges, as well as opportunities” - John Gorbutt, Greenroad
“First, for all fleet operators, both dispatched and un-dispatched, the driver’s function will be drastically different sooner than anyone imagines.
The driver will be at the focus and responsible for their own productivity and safety while behind the wheel. Essentially, as new, non-telematics based solutions enter the market the driver is now more connected than ever.”
“They will not only use their mobile device as the centre of their work day, they will have access to their own driver behaviour data along with various contextual information to make them as productive and safe behind the wheel as possible. These new systems are now coming onto the market at a fraction of the cost of traditional telematics systems but still provide all the same and better functionality.”
Meanwhile Stephen Watson, Microlise Director of Product believes that there is now an onus on fleet management solution providers to harness the technologies and drive the solutions forward for the industry as a whole.
“Any significant change in an industry is always a threat to the existing suppliers in that market, however where there are threats there are of course opportunities!” He comments.
“Provided organisations acknowledge the changes that are starting to happen, the changing requirements of the operators and use the expertise gained within the industry to their advantage, there is no reason to fear the rise of connected vehicles.
More it is an opportunity to embrace the evolution and provide greater value in an exciting area that touches us all.”
So what enhancements can field service organisations expect to see in the not too distant future in terms of their fleet management tools?
Barata believes that fully connected fleets will bring “new levels of data quality and accuracy not seen today, as the connectivity revolution continues apace.”
“We’ve already seen with partnerships, such as ours with Ford, that increased connectivity helps drive new business outcomes, based on data delivered through a holistic, connected vehicle approach,” he asserts.
“Through the integration of more data points – such as seat belt usage data for example – we can help improve the safety of fleets, and we’re already seeing an increase in the use of preventive maintenance on engines to reduce downtime, thanks to Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) diagnostics data.”
However, when questioned on what fleet management will look like as fleets become fully connected across the next five years Watson thinks that we may be getting slightly ahead of ourselves “5 years seems ambitious!” He begins.
“I think we are still a way off fully connected fleet operations. There are a number of EU and UK government innovation schemes designed to support organisations in the enormous R&D costs that come with the technology, however there are still significant legal and regulatory hurdles to be overcome before fully connected vehicles becomes mainstream.”
Yet, Gorbutt insists that the telematics sector as a whole is well overdue when it comes to ultimately delivering the return on investment it has always promised.
“I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that the promise of track and trace telematics didn’t provide the long term value most fleet operators expected,” he asserts.
“When weighed against the cost of the system, the ROI is minimal at best. So over the year’s telematics providers have raced to provide more and more features to supplement the high cost of live tracking. This has resulted is millions of customers paying outrageous sums for a system grounded in technology from 2001 or earlier.
“With new systems coming on board every day that are based on cheaper, high quality networks and mobile devices, any fleet operator can get an entire fleet up and running on a mobile based system that includes everything from live tracking to driver behaviour at a fraction of the cost.”
However, whilst the promise of improved fleet management tools at a reduced cost is one that will appeal to all field service organisations, it is also worth considering how this will change the role of the fleet manager.
“We’re already seeing an increase in the use of preventive maintenance on engines to reduce downtime” - Sergio Barata, Telogis
“Hence there will be an evolution in the role of the new fleet manager, who will become more of a chief mobile officer in charge of everything from mobile deployment of solutions or cyber/mobile security and will encompass the productivity and usage of everything included in the new smart mobility ecosystem.”
Indeed, as we begin to discuss fleet management solutions that are mobile centric the lines between field service systems and fleet management systems are becoming increasingly blurred. Is there still a need for field service organisations to invest in both sets of tools?
“I guess this depends on the definition of field service management software,” Watson comments.
“It’s fair to say that concepts of engineer location, performance, planning and resource management are all now widely available, however there are a number of functions of field service management that would not currently feature in a standard fleet management software solution.”
“From an investment perspective then maybe M&A activity will see customers able to purchase a suite of products from a single supplier and these products will be more broadly integrated. But with the high levels of API integration available from suppliers like ourselves, companies have the opportunity to get best of breed solutions and services from the organisations most able to support their current and ongoing needs.”
Gorbutt echoes this sentiment commenting that he doesn’t “think there will be a decisive divide between the two technologies.”
With the high levels of API integration available from suppliers like ourselves, companies have the opportunity to get best of breed solutions and services from the organisations most able to support their current and ongoing needs - Stephen Watson, Microlise
He is also in agreement with Watson’s thinking when it comes to the belief that continued integration will be a highly important part of the wider ecosystem of field service technologies as technologies continue to evolve.
“What will be most important is the ability for these different systems to “talk” to each other.” He comments.
“For instance, the fleet management system must be able to send live tracking data to the field service customer location and routing system and all must work seamlessly with the driver safety application that ensure the driver is arriving safely. Connectivity is the new world and any service provider that doesn’t have all their systems sending and receiving data from one another will be obsolete in a matter of 5 years.”
However, Barata holds a different view, believing that as these lines blur it is those organisations that utilise a platform-based approach that will see the greatest benefits.
“The need for enterprises to adopt these solutions will continue to increase rapidly in the coming years, and soon they will become ubiquitous, leaving those who choose not to adopt them behind,” he explains.
“The good news for them is there are already suppliers like ourselves out there who can provide a platform which meets the needs of both their fleet and service operations. The previous challenges they faced in integrating data produced by separate technical, operational and strategic systems – often provided by different suppliers - can be avoided by partnering with suppliers that can deliver a single solution.”
The exact role of fleet management for field service organisations in the near future maybe uncertain, but we can be certain that is set to change.
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Jan 19, 2017 • Fleet Technology • News • connected vehicles • fleet technology • Berg Insight
According to a new research report by Berg Insight, the number of telematics service subscribers using embedded systems will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.4 percent from 26.5 million subscribers at the end of 2015 to 170.2...
According to a new research report by Berg Insight, the number of telematics service subscribers using embedded systems will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.4 percent from 26.5 million subscribers at the end of 2015 to 170.2 million subscribers at the end of 2021. Moreover, Berg Insight forecasts that shipments of embedded car OEM telematics systems worldwide will grow from almost 13.8 million units in 2015 at a CAGR of over 25.1 percent to reach 52.8 million units in 2021. In Europe, uptake will increase rapidly due to the eCall initiative in the EU and ERA-GLONASS in the Eurasian Customs Union, scheduled to be fully implemented in 2018 and 2017 respectively.
Carmakers and car owners are starting to see the benefits of connected car services as a growing number of new vehicles are equipped with the technology
“Carmakers and car owners are starting to see the benefits of connected car services as a growing number of new vehicles are equipped with the technology”, said Jonas Wennermark, IoT/M2M Analyst at Berg Insight. However, the really exciting development will happen when we move from telematics services as an add-on to actually design a vehicle with connectivity in mind. Starting with Tesla, several car makers have introduced vehicles with large dashboard touchscreens and the ability to receive Over-the-Air updates. “We have also seen Volvo and Bentley launch interesting concierge services for the premium segment, such as fuel-delivery to the customer’s vehicle”, added Mr Wennermark.
Click here to download report brochure: The Global Automotive OEM Telematics Market
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Nov 11, 2016 • Fleet Technology • News • connected vehicles • construction • IoT • John Deere • telogis
At its annual business conference, Telogis, A Verizon Company, announced that it is partnering with John Deere to enable construction companies to derive key data and insights from their connected John Deere equipment to help drive cost savings,...
At its annual business conference, Telogis, A Verizon Company, announced that it is partnering with John Deere to enable construction companies to derive key data and insights from their connected John Deere equipment to help drive cost savings, efficiency and productivity.
Through this alliance, Telogis and John Deere will enable existing and future mutual customers to leverage John Deere construction equipment's built-in connectivity. Customers will benefit from access to a richer data set that will help to eliminate manual data entry and generate deeper insights into customers' operations.
Customers also benefit from the ability to connect back into JD Link™ to order parts and service or contact local John Deere dealers for questions, appointments and equipment troubleshooting. They will also receive more accurate equipment maintenance records that can help lead to better uptime and lower total cost of ownership.
Equipment – not just vehicles – represent an enormous investment for mobile businesses, and it's more important than ever to ensure that equipment is running safely
"Telogis' successful track record working with both off highway and on highway customers gave us great confidence that this is the right strategic relationship to bring these mission-critical technologies and services to our customers," said Jena Holtberg-Benge, Director Worksight Solutions at John Deere.
"By working in tandem with Telogis, we're giving businesses the ability to run their entire mobile equipment business on one comprehensive software platform with one login for all their vehicles and equipment – whether it's John Deere or a mixed fleet."
"Equipment – not just vehicles – represent an enormous investment for mobile businesses, and it's more important than ever to ensure that equipment is running safely, and that it's out there earning money and delivering value and ROI every day," said Jeff Cohen, Vice President, Asset and Security Solutions at Telogis, A Verizon Company.
"By understanding how the equipment is being used, how many hours it's running and where there are opportunities to maximise uptime and utilisation, customers can identify opportunities to drive cost and time savings, plus productivity and efficiency in every aspect of their mobile businesses."
The offering will be available to organisations of any size through connected John Deere equipment or through authorised dealers through the end of 2016, and each new piece of equipment will have access to both JDLink and Telogis.
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Oct 05, 2016 • Fleet Technology • News • connected vehicles • Nissan • telogis
Nissan Europe and Telogis, a Verizon company, have partnered to offer next-generation connected vehicle technologies and services to Nissan commercial customers in Europe.
Nissan Europe and Telogis, a Verizon company, have partnered to offer next-generation connected vehicle technologies and services to Nissan commercial customers in Europe.
The new NissanConnect Fleet powered by Telogis offering will connect customers’ vehicles, people and the work that is being done, helping to make drivers safer, providing higher levels of service, while improving sustainability and operational efficiency.
The time has come for Nissan commercial customers to benefit from the visibility and operational intelligence they gain by connecting their business,” said Philippe Guerin-Boutaud, Corporate Vice President, Global LCV Business Unit, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “From empowering workers on the road and in the field to help them be safer and more efficient, to optimising daily delivery routes, NissanConnect Fleet will have a transformational effect on the way Nissan customers do business.”
Whether you’re a fleet manager or a small business owner, our role is to help you choose a vehicle that suits your specific business needs. From a one van fleet, to multiple vehicles, our highly trained Local Fleet Specialists will work out the most practical and affordable solution for your business.
The introduction of the new NissanConnect Fleet service marks an important step in advancing Nissan’s connected services offering across Europe, and also forms part of the brand’s Intelligent Mobility strategy that is guiding Nissan’s product and technology development to create a safer and more sustainable future.
Utilising hardware that has been factory-fitted or installed by a certified Nissan dealer, NissanConnect Fleet connects the vehicle to Telogis’ Mobile Resource Management (MRM) software platform. This platform receives and analyses proprietary Nissan data from each vehicle including driver and vehicle performance history, and turns it into actionable information to help companies of all sizes make more informed business decisions.
“Customers will experience near-immediate return on investment by utilising the built-in connection in their Nissan vehicles,” said Kevin Moore, Vice President, Global OEM Automotive Sales at Telogis. “Telogis delivers mission-critical applications that enable Nissan commercial customers in Europe to connect, optimise and automate their operations, improve the lives of their drivers and provide a higher level of service to their own customers.”
Many of the world’s largest and most well-known commercial fleets connect their vehicles, assets, people, customers and the work that’s being done outside the four walls of their business through the Telogis MRM platform. Once connected, Telogis software will optimise and automate work and processes to drive safety, productivity, efficiency and sustainability in businesses of all sizes.
The NissanConnect Fleet powered by Telogis offering will be available in Europe this autumn supporting the following initial vehicles (with more to come):
- All crossover range Qashqai, X-Trail and Juke
- Medium-compact car Pulsar
- New Navara One Ton Pick-up
- NV200 light commercial vehicles (LCV)
- NT400 Cabstar medium-duty vehicles
- Nissan electric vehicles (EVs) - LEAF and e-NV200[/unordered_list]
Whether it’s supporting fleet managers or a small business owners, Nissan is committed to finding solutions that will help drive forward its customers’ businesses.
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Jun 23, 2016 • News • connected vehicles • mobility platform • Verizon • Telgogis
Verizon Communications is acquiring mobility software platform specialist Telogis to enhance its connected vehicle business.
Verizon Communications is acquiring mobility software platform specialist Telogis to enhance its connected vehicle business.
Seeking to add best-in-class Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology and services, specifically in the connected vehicle and mobile enterprise management sectors—as well as expanded distribution relationships—to its Verizon Telematics subsidiary, Verizon Communications Inc. has announced it is to buy privately-owned Telogis, Inc., the Californian-based mobility software platform specialist.
“With a comprehensive enterprise product portfolio and partnerships with some of the world’s leading vehicle and equipment manufacturers, Telogis brings a world-class software platform and new distribution relationships to Verizon Telematics’ already expansive suite of connected vehicle solutions for consumers and enterprise customers,” said Andrés Irlando, CEO of Verizon Telematics. “The combined strengths of our two companies’ unique assets better enable us to deliver best-in-class mobile enterprise management services to customers globally, while building scale and accelerating market share. I’m confident that the passion and talent of our collective employees will continue to drive revenue growth and product innovations to shape and lead the industry for years to come.”
“Verizon provides the brand equity, strength in the market, broad infrastructure and expansive global reach to take Telogis to the next level,” said David Cozzens, CEO, Telogis. “This strategic acquisition positions our collective technologies and services uniquely in the market while also enabling Verizon Telematics’ industry-leading business to benefit from Telogis’ unmatched strength in the enterprise market, innovative Mobile Enterprise Management software platform and our strong OEM and ecosystem partnerships.”
Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2016.
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Feb 29, 2016 • Features • connected vehicles • Future of FIeld Service • scheduling • trends for 2016 • User Interface
Welcome to the fourth part of this series exploring some of the big trends to expect in 2016 within the field service sector, written by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News.
Welcome to the fourth part of this series exploring some of the big trends to expect in 2016 within the field service sector, written by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News.
So far we’ve explored servitization in part one, IoT and AR in part two Smart Glasses and Rugged Computing in part three…
This time around we look at a stalwart of field service technology in optimised scheduling and why it is more important than ever, the growing importance of user interfaces and one of the most hotly anticipated topics in fleet management – the connected car and how it will change telematics forever…
Improved scheduling will become a huge part of the equation for those selecting FSM software this year...
For all of the excitement around technologies such as AR and Smart Glasses in being able to reduce the need for field service companies to send their engineers to the far flung corners of the globe, the truth remains that for the majority of field service companies, for the time being at least, the holy grail of operations remains the age old mantra of ‘getting the right engineer, to the right job, with the right parts on-time, every time.’
Such a competitive market place makes for an environment where innovation and product development is set to thrive.
With ServicePower having invested heavily in both R&D and the acquisition of intellectual property in this space and the recent roll-out of their new solution NexusTM, they are anticipated to take an aggressive approach to the market, whilst scheduling remains a core functionality of a number of significant players within the space including IFS, ClickSoftware and Astea.
Such a competitive market place makes for an environment where innovation and product development is set to thrive.
For field service companies seeking to either update their solutions or take the plunge and invest for the first time in a solution then having a variety of options is of course a major bonus and given the potential savings that dynamic scheduling engines can deliver, the refinement of such tools, making them more effective and easier to implement, is great news.
Connected vehicles and Telematics-as a-Service will challenge the traditional fleet technology sector
With the advent of the connected vehicle, the telematics industry was in danger of cannibalising itself as specialist providers began working with OEMs to provide in built systems.
On the one hand this was perhaps no bad thing and just the natural evolution of the sector.
Indeed there have been some exciting collaborations spearheaded by companies such as Telogis, who through a number of shrewd partnerships with the likes of Volvo and Ford have seen their technology placed at the heart of many next-generation commercial vehicles.
On the face of it such agreements are win-win-win.
With the advent of the connected vehicle, the telematics industry was in danger of cannibalising itself as specialist providers began working with OEMs to provide in built systems.
But the flip side of course is that such partnerships also limit the choices available to those companies that either want to explore their options further or have existing systems that they don’t want to move away from.
Another approach to building a telematics solution was unveiled by Dutch Telematics giant TomTom at their developers' conference in Amsterdam last year when they unveiled the .connect platform.
With three separate APIs encouraging as much integration as possible the development of the .connect platform was a masterstroke by a company that had already reinvented themselves once in the face of a declining routing and tracking market as it placed them as a telematics platform firmly at the centre of a suite of 3rd party apps that the field service company could select to define a telematics solution that was bespoke to their own specific needs.
Essentially by modelling their approach along the lines of Apple’s App Store, Google’s Play or Saleforce’s Appexchange, TomTom have paved the way for new thinking in the telematics space and have thrown down a gauntlet for the rest of the industry.
A seamless User Experience will become a prerequisite for field service companies and their clients alike
In September last year I spoke to Marne Martin, CEO of ServicePower shortly before the launch of their new FSM software Nexus FS.
They had clearly spent some significant time working on the User Interface (UI) in the face of the growing impact of consumerisation on business software. “The key is taking what we’ve done with some of the new technology, and then making sure we have integrated a great user experience throughout the other applications, modernising the UI, but not losing all the functionality that we have built over the last twenty years.” Martin commented and as we look ahead to what 2016 holds in store her words continue to ring true.
Consumerisation remains a vital trend, and one which FSM software providers will overlook at their peril.
But it’s not just about aesthetics, there is a very simple reason why field service companies should expect the apps they deploy for their field engineers to look as good and feel as intuitive as the apps they use in their personal lives.
To cut to the chase, the more instant familiarity an end user will feel with an app, the faster they will take to using it, which means the faster a company will fee the promised benefits of that apps deployment.
Indeed ServicePower are not alone in having put a significant amount of importance on the look and feel of their latest software.
One of the big bits of feedback from the IFS World Conference was that the company had spent a significant amount of time in ensuring their UI had a modern, elegant feel to it and that those efforts didn’t go unnoticed amongst the attendees.
It is not just within the apps used by field service engineers where UI is of growing importance.
However, it is not just within the apps used by field service engineers where UI is of growing importance.
Many field service companies are beginning to offer apps to their own customers also and whether these apps are communications channels, knowledge banks or even tools for monitoring assets within the field, increasingly digital interaction far outweighs human interaction for many companies and delivering a positive user experience through these mediums is as important to a companies relationships with their customers as face to face contact.
Look out for the final part of this series coming soon which will focus on why knowledge sharing and easy reporting are the two operations that all field service managers should be demanding in 2016.
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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