In this case study, we look how REHAU executed a rural fibre-optic installation with a direct line from a Vantage data centre to a village in Wales.
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Sep 27, 2021 • News • Network Operations • Digital Transformation • EMEA • rehau • Fibre Installation
In this case study, we look how REHAU executed a rural fibre-optic installation with a direct line from a Vantage data centre to a village in Wales.
When community interest company MyFi tasked Beacons Telecom with establishing a high-speed connection from Michaelston-y-Fedw to a nearby data centre, cutting-edge microduct solutions from REHAU were required to blow the 500+ fibres down the narrow Openreach ducts. Moreover, with the UK’s connectivity targets just over the horizon, it was critical that redundancy was available via spare sub ducts to facilitate future installations.
At first glance, Michaelston-y-Fedw is a village like any other. A picturesque settlement located halfway between Newport and Cardiff; it can now lay claim to being the first rural community-built 1GB fibre-to-the-premises network in Wales.
Rural settings have often been overlooked as gigabit-capable connections are rolled out across the UK, with urban spaces traditionally being easier to integrate into the country’s superfast broadband infrastructure. However, community interest company MyFi was founded in October 2017 to ensure that Michaelston-y-Fedw was able to benefit from connectivity as much as the nearby capital.
David Schofield, Director of MyFi, said: “Previously, the core equipment for connectivity was installed at a hub within the village. However, as the site was unsecured, we felt unauthorised entry and vandalism posed a significant risk. Frequent power cuts also rendered the site impractical, as cooling and supply issues were common. As such, we proposed a direct connection to a nearby data centre.”
THE OPENREACH DUCT SYSTEM
The existing hub connection would be replaced with one to the CWL1 data centre, some 1.1km away, by way of a point-to-point fibre-to-the-premises network. This data centre is the largest of its kind in Europe, a 50-acre campus operated by hyperscale provider Vantage Data Centres. An installation of this kind, with a direct connection from the village to the campus, is a unique occurrence within the UK.
Contrary to the usual practice of using a PON splitter to divide one connection from the data centre between multiple properties, each home within Michaelston-y-Fedw was provided with a direct leased line connection to the data centre. Crucially, this would provide the village residents with 10gGB download speeds of unrivalled consistency, as using individual lines guaranteed no contention would take place.
Beacons Telecom, an Ultrafast Fibre Broadband Company, were contracted to complete the installation. Since June 2019, Ofcom’s statement on Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) allows internet service providers (ISPs) and contractors to make use of the existing BT Openreach ducts to provide Public Electronic Communications Services and/or Public Electronic Communications Network. As the Openreach ducts already span the length and breadth of the country, there is no need for contractors to begin installations from scratch, allowing fibre networks to be constructed far more quickly.
However, this brought about its own challenges as Trevor Mosedale, CEO of Beacons Telecom, explained: “At only 25mm bundle size restrictions, the Openreach ducts were extremely narrow, especially as a total of 576 fibres would be required to complete the installation. Because of this, we needed a solution that could ensure the connection would be established despite infrastructure limitations.”
To facilitate the installation, REHAU provided RAUSPEED duct bundles that could be easily installed into the Openreach ducts followed by blowing in the fibre-optic cables. Crucially, REHAU’s PIA duct bundle was and is the only triple sub duct solution available that was able to fit within a 25mm size restrictions. This meant that, despite width limitations, the 576 fibres would be able to be comfortably blown into the Openreach ducts, even allowing room for redundancy.
Moreover, the PIA duct bundle’s RAU-PP sheath provided increased tensile strength to guarantee the vital fibres within were not damaged during the blowing-in process, while three microducts within the bundle allowed fibre optic cables to be blown-in through one or more channels, leaving space for future installations if required.
THE INSTALLATION
The blowing-in process began on 24th April, with the 576 MiDia 200 Micro GX Cable fibres split into two 288-fibre cables in two separate ducts, leaving a third free. Despite the 8.2mm outer diameter of each fibre optic cable and the three 12/9.8 microducts within the RAUSPEED PIA duct bundle comfortably housed the fibre optic cables, allowing the blowing-in process to go ahead.
The Openreach ducts were first cleaned with sponges and then lubricated. Despite the aforementioned width restrictions, REHAU’s sub ducts allowed fibres to be blown-in at around 58 metres per minute, nearing the maximum blowing speed of 60 metres per minute. Each blow lasted roughly 20 minutes, allowing the full installation to be completed within the day.
Establishing a direct connection to the Vantage data centre had a measurable effect upon Michaelston-y-Fedw and its residents. The village is now capable of 10GBs download speeds, rivalling that of even the most high-speed city connections. The overall size of the settlement’s network also saw a significant expansion, with user numbers rising by as much as 60%, from 250 to 400, with around 100 local businesses now able to connect.
REDUNDANCY
While REHAU’s RAUSPEED PIA duct bundle allowed fibre to be easily blown into the narrow Openreach ducts, they also integrated a critical element of redundancy into Michaelston-y-Fedw’s fibre-optic network. As the sub ducts used feature three channels for fibres – with only two necessary for the installation – this leaves scope for future fibre projects to be completed far more easily, as microduct infrastructure is already in place.
Paul Churm, Telecoms Specialist for REHAU’s Fibre Optic Division, spoke on what this means for the UK’s connectivity goals: “Considering the UK government’s target of achieving 85% coverage for gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, there is increasing pressure on ISPs to incorporate redundancy into their installations. This is being encouraged by schemes like the Welsh government’s Local Broadband Fund, which offers funding for community interest companies and local authorities to upgrade existing broadband infrastructure.”
“For contractors, this means that by utilising REHAU’s triple sub duct PIA bundles as part of their installation, they can receive additional government funding. This is due to the redundancy provided by the unused microducts, as it facilitates future installations by themselves or others. This also provides an opportunity for ISPs and contractors to rent the empty channels out to other broadband providers for use, while incurring no additional time or expense to themselves during the installation.”
The integration of a gigabit-capable broadband network in Michaelston-y-Fedw sets an important precedent for fibre rollout in the UK. With higher broadband speeds more commonly associated with urban settings rather than rural ones, the Government should be wary not to leave the nation’s towns and villages behind in its charge for connectivity. This installation demonstrates that by deploying innovative solutions, the UK might look to exceed its target of 85% coverage, and that a higher standard of connectivity is available for hard-to-reach settlements.
Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change with a responsibility for digital said: “Over this challenging period, the importance of fast, reliable broadband has become even more apparent. While this area is not devolved to Wales, we are taking action to bring faster broadband speeds and better mobile connectivity where we can.”
“The extension of the Michaelston-y-Fedw MyFi network to the Vantage data centre and Bassaleg is one of the many projects that the Welsh Government’s Local Broadband Fund has supported to help improve slow broadband speeds and poor mobile connection - making a real difference to this community. The Local Broadband Fund is aimed at supporting innovative solutions in areas that are difficult to reach, and Beacons Telecom’s use of the cutting-edge microduct solutions from REHAU during this project is exactly what the fund was set up to achieve.”
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Telecommunications on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/telecommunications
- Read more about REHAU on Field Service News @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/rehau
- Find out more more about REHAU @ www.rehau.com
- Follow REHAU on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/rehau/
Sep 24, 2021 • Features • White Paper • Digital Transformation • IFS • Covid-19 • Remote Services • GLOBAL
In the first article of a series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by IFS, we look at companies that have accelerated adoption of remote services in their operation during the pandemic.
In the first article of a series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by IFS, we look at companies that have accelerated adoption of remote services in their operation during the pandemic.
This feature is just one short excerpt from an white paper recently published by IFS.
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 registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.
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 IFS 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.
In the midst of COVID, one of the most talked-about and widely leveraged digital toolsets was augmented and merged reality tools that enable remote interaction, collaboration, and service.
In a time of lockdowns and travel restrictions, software that blends two real-time video streams into an interactive environment proved incredibly useful as a business continuity measure for countless businesses, but particularly for field service organizations.
To be fair, many companies had begun using augmented reality and remote assistance technologies prior to the pandemic – but the conditions of COVID rapidly accelerated adoption by those who had not yet considered the role of remote service in their operations. I’ve written about the value proposition of augmented reality for years and am a huge proponent of the impact it can have on remote customer support and resolution, remote diagnosis to increase first-time fix, better utilization of valuable resources, as well as more rapid employee training and knowledge transfer.
What makes for the most interesting conversation today, however, and the purpose of this report is to explore the role remote service will play in a post-COVID world. The
use of the technology when on-site visits are impossible or unsafe is very simple to understand and put into action. What begs a harder question is how organizations who have turned to remote assistance tools for those business continuity purposes will evolve their use of the technology and incorporate it into their overarching service strategy as we move forward. Is it a key enabler of a remote-first service strategy? Or just another tool in the arsenal to improve customer outcomes? This is the question many companies are grappling with as service conditions normalize.
To weigh in on this topic, I invited some of the service leaders I’ve talked with over the last year about their companies’ uses of remote service. On the following pages, we discuss some of the key points related to determining the fit for remote service in your business and how to maximize its potential to create efficiency gains, customer satisfaction, and competitive differentiation.
Beginning the Remote Service Journey
Some of these companies were leveraging remote assistance tools pre-pandemic, others quickly turned to the technology to ensure service could persist throughout the pandemic.
For those who were already leveraging remote assistance, there’s a sense of relief that the investment had been made and that the technology could serve as a means for business continuity in incredibly uncertain times. For those who had the foresight when COVID struck to very quickly get the technology in place, it is clear that it wasn’t an investment made only as a means to survive the pandemic – but a technology that could have both short and long term benefits.
RICOH is one of the companies that had already been leveraging augmented reality before COVID hit but saw use spike 775% when agents and technicians’ normal business practices were impacted. “Originally, we started a Dispatch Avoidance program, now rebranded as Remote Resolution, to focus our service in three key areas (Field Service, Onsite Managed Services, and Commercial Print). All three areas targeted different processes and elements, but in the end, were all primarily focused on shifting support “left” and integrating technology such as augmented reality as part of the process, providing tech to tech support,” says Dr. Marlene R. Kolodziej, DBA, ITIL, Vice President, Centralized Services at RICOH Digital Services. “We did experience an increase in skill set for those resources in the field, since they were potentially supporting devices through augmented reality that they had never supported previously, thereby increasing their knowledge and skills, as well as a shift to increase calls resolved at first level instead of routing to the field.”
While RICOH was able to rely on use of the technology during the pandemic, and therefore saw the 775% spike in use, that rate has normalized now to 150% of pre- pandemic use. “We have also successfully deployed our truck driver MFP Program, using augmented reality with our truck driver delivery program to reduce the deployment of a new MFP from three visits to one. Previously a truck driver would deliver an MFP to the customer, then a field service technician would visit the customer to perform the installation, then the truck driver would return to pick up the old device. Now the truck driver works with our technicians and installs the printer using augmented reality, as well as deliver new/retrieve old MFP, all in the same visit,” says Marlene.
Smart Care Equipment Solutions also had augmented reality in place prior to COVID, but its experience with the technology during the pandemic was far different than RICOH just based on its industry. “We initially invested in the technology because we were looking at two pieces of equipment that had high complexity and a high callback ratio for us: ice machines and combi-ovens in this industry, because remarkably, both of them have electronic controls and both of them have a lot of water with them. There was enough of a gap between those two pieces and all the rest of the equipment and we turned to remote service because we wanted figure out how we could bring the competencies of our trainers, who knew those pieces of equipment well, out to the field more quickly to drive down those callback ratios,” says Gyner Ozgul, COO of Smart Care Equipment Solutions. “We had just kicked this off before the pandemic hit and of course our industry was heavily impacted with restaurant closures. I’m pretty confident that it’s going to have a bigger impact as things normalize.”
Utility FortisBC is an example of a company that turned to remote assistance specifically to adjust to trying to maintain service amidst pandemic circumstances. “We were limited in entry into our customers’ premises,” explains Scott Lowes, Construction Supervisor at FortisBC. “Remote service software has allowed our field employees to continue working and providing the best possible customer experience throughout the pandemic, while increasing their safety and reducing potential exposures.” While FortisBC’s initial use of remote surface stemmed from the pandemic, the organization sees potential for use of the technology far beyond those needs.
"We turned to remote service because we wanted figure out how we could bring the competencies of our trainers, who knew those pieces of equipment well, out to the field more quickly to drive down those callback ratios."
Gyner Ozgul, COO of Smart Care Equipment Solutions
Munters had remote service on its radar before COVID, but it was on the future roadmap of technology investments. When the pandemic struck, the company saw the opportunity to act fast and speed up this portion of its plans as a way to persist through COVID conditions but also set the stage for post-pandemic success. “We’d been researching remote service applications prior to COVID, primarily looking at how to enable third-line support for technicians. When COVID hit, we saw the opportunity to act fast on the use of the technology in a different way, which was directly with customers,” describes Roel Rentmeesters, Director of Global Customer Service at Munters.
The company was able to act adeptly on the potential for remote service, acting fast to select IFS Remote Assistance and deploying it to more than 200 users across 20-plus countries in just two weeks.
“As our initial use unfolded, we quickly realized we could also use the technology in other areas of the business impacted by COVID, For instance, we used remote assistance to open new manufacturing facilities that previously required travel that became restricted. We also recognized the opportunity to use this technology to train junior technicians – if they get stuck on a job, they can interface with a more experienced resource to aid in resolution,” says Roel. “While the initial use began during COVID, it has become embedded in our organization. Does it mean that every technician is using it? No, but customers accept it and welcome it because you give a faster response than you used to be able to do. It’s more efficient because you don’t need to go onsite before you do it. So, it has become part of our daily way of working and our solutions towards customers.”
"We have also successfully deployed our truck driver MFP Program, using augmented reality with our truck driver delivery program to reduce the deployment of a new MFP from three visits to one"
Marlene Kolodziej, Vice President, Centralized Services at RICOH Digital Services
Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions Europe also acted fast to put remote service in place for business continuity during COVID. “Remote assistance was not yet on our road map prior to COVID. The pandemic obviously advanced the need to have something in place pretty quickly. We started this journey with IFS around April of 2020, right at the UK lockdown time. And of course, primarily, we wanted to provide support to customers. We couldn’t dispatch our engineers in the way that we were used to doing, whether that was for direct line product support or some kind of technical support,” says Karl Lowe, Head of Panasonic European Service at Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions Europe. “What we’ve found since we’ve gone live with this technology is that our resolution time has been really quick. We’ve had cases where we’ve had a heating problem in a client’s home, and we’ve been able to use IFS to have the heating operational again within 16 minutes. Normally, that would mean maybe a day’s wait for an engineer to be available and then the engineer would drive to site and then spend some time on site. With remote service, within 16 minutes, the heating is back on and the client is happy. It’s helped us and it’s also helped the client. When it comes to heating, if it’s down and it’s not operating, the customer can’t wait too long before there’s a solution. So, for us, IFS Remote Assistance is key to be able to provide high first-time fix rates, high resolution rates but quickly, so that the downtime is kept to a minimum.”
The company has also been struck by the unique way in which remote service technology allows the sharing and transfer of knowledge in an easily accessible, global manner. “Panasonic has tended to work almost silo by silo or country by country, just because that’s how we’ve been organizationally set up. But what we’ve found with remote assistance is that location doesn’t really matter anymore. As such, we’ve been able to network and link our service organizations together,” explains Karl. “So rather than being a siloed service organization, say for example, the UK, has been able to call in an expert from Panasonic in Germany, obviously language allowing. But bringing them into the call to support them. That enables greater knowledge transfer, which certainly for me, is super important because you do get those technicians that have been in companies for an awful long time, they’ve got a wealth of experience. And it’s difficult sometimes to get that experience out into the younger members of the team, the least experienced guys that are struggling to pick up that knowledge. Where with IFS Remote Assistance, we’ve been able to bring them into calls to provide, again, a quicker solution for the customer but also the engineer learns something at the same time as well."
This feature is just one short excerpt from an e-book recently published by IFS.
www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full e-book now by hitting the button below.
If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.
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 IFS 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.
Further Reading:
- Read more about IFS on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/ifs
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Remote Service on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/remote-service
- Learn more about IFS @ www.ifs.com
- Learn more about IFS Cloud @ www.ifs.com/ifs-cloud-overview/
- Follow IFS on Twitter @ twitter.com/ifs
Sep 24, 2021 • News • Apple • Cyber Security • Digital Transformation • Software and Apps • GLOBAL • SYNOPSYS • CYBEREASON
Tim Mackey, principal security strategist at the Synopsys Cybersecurity Research Centre, and Sam Curry, chief security officer at Cybereason, comment on the news that Apple has updated its software for iPhones to address a critical vulnerability.
Tim Mackey, principal security strategist at the Synopsys Cybersecurity Research Centre, and Sam Curry, chief security officer at Cybereason, comment on the news that Apple has updated its software for iPhones to address a critical vulnerability.
It has been reported that Apple has updated its software for iPhones to address a critical vulnerability that independent researchers say has been exploited by notorious surveillance software to spy on a Saudi activist. Researchers from the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab said the software exploit has been in use since February and has been used to deploy Pegasus, the spyware made by Israeli firm NSO Group that has allegedly been used to surveil journalists and human rights advocates in multiple countries.
STAYING ON TOP OF ALL OPERATING SYSTEM UPDATES IS THE ONLY REAL PATH FOR END USERS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST ZERO-CLICK SOFTWARE AND APPS
The urgent update that Apple released yesterday plugs a hole in the iMessage software that allowed hackers to infiltrate a user's phone without the user clicking on any links, according to Citizen Lab. The Saudi activist chose to remain anonymous, Citizen Lab said.
Commenting on this, Tim Mackey, principal security strategist at the Synopsys Cybersecurity Research Centre, said "Zero-click software or apps should be a high concern for any mobile device user. This class of software doesn’t require any interaction by the user, so no explicit download and no explicit consent is granted. While there are legitimate uses for this class of software, the secretive nature of the installation makes it particularly appealing to malicious or criminal groups. The only real path for end users to defend against such software is to keep on top of all operating system updates, vendor updates, and maintain an up to date anti-malware solution."
Sam Curry, chief security officer at Cybereason, added "Monday’s emergency software updates for a critical vulnerability discovered in iPhones, Apple Watches and Macs, shouldn't be cause for panic. Yes, this newest Pegasus spyware delivery mechanism is novel, invasive and can easily infect billions of Apple devices, but stay calm and simply get control of your device and download the software updates available from Apple. Do that and move on. Follow Apple's instructions if you think you are infected and consult your IT department at work, school, etc. Failing that, Apple’s Genius Bar will be able to help. With nearly 2 billion iPhone active around the world, 100 million Apple Watches being used and more than 100 million Macs, security can’t be a luxury for Apple and it’s not, it’s a responsibility they take seriously.
This type of software is generally a scourge. This specific package has been known a while. What's novel is the subtle installation. These have happened in the past and should be a top priority to identify and fix for any vendor. Relating to Apple security, failing is OK. Failing consistently is not. Let's see how Apple addresses this. They are a generally more secure platform, but they must continue to invest and demonstrate commitment going forward. The most secure platform in the world can be cracked given time unless the security is maintained. An incident or two are not a cause for pitchforks and torches to come out. That comes later if things recur or are dealt with in a cavalier manner."
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Cyber Security on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/cyber-security
- Read more about Software & Apps on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/software-and-apps
- Find out more more about Synopsys @ www.synopsys.com
- Learn more about Cybereason @ www.cybereason.com
Sep 23, 2021 • Features • research • Digital Transformation • HSO • CSAT • Customer Service
FSN Research recently undertook a detailed study in partnership with HSO to understand precisely what CSAT metrics are being tracked by field service organisations.
FSN Research recently undertook a detailed study in partnership with HSO to understand precisely what CSAT metrics are being tracked by field service organisations.
At the same time, the study also explored the digital transformation journey our sector has been on for several years and how this was significantly accelerated due to the pandemic across 2020 and into this year. Having published the results, Dan Snowdon, Danny Wieder and Kevin Brown of HSO joined Field Service News Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland to discuss the findings of the study in greater depth.
In this excerpt from the second of two in-depth debrief sessions, the group look at the data and discuss if we are seeing an acceleration in the move away from the traditional break-fix approach to service delivery towards more advanced, servitized models?
Want to know more?
FSN Premium subscribers and FSN Elite members can access the full-length 50 minute second part of this detailed FSN Research debrief session.
For a limited period, this content will also be available to those on our free-forever, FSN Stanard subscription tier.
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free to gain access to a monthly selection of premium content or select either FSN Premium or FSN Elite for even more resources. Click the button above to visit our subscription page to find out more.
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Further Reading:
- Read more exclusive features from FSN Research @ research.fieldservicenews.com/
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
- Read more about Service Innovation and Design @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/service-innovation-and-design
- Read more about customer service trends @ Features on CSAT trends
- Read more insights from HSO and how they are helping field service companies drive improvements in customer satisfaction and increasing operational efficiency here
- Arrange a consultation to find out how HSO can help your field service business grow by clicking here
Sep 22, 2021 • Features • Digital Transformation • Software and Apps • GLOBAL • Praxedo
In this second feature from a series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by Praxedo, we look at how the right field service management software for your organisation can massively increase efficiency.
In this second feature from a series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by Praxedo, we look at how the right field service management software for your organisation can massively increase efficiency.
This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by Praxedo.
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 registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.
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 Praxedo 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.
With cutting-edge field service management software that’s delivered from the cloud, you can access the technologies you need most in a fast, easy, and cost-effective way. You can smoothly evolve from yesterday’s way of working to today’s and tomorrow’s way with minimal dis- ruption and predictable costs.
Work Order Management and Scheduling are Intelligent, Automated, and Consistent
Centralized management of digital work orders streamlines and accelerates work order creation and processing. Work orders are customized for your business and your operations to ensure they match the way you work. And there’s a logical and consistent approach to work order management across your entire organization.
Work order scheduling is also faster, easier, and more intelligent. The software automatically creates the optimal schedule for every technician and every job based on constraints and requirements such as:
• Technician availability
• Technician location
• Skillsets required for the job
• Customer location
• Customer time constraints
• Level of urgency
Travel Routes are Optimised
The software recommends the best travel route to job sites and between job sites, considering factors such as time of day, traffic congestion, and construction. As conditions change throughout the day, you can easily reoptimize and update routes to maintain maximum travel efficiency.
Technicians spend less time on the road, and have fewer travel-related frustrations to deal with. And you can reduce fuel consumption and wear and tear on vehicles.
You're More Connected with Customers
The software also allows you to set up automated emails and notifications so customers are informed in real time as their work order progresses. They know when their job has been scheduled, when technicians are on their way, and when the job is complete, whether they’re present at the job site or not.
"It's much better for customers to know exactly when technicians will arrive rather than having to wait around for hours for someone who finally shows up at the end of the day."
Jim Baston, Field Service Industry Expert
Invoicing is Faster
There’s no need to worry about losing business-critical data. Electronic service reports that are fully customized for your industry, customers, job types, spare parts, and other factors make it fast and easy for technicians to cap- ture all required data while they’re still in the field. Tech- nicians can complete the service report on their mobile device and immediately send it back to the office for processing and invoicing.
Because the field service management software seamlessly integrates with your enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), or accounting software, all report data are automatically populated in the system so there’s no need for manual data entry.
Performance is Highly Visible
Real-time reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) gives you immediate visibility into how work orders are progressing in the field. You can see KPIs, such as the:
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Number of completed work orders
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Number of work orders tracking on schedule
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Actual time to complete work orders
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Number of work orders that started at the scheduled time
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Number of work orders meeting service level agreement (SLA) commitments
With historical analysis of these same KPIs, you can identify trends — good and bad — and take the appropriate actions.
This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by Praxedo.
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 registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.
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 Praxedo 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.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Software and Apps @ www.fieldservicenews.com/software-and-apps
- Read more about Leadership & Strategy @ www.fieldservicenews.com//leadership-and-strategy
- Learn more about Praxedo @ en.praxedo.com/
- Follow Praxedo on Twitter @ twitter.com/Praxedo
Sep 21, 2021 • Features • Digital Transformation • servicemax • Social Media • The View from Academia • Chris Raddats • Severina Cartwright • Katharina Streater
Is social media being woefully underused in our industry, or is it a saturated mass communication tool that lacks the nuance required for effective customer interactions that drive service excellence amongst field service companies? Kris Oldland,...
Is social media being woefully underused in our industry, or is it a saturated mass communication tool that lacks the nuance required for effective customer interactions that drive service excellence amongst field service companies? Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News writes...
Social media has perhaps had a more significant impact on human society than any other technology in our history. It has evolved rapidly from sharing pictures of cute cats to becoming an integral; some may even say insidious aspect of twenty-first-century living.
Rightly or wrongly, almost every aspect of our lives is touched by some form of social media. Regardless of whether you wish we had all just quit at the cat videos or if you've developed turbo-speed thumbs as a Facebook superuser, there is no denying the prevalence of social media.
And yes, social media advertising and PR are now a standard part of any communications strategy. We can confidently say that field service companies are all using social media.
The question is, can we, or indeed, should we be using it more?
In a recent session online discussion group hosted by Field Service News, Drs Severina Cartwright and Chris Raddats of University gave an excellent presentation based on a paper the two had co-authored with Dr Hongfei Liu of Southampton University. The paper outlined the strategic use of social media within business to business marketing.
In her presentation, Dr Cartwright outlined the findings of the paper, which was a review of the current academic literature, and she outlined three key areas that are prevalent in terms of how business-to-business organizations are leveraging social media.
These were:
Social Media as a sales facilitation tool:
- Moving away from the dyadic face-to-face relationships
- Introducing the early processes of a sale before a salesperson even initiates contact
- The emerging phenomena of social selling
Social media as an integrated communication tool:
- Creation of timely and valuable content
- The creation of both corporate and personal personas
- Influencing customers' reactions and engagement via the linguistic style of corporate content
Social media as an employee engagement tool:
- Empowering and driving employee citizenship and allowing them to develop a personal brand in line with the parameters of the corporate guidelines
- Positioning the organization and the employees as thought leaders
Dr Cartwright's presentation gave those in attendance an excellent viewpoint into the broad trends of social media use amongst business-to-business focused organizations, which offered plenty of food for thought for those on the session and led me to the question – are we underestimating the power of social media within the field service sector?
For example, would social media prove to be an effective tool for fault reporting or even triage, particularly as we continue to see the demographic shift within the workplace as millennials replace baby boomers and more modern forms of interaction become the preference?
To dig a little deeper into this hypothesis, we spoke to Katharina Streater, Senior Product Marketing Manager, ServiceMax.
When it comes to triage, however, Streater believes that social media doesn't offer enough depth of insight to provide meaningful value.
"While social media serves as a powerful tool to generate brand awareness and connect companies directly with their users, I don't believe it is an appropriate tool for service triage at B2Bs who manage a large installed base," Streater explains.
"Therefore, I don't think field service organizations are underestimating social media; rather, they are choosing to leverage it only in the places that drive value.
"For asset-centric service organizations, a support case requires more than a brief rundown of the problem by a user whose social media profile is not associated with their business, or even their full name. To properly handle a case, the agent needs to authenticate the user, identify the asset that needs service and the company they're associated with. Then they need to find the correct information on the customer contracts and the service level agreements before tackling the issue."
"Using social channels for support requires several manual steps until a case is resolved, and most often ends with taking the service request offline—often because it contains details that are proprietary or are a matter of data privacy..."
- Katharina Streater, Senior Product Marketing Manager, ServiceMax
These are all, of course, highly valid points that would suggest that the power of social media is an ill-fit with triage. However, perhaps the most critical issue of adopting such an approach wouldn't necessarily be in the triage, but in providing step-by-step issue resolution and giving the customer the clear understanding that their issue is being taken seriously and there is someone at the other end that is taking personal responsibility to ensure resolution – something that can be diluted by both social media and even many support ticket solutions if poorly implemented.
As Streater adds, "Social media is focused on communication, not providing a 360-degree view into a customer's SLA and asset data–information necessary to resolve a case.
"Using social channels for support requires several manual steps until a case is resolved, and most often ends with taking the service request offline—often because it contains details that are proprietary or are a matter of data privacy.
"What's more, communicating the wrong entitlement coverage puts service organizations at risk of revenue leakage."
This doesn't mean that social media doesn't have its place amongst the tools deployed by field service companies. As per Dr Cartwright's presentation, the role of social media in terms of employee engagement can be a significant positive.
"Our customers do see the value in connecting directly with end customers on social media, keeping an eye on customer sentiment, and responding when necessary..."
Such use wouldn't necessarily need to be on an external social media platform either, instantly thoughts go to the use of internal systems to help drive knowledge bases for engineers and technicians. The same gamification aspects common across social media (such as badges, for example) can be used to drive additions to a knowledge base from a pool of end-users. Similarly, upvoting and downvoting can drive the best solutions within the knowledge base to the top of a search - assisting in the surfacing and identification of the best potential resolution to any specific issue.
In terms of customer interaction, social media can play a considerable part in measuring broader customer sentiment analysis.
Indeed, in a recent study by Field Service News Research that focused on technology and customer satisfaction, we saw that those companies who monitored more sophisticated metrics such as social media and sentiment analysis were more than two times as likely to state that they believed their CSAT metrics offered a highly accurate reflection of their customer service standards.
This is something Streater also sees within the ServiceMax customer base.
"Our customers do see the value in connecting directly with end customers on social media, keeping an eye on customer sentiment, and responding when necessary," she comments.
However, the removal of the dyadic relationship that Dr Cartwright reflects is a trend within the use of social media as a sales-facilitation tool, is the exact aspect we want to avoid in the role of service triage and continuing resolution.
"Instead of relying on social media for service triage," Streater explains, "our customers prefer to manage and control the process end-to-end from a secure, compliant app or portal experience. As opposed to social media, these tools give customers full visibility into their assets and service history and allow them to connect directly with a support agent who has all the information on hand to resolve the case."
Social media is indeed a powerful and prevalent tool. There is undoubtedly more we can do with it as an industry; however, as with every technology, it is essential to understand its limitations and strengths to use it appropriately.
Further Reading:
- Read more from Academia @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/the-view-from-academia
- Read more from Field Service News Research @ https://research.fieldservicenews.com/
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
- Read more about ServiceMax on Field Service News @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=servicemax
- Find out more about ServiceMax @ https://www.servicemax.com/uk
- Follow ServiceMax on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/ServiceMax
Sep 21, 2021 • Features • research • Digital Transformation • HSO • Covid-19 • CSAT • Customer Service
FSN Research recently undertook a detailed study in partnership with HSO to understand precisely what CSAT metrics are being tracked by field service organisations.
FSN Research recently undertook a detailed study in partnership with HSO to understand precisely what CSAT metrics are being tracked by field service organisations.
At the same time, the study also explored the digital transformation journey our sector has been on for several years and how this was significantly accelerated due to the pandemic across 2020 and into this year. Having published the results, Dan Snowdon, Danny Wieder and Kevin Brown of HSO joined Field Service News Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland to discuss the findings of the study in greater depth.
In this excerpt from the second of two in-depth debrief sessions, the group reflect on how wide-reaching the impact of the pandemic has been on field service companies in terms of driving even greater customer-centricity and becoming an unexpected catalyst for the acceleration of digital transformation.
Want to know more?
FSN Premium subscribers and FSN Elite members can access the full-length 50 minute second part of this detailed FSN Research debrief session.
For a limited period, this content will also be available to those on our free-forever, FSN Stanard subscription tier.
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free to gain access to a monthly selection of premium content or select either FSN Premium or FSN Elite for even more resources. Click the button above to visit our subscription page to find out more.
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, HSO who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this study.
Further Reading:
- Read more exclusive features from FSN Research @ research.fieldservicenews.com/
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
- Read more about Service Innovation and Design @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/service-innovation-and-design
- Read more about customer service trends @ Features on CSAT trends
- Read more insights from HSO and how they are helping field service companies drive improvements in customer satisfaction and increasing operational efficiency here
- Arrange a consultation to find out how HSO can help your field service business grow by clicking here
Sep 20, 2021 • News • Digital Transformation • Topcon • GLOBAL
Topcon Positioning Group announces an expansion of the Topnet Live Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) network of correction solutions to support today’s work environments.
Topcon Positioning Group announces an expansion of the Topnet Live Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) network of correction solutions to support today’s work environments.
The newly expanded global network now has more types of correction services and subscription options. This growth is a result of the increasing demand for digitalisation in various industries including construction, surveying, machine control, and agriculture.
TOPNET OFFERS A NUMBER OF CORRECTION SOLUTIONS TO SUPPOT TODAY'S WORK ENVIRONMENTS AND HELPS TEAMS ACHIEVE CONTINUOUS ACCURACY WITH ALWAYS ON-SERVICE COVERAGE
The flexible service options include Realpoint, the Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) service, and Starpoint, a Precise Point Positioning (PPP) service. The different services have varying delivery methods, coverage, and reliable centimeter-level accuracy. Under a flexible subscription model, customers can purchase to suit their needs. Additionally, an RTK service supported by PPP, Skybridge, is available to maintain connectivity and productivity if the customer temporarily leaves RTK coverage.
“The Topnet Live RTK network, first established over a decade ago, continues to grow with 5,100 reference stations globally, a 14% increase in the last year,” said Ian Stilgoe, Topcon vice president. “We are growing throughout the world in areas where there is an increasing demand for productivity and accuracy through digitalisation, with strong growth particularly in North America and Europe. We are focused on continued expansion to maximise support for our customers, so they always have the best options globally.”
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) supplying automotive, industrial Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous robotics and all sectors that require positioning, navigation and guidance also benefit from the enhanced robustness of the network. OEMs can sell their hardware with correction services onboard and preconfigured for immediate use by customers, regardless of geographic location, with flexible subscription and licensing options to suit the exact need.
Topnet Live uses all four GNSS constellations: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. The customer benefits from continuous accuracy and always-on service coverage. This service provides these distinct advantages in the industries it supports:
Survey, Construction and Machine Control. Topnet Live removes the need for individual base stations, dramatically increasing flexibility, productivity and safety and can drive large-scale projects with constant, reliable accuracy.
Precision Agriculture. The solution delivers fast, consistent, accurate positioning any time of day or night for soil preparation, seeding, spreading, spraying and harvesting.
OEMs, System Integrators, Product Designers. The solution provides scalable precise positioning and supports the implementation of flexible business models tailored to fit both OEMs’ and their customers’ needs.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Automation on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/sustainability
- Learn more about Topnet Live @ topconpositioning.com/topnetlive
- Find out more more about Topcon Positioning @ www.topconpositioning.com
- Follow Topcon Positioning on Twitter @ twitter.com/topcon_today
Sep 16, 2021 • Features • research • Digital Transformation • HSO • CSAT • Customer Service
FSN Research recently undertook a detailed study in partnership with HSO to understand precisely what CSAT metrics are being tracked by field service organisations.
FSN Research recently undertook a detailed study in partnership with HSO to understand precisely what CSAT metrics are being tracked by field service organisations.
At the same time, the study also explored the digital transformation journey our sector has been on for several years and how this was significantly accelerated due to the pandemic across 2020 and into this year. Having published the results, Dan Snowdon, Danny Wieder and Kevin Brown of HSO joined Field Service News Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland to discuss the findings of the study in greater depth.
Here the group discuss the tools and technologies that are being used to measure CSAT metrics and drive improvements in ensuring customer success.
Want to know more?
FSN Premium subscribers and FSN Elite members can access the full-length 50 minute second part of this detailed FSN Research debrief session.
For a limited period, this content will also be available to those on our free-forever, FSN Stanard subscription tier.
If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free to gain access to a monthly selection of premium content or select either FSN Premium or FSN Elite for even more resources. Click the button above to visit our subscription page to find out more.
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, HSO who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this study.
Further Reading:
- Read more exclusive features from FSN Research @ research.fieldservicenews.com/
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
- Read more about Service Innovation and Design @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/service-innovation-and-design
- Read more about customer service trends @ Features on CSAT trends
- Read more insights from HSO and how they are helping field service companies drive improvements in customer satisfaction and increasing operational efficiency here
- Arrange a consultation to find out how HSO can help your field service business grow by clicking here
Field Service News is published by 1927 Media Ltd, an independent publisher whose sole focus is on the field service sector. As such our entire resources are focused on helping drive the field service sector forwards and aiming to best serve our industry through honest, incisive and innovative media coverage of the global field service sector.
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