We Must Have Our Technological Foundations Right in Field Service (podcast highlights)

Nov 09, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland discuss the importance of having the foundations of field service management tools in place before we can explore the next iteration of service management technologies...

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

A VISION OF THE FUTURE

In a recent exclusive Field Service News white paper written by Kris Oldland and published in partnership with Salesforce, we explored the shifting dynamics of the fundamental value proposition of service delivery in a world of remote first service delivery. However, while there was a lot of room for error in the first few months of the pandemic as we were all just grateful for the monumental efforts it took to deliver even basic service, now we are at a point where customer expectations are beginning to return.

Remote service delivery remains an acceptable delivery mechanism, however, the teething problems of some of our early initial attempts may no longer cut the mustard. Within the white paper Oldland explored some of the key technologies that are essential for efficient remote service that will meet customer expectation. As a follow up to that white paper Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer joined Oldland as a guest on the Field Service Podcast to bring his insight to the table. It was a wide-ranging conversation but in this excerpt from that episode the focus is on the tools we need to make remote service a seamless offering for our customers.

Of course, this was an area of the topic where Brandeleer was really able to bring a huge amount of direct insight, drawing upon the vast experience of himself and colleagues at Salesforce in terms of the companies that they've already directly helped with huge digital transformation projects.

"That's where I think there is still a part for technologies to still evolve. I think the whole install base little by little needs to be refreshed and evolve as well..."

Gary Brandeller, Salesforce

“I think what is critical is to do the basics, right,” explained Brandeleer.

“I think what we saw with COVID-19, was that the companies that didn't control their basics, were unable to actually react and adapt fast enough. These technologies are really, really impactful, but can only be impactful if you have the right data. They can only be impactful if you are already connecting your install base, if you're already doing warranty tracking, if you already know your customer when is calling you.

“From there, you can move little by little to a different solution. So for example, when you think about AI, there is the optimization engine that we are providing, and things like this, I guess, but I think there are other places where AI can really augment the experience of the technician in that context of ‘can we serve the customer?’ We must establish, can we use AI to offer remote diagnostics of the problem and can we find a solution?

“Ideally, you would even say, that AI if can identify one or two solution, can a human further expand on that and say ‘out of two solutions suggested by AI we should apply the first one, which can be pushed remotely via IoT, for example?” Brandeleer suggests.

“I think that's the vision of the future,” he continues before adding “Are we there? I think not yet. COVID-19 is going to accelerate that. But when you think about IoT connected devices, there are still many, many devices out there, especially in manufacturing where the install base that is pretty old, with assets still working and still being maintained. So, that's where I think there is still a part for technologies to still evolve. I think the whole install base little by little needs to be refreshed and evolve as well.”

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

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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 Salesforce who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

What comes after remote service delivery (podcast highlights)

Nov 06, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland discuss what comes next after the pandemic has brought the technology required for remote service delivery to the mainstream out of necessity

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

An EXPLORATION OF WHAT COMES NEXT

Having recently authored a white paper in partnership with Salesforce that explored whether we need to reevaluate the value proposition of service delivery as we all become more accustomed to remote service delivery, Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News invited Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer on to The Field Service Podcast to explore the topic further.

Do we move to remote services first as a default, was a big theme in the white paper and the two discussed the pros and cons of such an approach at length. Here in this highlight from the full podcast, and to get further insight into that topic, we hear Brandeleer’s thoughts around what comes next, having seen remote service become table stakes almost overnight.

“One thing that is interesting to see as well is that remote assistance is a quick reaction for an issue that we all have right now,” Brandeleer commented

“Yet it's become a keystone for different things as well. So I think in the short term, remote assistance became really table stakes but I think there are other things that are going to follow this.

“When you think about remote assistance, you can speak to the customer, but for many, many call centre agents or technicians that are on the call, they might not know about the machine, and they might not have the machine connected to IoT. So I think this kind of rapid change for remote assistance will lead us towards the rapid change, for example, remote diagnostics, IoT, and all these other steps in the movement of ‘can I actually serve my customers remotely as efficiently as I was doing it before when I had somebody on site?’

“I think we are going to see an exploration of other technologies that are going to add on the remote assistance side essentially,” Brandeleer adds.

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

BT Report: UK Businesses Risk Lagging Behind Other Countries with Sluggish Technology Adoption

Nov 05, 2020 • News • Virtual Reality • Digital Transformation • Technology • BT • EMEA

The slow rate of technology adoption amongst many UK businesses could impact their ability to compete on an international scale – that’s according to a new study by YouGov and BT. The survey of over 1,000 businesses - ranging from SMEs to large enterprises - reveals the digital immaturity of some UK businesses, driven by a lack of awareness of key emerging technologies amongst business leaders and a failure to link technology benefits with improved business performance.

BT’s” state-of-the-nation report, “The Future In 2020 Review” , shines a light on the current take-up of digital technologies amongst UK businesses and their future investment plans, with one third having no plans to invest in new emerging tech over the next five years. Of the 14 new technologies highlighted in the survey, more than 50 per cent of business leaders – including Chief Information Officers (CIOs) – were only familiar with half of them. Meanwhile, 40 per cent of those business leaders who have adopted new technologies worry that these have not been implemented successfully. This reveals a tech awareness problem amongst senior business and IT decision makers, which, when coupled with a digital skills gap, risks holding back the productivity and growth of UKplc.

UK'S DIGITAL IMMATURITY

The report’s findings indicate that a significant proportion of UK businesses are trailing behind in the technology innovation stakes. While more than 40 per cent of businesses have adopted VoIP, no other emerging technology has an uptake of more than 25 percent. Currently only 20 percent of businesses have embraced IoT, and roughly 30 percent of businesses believe that 5G will play a role in their future roadmap despite forecasts that 5G will add $8trn to global GDP by 2030. When asked about technology investment plans for the next five years, nearly a third said they have no plans to invest in data driven technologies such as AI and Machine Learning.

Businesses in the medical, health and education sectors are revealed as those where the biggest gaps lie, with these industries not currently using any of the technologies listed in the study, while over a third of these have no plans to adopt them in the next five years. Unsurprisingly, IT and Telecoms tops the list for the broadest investment in innovative technologies, although this is still relatively low at 26 percent.

Extracted Graphs

AN AWARENESS GAP IN C-SUITE

The failure amongst some businesses to embrace emerging technologies can be linked to a lack of awareness, with more than 50 percent of business leaders stating that they were not aware of the technologies listed - despite the respondents sitting in a C-suite role or within a senior IT team. For instance, 31 percent said they are not aware of AI and 60 percent are not familiar with as-a-service solutions and managed security services. And, of those that have adopted new technology, 40 percent of respondents believe these are not being implemented successfully, so businesses are unable to reap the benefits of their technology investments.

Extracted Graphs2

BUSINESSES FAIL TO LINK TECHNOLOGY WITH COMMERCIAL GOALS

The research also reveals that the most common reason for businesses not adopting new technology is a lack of understanding of how technology can drive improved business performance. While industry experts point to 5G and complementary tech as a key catalyst for the fourth industrial revolution and business transformation, almost half of UK’s businesses are yet to recognise the relevancy and benefits it brings to their business, rising to 57 percent for Machine Learning and AI.

When asked about core objectives, all business leaders agreed; increasing revenue, reducing operational costs and boosting productivity are key priorities for the next three to five years. However, almost a quarter of businesses struggle to see how digital tools can power commercial performance and achieve key business objectives.

One of the biggest barriers to technology adoption according to those surveyed is the financial climate, with 40 percent of business leaders citing that the current climate is impacting their technology strategy. Furthermore, 1 in 3 businesses expect skills shortages to hamper technology investment; even in the most digitally savvy industries such as IT and financial services, one-quarter believe that digital skills shortages pose challenges to technology adoption. In an effort to accelerate UKplc’s digital maturity, BT has launched its Skills for Tomorrow initiative with an ambition to reach one million business owners and their employees with digital skills by 2025.

Extracted Graphs3

Chris Sims, Managing Director of Commercial and Marketing, BT Enterprise’s unit said: “The research reveals that a significant proportion of UK businesses view new technologies as a cost rather than an investment to help boost growth. It’s clear that businesses need more support; whether that’s understanding what technologies to adopt, how to maximise the potential of that technology and how that translates into commercial success.

“As the 5G network continues to roll out across the UK, it will support the delivery and uptake of other emerging technologies like IoT, AI and VR. 5G coupled with these technologies will play a critical role in fuelling the post-Covid recovery, by boosting productivity, delivering new customer experiences and creating new business models. Whilst the research suggests that uptake of emerging technology is slow, the understanding and adoption of these technologies will increase as 5G becomes more prevalent. Businesses that can harness this early on can reap significant benefits; saving time, boosting efficiencies, unlocking innovation and creating a sustainable future.”

To support businesses through their digital transformation journeys, BT is planning to launch a new Digital Health Checker for its corporate and SME customers. This will give businesses a free online assessment of their digital maturity and will help them identify the best technologies to future proof their business and position them for growth.

Details of BT’s Digital Health Checker will be announced in due course. For more information on BT’s Skills for Tomorrow programme, please visit the website here.

The Acceleration of the Digital Transformation (podcast highlight)

Nov 04, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Gary Brandeleer of Salesforce talks to the Kris Oldland, Field Service News about how we are seeing unprecedented acceleration of digital transformation in the field service sector...

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

REMOTE SERVICE DELIVERY IS NOW TABLE STAKES

In a recent exclusive Field Service News white paper authored by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News we asked an important question “Do we need to redefine the value proposition of service, as we look towards moving towards a post pandemic world?”

It is an important discussion, one that many senior leaders in our industry are currently having, yet it is also a topic that is evolving and emerging in real-time as we piece together what the new normal looks like for our sector.

To build upon the white paper, which had a particular lens looking at remote services and do we move to remote first as a default in our industry, Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer joined Kris Oldland on the Field Service Podcast to further drive the discussion forwards.

Brandeleer and the team at Salesforce have, of course had huge experience dealing with digital transformation and in the above excerpt from that conversation, Brandeleer and Oldland touch on whether the acceleration we've seen in the last six months towards digital transformation projects is truly unprecedented.

This is perhaps the biggest factor that will shape the way we view field service delivery both in terms of the value proposition and operational delivery. It is not only the leap forward that has been made, but it is also the rapidity at which almost all of us in the industry moved forward simultaneously that has caused such seismic shifts in our thinking.

As we saw in the last highlight from this podcast, we saw conversations go from “this is on our roadmap in five years’ time,” to “we need this now, how quickly can we implement it?”

"We were sending people onsite, now we are doing remote assistance. Can we do other things as well? Can we now invest in outcome-based services and push towards servitization and other things like this?"

Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

"I would say the field service world has been quite often protected from rapid disruption, like this,” Brandeleer commented.

“We've always had time to implement things [in field service], even the optimization engine that we provide to companies. The companies who are implementing such systems know and understand the benefits the solutions will bring, but they also know that it's important to take that time when you are dealing with technicians, when you're dealing with mission critical business.

“You need to take your time to change such important things and make them more efficient over a long period of time.”

“I don't think I've ever really seen such a disruption where, from one week to another, these technologies literally became table stakes. I think that what we see as well is, of course, COVID accelerated many, many other trends for field service. I think what's happening is that the one trend that we seek from that disruption, also is this agility that you see now in field service.

“We were sending people onsite, now we are doing remote assistance. Can we do other things as well? Can we now invest in outcome-based services and push towards servitization and other things like this?" Brandeleer asks.

"These trends have been there for a while and people have been talking about it, but not really acting very fast. Are we now going to see the mentality of ‘well, we did it for remote assistance, we implemented in two weeks, and we have return on investment here – can’t we just do that for other things that we wanted to do?’ The world is in such a chaotic state right now, we must take this opportunity to drive more acceleration of things that we wanted to do, things that were part of a roadmap, but now we want to accelerate them.

“I think this digital transformation that's out there which traditionally can take quite a while for many field service companies, I think people are going to take as a table stakes now as well. Now companies want these digital transformation projects to happen very, very fast. They went time to value and that's another trend that came out of this COVID-19 disruption."

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

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Nokia Threat Intelligence Report Warns of Rising Cyberattacks on Internet-Connected Devices

Nov 03, 2020 • News • 5G • Nokia • Cyber Security • Digital Transformation • GLOBAL

Cyberattacks on internet-connected devices continue to rise at an alarming rate due to poor security protections and cybercriminals use of automated tools to exploit these vulnerabilities, according to the latest Nokia Threat Intelligence Report.

The report found that Internet-connected, or IoT, devices now make up roughly 33% of infected devices, up from about 16% in 2019. The report’s findings are based on data aggregated from monitoring network traffic on more than 150 million devices globally where Nokia's NetGuard Endpoint Security product is deployed.

Adoption of IoT devices, from smart home security monitoring systems to drones and medical devices, is expected to continue growing as consumers and enterprises move to take advantage of the high bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and fundamentally new networking capabilities that 5G mobile networks enable, according to the report.

The rate of success in infecting IoT devices depends on the visibility of the devices to the internet, according to the report. In networks where devices are routinely assigned public facing internet IP addresses, a high infection rate is seen. In networks where carrier-grade Network Address Translation is used, the infection rate is considerably reduced because the vulnerable devices are not visible to network scanning.

THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS COVID-19-THEMED CYBERCRIMINAL CAMPAIGNS AIMED AT EXPLOITING USER DATA

The Threat Intelligence Report also reveals there is no let up in cybercriminals using the COVID-19 pandemic to try to steal personal data through a variety of types of malware. One in particular is disguised as a “Coronavirus Map” application – mimicking the legitimate and authoritative Coronavirus Map issued by Johns Hopkins University – to take advantage of the public’s demand for accurate information about COVID-19 infections, deaths and transmissions.

But the bogus application is used to plant malware on victims’ computers to exploit personal data. “Cybercriminals are playing on people’s fears and are seeing this situation as an opportunity to promote their agendas,” the report says. The report urges the public to install applications only from trusted app stores, like Google and Apple.

Bhaskar Gorti, Nokia Software President and Chief Digital Officer, said: “The sweeping changes that are taking place in the 5G ecosystem, with even more 5G networks being deployed around the world as we move to 2021, open ample opportunities for malicious actors to take advantage of vulnerabilities in IoT devices. This report reinforces not only the critical need for consumers and enterprises to step up their own cyber protection practices, but for IoT device producers to do the same.”

Commenting on this, Boris Cipot, senior security engineer at Synopsys, said "The Nokia Threat Report is a welcome confirmation for security professionals that mobile platforms are not something that can be disregarded as a risk. If we think about it, today we have more processing power and memory in our smartphones than we did just a few years ago on our laptops and desktops. Most individuals now jump on their phones or tablet to browse the internet or read their emails. Use cases have shifted from traditional desktop/laptop to mobile device and as such, it is normal that cyberthreats have followed this trend. Nevertheless, that is not to say that individuals should disregard standard PC threats. While mobile threats are rising, this does not imply that PC threats are decreasing. On the contrary, these threats are growing in number too.

"In fact, we are now entering a new era of technology; that is the 5G era, which brings along with it another set of threats. New threats are to be expected with new technology. One has to be prepared for them and to take appropriate action to build resilience. The world of IoT is evidence that we are still a long way from achieving this. Breached baby monitors, video cameras, cryptocurrency mining… all of these are recent incidents we have faced and continue to face. Whether it is the Android platform or the RTOS of an IoT device that is under attack, the root of the matter typically comes down to vulnerabilities in the software. Therefore, secure development and the Security by Design principle needs to be at the foundation of every software development process. The use of tools such as SAST, SCA or IAST are mandatory to keep the whole ecosystem safe. The reason being that even the smallest security hole delivered by the smallest application in a mobile phone or PC could be responsible for a whole device becoming exploitable.“

Why Field Service Is Hard

Nov 03, 2020 • Features • Cognito iQ • White Paper • Digital Transformation

This second excerpt from a recent white paper published by Cognito iQ provides an analysis of the challenges and difficulties service leaders face and why field service operations are complex......

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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why FIELD SERVICE IS HARD

Field service is hard for a number of reasons, all of which are interconnected:

Field-service operations are inherently complex, involving multiple elements in the service chain, such as people and processes, and they are affected by multiple factors outside of the control of the service organisation, such as traffic, access to customer premises or repair tasks that are hard to resolve. This complexity means plans are vulnerable to unpredictable, disruptive, short-notice changes.
The complexity and uniqueness of the challenge in field service is also why generic business intelligence (BI) tools, designed to adapt to multiple management environments, are often less effective within service organisations. Because the underlying metrics don’t match the situation on the ground, changes can have unintended consequences, and end users can be resistant to the implementation of such tools.
The Service Level Agreements (SLAs), business rules and processes that drive field service typically vary across the organisation, and by end customer. Even if these processes are standardised, the intricacy of operations means there are many potential sources of ineffectiveness.

Compounding the problem is the challenge of managing the performance of the mobile workforce. Performance management is demanding enough when you are dealing with office-based staff; when your workforce is remote, visibility is limited and the difficulty is intensified.
Field service has also been facing a skills shortage. The available workforce of qualiﬁed engineers and technicians is aging; fewer young people are choosing ﬁeld service careers, so when engineers retire, they aren't all being replaced. There is also a need to train and upskill the existing workforce to take on new technologies, service models and working methods so they can cope with the changes, and be on board for digital transformation.
Customer expectations are another factor. The bar for customer experience has been set high by online companies, so end customers, both consumer and business, expect to get service appointments on their terms, with real-time information about the progress of their service at all times, via any medium of their choice.
For service managers, once something goes wrong in the field, it is hard to recover, and time that is lost can never be replaced. One task overrunning can put a field-based worker’s schedule out for the remainder of their shift, potentially jeopardising multiple SLAs and customer relationships. Service managers often lack the data to see what has happened in real time, and to move resources around to regain control.
Many field service organisations have digitised some of their processes so that they no longer rely entirely on paper-based workflows, or store customer information in static spreadsheets. With automation and digitisation, has come an increase in the volume of data available to field-service managers - from the field as well as internal data - but without the right analytical tools, and the skills to use them, or the ability to align multiple data sources, more data is unlikely to lead to more insight.
Even with the right analytics, it can be very difficult to implement changes to field-service processes, monitor the outcome of those changes, and understand whether the improvements have been successful, or have had unintended consequences elsewhere in the system, or even elsewhere in the organisation. Strategy for change has to link with wider organisational strategy, be communicated effectively and be effectively adopted by those who have to undertake new processes. With limited control of the ‘drivers and levers’ of performance, service operations find it very difficult to evolve and grow.

Overall, field service is hard, and exceptional service is even harder. But not impossible. Service leaders need to start by defining what exceptional looks like in their organisation.

Look out for the next feature in this series coming next week where we discuss what exceptional field service looks like.

However, www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below. If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and you can access the white paper instantly upon completing the registration form!

The Rapid Rise of Remote Service Delivery (Podcast Highlights)

Nov 02, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Gary Brandeleer of Salesforce talks to the Kris Oldland, Field Service News about how the pandemic has ushered in a new era of remote service delivery...

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

REMOTE SERVICE DELIVERY IS NOW TABLE STAKES

Field Service News Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland recently authored an exclusive white paper published in partnership with Salesforce, that looked at the sudden emergence of remote service delivery as a go to approach for service delivery. To dig further into this embryonic industry-wide discussion, Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer joined Oldland on the Field Service Podcast. Across the following weeks we will be publishing a series of excerpts from that episode beginning with this opening highlight that looks at how the pandemic has rapidly ushered in a new era of service delivery…

Across the last seven months as a direct result of the pandemic we have seen the adoption of an implementation of technology that was predominant best-in-class as we entered 2020.

In fact, for many years, many best-in-class service organisations have had the ability to deliver service remotely – certainly we've been talking about it here at Field Service News for an awfully long time. However, since the arrival of the COVID19 pandemic and the subsequent ongoing lockdowns, the tools that are required to deliver service remotely have suddenly become a necessity for almost all field service organisations, in all corners of the world, across all industries.

"Very rapidly, what was actually a good addition to a demonstration of what is possible with a FSM solution suddenly became table stakes..."

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

“At first, it was only a few organisations that would be able to offer this kind of remote assistance,” commented Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer on a recent episode of the Field Service Podcast.

“However, we were already beginning to see more and more customers asking for it, even before the pandemic. However, it was not an essential requirement. It was not that if a FSM solution provider could not offer it they would be out of RFP. However, very rapidly, what was actually a good addition to a demonstration of what is possible with a FSM solution suddenly became table stakes,” Brandeleer added.

“Now, everybody wants to get a remote assistant solution. I think the story that we see as well, is that the pandemic pushed field service companies to be much more agile than before.

"Essentially companies were wanting to get remote assistance, and they had no choice in terms of implementing it very fast. There were customers coming to us, customers coming to many different companies, all asking not only for remote assistance, but also being able to implement this kind of remote assistance within the next two weeks.”

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

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Distributing Knowledge Across The Team Is The Missing Link To Creating A High-Performing Workforce

Nov 02, 2020 • Features • Artificial intelligence • White Paper • Digital Transformation • field service management • Aquant

This final excerpt from a recent white paper published by Aquant analyses why distributing knowledge across the team is the missing link to creating a high-performace workforce...

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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bridging the gap between where you are now and where you want to be

Now that you know where to look and what to look for in your service data, what's next?

Distributing knowledge across the team is the missing link to creating a high-performing and engaged workforce.

Once you understand:

How your workforce is performing individually

The size of a skills gap across the organization

The next step is to figure out how to bridge the gap between where you are now, and where you want to be. Artificial intelligence can get you there quickly and enable this transformative shift in the workplace.

Here’s how:

○ AI that understands your organization’s unique service language and can quickly analyze hidden data is the first step in turning service records into actionable information.

○ Next, using that data to map out your workforce and identify heroes and challengers gives you the insights that can’t be found by simply monitoring key KPI.

○ Converting your organization’s tribal knowledge (from your service heroes) into usable information and then combining that with your own service data creates a dynamic platform is the final clue to unlock hero status for everyone.

○ That democratized knowledge, which is as easy to access as a Google search, puts the power of your best experts in the hands of the whole team.

Read the full Aquant white paper which provides an analysis of field service KPIs and the state of the workforce skills gap.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below. If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and you can access the white paper instantly upon completing the registration form!

Belfast Harbour and BT to Build the UK and Ireland's First 5G Private Network for Ports

Oct 30, 2020 • News • 5G • Digital Transformation • Sustainability • transport • BT • EMEA

BT and Belfast Harbour today announced a landmark partnership to build a state-of-the-art 5G ecosystem within the Port. The partnership will deliver a series of 5G-led innovations to accelerate Belfast Harbour’s digital transformation and help...

In a UK and Ireland-first, BT will build and manage a live 5G Private Network designed specifically to achieve the highest levels of ultrafast mobile connectivity, coverage, reliability and security across the Port’s main operational areas. The highly secure and scalable network will enhance safety, security and sustainability across the Harbour Estate and is expected to go live across large parts of the 2,000-acre site early next year.

Belfast Harbour is an important gateway to trade and a significant contributor to the regional economy. Every year, more than 1.75 million people and over half a million freight vehicles arrive and depart through the Port, while 24 million tonnes of goods are managed and carried by ferries, container ships and general cargo vessels.

A PARTNERSHIP TO STIMULATE INNOVATION ACROSS TRANSPORT, LOGISTICS, PUBLIC SAFETY, PHYSICAL SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

The deployment will allow Belfast Harbour to drive operational efficiencies and accelerate its digital transformation through optimising processes across transport, logistics, supply chain and shipping, as well as boosting productivity through the smooth-running of the Port’s operations. The partnership will also explore how 5G and other emerging technologies such as AI, IoT and Connected Autonomous Vehicles can be used together to enhance public safety, physical security and address climate change across the Port and other parts of Belfast City.

For example, the partnership will explore how 5G-led capabilities can help Belfast Harbour to ensure a safe and secure environment for businesses, employees and the wider public. The two organisations will work on improved productivity and safety measures by enabling 5G remote controlled inspection technology to reduce the need for staff to work at height. Meanwhile, the roll out of 5G enabled sensors to monitor air quality and other environmental factors will support Belfast Harbour and the wider city in achieving its green recovery and sustainability ambitions.

The strategic partnership follows a successful UK-first trial of 5G technology by BT and Belfast Harbour last year and supports Belfast Harbour’s ambitions to become the world’s best regional smart port.

Gerry McQuade, CEO of BT’s Enterprise unit, said: “Our UK-first 5G trial with Belfast Harbour last year was a powerful illustration of how 5G-led technology can transform port operations, propel the success of local businesses and drive economic growth. Today’s deal with Belfast Harbour will make these benefits a reality, with the creation of a sophisticated digital ecosystem comprising of 5G, AI, IoT and Connected Vehicles. This will act as a springboard for Belfast Harbour to achieve its ambition to be the world’s best regional smart port and an innovation hub for the region.

“Ports are fundamental to the UK economy, and Belfast Harbour is responsible for roughly two thirds of Northern Ireland’s trade. With the rising demands on transport and logistics, and the growing need for operations to be safe, secure and sustainable, we’re excited to work with Belfast Harbour as its technology partner, building 5G-led innovations to unlock the productivity benefits for the port and contribute to the region’s green recovery ambitions.”

Joe O’Neill, Chief Executive of Belfast Harbour added: “One of Belfast Harbour’s key strategic ambitions is to become a smart port that engages creatively and effectively with customers, visitors and employees. Following a successful test programme last year, we are pleased to have engaged BT to bring 5G technology into Belfast Harbour and delighted that this private network is a first for the UK and Ireland.

“The smooth and efficient running of our Port logistics network relies on the accurate tracking and integration of data gathered from multiple sources. We believe the increased capabilities of 5G technology can have a beneficial effect on our operations, helping us for example to capture, process and interpret data in real time and giving insights that will speed decision making, better manage vehicle traffic through our Harbour Estate and improve productivity across our operations and services.”

ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘digital-transformation’ CATEGORY

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A VISION OF THE FUTURE

"That's where I think there is still a part for technologies to still evolve. I think the whole install base little by little needs to be refreshed and evolve as well..."

Gary Brandeller, Salesforce

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An EXPLORATION OF WHAT COMES NEXT

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UK'S DIGITAL IMMATURITY

AN AWARENESS GAP IN C-SUITE

BUSINESSES FAIL TO LINK TECHNOLOGY WITH COMMERCIAL GOALS

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REMOTE SERVICE DELIVERY IS NOW TABLE STAKES

"We were sending people onsite, now we are doing remote assistance. Can we do other things as well? Can we now invest in outcome-based services and push towards servitization and other things like this?"

Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

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THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS COVID-19-THEMED CYBERCRIMINAL CAMPAIGNS AIMED AT EXPLOITING USER DATA

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why FIELD SERVICE IS HARD

Look out for the next feature in this series coming next week where we discuss what exceptional field service looks like.

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REMOTE SERVICE DELIVERY IS NOW TABLE STAKES

"Very rapidly, what was actually a good addition to a demonstration of what is possible with a FSM solution suddenly became table stakes..."

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

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bridging the gap between where you are now and where you want to be

Read the full Aquant white paper which provides an analysis of field service KPIs and the state of the workforce skills gap.

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A PARTNERSHIP TO STIMULATE INNOVATION ACROSS TRANSPORT, LOGISTICS, PUBLIC SAFETY, PHYSICAL SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

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